How A Speeding Ticket Impacts Car Insurance In Texas
Receiving a speeding ticket in Texas can lead to an increase in your car insurance premiums. On average, drivers may see their rates climb by about 9% following a speeding violation. However, the exact impact depends on factors such as the severity of the offense, your driving history, and your insurance provider’s policies.
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If you’ve recently been caught speeding in Texas, you might be wondering how that ticket will affect your car insurance.
I have used my nine years of experience as a licensed insurance agent to help fellow drivers find auto insurance that will battle the effects of a speeding ticket. There are ways to find affordable auto insurance after a ticket, let me show you how a speeding ticket affects your auto insurance in Texas.
Key Takeaways
Drivers can pay their fine, fight their ticket, or take a defensive driving course when they receive a speeding ticket.
When drivers choose to take a defensive driving course in Texas to keep a ticket off their record, they have 90 days to make their plea of no contest.
Insurance rates will increase after a speeding ticket in Texas, but there are ways to keep your rates low after an infraction.
Do Speeding Tickets Affect Insurance In Texas?
Yes, speeding tickets can increase your car insurance rates in Texas. On average, a single speeding ticket may raise your premium by an average of 9%, depending on how fast you were going and your overall driving record.
How A Speeding Ticket Impacts Your Insurance In Texas
Keeping a clean record helps drivers with their insurance premiums. However, one infraction can lead to an increase in the cost of car insurance. Sometimes dramatically, depending on the insurance company.
Below are some examples of how just one speeding ticket can impact your insurance cost. See how the differences vary between companies.
| Provider | Clean Record | Speeding Ticket | Increase |
| Allstate | $3034 | $3059 | 1% |
| Nationwide | $1860 | $2016 | 8% |
| State Farm | $1713 | $1924 | 12% |
| National General | $2096 | $2590 | 24% |
| Mercury | $1837 | $2607 | 42% |
Insurance costs will also vary depending on factors such as your driving history, where you live, sex, and claim history. When you submit a claim for speeding, this can impact these factors in different ways, especially due to the severity of the speeding ticket. The higher the severity of the infraction, meaning other violations involved with the speeding ticket, the more dramatic the increase can be.
Important: 9 out of 10 drivers admit to speeding even though nearly 90% know that it is wrong.
How To Lower Your Premiums After A Ticket
For the most part, after you have received a speeding ticket, your rates will see an increase. However, you will not see that increase until you renew your insurance policy. In Texas, your infraction will remain on your record for three years. With some companies up to five.
Here are some ways to help you lower your premiums after a ticket:
Lower Your Coverage Levels
While this is not always an option if you are under a lease and bound to maintain full coverage, one way to see a lower premium after a ticket is to increase your deductible. Just remember that should you file a claim, you will be paying more out of pocket.
If you own your vehicle and it’s older, consider dropping Comprehensive and collision. Just know that if you are in an accident, your coverage will only cover the other party. Comp and collision are the portions of your policy that cover your injuries and personal vehicle.
Quick Tip: Dropping full coverage may make sense if your vehicle’s value is less than 10x your annual premium.
Search For Discounts
Talk with the insurance company about discounts you may qualify for. If you have homeowners insurance or renters, consider bundling as this brings discounts. Others can come from taking a defensive driving course, being part of certain organizations, or military member, and driving below a certain annual mileage.
Defensive Driving Courses
Many Texas insurers offer discounts for completing a defensive driving course—even after a violation. Some courts may even allow you to dismiss the ticket altogether if it’s your first offense.
Shop Around
Not all insurance companies treat speeding tickets the same. If your rate increases sharply at renewal, get quotes from other insurers. One might be more lenient about your infraction.
Maintain a Clean Record
The best long-term strategy is staying violation-free. In Texas, a new ticket resets the three-year clock on your record—raising your risk profile and your premium.
TIME INFRACTIONS: If you get four or more violations in a twelve-month period your license will be suspended, or seven or more in a twenty-four-month period.
Does A First-Time Speeding Ticket Affect Insurance?
A first-time speeding ticket and how it affects your insurance premium will depend on the auto insurer. Some insurers may raise your premium slightly after a first offense, while others may overlook it entirely—especially if your record is otherwise clean.
Quick Tip: Some insurers, like State Farm and Allstate, offer accident forgiveness programs that may prevent your first speeding ticket from affecting your premium.
Factors that influence the impact of a first ticket include:
- How fast you were going (minor vs. major violation)
- Your overall driving history
- State laws and point systems
- The insurance company’s internal risk model
On average, a first-time minor speeding ticket can raise premiums by 10–15%, according to Insurance.com.
If you’re concerned about a rate hike, consider completing a defensive driving course or shopping around—some insurers are more forgiving than others.
CONSEQUENCES: Speeds below 10 MPH are classified as Class C Misdemeanors; Speeds up to and exceeding 25, or reckless driving, are Class B and A Misdemeanors.
How To Find Affordable Insurance After A Speeding Ticket
Getting affordable car insurance after a speeding ticket requires some legwork, as each insurance company treats each situation and each driver differently,so what costs you 20% more with one provider might only raise your rate by 5% with another..
