Do Speeding Ticket Warnings Affect Your Car Insurance Rate?
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Law enforcement agencies give police officers discretion when it comes to issuing traffic tickets. If you’re pulled over for minor speeding, the officer could give you either a speeding ticket warning or an actual ticket.
It’s obviously better to receive a warning than a ticket, but how do speeding warnings impact your auto insurance rate? They probably won’t, but they could affect your risk level in the eyes of car insurance companies in some cases. This article will examine this question in further detail and offer some tips for reducing your insurance rate.
Key Points:
- A speeding ticket warning won’t impact your car insurance rates 99 percent of the time.
- Getting multiple written speeding warnings may increase your chance of getting a ticket next time.
- There’s a chance written warnings can make you seem like a high-risk driver if you also have other infractions on your record.
What Does A Speeding Ticket Warning Mean?
Perhaps it was your first time getting caught driving over the posted speed limit and you got a warning ticket. A speeding ticket warning is just that. It doesn’t require a court appearance or court date. It won’t add points to your license either. A speeding warning means the officer is “letting you off the hook,” so to speak.
However, a written warning may appear on your driving record. If you’re pulled over and the officer notices you’ve already received multiple speeding warnings, they’re more likely to give you a real citation.
Speeding Tickets Versus Speeding Warnings
If you’re pulled over for driving over the speed limit, the officer may give you either a speeding ticket or a speeding warning. There are differences in how each will affect your wallet.
| Speeding Ticket | Speeding Warning |
|---|---|
| May add points to your license | Won’t add points to your license |
| Is a citation to appear in court and/or pay a fine | No need to appear in court or pay a fine |
| Can increase your auto insurance rate depending on the infraction | Unlikely to increase your insurance rate |
| Will appear on your driving record | May or may not appear on your driving record |
There are two types of speeding warnings you can receive: verbal and written. A verbal warning won’t appear on your driving record. There’s no paper trail, and the incident is solely between you and the officer who stopped you.
Written speeding warnings may appear on your driving record. This depends on the practices of the police department. It’s possible that the warning will be stored in a rusty filing cabinet, never again to see the light of day. It’s also possible that the warning will be filed electronically. In some states, a law enforcement officer can choose to share that warning with the department of motor vehicles, and an insurance company would be able to see it.
The good news is that it’s highly unlikely for a speeding warning to increase your insurance rate. Even if an auto insurance company knows about the warning, it’s unlikely to care. But if you have a high number of speeding warnings, that could be a different story. Multiple warnings reported to your DMV can make you a riskier driver to insurance companies if you also have other traffic citations.
With multiple speeding warnings on your record, you increase the likelihood that the next officer will ticket you after a traffic stop. In that case, your rate would definitely go up after the moving violation.
How Speeding Ticket Warnings Impact Insurance Rates
Auto insurance carriers look at a number of factors to determine your premium. These include:
- Driving history
- City
- Age
- Marital status
- Credit score
- Vehicle
- Gender
Providers care about your driving history because they want to know how likely it is that your driving will result in a claim payout. Having a single ticket or a couple of minor infractions is common for most people, and it’s not likely to make your rate spike. However, motorists with multiple traffic violations–especially DUIs–are deemed “high-risk” by insurance carriers.
A speeding ticket warning isn’t likely to increase your insurance rate. Your current provider probably won’t even know about the warning. If you sign up with a new provider, there’s a small chance the company may find the warning on your driving record. But it’s unlikely to care.
It’s possible for your rate to rise if you accumulate a high number of speeding warnings and tickets. A single warning shouldn’t raise your rate at all.
How To Reduce Your Car Insurance Rate
There are many strategies for reducing your auto insurance rate, and you don’t need to wait until you get speeding ticket warnings to try them.
Ask For A Higher Deductible
Policies with higher deductibles have lower premiums. However, just because choosing a higher deductible will get you a lower insurance premium doesn’t mean it’s always a good idea.
Make sure you’ll be able to afford your deductible if you get into an accident. In some cases, an extremely high deductible isn’t worth a low rate. You need to find the ideal balance for your budget.
When considering raising your deductible, be realistic about your driving habits. This is a bad option if you have a history of accidents.
Take A Defensive Driving Class
Many auto insurance providers offer discounts if you complete a defensive driving course. You’ll need to check with your carrier. In the following states, car insurance carriers are required to reduce rates for customers who complete a state-approved defensive driving class:
| Alabama | Alaska | Arkansas | California | Colorado |
| Connecticut | Delaware | District of Columbia | Florida | Georgia |
| Idaho | Illinois | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana |
| Maine | Minnesota | Mississippi | Montana | Nevada |
| New Jersey | New Mexico (only for drivers over 50) | New York | North Dakota | Oklahoma |
| Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | Tennessee |
| Utah | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wyoming |
In Texas and Florida, you can take a defensive driving class to have your ticket dismissed. This can prevent your insurance rate from going up in the first place.
