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Last updated: April 6, 2024

How a Speeding Ticket Impacts Your Insurance in Virginia

Speeding can increase your car insurance premiums by hundreds.

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Aliza Vigderman, Director of Content

In 2021, 973 people died in car accidents in the state of Virginia. Of those fatal crashes, 337 involved speeding, which is 35 percent. Virginia punishes speeding with only fines if you’re ticketed for a traffic infraction. For the more serious misdemeanor, however, you’ll face pricier fines and even potential jail time.

But it’s not just criminal penalties you’ll face for speeding. You can also expect points on your driving record, which translates into a higher car insurance premium. Is there any way to save with a speeding ticket on your record?

How a Speeding Ticket Affects Car Insurance Rates in Virginia

On average, having a speeding ticket on your driving record will increase your car insurance in Virginia by 22 percent. However, rates can rise as much as 82 percent with some companies, like Allstate. The more over the speed limit you were driving, the more it’ll increase your insurance premium.

Take a look at average prices from car insurance companies when someone has a clean driving record versus one with a speeding ticket on it.

Average annual cost of car insurance in Virginia by provider With clean record With speeding ticket on record Percentage difference
Overall $1,141 $1,397 22%
Allstate $1,444 $2,632 82%
Erie $780 $1,026 32%
Geico $971 $1,339 38%
Nationwide $1,000 $1,577 58%
Progressive $1,172 $1,781 52%
State Farm $978 $1,270 30%
Travelers $981 $1,664 70%
USAA $763 $1,140 50%

NOTE:

USAA, the cheapest provider on this list, is available only to active military members, veterans, and their families. Learn more about USAA’s pricing.

Speeding tickets aren’t the only cause of insurance rate increases. You’ll also see higher rates if you move to an urban ZIP code in Virginia, like Richmond or the greater D.C. area. Make sure to get an insurance quote from multiple providers to see your estimated premiums with different companies.

How to Find Cheap Car Insurance With a Speeding Ticket

Fortunately for Virginia drivers, the average cost of car insurance in the state was only $846 in 2020, the last time the National Association of Insurance Commissioners released data. That’s 24 percent less than the national average of $1,047.1 Although a speeding ticket will raise your rates, you’ll at least likely start off at a relatively low baseline.

Get Minimum Coverage

Virginia, along with New Hampshire, is a state that doesn’t require auto insurance coverage. Instead, you can pay a $500 uninsured motorist fee to the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). However, if you want coverage, you must adhere to the following minimum requirements, depending on your policy’s effective date.

Policy effective dates Bodily injury liability per person Bodily injury liability per accident Property damage liability
Jan. 1, 2022-Dec. 31, 2024 $30,000 $60,000 $20,000
On or after Jan. 1, 2025 $50,000 $100,000 $25,000

Getting no more than the minimum liability limits will result in the lowest auto insurance costs.

Attend a Driver Improvement Course

If your insurance company offers a discount for taking a defensive driving course, you can take one either online or in person for a fee of $100 maximum. In-person classes are available in the following districts.

  • Bristol
  • North Fairfax
  • Portsmouth
  • Richmond
  • Roanoke
  • South Fairfax
  • Staunton

Find a course online via https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/drivers/dic/dicfind.asp.

Speeding Penalties in Virginia

Virginia differentiates speeding infractions, which are civil, non-criminal tickets, from reckless and aggressive driving, a form of speeding that can result in criminal penalties like imprisonment and high fines.2

Penalties by violation Reckless driving Aggressive driving
Charge Class 1 misdemeanor Class 2 misdemeanor
Definition Either 20 mph over the posted speed limit or over 85 mph on any highway in Virginia Exceeding limits on interstate/limited access highways
Maximum fine $2,500 $1,000
Maximum jail time 12 months 6 months
Points 6 4
Length of points on record in years 11 5

FYI:

Reckless driving is the most serious speeding violation, but a court may reduce the charge to improper driving, an infraction punishable by a fine of $500 maximum.

You can be hit with a traffic infraction for speeding in the following areas.

