How a Speeding Ticket Impacts Your Insurance in Arkansas

Q: How do I get a speeding ticket off my record in Arkansas?

If your speeding ticket says &#8220;CPw/DS,&#8221; you can get it off your record in Arkansas by doing the following: Attend driving school Appear in court Pay a fine If that’s not an option, you can contest the ticket with the Office of Driver Services. If the office believes the ticket is correct, you can file suit in the circuit court of the county you live in. From there, the court will review the violation. If the court finds it to be incorrect, the speeding ticket will be removed from your record, according to the 2024 Arkansas Code § 27-50-905. However, the burden will be on you to prove that the ticket should be removed.

On average, a speeding ticket in Arkansas raises car insurance premiums by 19 percent, or the equivalent of about $450 per year.

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A seasoned journalist and content strategist with over 10 years of editorial experience in digital media, Aliza Vigderman has written and edited hundreds of articles on the site, covering everything from plan coverages to discounts to state laws. Previously, she was a senior editor and industry analyst at the home and digital security website Security.org, previously called Security Baron. She has also contributed to The Huffington Post, SquareFoot, and Degreed. Aliza studied journalism at Brandeis University.

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Jacqueline Quach holds years of experience in content writing, blogging, and copywriting, and has a professional background in user experience design, helping clients and businesses develop their content strategy. Jacqueline writes for multiple brands and websites, empowering customers in their purchase process through content. She also contributes to Savings.com and has written for Angi and SeniorLiving.org. Her work has been featured on MSN.com and Dayspa Magazine. Jacqueline holds a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles.

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Last updated: August 6, 2026

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Key Takeaways: How a Speeding Ticket Impacts Insurance in Arkansas

A speeding ticket raises Arkansas car insurance rates by 19% on average, or about $450 per year.

USAA offers the cheapest post-ticket rates, averaging $1,532 per year. Travelers is next-cheapest at $1,950 per year.
Driving 15+ mph over the limit is a Class C misdemeanor, carrying up to a $500 fine.
Tickets marked “CPw/DS” can be removed from your record via driving school and a court appearance.

In Arkansas, you cannot drive more than 30 miles per hour (mph) in an urban district, more than 75 mph on a controlled-access highway or more than 65 mph in other locations, according to the state’s vehicle code. If you’re caught driving 15 mph over the speed limit, it is a Class C misdemeanor. This article reviews how speeding-ticket charges affect you and your car insurance in Arkansas.

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How Much a Speeding Ticket Will Impact Your Insurance in Arkansas

Premiums for auto insurance in Arkansas increase by an average of 19 percent following a speeding ticket, which is the equivalent of about $450 per year or $37 per month. USAA, Travelers, and Southern Farm Bureau have the cheapest rates, on average, after a ticket.

Annual cost of car insurance in Arkansas by company	Clean record	Speeding ticket	Percentage difference
Alfa	$2,556	$3,684	44%
GEICO	$2,183	$2,618	20%
Nationwide	$2,160	$3,179	47%
State Farm	$2,025	$2,164	7%
Southern Farm Bureau	$1,902	$2,097	10%
Shelter	$1,896	$2,549	34%
Travelers	$1,583	$1,950	23%
USAA	$1,371	$1,532	12%
Arkansas average	$2,388	$2,837	19%

Keep in mind that average rates are just that — averages. Insurance companies base auto insurance prices on a number of factors unique to you, including your driving history, ZIP code, and other demographic and vehicle information. Still, anyone who gets a speeding ticket will see higher average annual rates across all car insurance companies.

Finding Cheap Auto Insurance After a Speeding Ticket

You can still find cheap auto insurance in Arkansas after getting a speeding ticket, even though it’ll be more expensive than when you had a clean driving record. These tips will help.

Get the violation off your record: Your best option, if you’re eligible, is to get the violation off your record by attending driving school, appearing in court, and paying your fine. However, this option is only available if your ticket says “CPw/DS.”¹
Shop around: Get quotes from multiple insurance providers and see who offers the lowest car insurance rate.
Get minimum coverage: Arkansas only requires liability coverage: $25,000 per person and $50,000 for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage.² While we don’t recommend getting only liability coverage, as it only applies to other people’s injuries and damages and doesn’t cover you and your passengers in an accident, it is the cheapest option. Our most recent data shows us that minimum coverage in Arkansas is only $637 per year, less than half of the cost of full coverage insurance, which is $2,388.
See what discounts apply to you: Even if you stick with your current company, the insurer might offer discounts you’re not aware of. For example, if a college student in your household garages their car at home while they’re away at school, you can get an insurance discount with some providers.
Bundle policies: If you already have multiple types of insurance policies, like home and auto, bundle them under the same provider to save on both.
Drive safely: If you take advantage of telematics or usage-based programs, you can pay for insurance based on your current driving habits, not your past ones. Usage-based insurance (UBI) monitors your driving behaviors, like your phone use while driving, speed, braking, acceleration, and mileage, and charges you based on how you drive. It’s a good option for drivers with a ticket or accident on their record, but who generally have safe habits behind the wheel.

FYI:

Travel time to work in Arkansas was an average of less than 23 minutes in 2024.If you have a short commute, or you’re part of the 9 percent of Arkansas residents who work from home, consider pay-per-mile insurance.³

The Cost of Speeding Tickets in Arkansas

If you speed less than 15 mph over the limit in Arkansas, you might receive three points on your driving record, but the violation isn’t a serious one and will not result in a fine or imprisonment. The financial impact will only be on your insurance premium.

WARNING:

Accumulation of points could be a problem. You’ll get a warning letter after 10 points, and after 14 or more points, a hearing will be scheduled, which could lead to probation or suspension of your driving privileges. If you don’t attend the hearing, you’ll get an automatic license suspension.

