How Long Do Speeding Tickets Stay on Your Record?

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Written by Lequita Westbrooks Edited by Emily Guy Birken

Updated April 10, 2024

Depending on where you live, a speeding ticket could stay on your record for up to 10 years. In most states, though, it should fall off after two to five years. A speeding citation doesn’t just go on your driving record — it can also affect the cost of your auto insurance.

After a speeding ticket, your insurance company may increase your premiums when you renew your auto insurance policy. You could also end up with points on your driving record, which can lead to even higher insurance rates, a suspended license, or revoked driving privileges.

Below, we go into more detail about how speeding tickets affect your driving record and insurance costs, plus tips on how to remove one from your record.

How Long a Speeding Ticket Stays on Your Record in Every State

The specific length of time a speeding ticket remains on your driving record varies from state to state. On average, it’ll stay on your record between one and five years. You might be able to get a speeding ticket removed from your driving record earlier, but this depends on your state.

Keep in mind that if you already have a speeding ticket on your driving record, getting a second or third traffic violation can result in even stiffer penalties.

The table below shows how long a speeding ticket stays on your record in each state.

A speeding ticket will remain on your record for up to five years in most states, but it could stay on your record much longer in some. For instance, a ticket can stay on your record for 10 years in Hawaii and Minnesota. Michigan and Massachusetts aren’t far behind, with tickets remaining for six and seven years, respectively.

But in several states — including Alabama, Colorado, Montana, and Nevada — a speeding citation becomes a permanent part of your driving record even though the state usually removes the points after a few years.

A speeding ticket doesn’t have to be permanent. In the next section, we’ll share tips for how to get one off your driving record.

How to Get a Speeding Ticket Off Your Record

Whether you want to avoid more points on your driver’s license or keep your car insurance costs low, you can use several strategies =to clean up your driving record after a speeding violation, including:

Take a defensive driving class

Some states allow you to take a defensive driving class to get points or a ticket dismissed or removed from your record. States typically only allow you to take these courses a limited number of times — once every 12 months, for example. Generally, you may not use them for serious violations such as drunk driving.

Since states have different rules and eligibility requirements for these courses, it’s a good idea to check with your DMV before signing up.

Request a deferral

Your state may have something called a “deferred prosecution program,” in which you must meet certain conditions to keep the ticket off your record. For instance, you’ll have to pay a deferral fee, and you can’t receive any other tickets during the deferral period (usually one year).

With a deferral, you’d pay a larger fine than you would normally face, but it keeps the infraction from appearing on your record during the deferral period. If you maintain a clean driving record during that time, your state will dismiss the speeding ticket and won’t add it to your driving record.

Contest the ticket

If you feel you have a strong case, you can contest your speeding ticket. In this option, you’ll go to court to plead not guilty and argue the ticket. Pay attention to your county’s deadlines for requesting a hearing.

You can hire an attorney or represent yourself, but getting a ticket thrown out or overturned without legal assistance isn’t easy. Be ready to provide evidence, such as dashcam footage, to support your request for dismissal for the best chance of success.

Request mitigation

Another option is to ask for a mitigation hearing. With this strategy, you take responsibility for the ticket by pleading guilty, but you get to explain your side of the story to the judge and ask for a lesser fine or penalty. Keep in mind that mitigation may or may not result in a reduced fine, and the ticket could still appear on your driving record.

For example, mitigation could lead to the reduction of a reckless driving charge to a speeding ticket. Even if the judge doesn’t lower your fine, they may allow you to take a traffic school course to keep the ticket off your record.

How Speeding Tickets Affect Your Car Insurance Rates

Your car insurance rates will likely go up after you get a speeding ticket. Just one speeding ticket increases rates by an average of 37%, according to Compare.com data. Repeat offenses can lead to even higher premiums or loss of coverage.

Your specific rate increase depends on factors such as your insurance company, state, the severity of the ticket, and your driving record.

To give you an idea of how your rate can increase, we’ll highlight the five cheapest and most expensive states for auto insurance premiums after a single ticket in the sections below.

The 5 cheapest states after a speeding ticket

Insurers in the following five states have the lowest average monthly premiums for drivers with a speeding ticket, according to Compare.com data.

Remember, the specific rate increase you can expect after receiving a speeding ticket depends on your situation — for example, the number of miles per hour you were driving over the speed limit.

The 5 most expensive states after a speeding ticket

The following five states have the highest average monthly premiums for drivers with a speeding ticket, according to Compare.com data.

This highlights why it’s a good idea to shop around and compare insurance companies to find better rates. You can also look for insurers that offer a good driver discount or a discount for taking a defensive driver course.

