It happens: You’re riding along and start to see the police lights behind you. You get pulled over and hit with a speeding ticket for going too fast. But the consequences extend beyond the one-time inconvenience of pulling over. Not only do you have to pay for the speeding ticket, but your car insurance premium may go up, too.
Here’s what you should know about how long that speeding ticket will stay on your driving record.
How long does a speeding ticket stay on your record?
States don’t treat speeding tickets the same, and how long they might stay on your driving record varies.
Here’s how long a speeding ticket might stay on your driving record by state and territory:
| State | How long a speeding ticket stays on your record |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 2 years for points to be removed for suspension, but incident is permanent on your record |
| Alaska | 1 year |
| Arizona | 1 year |
| Arkansas | 3 years |
| California | 3 years and 3 months (39 months) |
| Colorado | Can reduce points, but incident is permanent on record |
| Connecticut | 3 years |
| Delaware | 2 years |
| Florida | 5 years |
| Georgia | 2 years |
| Hawaii | 10 years |
| Idaho | 3 years |
| Illinois | Up to 5 years |
| Indiana | 2 years |
| Iowa | 5 years |
| Kansas | 3 years |
| Kentucky | 5 years, but points removed after 2 years |
| Louisiana | 3 years |
| Maine | 1 year |
| Maryland | 3 years |
| Massachussets | 6 years |
| Michigan | 7 years |
| Minnesota | 5 to 10 years |
| Mississippi | 1 year |
| Missouri | 3 years |
| Montana | Points removed after 3 years, but conviction is permanent on record |
| Nebraska | 5 years |
| Nevada | Points removed after 1 year, but conviction is permanent on record |
| New Hampshire | 3 years |
| New Jersey | 5 years |
| New Mexico | 1 year |
| New York | 1.5 years |
| North Carolina | 3 years |
| North Dakota | 3 years |
| Ohio | 2 years toward suspension, but incident is permanent on record |
| Oklahoma | Up to 3 years |
| Oregon | 2 years |
| Pennsylvania | 1 year |
| Rhode Island | 3 years |
| South Carolina | 2 years |
| Tennessee | 2 years |
| Texas | 3 years |
| Utah | 3 years |
| Vermont | 2 years |
| Virginia | 5 years |
| Washington | 5 years |
| West Virginia | 5 years, but points removed after 2 years |
| Wisconsin | 5 years |
| Wyoming | 1 year |
| Washington, D.C. | 2 years |
How a speeding ticket affects your driving record?
When you get a speeding ticket or have a moving violation, you’ll accumulate driver’s license points on your driving record. You don’t want these points. Having too many driver’s license points can lead to suspension for a brief period of time.
When you get a speeding ticket, the state department of motor vehicles may add points to your driving record. The number of points added will vary by state and how fast you were going. You’ll also want to check to see how long points stay on your driving record in your state. Fortunately, they don’t stay there forever.
How a speeding ticket will affect your car insurance premium?
When you get a speeding ticket, you have to pay the fine. You may also get points added to your license. While car insurance companies don’t typically use driver’s license points to calculate rates, your auto insurance premium may increase because of your infraction. Insurance companies usually have their own methodology to calculate the impacts of moving violations and other types of driving offenses.
In some cases, you may be able to take a defensive driving course, which can help reduce the impact on your car insurance premium. Some car insurance companies may also have “ticket forgiveness” programs, which could help.
However, if you were speeding far above the speed limit, or if you’ve racked up a second or third speeding ticket in a short amount of time, you will likely see your car insurance rates go up.
Your car insurance rates could stay high for three years but may go down if you maintain a clean driving record during that time.
You can attempt to contest the speeding ticket if you feel you are justified but know that it may be difficult. You may also have to pay administrative or court fees to contest your ticket.
Consider pay-per-mile insurance when comparing rates with a speeding ticket
If your car insurance rates do go up, you may want to shop around for a better rate. Insurance companies might consider the same speeding ticket differently when determining your premium.
If you don’t often drive, one way to keep your car insurance costs low is to consider pay-per-mile auto insurance.
While you may have higher rates because of your infractions, pay-per-mile auto insurance can help you control costs, as you typically pay a monthly base rate to keep your insurance coverage and a per-mile rate of a few cents for each mile you drive.
The bottom line
Speeding is dangerous, and as a result, speeding tickets can be very consequential. In addition to the fine you’ll need to pay, the infraction can impact your driving record for several years. You could also pay more for auto insurance as a result.
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Melanie Lockert is a freelance writer, podcast host of the Mental Health and Wealth show, and author of Dear Debt. She’s a cat mom to two jazzy cats, Miles and Thelonious, an amateur boxer, music lover, and needs coffee to function.