Virginia Speeding Ticket Insurance: How Rates Can Change

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte

The short answer on virginia speeding ticket insurance is that a speeding conviction can raise your premium, and Virginia’s Bureau of Insurance says increases for violations “may be applied for 36 months.” No official Virginia source we checked gives a percentage or dollar amount. Only your insurance company can tell you what a ticket will do to your own rate.

Key Facts

Time limit: the Bureau of Insurance says increases for violations “may be applied for 36 months.” See how long it can last.
Two point systems: insurance company points are set by each company and are not DMV demerit points. See the comparison.
How insurers learn: DMV gives conviction information to your insurer when asked. See how your insurer finds out.
Optional discount: insurers may, but do not have to, give a 2-year discount for a voluntary clinic. See the clinic discount.
One benefit only: if you take the clinic for insurance, you get no safe driving points. See points or a discount.

Can a Speeding Ticket Raise Your Rates?

Yes, it can. The Virginia Bureau of Insurance publishes a Consumer’s Guide for Auto Insurance. It says, “Premium increases due to accidents or violations may be applied for 36 months.”

Note the word “may.” The guide says an increase “may be applied for 36 months.” It does not say every insurer applies one.

Your insurer also uses its own rules, not DMV’s point count. So your DMV point balance and your premium are set by different rules. The comparison table below shows how they differ.

Why No One Can Quote You a Number

Each company sets its own rating plan. The official Virginia sources we checked do not set a fixed increase for a speeding ticket. So any figure you see that is not from your own insurer is not an official Virginia number.

The best way to get a real answer is to ask your agent or company. They can explain how their plan treats a conviction.

How Your Insurer Finds Out

One official path runs through DMV. DMV’s Moving Violations and Point Assessments page lists what happens after a conviction. One item is that DMV “Notifies your insurance company upon request.”

DMV also offers an insurance version of the driving record. Its record request page lists a Driver/Insurance summary that covers up to 5 years.

Prepaying Is Still a Conviction

Paying a ticket ahead of court is a guilty plea under Virginia law. The conviction goes to DMV, the same as one from a court hearing. So prepaying does not keep a ticket off the record your insurer can see.

Our Virginia speeding ticket guide covers the full process after a ticket.

Insurance Points vs. DMV Points

DMV says, “Insurance company points are developed by individual companies and are not related to DMV demerit points.” The two systems run side by side. This table shows how they differ:

Question	DMV demerit points	Insurance company rating
Who sets them	The Code of Virginia	Each insurance company
Points for speeding	3, 4 or 6 per conviction	Set by the company
How long they count	2 years from the offense date	Increases may be applied for 36 months
What they lead to	Letters, clinic orders, suspensions	Premium changes
What a clinic can do	5 safe driving points, if eligible	A discount, if the insurer offers one

So a drop in your DMV point balance does not lower your premium by itself. And a premium increase does not change your DMV points.

How Long a Ticket Can Affect Insurance

Several time frames apply to the same ticket. Each comes from a different official rule:

36 months: the Bureau of Insurance says an increase for a violation may be applied for this long.
5 years: the lookback on DMV’s insurance summary record.
5 years: how long DMV keeps a speeding conviction on the driving record.
2 years: how long DMV demerit points count, from the offense date.

Only the 36-month line is about premiums. The others are DMV record and point rules.

DMV’s four-point list shows the 5-year retention for speeding. Reckless driving, which includes 20 mph or more over the limit or over 85 mph, stays on the DMV record 11 years. Our guide on how long a speeding ticket stays on your record covers those dates.

Steps from a Virginia speeding conviction to a possible insurance increase and the 36-month limit

How the Speed on the Ticket Changes the Record

DMV records the conviction that your insurer can request. The speed on the ticket decides which conviction that is. Under Code § 46.2-492 and DMV’s point lists:

1 to 9 mph over: 3 demerit points, kept on the DMV record 5 years.
10 to 19 mph over: 4 points, kept 5 years.
20 mph or more over, as speeding: 6 points, kept 5 years.
Reckless driving by speed: 6 points, kept 11 years.

Reckless driving is a Class 1 misdemeanor, not a traffic infraction. It also cannot be prepaid. How each insurer rates these convictions is up to the insurer.

Young Drivers and the Clinic Discount

Drivers under 20 can face a required clinic after a ticket. Under Code § 46.2-334.02, DMV must direct a driver aged 18 or 19 to a clinic after any demerit-point conviction. Under 18, the first such conviction also means a required clinic.

A required clinic does not qualify for the insurance discount. Section 38.2-2217 bars drivers “notified by the Department of Motor Vehicles to attend.” A later clinic taken by choice is a separate matter, so ask your insurer.

Tickets That Do Not Reach Your Insurer

Not every speeding notice is a conviction. A mailed photo speed camera summons is different. Under Code § 46.2-882.1, it is not a conviction, is not part of your driving record and is not used for insurance purposes.

A ticket that an officer hands you at the time is a regular conviction if you are found guilty or prepay. See our speed camera ticket guide for how to tell the two apart.