How to save on car insurance after a speeding ticket

A speeding ticket on your record doesn’t mean you’ll be stuck with higher car insurance premiums forever. You can save on car insurance in several ways after getting a citation for speeding:

• Comparison shop: You don’t have to stay with the same insurer. Check out other companies to see which offers lower rates.
• Maximize discounts: Options such as bundling your home and auto insurance and taking advantage of your affiliation with a professional organization could help you lower your premiums.
• Enroll in a defensive driving course. Taking an approved defensive driving class could potentially lower your premiums and help erase some or all the points on your driver’s license.
• Increase your deductible: A higher deductible means lower premiums. Just make sure you can afford to pay the increased deductible if you need to file a claim.
• Enroll in a telematics program: Many insurers offer discounts when you agree to use telematics or mobile apps to track your driving habits and for safe driving behavior.

How the Driver’s License Point System Works

Many states use a point system (often called a demerit points system) for traffic offenses. Under these systems, states assign different values (points) to various traffic infractions. If you get a ticket, your state adds the points to your driving record, and they stay for a specific period of time.

Each state with a points system has a maximum amount of points you can reach before it suspends your license or revokes your driving privileges. For example, in Nevada, if you get more than 12 points within 12 months, the state will suspend your license for six months.

While the majority of states (and the District of Columbia) use a point system, the following states don’t:

• Hawaii
• Kansas
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• Texas
• Washington
• Wyoming

The table below shows a few states that use a points system and how many points each assigns for the first speeding ticket. It also highlights how many points you can receive before the state suspends your license.

You can check your driving record by contacting your state DMV. Generally, you can request a copy of your driving record for a small fee. Each state may have different options for removing points from your license, so contact your DMV or clerk of courts for more information about removing points from your driving record.

FAQs About Speeding Tickets

Here are some of the most common questions about how to handle a speeding ticket.

Do you have to pay a speeding ticket immediately?

Generally, you must either pay the speeding ticket or appear in traffic court by the stated deadline. For example, many states give you 30 days from the date you received your citation to pay it.

What’s the average cost of a speeding ticket?

It depends. The average cost of a speeding ticket varies from state to state, depending on the nature of the violation.

For instance, driving 40 mph over the speed limit may have a higher penalty than driving 10 mph over the limit. For example, in Wisconsin, a speeding ticket costs $200 to $800.

Do you have to go to court for a speeding ticket?

No. You don’t have to appear in court for a speeding ticket unless you want to contest the ticket. Otherwise, you may simply pay the fine.

What happens if you don’t pay a speeding ticket?

If you don’t pay your speeding ticket on time, your DMV will send the ticket to collections. An unpaid ticket could hurt your credit. Your state may also suspend your license, or you may face other penalties such as additional fees or not being able to renew your license registration.

What happens if you get a speeding ticket in another state?

A speeding ticket in another state may or may not result in points on your license. Some states, like Wisconsin, simply enter the conviction into your driving record but won’t assess points. But other states, such as Florida, will add the out-of-state ticket to your driving record and assess points.

Methodology

Data scientists at Compare.com analyzed more than 50 million real-time auto insurance rates from more than 75 partner insurance providers in order to compile the quotes and statistics seen in this article. Compare.com’s auto insurance data includes coverage analysis and details on drivers’ vehicles, driving records, insurance histories, and demographic information.

All the quotes listed in this article have been gathered from a combination of real Compare.com quotes and external insurance rate data gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. Compare.com uses these observations to provide drivers with insight into how auto insurance companies determine their premiums.

Sources

1. Indiana Traffic Deferral Program, “Deferred Prosecution Program Speeding Citation,” Accessed April 3, 2024.
2. Hawaii State Judiciary, “Traffic Abstracts & Traffic Court Reports,” Accessed April 3, 2024.
3. Kansas Department of Revenue, “How to Read a Driving Record,” Accessed April 3, 2024.
4. Mississippi Department of Public Safety, “Driver’s License Manual,” Accessed April 3, 2024.
5. Oregon Department of Transportation, “Guide to Oregon Driving Records,” Accessed April 3, 2024.
6. Texas Department of Public Safety, “Traffic Offenses,” Accessed April 3, 2024
7. Washington State Department of Licensing, “Guide to Driving Records,” Accessed April 3, 2024
8. California DMV, “The Negligent Operator Treatment System (NOTS),” Accessed April 3, 2024
9. Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, “Points & Point Suspensions,” Accessed April 3, 2024
10. New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, “About the New York State Driver Point System,” Accessed April 3, 2024

Lequita Westbrooks Insurance Editor

Lequita Westbrooks is an insurance editor at Compare.com. Her writing and editing experiences span several industries, including insurance, personal finance, higher education, and more. She excels at explaining complex topics like auto insurance in simple, easy-to-understand language and is passionate about helping readers save money. Lequita graduated from the University of South Florida, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in English.