Will my insurance rates go up if I get a traffic ticket?

My name is Heather Ford and I am a traffic attorney out of New Orleans, also known as The Traffic Ticket Lady. Today I want to talk about the impact a traffic ticket may have on your insurance premiums.

Before I get started, if you ever have any questions about a suspended license, a violation for driving with a suspended license, a traffic ticket, or anything of that nature, you can always shoot me a text or call me at 504-233-8529. You can also schedule a free strategy session at  traffictickettalks.com.

One of the biggest concerns people have regarding traffic tickets is will their insurance go up if they get a traffic ticket and if they pay the ticket what will be the outcome? Particularly in Louisiana considering how high our premiums are, it is a huge concern, and it really depends on the nature of the ticket. 

Paying a moving violation ticket fine or pleading guilty are essentially the same thing unless you made an agreement with the court otherwise for some type of diversion. A moving violation, more likely than not will impact your insurance rates. For some time, for some people, that’s a small bump, but for some people it can be a significant 20% – 30% bump in their insurance and that can last roughly three years. 

There are also non moving violations like an expired MVI (inspection sticker) – no registration intent. Those are more likely to be treated as not reportable and they’re unlikely to have an impact on your insurance rates. Those are a little bit safer to pay without rate increases. 

This is the cost benefit analysis depending on how many charges you have on the ticket, but if you have anything that may be a moving violation, tread with caution. It can end up costing you a lot of money on the back end in insurance rates, and I’ve also experienced where clients have lost job opportunities because they paid their ticket, pleading guilty in the process.

If you have a question about a traffic ticket and how it can effect your insurance rates, you can shoot me a text, I’m happy to lend you my thoughts with a free consultation and help you try to resolve that ticket and keep your record clean.