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Last updated: September 19, 2024

How a Speeding Ticket Impacts Insurance in Massachusetts

Insurance rates could increase by nearly a third after a speeding ticket.

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In 2021, 27 percent of all fatal motor vehicle crashes in Massachusetts involved speeding, more than 1 in 4, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. In the commonwealth of Massachusetts, speeding is a civil infraction, meaning it’s punishable by a fine and not imprisonment. However, on top of the state’s fines and surcharges, your car insurance premium will increase with a speeding ticket on your record. But by how much?

How a Speeding Ticket Impacts Your Insurance

Expect rates for car insurance in Massachusetts to increase by 31 percent after a speeding ticket. Given that the cost of auto insurance in Massachusetts was $1,170 in 2020, the last time the National Association of Insurance Commissioners released data, with a speeding ticket, rates could be around $1,533, about $485 more than the national average of $1,047.1 See below for average rates from specific companies.

Average annual cost of car insurance in Massachusetts Clean record Speeding ticket
Amica $1,478 $1,763
GEICO $1,110 $1,245
Progressive $1,905 $2,525
State Farm $639 $734
Travelers $2,078 $2,728
Average $1,296 $1,716

How to Lower Your Premium After a Speeding Ticket

So, how does one find cheap car insurance in Massachusetts after a speeding ticket? While a speeding ticket will increase your car insurance rates inevitably, here are some ways to keep your rates as low as you can:

  1. Get minimum coverage. Massachusetts’ minimum coverage may be extensive, but it’ll still be the cheaper option compared to full coverage. Minimum coverage includes:
    • Bodily injury liability coverage: $20,000 per person, $40,000 per accident
    • Property damage liability coverage: $5,000 per accident
    • Personal injury protection (PIP): $8,000 per person, $8,000 per accident
    • Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage: $20,000 per person, $40,000 per accident
  2. Bundle your policies. Unfortunately, Massachusetts has the sixth-lowest rate of homeownership in the U.S., just 63 percent of the population.2 Still, if you fall into that majority, bundling home and auto insurance could save you money on both policies. For everyone else, check if your provider offers discounts for bundling auto with renters or life insurance, among other types of policies.
  3. Drive less. On the flip side, Massachusetts has the third-lowest percentage of motor vehicle commuters of any state in the U.S., with only 66 percent of the population. Seventeen percent take public transportation, 20 percent work from home, and 8 percent either walk, bike, or take other means. If you aren’t a car commuter or you have a short commute, consider pay-per-mile insurance, which will reward you for having low annual mileage. Allstate’s Milewise, for instance, could cost only $2.22 per day with a 12-mile-per-day average.3
  4. Take a defensive driving course. Some insurance companies offer discounts if you take a defensive driving course.

Cost of a Speeding Ticket in Massachusetts

A speeding ticket will cost you a fine of $100 to $300, a $50 surcharge, and, for the third and subsequent offenses, a license revocation. For teen drivers with a learner’s permit or junior license, their license will be suspended for the first offense onwards, and they’ll have to pay a $500 reinstatement fee to start driving again after receiving a speeding ticket.4

Offense number 1 2 within 1 year Subsequent offenses within a year
Fine $100 maximum $100-$150 $150-$300
Surcharge $50 $50 $50
License revocation No No Yes, for at least 30 days
Learner’s permit/junior license suspension plus a $500 reinstatement fee 90 days 1 year 1 year

NOTE:

If your insurance is from the Massachusetts Auto Insurance Plan or your insurer uses the Safe Driver Insurance Plan (SDIP), a speeding ticket will not add any surcharge points to your record, whether you’ve had one minor noncriminal traffic law violation or even two surchargeable incidents.

What to Do If You Get a Speeding Ticket

You have two main options after a speeding ticket: Pay it or appeal it and request a hearing.