However, you can also get three points for other types of speeding:

Having a speed contest (racing) on roads open to traffic
Driving slower than the speed limit
Operating the car at suddenly changing or erratic speeds
Speeding on the freeway, i.e. “wasting fuel”

Speeding over 15 mph over the speed limit is a Class C misdemeanor, while racing on a public highway is a Class A misdemeanor for the first offense. Keep reading to learn about the consequences.

Speeding Misdemeanor

In Arkansas, driving more than 15 mph over the limit is a Class C misdemeanor that could result in a fine, imprisonment, or both.⁴ However, if you rack up three speeding tickets of any severity in the past 12 months, you’ll also end up with a Class C misdemeanor and the same penalties as follows.

Offense number	Maximum fine	Imprisonment
First	$100	10 days
Second within a year	$200	20 days
Third and subsequent within a year	$500	Six months

Along with imprisonment, fines, and points on your record, the court may elect to impose some or all of these penalties:

Driver’s license suspension or restriction for one year maximum
Required attendance at a driving training school
A driver’s test retake, and any necessary proof of adequate sight/hearing for driving, or proof of physical/mental capacity to drive
Written themes or essays on safe driving (for minors only)
Probation (for minors only)

DID YOU KNOW?

Across all ages, nearly one in four traffic fatalities in Arkansas in 2024 involved speeding, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Among these speeding-related fatal crashes, 43 percent involved impaired driving — making speeding, drugs, and alcohol a deadly mix.⁵

What to Do After a Speeding Ticket

If you get a speeding ticket from the state, it’s easiest to pay it online via https://pay.arcourts.gov/pay/citation-query. If you got your ticket from a municipality, you can pay on the municipality’s website, through the mail, or over the phone.

Your ticket will say whether or not you need to appear in court, and you can also look up your case at https://caseinfo.arcourts.gov/cconnect/PROD/public/ck_public_qry_main.cp_main_idx.

Here are the main possibilities regarding court appearances.

Plea and arraignment only: This means you don’t need to appear in court; simply pay your ticket before your court date.
CPw/DS: Note that if the ticket says “CPw/DS,” it means you can keep the violation off your record by attending driving school, appearing in court, and paying the fine. If you fail to appear in court, the violation will remain on your driving record.
Mandatory court: You must appear in court.
Bond hearing: You must appear in court.
Trial: You must appear at a trial.
Teen court: For drivers ages 17 and younger, you must appear in court with a parent or guardian.

More Traffic Violations That Affect Car Insurance

Speeding isn’t the only violation that can increase the cost of your car insurance in Arkansas. Here are some other violations to avoid:

Driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol
Driving while a license is suspended, revoked, disqualified, barred, denied, canceled, etc.
Driving without a license or without insurance
Failing to file an accident report
Failing to use brakes, hazmat devices, headlight dimmers, lights, etc.
Committing a hit-and-run
Not using a seat belt
Parking in a handicapped zone
Texting while driving
Transporting liquor illegally

Learn more about Arkansas’ car insurance laws.

The Most Common Traffic Violations in Arkansas

Various forms of speeding are the most common moving violation in Arkansas. They make up a combined 35 percent of the state’s top 10 violations.

Traffic violation	Number of violations in Arkansas between Jan. 1, 2022, and March 31, 2022	Percentage of all violations
Speeding over the regulated or posted speed limit and actual speed (requires detail)	16,219	31%
Driving with a suspended license	6,859	13%
Failing to appear in trial/court	6,602	13%
Driving with an expired or no license	5,627	11%
Failing to maintain liability insurance	5,235	10%
Careless and/or improper driving	2,688	5%
Not using seat belts	2,564	5%
Failing to show proof of insurance	2,034	4%
Speeding (does not require detail)	1,958	4%
Driving under the influence of alcohol	1,827	4%
Total	51,613	n/a

Conclusion

While speeding may seem like a victimless crime, especially on low-traffic, rural roads, speed limits exist to keep you and other drivers on the road safe. And sometimes, there are victims.

From 2014 to 2024, there were 1,371 people in Arkansas who died in speeding-related car crashes. This number accounts for one in five traffic fatalities. Avoid fines, points, penalties, license suspensions, and imprisonment — not to mention property damage, injuries, and death — by adhering to the speed limits around you.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a speeding ticket off my record in Arkansas?

If your speeding ticket says “CPw/DS,” you can get it off your record in Arkansas by doing the following:

Attend driving school
Appear in court
Pay a fine

If that’s not an option, you can contest the ticket with the Office of Driver Services. If the office believes the ticket is correct, you can file suit in the circuit court of the county you live in.

From there, the court will review the violation. If the court finds it to be incorrect, the speeding ticket will be removed from your record, according to the 2024 Arkansas Code § 27-50-905. However, the burden will be on you to prove that the ticket should be removed.

What speed is considered reckless driving in Arkansas?

According to the 2024 Arkansas Code § 27-50-308, speeding and reckless driving are separate offenses. Reckless driving is defined as “any person who drives any vehicle in such a manner as to indicate a wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property,” but it does not mention speeding specifically.

How many points is 15 miles per hour over the speed limit in Arkansas?

You will receive three points on your driving record for driving 15 miles per hour over the speed limit in Arkansas.

How long does a ticket stay on your record in Arkansas?

A ticket will stay on your insurance record for three years, or possibly longer for a commercial record. There’s also a history record from the time you received your license to the present day, according to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. However, these records are confidential and not available to the public. You’ll have to give certain information to an insurance company or employer so they can receive the record.