  • School crossings: Maximum $250 fine, $7 for every mph over the limit
  • Residential districts of towns with a populations between 14,000 and 15,000 (includes Falls Church and Manassas): $100 fine
  • Highway work zones: Maximum $500 fine, $7 for every mph over the limit
  • U.S. Routes 15 and 17 in Fauquier county: $15 fine
  • Residential districts of counties, cities, and towns: $200 fine, plus $8 for every mph over the limit (can suspend fine with 20 hours of community service)

In addition to fines and imprisonment, speeding will result in points on your driver’s license, which can stay on your record for up to 11 years.3

Violation Number of points How long it stays on DMV record in years
Reckless driving – speeding over 85 mph 6 11
Reckless driving – speeding 20 mph or more over the posted speed limit 6 11
Reckless driving – driving too fast for conditions 6 11
Speeding 20 mph or more over the posted speed limit 6 5
Speeding 4 5
Speeding 10-19 mph over the posted speed limit 4 5
Aggressive driving 4 5
Speeding 1-9 mph over the posted speed limit 3 5

As long as the speeding points are on your record, you’ll see a higher car insurance premium.

Steps to Take After a Speeding Ticket

So, you got caught speeding. What are your options?

Pay Ticket

The easiest course of action is simply to pay the ticket, the cost of which could be relatively low if the speeding violation was only an infraction. Pay your ticket online via one of the following resources.

  • Circuit court: https://eapps.courts.state.va.us/fmsOnline/#/searchHome?fips=000C
  • General district court: https://www.vacourts.gov/caseinfo/tickets_dc.html4

If you can’t afford the ticket, Virginia offers the Fines Options Program, which lets you perform community service instead of paying court costs and fines. For each hour you work at a recognized charitable organization or government facility, like a library, you’ll earn $15 toward your fines. Email the following form to GDCMail@fairfaxcounty.gov to see if you’re eligible: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/generaldistrict/sites/generaldistrict/files/assets/documents/pdf/fop%20form%20(1).pdf.5

Infraction

With an infraction, you can plead either guilty, not guilty, or nolo contendere (no contest). The easiest option is to enter a guilty plea in writing so you won’t have to make a court appearance. The judge will hear the case without a jury. Even if you don’t enter a written plea or make a court appearance, the case will move forward in your absence, but the judge won’t issue a warrant for failure to appear, unlike in some other states.

Misdemeanor

A misdemeanor is a criminal charge, unlike a traffic infraction. If you plead not guilty, you’ll have to appear in court or have an attorney appear for you so you can present the case in front of a judge. If you don’t show up, the judge will hear the case in your absence.

Other Traffic Violations in Virginia

Title 46.2 of the Code of Virginia, Motor Vehicles, details the rules of the road in the Old Dominion state. Here’s just a sample of other traffic violations that could raise the cost of car insurance:

  • Failure to stop at the scene of a crash that causes injury, death, or property damage of $1,000 or more, also known as a hit-and-run
  • Failure to obey highway signs, stop for pedestrians, yield right-of-way, etc.
  • Following too closely
  • Improper U-turn
  • Driving under the influence (DUI)
  • Attempting to elude police
  • Operating an unsafe vehicle
  • Vehicular assault
  • Improper passing
  • Driving without a license or license plate
  • Use of handheld communications device, also known as distracted driving

Conclusion

Of the 445 fatal speeding-related crashes in Virginia in 2021, 46 percent occurred on highways. Speeding is less common in residential areas. However, wherever you’re driving, whether you’re a speedy teen or an adult driver, look for signs with posted speed limits and follow them to keep safe, adhere to the law, and keep your car insurance premium low.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do speed camera tickets affect insurance in Virginia?

Speed camera tickets can affect car insurance in Virginia only if they are accompanied by a law enforcement officer issuing a summons at the time of the violation. If the evidence is the camera footage only, it cannot be made a part of a driving record and therefore won’t affect insurance premiums, according to the Code of Virginia section 46.2-882.1.

Is it worth fighting a speeding ticket in Virginia?

It may or may not be worth fighting a speeding ticket in Virginia, depending on the fine and your level of evidence. If the fine is high and you have evidence you didn’t speed, it could be worth fighting, especially if you enter a written plea (meaning you won’t have to appear in court), according to the Code of Virginia section 19.2-254.1.

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

There is no way to get a speeding ticket off your record before it expires naturally after five to 11 years, according to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.

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. Code of Virginia. LIS Virginia Law. (2023).
    https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter8/section46.2-862/

  3. Six Point Violations. Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. (2023).
    https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/licenses-ids/improvement/points/points-6

  4. How to Pay Traffic Tickets and Other Offenses. Virginia’s Judicial System. (2023).
    https://www.vacourts.gov/caseinfo/tickets.html

  5. General District Court. Fairfax County Virginia. (2023).
    https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/generaldistrict/fines-options-program

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