True Cost of a Speeding Ticket in Minnesota After Insurance Increases
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Getting a speeding ticket will leave your wallet a bit lighter, but fines aren’t the only cost.
In Minnesota, drivers will pay $145 for a speeding ticket 15 mph over the limit. However, insurance rate increases after a speeding ticket are often more painful than the fine.
The true cost of a Minnesota speeding ticket is 3.59 times the cost of the actual ticket — so in essence drivers pay an average of $520.11 for a $145 ticket.
Key findings
On average, Minnesota drivers pay $1,255.98 each year for car insurance. After a speeding ticket, however, they will see their annual car insurance premium increase $125.04 to $1,381.02 a year.
In Minnesota, the average annual car insurance increases after a ticket for 15 mph over the limit ticket is 9.97%.
Not all drivers will face the same insurance increases. Drivers in Minneapolis will pay $73.62 more for insurance than drivers in Minnetonka after a ticket for 15 mph over the limit. The true cost of a speeding ticket depends on the average car insurance premium in each location.
What should you do after a speeding ticket in Minnesota?
Minnesota drivers with clean records usually have three options after a minor speeding ticket:
Plead guilty, pay the fine and receive a conviction.
Request a continuance for dismissal and pay the required fees.
Plead not guilty and request a court date.
If you request a continuance for dismissal
Drivers without previous violations are often eligible for this agreement with the court that allows the ticket to be dismissed if the driver doesn’t violate traffic laws for a specific period of time. However, if the driver is convicted of another traffic violation, then they’ll have to pay both tickets. To receive a continuance for dismissal, drivers pay a fee on top of the fine, though the fee varies from place to place.
If you receive a conviction
You should re-evaluate your relationship with your insurer. Some carriers will overlook traffic violations, but drivers won’t know if their carrier is one of them unless they do their research. You also should comparison shop for insurance using an online tool to see what a speeding ticket does to your rates.
» COMPARE: Auto insurance rates
According to Ben Bauman, an agent with North Central Insurance Agency in Elk River, Minnesota, drivers who work with an independent agent should ask for the best possible car insurance option.
“My first advice is talk to your agent. Some companies pull your record every policy period, some don’t,” he said. “Your agent will also know what is going on in the insurance market. They will know if companies have had rate increases, and if your company has not pulled the driving record, the agent may find the rates are most competitive staying put. If rates go up and the ticket causes points to be charged, maybe your agent can find a better company or a company that will forgive the ticket so there are not points charged.”
Minnesota cities where it is most expensive to get a ticket
1. Prior Lake
True cost of a speeding ticket: $670.75
Prior Lake drivers face the steepest car insurance increases if they receive a speeding ticket. On average, their annual car insurance premiums will rise from $1,180.42 to $1,355.67 — 14.85% higher. A Prior Lake driver facing three years of car insurance increases will, on average, pay $525.75 in extra car insurance costs.
2. Lakeville
True cost of a speeding ticket: $666.25
After a speeding ticket, the average driver in Lakeville will see insurance premium increases of $173.75 a year, from an average of $1,202.25 to $1,376 each year. Since car insurance increases last for three years, drivers can expect to pay $521.25 more for insurance after a speeding ticket.
3. Cottage Grove
True cost of a speeding ticket: $592.87
The average Cottage Grove driver pays $1,401.17 each year for car insurance. However, after a 15 mph speeding ticket, drivers face paying $149.29 more each year. After three years of car insurance increases — the norm in Minnesota — Cottage Grove drivers will have paid $447.87 in extra car insurance costs.
4. Coon Rapids
True cost of a speeding ticket: $585.70
On average, Coon Rapids drivers will see their car insurance rates increase from $1,285 to $1,431.90 each year after a 15 mph speeding ticket. A speeding ticket will cost Coon Rapids drivers $440.70 in extra car insurance costs over three years.
5. Austin
True cost of a speeding ticket: $567.13
After a speeding ticket, Austin drivers will, on average, see a 12.31% increase in their annual car insurance rates. Their car insurance premiums will increase from an average of $1,143.21 a year to $1,283.92. Since the increases last for three years, Austin drivers can expect to pay $422.13 more each year for insurance.
6. St. Paul
True cost of a speeding ticket: $566.86
St. Paul drivers are penalized more for speeding tickets than their Twin Cities neighbors in Minneapolis. The average St. Paul driver pays $1,330.93 a year for car insurance. After a speeding ticket, they will see their car insurance premiums increase $140.62 a year to $1,471.55. St. Paul drivers will pay $566.86 over three years after a speeding ticket.
7. West St. Paul
True cost of a speeding ticket: $566.02
After receiving a speeding ticket, drivers in West St. Paul can expect their annual car insurance rates to increase 10.47%. On average, drivers will see their insurance increase from $1,339.79 to $1,480.13. Over three years, West St. Paul drivers will, on average, pay $421.02 more for insurance after a ticket.
8. Minneapolis
True cost of a speeding ticket: $563.86
Minneapolis drivers with clean records pay $1,407.49 for car insurance, but after a speeding ticket, they can expect to pay $1,547.11 a year for car insurance. After three years of car insurance increases and the fine, Minneapolis drivers can expect to pay $563.86.
9. Albert Lea
True cost of a speeding ticket: $563.50
A driver with a clean record in Albert Lea pays $1,134.38 a year for car insurance. However, after a speeding ticket, the average driver’s annual premium will jump $139.50 to $1,273.88. Albert Lea drivers can expect to pay $418.50 in extra car insurance costs after a speeding conviction.
10. Burnsville
True cost of a speeding ticket: $558.94
After getting a speeding ticket, the average Burnsville driver faces an insurance premium increase from $1,277.92 to $1,415.90. After three years of insurance increases — at $137.98 a year — and the $145 speeding ticket, Burnsville drivers can expect to pay $558.94.
» COMPARE: Car insurance quotes
To determine the average insurance premium increases, we retrieved quotes for eight different driver profiles in Minnesota: 27-year-old single men and women and 40-year-old married men and women each driving a Toyota Camry and a Ford Escape. For each driver profile, we chose the two cheapest car insurance quotes in every city to mimic consumer behavior and to determine our overall average.
We only surveyed cities that had populations over 15,000 residents. All demographic data comes from the U.S. Census. We calculated the total cost of the speeding ticket by adding the cost of a $145 speeding ticket to three years of car insurance increases. The estimated costs are for illustrative purposes only. The actual insurance increases you face will vary depending on your insurance carrier, your location and other factors.
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