Best Car Insurance Companies for Texting Tickets

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When it comes to car insurance, getting a texting ticket has a negative impact on your premiums. Some insurers may view texting while driving as a sign of distracted driving and you might see a rate hike.

However, not all car insurance companies treat texting tickets the same way. Some car insurance companies provide lower premiums for drivers with texting tickets.

Here’s a list of the best cheap car insurance companies for drivers with a texting ticket, based on Insure.com analysis.

Erie
Geico
Auto-Owners
State Farm
Nationwide

Read on to learn more about which companies offer the most competitive rates to drivers with texting tickets.

Does texting while driving affect insurance?

Texting behind the wheel is not only illegal in most states, but it is also very dangerous. Additionally, getting a ticket for texting while driving can impact your auto insurance rates. Auto insurance companies view drivers who engage in distracted driving behaviors, such as texting behind the wheel, as higher risk and may raise your rates accordingly.

While laws related to texting when driving violations can vary by state, such offenses add points to your driving record, which in turn increases your car insurance premium.

A texting ticket on your record can increase your car insurance premiums by 25% on average, based on Insure.com analysis. However, the specific impact on your insurance rates will depend on your car insurance company’s policies and the severity of the offense.

How much does texting while driving ticket increase auto insurance premiums?

The impact of texting while driving tickets on your car insurance rates can vary depending on the state laws and your car insurance company. It may be as high as 45% or as low as 8%, based on Insure.com data.

While many variables influence how much your rate goes up after a texting ticket, Insure.com found that the average driver will see the following increases after a texting-and-driving violation.

Company	Average rate after texting ticket
USAA	$1,491
Erie	$1,514
Geico	$1,741
Auto-Owners	$1,752
State Farm	$1,896
Nationwide	$1,947
American Family	$2,139
Travelers	$2,616
Progressive	$2,767
Mercury	$2,926
Auto Club Entreprises	$2,950
Allstate	$2,955
Kemper	$3,257
Farmers	$3,866

Best car insurance companies for people with a texting ticket

Erie Insurance is the best car insurance company for drivers with a texting ticket. It’s average premium after a texting ticket is $1,514 a year. It’s the most affordable auto insurance company among the carriers analyzed by Insure.com.

Geico and Auto-Owners are also relatively affordable, with average annual premiums of $1,741 and $1,752 respectively.

Insurance companies consider drivers with a texting ticket to be high-risk and charge them higher insurance costs. It is important to look for an affordable insurance provider that offers adequate coverage for drivers with a texting ticket.

Company	Average rate after texting ticket
USAA*	$1,491
Erie	$1,514
Geico	$1,741
Auto-Owners	$1,752
State Farm	$1,896
Nationwide	$1,947
American Family	$2,139

*USAA offers the cheapest car insurance for drivers with a texting ticket. But it’s only available for the military, veterans and their families.

To find the best car insurance company, drivers should compare rates from multiple carriers and choose the one that offers comprehensive coverage at the most affordable price.

Learn more about the best car insurance companies of 2023

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How do insurance companies treat texting tickets?

When it comes to distracted driving, texting is often treated differently than talking on the phone. Texting behind the wheel usually results in a ticket and may eventually impact your insurance premium, especially if it puts points on your license.

You may have to pay hefty penalties for texting while driving. Colorado will ding you $1,000 and put four points on your license. Oregon’s fines run up to $1,000 for a first offense and go to $2,000 if you are caught again. New York will send you a bill for $250 for the second offense and add five points to your license.

Insurers also differ in how they look at tickets for texting while driving. Some insurers overlook a texting ticket, while others will increase your car insurance costs.

Some companies may track the tickets so that they can look at the loss data and then, based on the data, decide how to handle them. On the other hand, when texting tickets show up on an MVR (Motor Vehicle Record), many insurers treat them as a minor moving violation.

How much does texting while driving increase the cost of insurance by the state?

While it will vary by a number of factors, insurance rates go up around $396 a year, on average, after a texting ticket.

California leads the nation with a 45% increase after a texting ticket, while New Jersey placed a distant second with a 43% jump. The increase in premiums varies dramatically across states, but if you do end up with a texting ticket on your record, don’t start panicking immediately, it may not impact your rates.

“Because states charge a fee for every motor vehicle record (MVR) pulled, many insurance carriers don’t pull MVRs yearly,” says John Espenschied with Insurance Brokers Group.

