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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.
Get Affordable Car Insurance After a Speeding Ticket
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.
State
How Long a Ticket Stays on Your Record
Points removed after 2 years;
citation is permanent
Points removed after 2 years;
citation is permanent
5 years; points removed after 2 years
Points removed after 3 years; citation is permanent
Points removed after 1 year; citation is permanent
5 years, but points are removed after 2 years
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Insurers in the following five states have the lowest average monthly premiums for drivers with a speeding ticket, according to Compare.com data.
State
Average Monthly Premium
