How Much How You Drive Matters
You know that traffic tickets will make your car insurance rates go up, but how much should you expect? And of course, not all violations are created equal. What are the most expensive violations, and how do they vary by state?
If you’ve been caught speeding or forgetting to use your turn signal, traffic ticket fines are not the only price you’ll pay for breaking the rules of the road.
You can also face steep penalties when it comes to your car insurance costs. Drivers who have recent tickets or car accidents on their driving record are considered higher risk (i.e. they’re more likely to file an insurance claim). That means insurers will typically charge them higher rates.
How much more drivers have to pay for car insurance depends both on the type of violation and where they live. For example, a Pennsylvania driver pays on average 18% more for insurance after getting a speeding ticket, while a North Carolina driver sees an average 51% insurance increase for the same offense.
Here you can see how much this one violation (specifically a ticket for speeding 16 - 20 mph over the limit) and its effect on insurance rates varies based on where you live. The amount you see is the amount more you'll pay for insurance each year after the ticket, not the total amount you'll pay for insurance.
The More Severe the Violation, the Bigger the Insurance Penalty
While violations like not buckling your seatbelt are pretty straightforward, others come with degrees of severity. If you’re caught speeding, for example, just how fast you were going over the speed limit will impact the size of your insurance penalty.
As mentioned above, the violation that will double your rates is leaving the scene of an accident. But here are some others that will have large impacts on your insurance costs.
On the other hand, many smaller moving offenses will have a more measured effect on your insurance increases. However, even getting a ticket for failure to buckle your seatbelt can cost you more than $300 a year.
Violations Vary Significantly by State
Getting a ticket for a driving violation can raise your car insurance rate no matter where you live, but the additional costs vary dramatically across state lines.
For example, a drunk or drugged driving violation (DUI) can increase rates by 310% (Nearly $5,000!) in California, while in Idaho the same offense raises rates by only 2% ($55).
Why? It all comes down to differences in risk, and how insurance is rated and regulated from state to state.
It’s important to remember that some insurance companies may assign lower penalties — or none at all — even in states where drivers tend to see steep cost spikes for violations, so it’s always important to compare insurance quotes.
Find out which violations have the biggest impact and how much on average they will raise the rates in your state.
What Drivers Need to Know About Driving Violations
Other than just to avoid getting them, what else do you as a driver need to be aware of when it comes to moving violations?
Driving violations can impact insurance rates for years (but not forever)
Insurers typically consider violations on your record for three years after the infraction, though certain activities can impact auto insurance rates even longer. A DUI violation in California, for example, will impact a driver’s insurance rate for 10 years.
While violations often no longer count after three years, drivers usually aren’t eligible for “good driver” discounts, which can further lower rates, until they’ve been violation-free for five years.
Insurance penalties can cost more than the traffic ticket itself
The insurance impact of most driving violations is often far more costly than the ticket itself, especially when you consider how costs endure for several years.
The legal fine for a speeding ticket is about $150 on average. On top of that, ticketed drivers are likely to see their car insurance costs rise $588+ per year — for three years — after the violation. That means one speeding ticket can cost drivers more than $1,600 in insurance penalties alone.
Insurance penalties after a violation differ from company to company
How heavily you’re penalized for a traffic ticket differs from one insurance company to the next, just like it differs from state to state. While most insurers increase rates for drivers with violations, some may charge you less than others.
In addition to comparing rates to find the best deal, you may be able to lower your insurance rate by participating in a driver safety course accepted by your insurer.
Methodology
In October 2025, The Zebra analyzed millions of unique rates to explore pricing trends across all United States zip codes including Washington, DC. Analysis used a consistent base profile for the insured driver: a 30-year-old single male driving a 2014 Honda Accord EX with a good driving history and coverage limits of $50,000 bodily injury liability per person/$100,000 bodily injury liability per accident/$50,000 property damage liability per accident with a $500 deductible for comprehensive and collision. The driver’s driving history was changed to include violations in order to obtain rate differences.