- A teenage driver with a speeding ticket will most likely be treated differently than a thirty-year-old with the same violation.
- A driver with two violations will experience less leniency than a first-time offender. According to one rate analysis, a driver can see an increase of 43% after a second offense.
- A driver with a ticket going five miles over the limit may have their violation not count against them, but reckless driving, or driving over 20 miles per hour over the limit, could raise rates on a policy.
Some of the best methods to find affordable insurance after getting a speeding ticket are:
Reducing Your Coverage To Liability Only
Carrying full coverage can be expensive after a speeding ticket. Unless you are under a lease and your contract states you must carry full coverage, reduce your coverage to a manageable level. True, you may lose coverage that protects your vehicle in the event of an accident or theft, but you will find your monthly rate more affordable.
Taking A Defensive Driving Course
Insurance companies look favorably upon drivers who take action upon their mistakes, especially when it comes to speeding tickets. A defensive driving course will not only prove that you are serious about correcting your behavior, but it can also help with your insurance rates.
Change Insurance Companies
Not all insurance companies are created equal. A second offense can raise your rate by an average of 43%. But some insurers won’t raise your rate much after a first minor infraction. Shop around after you have received a speeding ticket if your current company has raised your rates due to your one infraction.
It is important to remember that each insurance is different; compare apples to apples. Then you can employ one of the above suggestions to lower your premium after a ticket.
What To Do After Getting A Speeding Ticket
When you receive your speeding ticket you can do two things, pay the ticket and deal with the ramifications, or you can contest it.
Paying The Ticket
This is fairly straightforward. When you make your court appearance, they will provide you with instructions on how to pay for the ticket. Don’t delay or you will have fees upon that fine. If you wait too long a warrant can be issued for your arrest. Alternatively, you can pay online at the Texas Department Of Public Safety.
Contesting The Ticket
If you choose to fight the ticket, that is your choice. You would plead not guilty at your court appearance and a court date will be set at that time. You can represent yourself or hire an attorney. If you are found not guilty, your ticket will be dismissed. If you are found guilty you will be assessed your fee, and your ticket will go on your record.
There is also a third option, deferred disposition. You plead no contest and pay your fine. You are then put on probation and if you do not receive a ticket for speeding within the time period agreed upon, the ticket does not go on your record.
How Long Does A Speeding Ticket Stay On My Record?
In Texas, a speeding ticket typically stays on your driving record for three years. However, the impact on your insurance rates can last even longer—especially if the violation involved aggravating factors like a school zone, injury, or alcohol.
While most insurers review the past 3–5 years of your driving history, serious offenses could influence your rates for longer.
How Much Is A Ticket In Texas?
Texas doesn’t fool around with speeding on their roads; however, it is one of the states that have the least impact on your insurance rates, seeing about a 12 percent increase after one speeding ticket. But what happens when you are fined when other factors are in play such as school and construction zones?
| Fine by MPH over limit | Posted Limit | School Zone | Construction Zone |
| 1 to 5 | $170 | $220 | $235 |
| 6 to 9 | $180 | $235 | $260 |
| 10 to 14 | $200 | $250 | $295 |
| 15 to 19 | $245 | $270 | $380 |
| 20 to 29 | $265 | $295 | $430 |
| 30 plus | $300 | $325 | $500 |
Over thirty miles an hour is considered reckless driving. Reckless driving is treated more seriously than other offenses due to its disregard for traffic laws and endangerment of those on the highway.
Penalties For Speeding
In Texas, a first-time speeding offense can result in a fine of up to $200. However, the penalties become significantly more severe for repeat offenders. If you’re convicted of four or more moving violations within 12 months, you may face:
- Fines up to $2,000
- Jail time up to 180 days
- Or both
Additional consequences can include:
- A warrant for your arrest if you fail to appear in court
- Referral to collections, which may impact your credit score
- Difficulty renewing your car insurance, as some insurers may decline to renew high-risk drivers
DANGEROUS FACTOR: According to the NHTSA, speeding was a factor in 29% of accident fatalities in 2022.
FAQs
What is the cheapest car insurance after a speeding ticket?
A car insurance company could see minimal impact after a speeding ticket but still be more expensive than the cheapest car insurance available which would have a higher impact due to a speeding ticket.
Our research shows that while Allstate has only a 1% increase, it would still be more expensive than Geico insurance which had a 9 percent increase after a speeding ticket.
How do I get a speeding ticket off my insurance?
There are a couple of ways to get a speeding ticket off your insurance. The first way is to simply have better driving habits and allow the three years to pass; it should fall off then. The next way is to fight the ticket. You will appear in court before a judge, if you win the ticket will be dismissed.
Another way is to plead no contest and be awarded deferred adjudication. This basically means that you cannot get another ticket within a certain period of time. If you live up to that, the ticket will fall off your record.
Will my insurance company find out about my speeding ticket immediately?
The only way the insurance company will know about your ticket immediately is if you are up for renewal and they check with the motor bureau. If you recently renewed or are in the middle of your policy, the insurance company will not find out about your speeding ticket unless you inform them about it.
