How Does The Insurance Company Find Out About Tickets?

One thing you can be certain of with car insurance companies: they always find out eventually! The procedure insurance companies use is fairly standard. All moving violations are reported to your state's department of motor vehicles (DMV) and stays on your record for 3 years (minor violations), 7 years (speeding , reckless driving) or 10 years (DUI's). Each state if different in how long they keep these on you DMV record.

Car insurance companies use two reports: CLUE and MVR. These reports are run to findout about any recent moving violations with the DMV. These are typically run during annual renewals for existing policy holders and new applicants. This is why a ticket may not affect your insurance rate for up to 1 year from when you get the ticket. It is possible that your insurance company may not run these reports on you every year since it costs the company money and , many times, they may only focus on higher risk drivers within their policy group when running their reports. You may go a few years without the violation being noticed. If they do find them, however, the company has the right to retroactively charge you the premium increase (if any) back to the date of the ticket.

Where can I find the best deal after a few tickets?

If your rates have gone up significantly after a ticket or two, then you should definately look around to see if you can find another insurance company that has lower moving violation surcharge factors. If you are shopping for car insurance and want to compare rates, then we suggest that you compare policies and rates from several insurers. We recommend Insureme who allows you to compare several rates from dozens of major, highly rated insurers such as Met Life, Allstate, AIG, and more. They also include various higher risk companies.

How much will my car insurance go up after a ticket?

This should not be considered financial advice which can only be given by a qualifed financial professional. We suggest you consult with a qualified financial planner and/or insurance professional who is most qualified to consult with you regarding policy decisions. Many factors are involved in your policy premium some of which may not be mentioned in this article. We are an affiliate of the Bankrate Insurance Network.

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