Ask Your Provider About Discounts
Most providers offer discounts for safe driving, policy bundling, and insuring multiple cars. The chart below lists common discounts offered by many auto insurance providers. These can help you cut your rate down if you’re worried about getting a lot of speeding warnings and tickets.
| Car Insurance Discount | Details |
|---|---|
| Good student discount | Reduced rates for students with good grades |
| Good driver discount | Reduced rates for people with good driving records |
| Defensive driver discount | Reduced rates for completing a defensive driving course |
| Car safety discount | Reduced rates for cars with extra safety features |
| Multi-policy discount | Reduced rates if you bundle your auto insurance with other insurance policies |
| Multi-vehicle discount | Reduced rates for insuring multiple vehicles |
| Military discount | Reduced rates for military members |
| Annual mileage discount | Reduced rates for driving fewer miles |
| New vehicle discount | Reduced rates for vehicles less than three years old |
| Automatic payments discount | Reduced rates for customers who schedule automatic payments |
| Family discount | Reduced rates for having family members who use the same provider |
| Paperless discount | Reduced rates for signing policy documents and receiving bills electronically |
Switch Insurance Providers
Almost every car insurance company advertises savings for new customers who switch providers. This is because most people won’t switch providers unless it saves them money. The customers who are quoted higher costs probably don’t switch.
Like internet service providers, many car insurance companies will offer discounts to poach you from a competitor. Compare providers’ rates, and when speaking with an insurance agent, mention the deals competitors have offered you.
Speeding Ticket Warning: Conclusion
Speeding ticket warnings shouldn’t affect your car insurance rate at all. If you’re lucky enough to get off with speeding ticket warnings, you may not need to be concerned about your premium going up. But if your rate goes up because of points on your driver’s license, compare free quotes and consider switching providers.
Auto Insurance Provider Recommendations
Some companies offer great insurance options that are also inexpensive. Check out two of the best car insurance providers below.
USAA: Best For Military Members
USAA not only offers some of the lowest prices for car insurance on average but also receives high customer satisfaction ratings. The company earned the third highest score for claims servicing in the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study℠.
USAA coverage is only available to military members, veterans and their spouses and children. If USAA car insurance is an option for you, it’s certainly worth exploring.
Geico: Best For Discounts
We found Geico to be a good alternative for people who aren’t eligible to buy USAA insurance. The company offers coverage at competitive prices, and safe drivers can lower their premiums even more by having the DriveEasy program track their performance through the Geico Mobile app.
The Geico app also integrates claims filing and roadside assistance requests, making completing both processes easy and convenient.
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Speeding Ticket Warning: FAQ
Below are some frequently asked questions about speeding ticket warnings.
What does it mean when you get a warning?
If a police officer gives you a verbal warning for speeding, nothing else happens. You’re free to drive away, and you won’t be fined or summoned to court. A written warning is a little different in that it could be added to your driving record. But it won’t require a fine or court date, either.
Is a warning the same as a citation?
No, a warning and a citation aren’t the same thing. A warning can be verbal or written, and it doesn’t come with a fine. A written warning may or may not show up on your driving record. A citation goes on your record and may require you to pay a fine or appear in court. It will typically make your car insurance rate go up when you renew your policy.
Do warnings for speeding go on your record?
It depends. Verbal warnings for speeding aren’t documented and don’t appear on your driving record. A written warning for speeding may appear on your record. You can check your driving record by contacting your state’s DMV.
How long does a warning stay in the system?
There’s no set time that a warning will stay on your driving record. Some written warnings may never go on your record at all, and others could sit in a filing cabinet or be filed electronically. Speeding tickets generally stay on your record for about three to five years.
How We Rate Insurers
Our review process aims to deliver consistent and unbiased assessments of car insurance providers. While there are multiple qualities that make a car insurance company successful, our review team focuses on those we believe are the most important for consumers:
- Cost: Cost can be difficult to compare between insurers because so many factors impact annual premiums. The cheapest insurer for one driver may not be the cheapest for another. To determine our cost score, we look at insurance rate estimates generated by Quadrant Information Services, discount opportunities, and consumer reports.
- Coverage: To determine our coverage score, we look at the number of coverage options available as well as coverage limits and deductible options. Our ratings also take into account additional services and benefits like roadside assistance.
- Reliability: It’s important that an auto insurer is able to meet its claims obligations. Companies with a strong financial strength rating from AM Best score best in this category. Established insurers with a long history of reliable service also receive positive marks.
- Service: We comb through customer reviews on sites like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to learn about customer experiences. Insurers with a low volume of complaints score well in this area. We also consider the claims process, giving higher ratings to car insurance providers that offer easy-to-use claims apps.
*Data accurate at time of publication