How a speeding ticket impacts your insurance in New York
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If you have earned a speeding ticket in the Empire State, you may have questions, such as how much does 4 points affect insurance in NY? Or What are the penalties for a New York speeding ticket? New York drivers with a clean record pay the relatively high average rate for full coverage car insurance of $3,672. A ticket is likely to increase that rate further. Bankrate’s insurance editorial team did an in-depth analysis of New York insurance regulations to provide the answers to your questions, so you can make the best decision for your car insurance after a New York speeding ticket.
How much is a speeding ticket in New York?
New York insurance laws are clear on the penalties a driver incurs when they receive a speeding ticket. These include both civic fines and the possibility of jail time. In addition to that, your car insurance premiums are likely to increase, too.
New York car insurance rates are some of the highest in the country, with drivers paying an average of $1,585 for state-mandated minimum coverage and $3,672 for full coverage. After a single speeding ticket, those averages are $1,678 for minimum coverage—an increase of six percent—and $3,946 for full, an increase of seven percent. Multiple tickets may see rates go even higher.
Several factors determine how a speeding ticket impacts your insurance premium. The two most significant factors for rates after getting a speeding ticket are your driving history and the severity of your speeding ticket. A speeding ticket of 10 mph or over is typically not going to affect your premium as much as 30 mph over.
Speeding ticket costs in New York are as follows:
- Up to 10 mph over the speed limit: $45-$150 in fines with possible jail time of up to 15 days
- 11-30 mph over the speed limit: $90-$300 in fines with possible jail time of up to 30 days
- Over 30 mph above the speed limit: $180-$600 in fines with possible jail time of up to 30 days
Drivers can expect to receive increased fines for repeat offenses within an 18-month window. Should a driver receive three or more speeding convictions within 18 months, license revocation is likely.
In addition to fines, New York drivers also receive penalty points (also called New York insurance points) for each violation they are convicted of. The points for speeding are as follows:
- 1-10 mph: 3 points
- 11-20 mph: 4 points
- 21-30 mph: 6 points
- 31-40 mph: 8 points
- 41 or above: 11 points
In New York, drivers who receive 11 points within an 18-month period are subject to potentially having their license suspended. Should this happen to you, you might have to pay a reinstatement fee and take a driving safety course after the suspension period is over.
The cheapest car insurance for New York drivers with a speeding ticket
If you have a speeding ticket in NY, choosing the most affordable car insurance is likely to be a priority. Bankrate’s team researched the average rates from NY car insurance companies for drivers with a ticket, using May 2024 data sourced from Quadrant Information Services, to help you out. The five companies below had the cheapest average rates, with regional insurer Main Street America topping the list.
| Company | Rate before speeding ticket in New York | Rate after speeding ticket in New York | % diff. from New York rate after speeding ticket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Street America | $1,432 | $1,495 | -62% |
| Progressive | $2,198 | $2,228 | -44% |
| NYCM | $2,826 | $2,829 | -28% |
| Geico | $3,517 | $3,694 | -6% |
| Erie | $3,358 | $3,743 | -5% |
*All rates displayed are average annual full coverage rates.
What to do after a speeding ticket in New York
Whether you have a single ticket or have accumulated multiple infractions on your record, there are several options open to you that may help you save money. Possibly the best action you can take after a ticket is to resolve to drive safely and stay within the speed limit in the future, so you avoid further tickets and reap the rewards of a relatively low insurance rate. Here are a few other tactics:
Fight the ticket
If you feel you have received a ticket in error or there were extenuating circumstances, you may choose to go to court to explain the situation to a judge. The judge may be lenient if it is your first offense. You may want to verify that all data was recorded correctly by the officer in charge. If the paperwork is not completely filled out, you could win a reprieve by default. This may also be the case if the officer does not show up for the court date. You could also consider hiring local counsel to represent you. If you are able to get the ticket off your driving record and avoid insurance hikes, it could be worth the cost of an attorney.
Get quotes from other car insurance companies
The percentage increase in rates after a speeding ticket varies with each insurance company, and some companies increase rates more drastically than others. For this reason, drivers should consider shopping around after receiving a speeding ticket, as they may save significantly by changing providers.
While rate shopping, it may help to research each company’s J.D. Power rating for customer satisfaction and any online reviews other customers have left. Although the cheapest price is important, you also likely want to ensure that your company offers above-average customer service, to make claims management easier.
Take a PIRP/driving safety course
Standing for “Point and Insurance Reduction Program,” New York’s PIRP program can help drivers remove points from their record and save a percentage on their insurance premiums. There is a fee for the course, but drivers can take it entirely online at their convenience. Completing a course does not remove the violation from a record, but it could remove points, which could help prevent license suspension in case future convictions occur.
Bundle your coverage
Discounts for bundling insurance policies are common and also some of the more powerful discounts in the market. Bundling means purchasing more than one policy from the same provider. This could include carrying home, renters or even multiple auto insurance policies with the same provider. The amount drivers save by bundling varies with each provider, but many companies are known to give significant savings to multi-policy customers.
Frequently asked questions
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If you have points on your license from a speeding conviction, it could pay off to shop around. There is no single company that is always going to be the best option for drivers with speeding tickets. The best way to find the right policy for you is to compare personalized quotes to see which carrier offers the coverage you need at the lowest rate.
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Not necessarily. A single ticket can happen to anyone, and although you may pay more for your policy, it is unlikely that any insurer will turn you down for coverage because of a single ticket. If you have multiple tickets or serious infractions such as a DUI on your record, however, you may have some challenges in finding a policy that meets your needs. Multiple infractions could move you into the high-risk category, and some insurers may turn you down for coverage for this reason. High-risk coverage is available, though, and Bankrate’s research has turned up companies that are known for writing affordable high-risk insurance policies.
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Every state has its own rules regarding how long a ticket stays on your record. In New York State, the points that you earn from a speeding ticket stay on your driving record for 18 months, but the violation itself stays a part of your record for up to four years. You may be able to take points off your record even earlier by taking a state-approved defensive driving course. Successfully completing this course means that four points will be removed from any consideration for a suspension. Note that individual insurers have unique policies regarding how long your ticket will factor into your premium, and these may differ from state regulations.
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Drivers in New York pay an average cost of $3,672 for full coverage car insurance, which includes collision and comprehensive coverage; state-mandated minimum insurance, meanwhile, averages out to $1,585. These rates are above the national averages, which are $2,299 for full coverage and $637 for minimum insurance as of May 2024. Your own rates will differ from the averages based on multiple factors like your location, age and driving history, as well as the age, make and model of your car.
Methodology
Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze 2024 rates for ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Rates are weighted based on the population density in each geographic region. Quoted rates are based on a 40-year-old male and female driver with a clean driving record, good credit and the following full coverage limits:
- $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
- $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
- $50,000 property damage liability per accident
- $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
- $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
- $500 collision deductible
- $500 comprehensive deductible
To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements. Our base profile drivers own a 2022 Toyota Camry, commute five days a week and drive 12,000 miles annually.
These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes.
Incident: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the following incidents applied: clean record (base) and a single speeding ticket.
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