If your insurer doesn’t pull an MVR regularly, it will never know about your texting ticket, and your rates will stay the same. In a few states, it’s illegal for car insurance companies to bump up your rate for a texting ticket. In Idaho and North Carolina, state law prohibits insurers from raising rates based on texting violations.

In states where points are assigned to your license, you may find your license suspended if a texting citation puts you over the top. In New York, for example, a texting ticket puts five points on your license, and if you hit 11 points in 18 months, you can say goodbye to your license for a bit, raising your insurance premium.

Here’s how much more you can expect to pay in each state for texting while driving, ranked from highest rate increase to lowest:

State	Average rate	Rate after texting	%increase	$increase
California	$2,206	$3,200	45%	$994
New Jersey	$2,228	$3,192	43%	$964
North Carolina	$1,396	$1,942	39%	$545
Washington	$1,325	$1,825	38%	$501
Indiana	$1,279	$1,702	33%	$422
Arizona	$1,665	$2,192	32%	$527
Illinois	$1,368	$1,802	32%	$434
Oregon	$1,461	$1,932	32%	$471
Louisiana	$3,121	$4,080	31%	$959
Wisconsin	$1,587	$2,083	31%	$495
Arkansas	$1,475	$1,893	28%	$418
Iowa	$1,241	$1,570	27%	$329
Ohio	$1,110	$1,413	27%	$303
Michigan	$4,013	$5,044	26%	$1,031
Rhode Island	$1,793	$2,250	26%	$458
Maryland	$1,981	$2,479	25%	$499
Maine	$1,072	$1,338	25%	$266
Nevada	$2,371	$2,953	25%	$582
Mississippi	$1,407	$1,746	24%	$339
Oklahoma	$1,836	$2,280	24%	$444
South Carolina	$1,804	$2,245	24%	$441
Virginia	$1,230	$1,528	24%	$298
Florida	$2,927	$3,601	23%	$674
Massachusetts	$1,760	$2,170	23%	$410
New Hampshire	$949	$1,169	23%	$220
Montana	$1,766	$2,146	22%	$380
Tennessee	$1,308	$1,591	22%	$283
Texas	$1,969	$2,408	22%	$439
Georgia	$ 1,597	$1,927	21%	$331
Kansas	$1,488	$1,805	21%	$318
Kentucky	$1,857	$2,239	21%	$382
Minnesota	$1,699	$2,049	21%	$349
Utah	$ 1,582	$1,913	21%	$331
Vermont	$1,081	$1,306	21%	$225
Missouri	$2,403	$2,882	20%	$479
Alaska	$1,286	$1,531	19%	$245
Alabama	$1,503	$1,786	19%	$283
Colorado	$1,970	$ 2,345	19%	$375
Idaho	$1,015	$1,203	19%	$188
West Virginia	$1,413	$1,679	19%	$266
New Mexico	$1,686	$1,992	18%	$306
South Dakota	$1,585	$1,870	18%	$285
Delaware	$1,730	$2,009	16%	$278
North Dakota	$1,239	$1,436	16%	$198
Hawaii	$1,309	$1,501	15%	$193
Washington D.C.	$1,909	$2,163	13%	$254
Nebraska	$1,861	$2,074	11%	$213
Pennsylvania	$1,297	$1,437	11%	$140
Connecticut	$1,461	$1,613	10%	$152
New York	$1,822	$1,973	8%	$151
Wyoming	$1,812	$1,951	8%	$139

Why do insurance companies charge more for texting while driving?

Insurance companies charge more for texting while driving because distracted driving increases the risk of accidents and, therefore, the likelihood of drivers filing insurance claims. Nine people in the United States die every day in crashes that involve a distracted driver, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Texting while driving is a dangerous behavior that takes a driver’s attention away from the road, which can cause them to miss things such as traffic lights, pedestrians, and other vehicles. As a result, drivers who text while driving are more likely to get into accidents, which can cause property damage, injuries, and even fatalities.

To cover the increased risk of accidents caused by texting while driving, insurance companies may charge higher premiums or increase deductibles for policyholders who engage in this behavior.

What are the state laws for cell phone use while driving?

When it comes to the use of cell phones while driving, 48 states have laws banning texting for all drivers. Some states also restrict the use of electronic devices to make phone calls. For instance, in California, drivers can only make calls using a hands-free device. While in New York, all drivers are prohibited from using hand-held electronic devices, including making phone calls.

Below are the state laws for cell phone use while driving.

