How Red Light Tickets and Speeding Camera Tickets Affect Insurance

Last Updated on October 4, 2021

Insurance companies consider several factors to calculate premiums, including speeding tickets.

In most states, red light tickets and speeding camera tickets do not impact car insurance rates.

How Red Light Tickets and Speeding Camera Tickets Affect InsuranceSome insurers raise rates significantly for one or more speeding tickets. Others ignore one or two minor speeding tickets, especially if you already have a clean record. However, few insurance companies raise rates for red light violations or speeding camera fines.

How do red light tickets and speeding cameras affect insurance? Keep reading to find out.

How Red Light Tickets and Speeding Cameras Work

Many states and cities have implemented red light cameras and speeding cameras.

These cameras automatically monitor drivers for violations. If you drive through an intersection after the light has turned red, for example, then the red light camera may catch you, taking a photo of your license plate.

Similarly, a speeding camera monitors traffic for speeders. If you drive too fast past an automatic camera, then you could receive a fine.

Most red light tickets and speeding camera tickets are automatically sent to your mailing address. The city or your local police force may mail the ticket to your address. You pay the fine, then drive more carefully around red light cameras and speeding cameras in the future.

Red Light Tickets and Speeding Camera Tickets Should Not Raise Insurance Rates

In most states and with most insurance companies, red light tickets and speeding camera tickets do not raise rates.

Insurance companies consider dozens of factors to calculate premiums, including driving history, credit score, age, gender, and more. In most states, insurers are free to use all of these factors to calculate premiums.

A driver with multiple DUIs and at-fault accidents in the last three years will pay more for car insurance than a driver with a clean record. Similarly, a 50-year old driver with no history of accidents or speeding tickets will pay less for car insurance.

Generally, insurance companies do not consider red light tickets or speeding camera tickets to calculate premiums.

Even if you have one or more red light or speeding camera tickets, you should not pay higher insurance premiums.

Why Red Light Tickets and Speeding Camera Tickets Don’t Impact Rates

Red light tickets and speeding camera tickets are categorized as civil or administrative violations. Most automated enforcement citations fall into this category.

Like other civil or administrative violations, red light and speeding camera tickets will not impact insurance rates. Insurers don’t consider these violations with the same severity as, say, a speeding ticket on a freeway – or a reckless driving citation.

Think of it like a parking ticket: you may receive a parking ticket for parking incorrectly in your city. Even if you have 100 parking tickets in your city, however, you will not pay higher rates for car insurance. Yes, a parking ticket is a driving-related violation – but insurers don’t consider parking violations when calculating insurance premiums.

Three States Punish Drivers for Red Light and Speeding Camera Tickets

Drivers will pay higher insurance premiums if they receive a red light or speeding camera ticket in three states.

If your state adds points to your license for a red light ticket or speeding camera ticket, then you could face higher insurance premiums. Insurers consider driver’s license points when calculating premiums, and drivers with an excessive number of points will pay higher rates for car insurance.

The three states where drivers receive points for red light and speeding camera tickets include:

  • Arizona: Drivers in Arizona receive two points for red light camera tickets and three points for speeding camera tickets. These points could raise future insurance premiums.
  • California: Drivers in California receive one point for red light camera infractions, which could impact future insurance premiums.
  • Oregon: Oregon considers red light camera tickets a Class B traffic violation. A single red light camera ticket in Oregon could raise insurance premiums by 5% to 15%, depending on your insurer and driving history.

Some States Banned Insurers from Using Red Light Cameras and Speeding Camera Tickets

Red light cameras and speeding cameras are controversial.

Privacy advocates have pushed back against these cameras in many jurisdictions. Drivers are uncomfortable with the idea of a camera determining whether or not they receive a fine.

Some states have banned insurers from using red light camera tickets or speeding camera tickets to calculate premiums.

Insurers in the following states are prohibited from raising rates regardless of the number of red light camera tickets or speeding camera tickets you receive:

  • Delaware
  • Georgia
  • Maryland
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • Ohio
  • Pennsylvania
  • Tennessee
  • Virginia

Most States Treat Red Light and Speeding Camera Tickets Like Non-Moving Violations

Most other states treat a red light ticket or speeding camera ticket like any non-moving violation.

Yes, you were moving at the time of the incident, which means it should be a moving violation. However, most states treat these tickets like non-moving violations – similar to a parking ticket.

Other common non-moving violations include broken tail lights and expired registration penalties. These violations are related to your driving – but they’re not considered moving violations.

If you live in a state that considers red light camera tickets and speeding camera tickets to be non-moving violations, then these tickets will not raise insurance premiums. You still need to pay the fine, but you will not pay higher insurance rates.

Normal Speeding Tickets Raise Insurance Rates

In most states, a traditional speeding ticket will raise insurance rates.

If you were driving on the highway and a police officer pulls you over to give you a speeding ticket, then you should expect higher insurance premiums in the near future.

Most insurers use speeding tickets to calculate premiums.

If it’s a minor speeding ticket on an otherwise clean record, then the speeding ticket may not significantly impact rates.

If you have multiple speeding tickets or a single serious speeding ticket, however, then it could raise rates even if you have a clean record.

Final Word on Red Light and Speeding Camera Tickets

Red light tickets and speeding camera tickets do not raise insurance rates in most states. Most states treat these tickets like non-moving violations – similar to a parking ticket or a broken tail light violation.

Some states, however, treat these tickets like moving violations, which means they could impact insurance premiums – similar to an ordinary speeding ticket.

Three states add points to your license for red light camera tickets and speeding camera tickets, including Arizona, California, and Oregon. Insurers in these states will likely raise rates after a red light ticket or speeding camera ticket.

James Shaffer
James Shaffer James Shaffer is a writer for InsurancePanda.com and a well-seasoned auto insurance industry veteran. He has a deep knowledge of insurance rules and regulations and is passionate about helping drivers save money on auto insurance. He is responsible for researching and writing about anything auto insurance-related. He holds a bachelor's degree from Bentley University and his work has been quoted by NBC News, CNN, and The Washington Post.
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