How a Speeding Ticket Impacts Your Insurance in South Dakota

On average, car insurance rates in South Dakota increase by 17 percent after a speeding ticket, although the amount ranges from 4 to 68 percent — that’s quite the rate hike for driving over the speed limit.

There’s no way to avoid increased auto insurance prices following a speeding ticket. However, you can still try to keep your costs as low as possible.

1. Get minimum coverage. South Dakota requires that you have liability coverage in the amounts of 25/50/25: $25,000 of bodily injury liability coverage per person, $50,000 of bodily injury liability coverage per accident, and $50,000 of property damage liability coverage. You’ll also need uninsured and underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage with the same minimum limits as your injury liability limits.¹
2. Apply discounts. You may be able to save money by taking a defensive driving course, enrolling in paperless billing, or having a student in your family with a high GPA. Ask your agent if any discounts apply to you.
3. Drop coverages. If you don’t want minimum coverage but still want to save, drop nonessential coverages like roadside assistance and rental car coverage. However, we recommend keeping comprehensive and collision coverage as well as uninsured/underinsured property damage coverage along with the minimum requirements. That way, your car’s damages are covered for accidents you caused and for damages from non-collision events like vandalism.
4. Lower your limits. Another option is keeping your existing coverages but lowering your limits.
5. Raise your deductibles. Increasing the size of your collision/comprehensive deductible will save you money on premiums.
6. Bundle policies. If you have multiple types of insurance policies, bundling them under the same provider could unlock some significant discounts.
7. Shop around. Make sure you’re comparing quotes from different car insurance companies to see how much insurance after a speeding ticket will cost with various providers. Make sure to include the exact same information, including your ZIP code and desired coverages, on each request for comparable auto insurance quotes.

Your premium after a speeding ticket will remain high as long as the speeding ticket stays on your driving record. After that period is over, your premium will decrease.

Speeding violations are Class 2 misdemeanor in the state of South Dakota, no matter how many miles per hour you were going over the limit.²

The penalties for a Class 2 misdemeanor are either a maximum of 30 days in a county jail, a fine of up to $500, or both. Fines double in limited speed zones, although they still can’t exceed the $500 maximum. There are no enhanced penalties for second, third, or subsequent violations unless the defendant was convicted of or pleaded guilty or no contest to a prior offense.

You got caught speeding in South Dakota and received a ticket. What should you do now?

Pay the Fine

The easiest option is to pay for the ticket as soon as possible, assuming you don’t contest it. You can do so online at https://ujsportal.sd.gov/Portal/Home/Dashboard/17.

Or go through your county clerk via mail, in-person, or phone.³

Your ticket will say whether or not you have to appear in court, or if a lawyer can appear for you.

Request a Hearing

The other option is to enter a plea before your ticket is due and appear in court. You can plead one of the following.

• Guilty: You’ll make a statement and the judge will determine your fine, assuming it’s a local court.
• Not guilty: If you plead not guilty and are contesting the ticket, you’ll have an optional dispositional conference or court trial. First, you’ll discuss your case with a city attorney. If you can’t settle, it will go to a trial before a judge, where you can present evidence and witnesses. Young drivers must have a parent or legal guardian present at court appearances.⁴

Speeding isn’t the only traffic violation that can raise the price of insurance. Here are a few other traffic violations to watch out for:

• Improper passing
• Improper turning
• Not keeping enough distance between you and the vehicle in front of you
• Not using required signals
• Illegal use of mobile electronic devices while driving (a form of distracted driving)

Over the last decade, the number of fatal car crashes that involved speeding in South Dakota decreased by 9 percent. From 2020 to 2021 alone, the decrease was 16 percent, which is even more impressive. While we’re happy that the trend is downward overall, hopefully the next few years’ data will show even more decreases. Speeding is entirely preventable. You can avoid a ton of property damage, medical issues, penalties, and imprisonment simply by adhering to the law.