Thursday, October 18, 2007

How long do ticket effect your car insurance rates?

In the short answer is 3 - 5 years from the ticket or violation occurs. It really depends on the insurance company and what they have in place. During this 3 - 5 year span your insurance premiums will likely rise. How much of a raise depends on the severity of the violation. For example, a $100 speeding ticket will have less influence on your insurance premium than a DUI or accident in which you and other parties have submitted a large claim. I am assuming that the period of time your insurance premium goes up is a correlation of how long the violation stays on your record and perhaps the type of violation determs the time frame.

In certain instances you may be required to fill out an SR-22 form . For more specifically, a DWI or DUI (Drunk Driving or Driving Under the Influence) charge will warrant an SR-22 form. The SR-22 is for "high-risk" drivers. The State in which you reside want's to know who is the "high-risk" drivers. SR-22 drivers are typically insured with higher premiums and sometimes they are considered uninsurable.

Either way, you can usually expect that a ticket or traffic violation will stay on your record for 3 to 5 years from the incident. If for one reason or another your car insurance company doesn't find out about your violation then your insurance rates won't likely go up. It is important that you notify your insurance of any traffic violations as not disclosing the facts about your driving record could lead to lots of issues and ultimately unisurability or something even more serious like a lawsuit.

So ... always talk openly with your auto agent. When dealing with anything auto or driving related it is important that you disclose this information to your insurance company.

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