Pay the Ticket

You have 20 days to respond after receiving your ticket. If you believe you received the ticket correctly, you can pay it in one of three ways:

  • Online:
    https://atlas-myrmv.massdot.state.ma.us/myrmv/?Link=PayCitationOrHearingFee
  • Mail: Send a check or money order payable to MassDOT that includes your traffic ticket and driver’s license numbers to the following address:
    • Citation Processing Center
    • P.O. Box 55890
    • Boston, Massachusetts 02205
  • Phone: 
    • Area codes 339, 617, 781, and 857, or outside Massachusetts: 857-368-8000
    • All other area codes in Massachusetts: 800-858-3926
    • Deaf or hard of hearing in Massachusetts (TTY): 877-768-8833

WARNING:

If you don’t respond within 20 days, you will have waived your right to a hearing and will owe late and release fees in addition to your fines and surcharges. If you don’t pay within 30 days, the state will suspend your license, which could affect your insurance.

Appeal the Ticket and Request a Hearing

If you believe you received the ticket incorrectly, you can appeal it, but keep in mind that you’ll have to pay a $25 citation/court filing fee. Appeal in one of two ways:

  • Online:
    https://atlas-myrmv.massdot.state.ma.us/myrmv/?Link=PayCitationOrHearingFee
  • Mail: Sign and date the back of the citation in the box two area and enclose your payment. Send the citation and payment to:
    • Citation Processing Center
    • P.O. Box 55890
    • Boston, Massachusetts 02205

The state will let you know the date of the hearing, which you’ll have to attend. There, the judge will determine whether or not you have to pay for the ticket.

Other Traffic Violations That Affect Car Insurance

Brush up on Massachusetts laws to avoid more insurance rate increases and other penalties due to traffic violations. Here are some examples:

Major Traffic Violations

  • Reckless driving
  • Leaving the scene of an accident after injuring a person or causing property damage, also known as a hit-and-run
  • Vehicular homicide
  • Manslaughter
  • Making a right turn at a red light where it’s not allowed

Minor Traffic Violations

  • Backing and U-turns prohibited
  • Cutting in after passing
  • Careless operation in a construction zone
  • Failure to give proper stopping or turning signals5

Recap

For more information on speeding in Massachusetts, including how long a speeding ticket stays on your record, keep reading our frequently asked questions below. While speeding may not lead to imprisonment in this state, it’s still best to follow the speed limit, avoid a traffic violation, and keep your insurance rates low. Especially because car insurance companies in Massachusetts are banned from taking into account credit score when determining rates, they set rates based on your driving history and moving violations, making following traffic law that much more important.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a speeding ticket stay on your driving record in Massachusetts?

A speeding ticket will stay on your driving record for six years in Massachusetts.

What is the Clean in 3 rule in Massachusetts?

The Clean in 3 rule in Massachusetts, part of the state’s Safe Driver Insurance Plan, means that you can get one point reduced if:

  • You have three or fewer surchargeable incidents in the past five years.
  • Your most recent surcharge is at least three years from your policy’s effective date
  • You’ve been driving for at least three years.

Does a parking ticket affect your insurance in Massachusetts?

A minor traffic law violation like a parking ticket may or may not affect your insurance in Massachusetts, as insurance companies have their own policies regarding rate increases.

However, if your insurance provider uses the state’s Safe Driver Insurance Plan, your first parking ticket should not get you any surcharge points, meaning it won’t affect your insurance.

However, second and subsequent parking tickets will get you two surcharge points for each violation, which could raise rates by the following amounts:

  • Experienced operators (actively licensed for at least six years): Each point is a 15 percent increase in compulsory coverages and collision coverage (optional).
  • Inexperienced operators (actively licensed for less than six years): Each surcharge point is a 7.5 percent increase in compulsory coverages and collision coverage (optional).

 

How do I get points off my license in Massachusetts?

There is no way to get points off your license in Massachusetts. Rather, you’ll have to wait six years from your date of conviction for the points to be removed.

Citations

  1. 2019/2020 Auto Insurance Database Report. National Association of Insurance Commissioners. (2023, Jan).
    https://content.naic.org/sites/default/files/publication-aut-pb-auto-insurance-database.pdf

  2. Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS). United States Census. (2023).
    https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/data/rates.html

  3. Milewise from Allstate. Allstate. (2023).
    https://www.allstate.com/auto-insurance/milewise

  4. Section 20: Penalties and punishments. 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. (2023).
    https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter90/Section20

  5. SAFE DRIVER INSURANCE PLAN. Mass.gov. (2023).
    https://www.mass.gov/doc/safe-driver-insurance-plan-0/download