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Are speeding penalties strict in the Empire State?
There were 1,099 fatal motor vehicle crashes in the state of New York in 2021, 387 of which involved speeding — representing over a third of all fatal accidents. Whether you’re cruising down the streets of Manhattan or driving on a rural road upstate, speeding is commonplace in New York, which is why the state has such harsh penalties for offenders.
Another consequence of speeding you may not have considered is increased car insurance premiums. Having a speeding ticket on your record will make insurance companies view you as a high-risk driver, which means a higher premium for the exact same coverage as someone with a clean record. Just how do speeding tickets raise rates on full-coverage car insurance? Let’s take a look.
On average, across all car insurance companies, your premium for New York car insurance will increase in price by 13 percent after a speeding ticket hits your driving record. However, there are ways to get a 10 percent reduction on your liability/collision coverage, as you’ll see below.
The average annual cost of liability insurance in New York in 2020 was $923, the third-highest in the U.S. after Louisiana and Florida. The average annual cost of collision insurance in New York was $455, the fifth-highest as of that year.1
Keep in mind that these numbers are just averages. For a better estimate, get an insurance quote from an insurance provider directly or through AutoInsurance.com.
Here’s one surefire way to find cheap New York car insurance with a speeding ticket on your record.
If you have 11 or more points on your record and want to avoid a license suspension and lower your car insurance premiums, participate in the state-approved Point & Insurance Reduction Program (PIRP). While the points and tickets won’t technically be removed from your driving record, you will lose four points for a suspension, and you can save 10 percent on liability and collision premiums for a period of three years.
Classes are 320 minutes long, and the fee varies by provider. Once you’ve completed the course, send the completion certificate to your insurance provider within 90 days to receive the discount. Find a provider via the links below:
Speeding in New York can cost you hundreds of dollars in fines, imprisonment, and points on your driving record, even if you were driving less than 10 miles per hour (mph) over the limit.3
Consequences by miles per hour (mph) over the speed limit | Up to 10 mph over | 10-30 mph over | More than 30 mph over | Inappropriate speed |
---|---|---|---|---|
Minimum fine | $45 | $90 | $180 | $45 |
Maximum fine | $150 | $300 | $600 | $150 |
Minimum fine (work zone) | $90 | $180 | $360 | $90 |
Maximum fine (work zone) | $300 | $600 | $1,200 | $300 |
Maximum imprisonment in days | 15 | 30 | 30 | 15 |
Points | 3 | 11-20 mph over: 4
21-30 mph over: 6 |
31-40 mph over: 8
More than 40 mph over: 11 |
Speed not indicated: 3 |
Fines will be increased if you have more than one speeding violation in the past 18 months, and your license will be revoked for three convictions in the same time period. Note that the penalties vary in school speed zones and restricted highways, and you may have to pay a state surcharge in addition to your fine. You could also have to pay a Driver Responsibility Assessment (DRA) if you garner six or more points in an 18-month period.
With the DRA, you’ll pay a fine over a three-year period, typically $100 per year for a total of $300. For every point over six, you’ll pay $25 to $75. You can pay your DRA at your DMV office or by mailing a check to the following address:
For red light or speed camera violations that occur in New York City, you’ll pay $50, plus $25 if the ticket is 30 days overdue, and 9 percent interest after 75 days, plus one-twelfth of this interest until you pay the judgment.4
If you get a speeding ticket, you’ll most likely want to plead guilty and pay for it. However, that process will look different depending on where you were speeding: in any of New York City’s five boroughs or outside of NYC.
You can pay NYC tickets online through the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Traffic Violations Bureau (TBV), accessible at https://dmv.ny.gov/how-pay-driver-responsibility-assessment. However, the TBV does not handle the following:
For speeding tickets you want to fight, you don’t have to appear in person at the hearing. Instead, you can submit a digital statement. Learn more at https://nysdmv.custhelp.com/app/vo/sipopa?_ga=2.236146945.1635631899.1688563574-1904031508.1688563574.
After the hearing, you’ll receive the court’s decision via email.
If you want to appeal a conviction, you can do so within 30 days by paying a $10 appeal fee and completing an online form at https://transact2.dmv.ny.gov/WebAppeals/?_ga=2.71350419.1635631899.1688563574-1904031508.1688563574.
Or you can appeal via mail by sending payment and the form to the below address:
Again, you’ll receive a letter with your appeal status.
For violations that occur outside of NYC, you’ll pay your ticket or file an appeal with the local court of the village, county, city, or town in which you were ticketed. You can find the local court at https://www.nycourts.gov/courts/.
Make sure to respond to your ticket, whether that’s with a guilty, not guilty, or no contest plea. If you ignore it, the state will suspend your driver’s license, and you’ll have to pay $70 to end the suspension, plus the ticket fee. You could also face higher auto insurance costs. Learn how a license suspension affects insurance.
In addition to speeding, avoid the following traffic violations to keep your car insurance rates low in the Empire State:
Fines for texting while driving in New York range from a minimum of $50 for the first offense all the way up to $450 for third and subsequent offenses within 18 months of the first offense.5
Speed limits are put in place to keep you and other drivers, not to mention pedestrians and cyclists, safe. Even though they may seem frustrating, following posted limits could save you a huge hassle and keep your hard-earned money in your pocket. Learn more about speeding, like how long a speeding ticket stays on your record, in our frequently asked questions below.
A speeding ticket will stay on your record in New York for four years, or 10 to 15 years if the speeding offense involved drugs or alcohol. That is how long the associated points stay on your driving record, according to the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles, and the number of points you have can influence your insurance costs.
Two points can raise your New York car insurance premium by anywhere from 1 to 19 percent, with an average increase of 13 percent.
No, speed camera tickets do not affect insurance premiums in New York because the camera identifies only the vehicle, not the driver. While you will be charged $50 for the offense, you won’t have any points added to your license, and your premium will not increase.
If you believe you were guilty of speeding in New York, you should plead guilty. However, if you believe the ticket was wrongly issued, it’s worth pleading not guilty to potentially avoid fines and imprisonment.
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
How insurance premium reduction works. New York State DMV. (2023).
https://dmv.ny.gov/tickets/reduce-insurance-premium
Penalties for Speeding. New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. (2023).
https://dmv.ny.gov/tickets/reduce-insurance-premium
Parking Ticket or Camera Violation Payment. The Official Website of the City of New York. (2023).
https://portal.311.nyc.gov/article/?kanumber=KA-02036
Legislation. The New York State Senate. (2023).
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/VAT/1225-D