How Much Does Insurance Go Up After an Accident or Ticket?

In our model, one speeding ticket raises an example driver's estimate by about 28%, one at-fault accident by about 50% and a DUI by about 88%. Published rate studies land close to those numbers. The increase usually starts at your next renewal and fades after three to five years, though a DUI can follow you longer.

How much does insurance go up after a ticket, accident or DUI?

Our example driver is 35, has good credit, drives a mid-size sedan about 12,000 miles a year and carries 100/300/100 liability with matching uninsured motorist coverage, plus comprehensive and collision with $500 deductibles. With a clean record, our model estimates $2,700 a year at typical U.S. prices, about $225 a month. Here's how one or two incidents change that:

These are estimates, not quotes. Insurers set the actual price after checking your driving record, and each one weighs violations its own way, which is why the calculator shows a wider range for a DUI or more than one incident.

To see an estimate for your situation, enter your ZIP code and pick your driving record in the calculator below. Then test which deductible or discount offsets the increase.

What do rate studies show?

Three national studies found similar jumps: NerdWallet's November 2026 rate analysis, ValuePenguin's 2026 average-cost study and Insurance.com's violation study (updated September 2025). Each prices its own sample driver, so the results differ a little, and all three are national figures, not a price for you:

More than one incident costs much more. In Insurance.com's study, two speeding tickets of 11 mph or more over the limit raised premiums about 58%, two at-fault property-damage accidents over $2,000 about 117% and a second DUI about 186%.

How much does insurance go up after a speeding ticket?

A speeding ticket is usually a minor violation, and the surcharge depends partly on how fast you were going. Insurance.com found increases of about 26% for 1 to 10 mph over the limit, 34% for 11 to 29 mph over and 39% for 30 mph or more. Our model uses a single figure, 28%, which adds $756 a year for the example driver.

Minor vs. major violations

Insurers generally sort violations into two broad groups. Minor ones include most speeding tickets, running a stop sign and improper turns, while major ones include DUI, reckless driving, driving on a suspended license and leaving the scene of a crash. Major violations bring much bigger surcharges (reckless driving was about 82% in Insurance.com's study). They can also lead to a required SR-22 filing, covered in our SR-22 guide.

How much does insurance go up after an accident?

One at-fault accident adds about 50% in our model and about 49% in the NerdWallet and ValuePenguin studies. Severity matters too: Insurance.com found about 52% for a property-damage accident under $2,000 and about 60% when someone was hurt. In New York, the state's insurance regulator notes that under many insurers' rating plans, a first at-fault accident can bring a surcharge of up to 40% (New York DFS, 2026).

Do not-at-fault accidents raise insurance?

Surcharges are generally tied to accidents you caused. How an insurer treats a claim where you weren't at fault depends on its rules and your state's laws, so ask before you assume. Some places set limits in law:

• The District of Columbia bars insurers from raising rates because of an accident unless the driver was at fault.
• Rhode Island bars surcharges for accidents where you were 50% or less at fault and for property damage claim payments under $3,000.
• Missouri regulations bar surcharges for comprehensive claims, such as theft or hail damage.

What is accident forgiveness?

Accident forgiveness is a feature some insurers offer, either as an add-on or as a reward for years without claims, that keeps your first at-fault accident from raising your premium. Terms vary: it may cost extra, it may require several years without a claim, and it may not carry over if you switch insurers. Check your policy before you count on it.

How much does DUI insurance cost?

A DUI brings the biggest jump of the single violations in the tables above. For our example driver, the estimate rises from $2,700 to $5,076 a year, and the studies above found increases of 88% to 90%. Location matters a lot: ValuePenguin's 2026 state report found the average increase after a first DUI ranged from about 50% in Washington to about 303% in North Carolina.

You'll likely need a filing too. Insurify's DUI insurance guide (November 2026) says most states require an SR-22 for three to five years after a conviction, and Florida and Virginia use the FR-44, which certifies higher liability limits. Prices do ease with time: in Insurify's data, average premiums for drivers with a DUI were about 10% lower two years after the conviction than after one, about 19% lower after three years and about 35% lower after five or more.

How long does a ticket or accident affect your insurance?

Plan on about three to five years. Insurify's 2026 guide to rate increases says a ticket or an at-fault accident usually raises premiums for about three years, and NerdWallet notes that the incident itself can stay on your record for three to five years, depending on your state. The surcharge usually starts at your next renewal rather than in the middle of a policy term. A DUI lasts longer: Insurify's DUI guide says three to five years in most states and up to 10 years or more in some cases.

Some states add their own rules:

• California requires insurers to give Good Drivers, generally those licensed at least 3 years in a row with no more than one point, rates at least 20% lower than other drivers, so a second point can cost you that discount (see our California page).
• North Carolina ties rates to its Safe Driver Incentive Plan, which sets point-based surcharges by law (see our North Carolina page).

What can you do after a ticket or accident?

Compare insurers at renewal

Each insurer weighs violations its own way, which is why the studies above don't match exactly. When a surcharge shows up at renewal, compare quotes from several companies before you accept it.

Take a defensive-driving course

In our model, an approved defensive-driving course takes about 10% off, or $270 a year for the clean-record example driver. Who qualifies depends on your state and insurer. In Pennsylvania, for example, drivers 55 and older who finish a PennDOT-approved course get at least 5% off per vehicle.

Try a safe-driving app

Telematics programs track how you drive through an app or a plug-in device. In our model, enrolling takes about 10% off. Some programs can also raise what you pay if the app records risky driving, so read the terms first.

Raise your deductible

Moving comprehensive and collision from $500 to $1,000 deductibles lowers the clean-record example driver's estimate by $291 a year, about 11%. That's about two-fifths of the $756 one-ticket surcharge in our model, and it only makes sense if you could pay the higher deductible after a crash. Our deductible guide walks through the math.

Think twice before filing a small claim

An at-fault claim can cost more over time than the repair itself. In our model, one at-fault accident adds about $1,350 a year to the example driver's estimate, so a surcharge that lasted three years would add up to about $4,050. If the damage is only a little more than your deductible, paying it yourself may cost less, though that doesn't change any duty to report a crash to police or your insurer.

Keep your coverage continuous

A gap in coverage adds its own surcharge. Insurance.com found about 12% for a lapse of up to 7 days and about 24% for a lapse of more than 30 days.

Avoid a second incident

Surcharges stack. In our model, a second at-fault accident takes the example driver from 50% above the clean-record estimate to 117% above it.

For more ways to bring a premium down, see how to lower car insurance and why your car insurance is so high. For typical prices before any surcharge, see average car insurance cost.

Common questions

Does a not-at-fault accident raise your insurance?

It depends on your insurer and state. Surcharges are generally tied to at-fault accidents, and some places limit them by law: the District of Columbia bars rate increases for accidents you didn't cause, and Rhode Island bars surcharges when you were 50% or less at fault.

How much does one speeding ticket raise insurance?

About 28% in our model, or $756 a year for the example driver. The national studies above found about 24% to 39%, depending on the study and how fast you were going.

How long does an accident stay on your insurance?

Usually three to five years, with the increase starting at your next renewal. A DUI can affect what you pay for longer, up to 10 years or more in some cases.

Can you get car insurance after a DUI?

Each insurer decides for itself whether to offer you a policy. Expect a higher price and, in most states, a required SR-22 filing for several years (an FR-44 in Florida and Virginia).