In the US, once you have your license, you can drive anywhere in the country as long as you follow the rules of the road. If a police officer gives you a speeding ticket in a different state for a violation, you have to take care of it, even if the state that wrote the ticket isn’t the one where your car is registered.
How Out-of-State Tickets Impact Your Car Insurance
Getting pulled over and cited while driving outside your home state can be frustrating But it’s even worse when that ticket jacks up what you pay for car insurance
Unfortunately, many out-of-state violations do get reported and can affect your rates. However, the exact impact depends on several factors.
This article explains how out-of-state tickets can impact your car insurance costs. We’ll look at when they get reported, how insurers view them, steps to minimize rate hikes, and more.
Do Other States Report Tickets to Your Home State?
In most cases, yes. Thanks to agreements between states, traffic violations are shared across state lines.
The Driver License Compact (DLC) requires 46 states and Washington D.C. to exchange driver history information. That includes convictions for moving violations like speeding tickets.
Similarly, the Non-Resident Violator Compact (NRVC) enforces penalties across state borders. For example, if you miss a court date or fail to pay a ticket fine, the citing state can have your home state suspend your license.
The bottom line is other states do report tickets, so assume they’ll show up on your motor vehicle record.
When Out-of-State Tickets Don’t Get Reported
There are some scenarios where another state may not report a ticket:
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Minor non-moving violations like parking tickets
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States not part of the DLC like Wisconsin and Michigan
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States not in the NRVC like California and Oregon
However, even states outside these agreements can choose to report tickets to your home DMV. So it’s safest to assume any violation could end up on your record.
How Insurance Companies View Out-of-State Tickets
Most insurers treat out-of-state tickets the same as in-state ones when evaluating your driving risk. So any moving violation conviction is likely to impact your rates.
However, some carriers only factor in serious violations like DUIs when setting premiums. Others might exclude minor speeding tickets under 10 or 15 mph over the limit.
The biggest rate hikes will come from high-risk offenses like reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, and license suspensions. Even one of these can double your premium or more.
Your Agent Can Explain the Potential Impact
Every insurer uses its own formulas and point systems when pricing policies. So the exact impact on your premium will vary company by company.
Consult your agent to find out how tickets affect rates at your carrier. They can explain:
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Which types of out-of-state violations may increase your premium
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How much rates typically go up for each type of ticket
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What point level leads to policy cancellation
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Timeframe for rate hikes after a conviction
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Discount opportunities like defensive driving courses
This insight makes the potential fallout of a conviction less mysterious. Your agent can also advise the best strategy if you do get cited out-of-state.
Steps to Minimize the Insurance Impact
Here are some tips to help reduce rate increases from out-of-state tickets:
Pay promptly – Ignoring the ticket only makes things worse. Paying the fine prevents further penalties.
Check for traffic school – Some states offer this to prevent insurance rate hikes.
Compare insurers – Consider switching to a company with more lenient policies.
Improve your driving – Going ticket-free for 3+ years can help offset violations.
Ask for discounts – Taking defensive driving courses may cut your premium.
Increase deductibles – This can help blunt rate hikes after a conviction.
What Happens If You Don’t Pay an Out-of-State Ticket?
Simply ignoring a ticket is the worst approach. Here’s what can happen if you don’t pay:
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Added late fees from the citing court
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Driver’s license suspension
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Negative impact on your credit
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Possible arrest warrant
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Insurance cancellation for an invalid license
Handling an out-of-state ticket promptly is always the best policy. Work with the court to resolve it or request a hearing. The fines may be annoying, but the financial and legal consequences of not paying are far worse.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about how out-of-state tickets impact car insurance:
Do all states report tickets to your home DMV?
Most do thanks to agreements that require sharing violation records across borders. But a few states like Wisconsin and Michigan don’t participate.
Can I take traffic school to prevent my insurance going up?
Maybe. Some states offer traffic school to prevent points and insurance impacts. But availability varies by state. Check if it’s offered where you got the ticket.
How many points until your insurance is canceled?
Each insurer has its own thresholds, but typically 6-8 points within 3 years leads to non-renewal. Check with your agent about your carrier’s specific policies.
How long does a ticket affect your insurance rates?
Most tickets impact your premium for 3 years from the conviction date. But serious violations like reckless driving or DUIs cause longer rate hikes.
The Outcome Depends on Your Policy and Violation
Out-of-state tickets can definitely affect your car insurance rates. But there are steps you can take to reduce the fallout. Be proactive by understanding your insurer’s policies, exploring discounts, and maintaining a clean driving record. Don’t bury your head in the sand if you do get that dreaded out-of-state citation.
How do I fight an out-of-state speeding ticket?
Contesting a ticket can sometimes result in reduced or waived fines. Sometimes, you might be able to get the judge to drop the charge, which means it won’t show up on your driving record. But it’s harder to fight a speeding ticket in a different state than in your own because you’ll probably have to go to court where the violation happened.
You have a few options if you want to contest a ticket in another state.
- Go to the state: Fight the ticket in person in the state where the violation happened.
- Fight it in writing: In some states, you can write to dismiss a ticket. If you got a ticket in one of these states, you could write an appeal and tell your side of the story.
- Hire a lawyer. If you can’t be in court, some states let you send a lawyer to stand in your place.
What are traffic ticket reciprocity states?
Most of the time, the Driver’s License Compact (DLC) will let your home state know if you get a traffic ticket in another state. When a driver gets a traffic ticket in another state, the DLC agrees to tell the driver’s home state’s licensing agency about it. Ballotpedia says that all but five states—Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Tennessee, and Wisconsin—are part of the DLC. Rules for handling out-of-state violations vary, but most states add them to your driving record.
Your home state may add the violation to your record, but you have to take care of the ticket in the state where the offense happened. You could face additional penalties based on the Nonresident Violator Compact (NVC) if you don’t. States that are part of the NVC will let your home state know if you don’t pay a ticket. If you don’t pay the fine by a certain date, your home state will usually take away your license. If the state takes away your license, depending on where you live, you might have to pay extra to get it back.
According to Ballotpedia, all states are members of the NVC except Alaska, California, Michigan, Montana, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Virginia. It’s worth noting that states that aren’t members of the DLC or NVC have other ways of communicating with other states about traffic violations across state lines. You’re not off the hook if you get a ticket in a state that’s not a member of these compacts.
Do Speeding Tickets Affect Insurance?
FAQ
Does Texas add points for out of state tickets?
Can I go to traffic school in California for an out of state ticket?
Does NC add points for out of state tickets?
How does an out-of-state ticket affect my car insurance rate?
How an out-of-state ticket will impact your car insurance rate depends on the severity of the ticket and the policies of your insurance company. When you get a traffic ticket in another state, that state will report it to the state where you reside and it will likely show up on your record.
What happens if you get an out-of-state traffic ticket?
In most cases, if you get an out-of-state traffic ticket, your home state will find out about it thanks to the Driver’s License Compact (DLC). The DLC is an agreement between nearly every state to report traffic violations out of state to the licensing authority in the driver’s home state.
Do out-of-State speeding tickets affect insurance?
The short answer to this is yes, an out-of-state speeding ticket can and likely will affect your insurance rates. But the long answer is a bit more complicated, as is usually the case when dealing with insurance.
Do all states treat out-of-state tickets the same?
The good news is: Not all states treat out-of-state tickets the same way. And your car insurance company might not find out for years. (See laws specific to your area in our state car insurance rates guide.) Most states have interstate reciprocal agreements that require them to share information on convictions for moving violations.