If you’ve ever received a parking ticket, you know that paying the fine can be a pain in the neck. But has it ever crossed your mind whether or not paying that ticket might affect your insurance rates? Short answer: It might. Long answer: There are a few factors involved in this equation, but the short version is that if you receive a parking ticket and don’t pay it, your insurance company may deem you as a risk and raise your rates accordingly.
The good news is that there are some ways to mitigate this risk. You can try to have proof of insurance on hand when you receive your citation, for example, or contact your insurer before the ticket goes up for collection. Either way, learning about the ramifications of parking tickets will help make sure you’re taking every precaution necessary.
What is Driving While License Suspended?
When you get a parking ticket, the officer may have given you a notice to appear in court. The notice tells you when and where your court date is. If you don’t show up for your court date, the court can issue a warrant for your arrest. A conviction on a parking ticket can lead to: A suspension of your driver’s license
A fine
A jail sentence If you were driving with a suspended license, the ticket could also result in an insurance increase. That’s because having a suspended license makes it illegal to drive. Many factors affect whether or not an insurance company will raise your rates, but including a parking ticket on your record is usually one of them.
How Traffic Tickets Affect Your Car Insurance
Traffic tickets affect your car insurance in a couple of ways. First, if you have a ticket that has been issued within the last six months, your insurer may increase your rates as a result. Second, if you’ve had too many tickets in a certain period of time (three or more), your insurer may cancel your policy altogether.
Will a Parking Ticket Affect My Auto Insurance Rate?
Many people are unsure if a parking ticket will affect their auto insurance rates. The short answer is that it can, but not always. In most cases, the severity of the parking ticket will determine whether or not your insurance company raises your rates. For example, a parking ticket for being parked in a no-parking zone would likely result in an increase to your insurance rate, while a parking ticket for hitting someone with your car would likely not have any influence on your rate.
There are also circumstances where even a minor violation can lead to an increase in rates. If you have had several tickets in a row for minor violations, like driving without proof of insurance, your insurance company may decide to raise your rates regardless of the severity of the violation.
In general, it is important to contact your auto insurance company if you receive a parking ticket so they can determine how serious the infraction is and what impact it may have on your policy.
Conclusion
Does a parking ticket affect your car insurance? In short, it depends on the severity of the infraction. Most insurers will take into account any driving violations, such as speeding or going over the limit, when setting rates for coverage. However, parking tickets are generally considered minor offenses and won’t typically increase your rates as much as more serious violations will. So, if you’ve received a parking ticket that wasn’t particularly severe and you haven’t had any other recent driving violations, odds are your policy won’t be affected. But if you have multiple past parking tickets with more serious penalties – such as reckless driving – then your insurer may raise your rates to reflect the increased risk associated with having that much traffic violation history.