State	Texting and driving ban	Hand-held phone conversations ban	License points
Alabama	All drivers	No	2 Points on License
Alaska	All drivers	No	No
Arizona	All drivers	All drivers	No
Arkansas	All drivers	Drivers 18 or older but younger than 21; school and highway work zones	No
California	All drivers	All drivers	No
Colorado	All drivers	No	4 Points
Connecticut	All drivers	All drivers	No
Delaware	All drivers	All drivers	No
D.C.	All drivers	All drivers	No
Florida	All drivers	Drivers in school and work zones	3 Points for Second Offense, 2 more Points for School Zone, 6 for Accident
Georgia	All drivers	All drivers	1 Points
Hawaii	All drivers	All drivers	No
Idaho	All drivers	All drivers	No
Illinois	All drivers	All drivers	No
Indiana	All drivers	All drivers	No
Iowa	All drivers	No	No
Kansas	All drivers	No	No
Kentucky	All drivers	No	3 Points
Louisiana	All drivers	Drivers in signed school zones; with respect to novice drivers	No
Maine	All drivers	All drivers	No
Maryland	All drivers	All drivers	1 Point & 3 if Accident
Massachusetts	All drivers	All drivers	No
Michigan	All drivers	No	No
Minnesota	All drivers	All drivers	No
Mississippi	All drivers	No	No
Missouri*	Drivers 21 and younger	No	No
Montana	No	No	No
Nebraska	All drivers	No	3 Points
Nevada	All drivers	All drivers	4 Points for Second Offense
New Hampshire	All drivers	All drivers	No
New Jersey	All drivers	All drivers	3 points for Third Offense
New Mexico	All drivers	No	No
New York	All drivers	All drivers	5 Points
North Carolina	All drivers	No	No
North Dakota	All drivers	No	No
Ohio	All drivers	No	No
Oklahoma	All drivers	Learner’s permit and intermediate license holders	No
Oregon	All drivers	All drivers	No
Pennsylvania	All drivers	No	No
Rhode Island	All drivers	All drivers	No
South Carolina	All drivers	No	No
South Dakota	All drivers	No	No
Tennessee	All drivers	All drivers	No
Texas	All drivers	Drivers in school crossing zones and on public school property during the time the reduced speed limit applies	No
Utah	All drivers	No	No
Vermont	All drivers	All drivers	4 points for school construction zones, 5 points for second offense
Virginia	All drivers	All drivers	3 points
Washington	All drivers	All drivers	No
West Virginia	All drivers	All drivers	3 points for Third Offense
Wisconsin	All drivers	Drivers in highway construction areas	4 points
Wyoming	All drivers	No	No

Frequently asked questions

How long will a texting ticket stay on my record?

How long a ticket for texting while driving stays on your driving record varies by state but usually ranges from three to five years.

Do cell phone tickets affect insurance?

Cell phone tickets can affect insurance premiums as they are considered a violation of traffic laws and indicate unsafe driving behavior. Insurance companies may view drivers receiving a cell phone ticket as a higher risk, leading to increased premiums.

Does distracted driving increase insurance rates?

Using a mobile phone while driving can result in a ticket for distracted driving, which may cause an increase in your insurance premium. However, the impact on your rates may vary based on your state and insurance provider. In certain states, insurance companies are barred from considering texting and driving violations when setting rates. It’s best to avoid using your phone when driving a vehicle to ensure your safety and that of others on the road.

How can I get a cell phone ticket dismissed?

You can get a cell phone ticket dismissed by arguing your case in court before a judge or writing a letter to prove your innocence. Hire an attorney to assist you with the negotiation or to represent you in court. If nothing works, you can request the prosecutor to reduce the fine amount or points on your license.

Methodology

Insure.com commissioned Quadrant Information Services to field rates for drivers with texting tickets on their driving records. The insurance rates are based on the profile of a 40-year-old male driver carrying a full coverage policy with limits 100/300/100.

To analyze the rates, we have compared 50,00,736 insurance quotes of 27 company groups across 548 cities and 1,467 ZIP codes in the U.S.

Sources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Distracted Driving.” Accessed May 2023.

Insurance Information Institute. “Cellphone use laws by state.” Accessed May 2023.

NewYork State Department of Motor Vehicles. “Cell phone use & texting.” Accessed May 2023.

Oregon.gov “Distracted Driving.” Accessed May 2023.

Colorado General Assembly. “Distracted Driving and Cell Phone Use.” Accessed May 2023.

– Mark Vallet contributed to this story.

Shivani Gite

Contributing Writer

Shivani Gite is a personal finance and insurance writer with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She is passionate about making insurance topics easy to understand for people and helping them make better financial decisions.

The best car insurance companies for texting tickets