Virginia Speeding Ticket Insurance and the Clinic

A Driver Improvement Clinic can matter for insurance, but only under set rules. The clinic is an 8-hour course from a DMV-licensed provider, and it costs no more than $100. Code § 38.2-2217 says rate plans “may provide for an appropriate reduction in premium charges for a two-year period.”

That discount has limits written into the law:

It is optional. The insurer may offer it. It does not have to.
Age limit: only insured drivers 54 or younger.
Voluntary only: no driver “assigned by the courts or notified by the Department of Motor Vehicles” is eligible.
Two years: a voluntary participant must take an approved course every 2 years to stay eligible.
No set amount: the Code does not set a dollar figure or percentage.

DMV says the Driver Improvement Clinic teaches defensive driving techniques. For the discount, Code § 38.2-2217 names a “driver improvement clinic approved by the Department of Motor Vehicles.” Our insurance discount guide covers the full discount rules.

Points or a Discount

You get either the clinic point benefit or the insurance discount, not both, once in 2 years. Code § 46.2-498 says attendees must tell the provider if they want safe driving points or a premium reduction.

DMV’s reasons page lists four reasons: court, DMV, voluntary and insurance. For an insurance completion, “No safe driving points are awarded.” You also show a government photo ID when you sign up.

Drivers 55 and Older

The 55-and-older discount in Virginia is tied to a different course. That course is the mature driver motor vehicle crash prevention course, not the Driver Improvement Clinic. Ask your insurer which course it accepts.

Questions to Ask Your Insurer

Since each company sets its own plan, your insurer holds the answers. These questions can help you get clear facts:

Does a speeding conviction change my premium, and by how much?
When would an increase start, and when would it end?
Do you offer a discount for a voluntary Driver Improvement Clinic?
If so, what proof do you need, and how long does it last?
Does the speed on the ticket change how you treat it?

Write down the answers and the date you asked. Keep them with your policy papers.

What We Found on the Official Pages

On the official pages we checked on October 27, 2026, the Bureau of Insurance auto guide showed no date. It still said increases “may be applied for 36 months.”

Code § 38.2-2217 showed a history line ending in 2014. It set no dollar amount or percentage for the clinic discount. DMV’s point assessment page still said DMV “Notifies your insurance company upon request.”

Summary card of Virginia speeding ticket insurance rules: 36 months, 5-year insurance record, optional 2-year clinic discount

Common Mistakes

Each item below comes from a Virginia law, DMV page or the Bureau of Insurance:

Treating insurer points as DMV points. DMV says the two are not related.
Expecting every insurer to give a clinic discount. The Code says “may,” not “shall.”
Taking a court-ordered clinic for the discount. Court- and DMV-assigned drivers are not eligible.
Asking for points and the discount at once. You get one benefit, once in 2 years.
Thinking prepaying hides the ticket. A prepaid ticket is a conviction sent to DMV.
Assuming a mailed camera ticket counts. The Code says it is not used for insurance.

How Requirements Can Vary

Virginia’s point rules, safe driving points and DMV clinic orders come from the Code of Virginia and DMV rules, and they apply statewide. What you must do still depends on whether you take the clinic by choice, because of a DMV notice, or under a court order. A court order sets its own deadline and proof steps.

Laws, fees and court practice can change. Check your DMV notice, your court order and the Virginia DMV website for current rules before you enroll or file anything.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much will a speeding ticket raise my insurance in Virginia?

No official Virginia source sets an amount or percentage. Each insurer uses its own rating plan, so ask your company.

How long does a speeding ticket affect insurance in Virginia?

The Bureau of Insurance says increases for violations “may be applied for 36 months.” DMV’s insurance summary record looks back up to 5 years.

Do DMV demerit points raise my insurance?

DMV points and insurance points are separate. DMV says insurance company points are set by each company and are not related to DMV demerit points.

Will a speed camera ticket raise my insurance?

A mailed camera summons is not used for insurance purposes under Code § 46.2-882.1. It is also not a conviction and not part of your driving record.

Can a driver improvement clinic lower my insurance?

It can if your insurer offers the discount. The Code lets insurers give a 2-year reduction to drivers 54 or younger who attend by choice. Insurers do not have to offer it.

Can I get safe driving points and an insurance discount from one clinic?

No. You choose one benefit, once in 2 years. If you choose insurance, you get no safe driving points.

Does my insurer find out if I prepay the ticket?

Prepaying is a guilty plea, and the conviction goes to DMV. DMV notifies your insurance company upon request, so a prepaid ticket can show up the same way as one decided in court.

Does a court-ordered clinic qualify for a discount?

No. Code § 38.2-2217 says drivers assigned by a court or notified by DMV are not eligible for the reduction.

Conclusion

A Virginia speeding conviction can raise your premium, and the Bureau of Insurance says an increase may be applied for 36 months. Your insurer sets the amount, so ask the company directly. If you are 54 or younger and your insurer offers the discount, you can take the Virginia Driver Improvement Course by choice.

Sources

Billy Forte is the owner of Driving Logic, a state-approved driver improvement course provider serving Virginia and other U.S. states.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Virginia DMV rules, court orders, fines and penalties depend on your notice, summons, court and case facts, and they can change. Use official Virginia DMV and court sources, and consult a qualified Virginia attorney for advice about your own case.