Insurance Penalties Vary by State

The Most Expensive Violations Vary by State

Getting a ticket for a driving violation can raise your car insurance rate no matter where you live, but the additional costs vary dramatically across state lines.

For example, a drunk or drugged driving violation (DUI) can increase rates 181% ($3,200+) in California, while in Indiana the same offense raises rates only 42% ($480+).

Why? It all comes down to differences in risk, and how insurance is rated and regulated from state to state.

It’s important to remember that some insurance companies may assign lower penalties — or none at all — even in states where drivers tend to see steep cost spikes for violations, so it’s always important to compare insurance quotes.

Below are the violations with the biggest impact on car insurance rates in each state across the U.S. [Note: Click the state name to see the impact of all violations in that state.]

Driving Violations with the Highest Insurance Penalties by State

State
Most Expensive
% Increase with Violation
$ Increase with Violation
Alabama
Hit and Run
71.5%
$992
Alaska
Hit and Run
65.2%
$781
Arizona
Hit and Run
140.5%
$1,820
Arkansas
Hit and Run
52.7%
$788
California
Hit and Run; Refusal of Breathalyzer/Chemical Test; DUI; Reckless Driving
181.0%
$3,286
Colorado
Hit and Run
58.0%
$975
Connecticut
Hit and Run; Racing
94.3%
$1,461
Delaware
Hit and Run
89.4%
$1,635
District of Columbia
Hit and Run
68.9%
$1,031
Florida
Hit and Run
55.6%
$1,146
Georgia
Hit and Run
91.8%
$1,421
Hawaii
Hit and Run
397.4%
$4,296
Idaho
Hit and Run
65.8%
$670
Illinois
Driving with a Suspended License
55.7%
$681
Indiana
Hit and Run; Racing; Driving with a Suspended License
52.8%
$607
Iowa
Hit and Run; Racing; Reckless Driving
72.4%
$715
Kansas
Hit and Run
43.8%
$646
Kentucky
Hit and Run
55%
$1,053
Louisiana
Driving with a Suspended License
50.4%
$1,179
Maine
Hit and Run; Racing
58.4%
$523
Maryland
Hit and Run
53.5%
$710
Massachusetts
Driving with a Suspended License
99.9%
$1,275
Michigan
Hit and Run; Reckless Driving
182.6%
$4,917
Minnesota
Hit and Run; Reckless Driving; Driving with a Suspended License
62.8%
$809
Mississippi
Hit and Run
58.9%
$905
Missouri
Driving with a Suspended License
43.6%
$614
Montana
Hit and Run
53.5%
$743
Nebraska
Reckless Driving
61.3%
$788
Nevada
Hit and Run; Racing; Reckless Driving; Driving with a Suspended License
63.9%
$1,223
New Hampshire
Racing
102.4%
$1,132
New Jersey
Refusal of Breathalyzer/Chemical Test; DUI
74.2%
$1,239
New Mexico
Hit and Run
65.7%
$887
New York
Hit and Run
82.0%
$1,385
North Carolina
Hit and Run; Racing
360.3%
$3,411
North Dakota
Hit and Run; Racing; Driving with a Suspended License
64.7%
$857
Ohio
At-fault Accident
84.0%
$867
Oklahoma
Hit and Run
55.6%
$868
Oregon
Hit and Run
54.3%
$756
Pennsylvania
Hit and Run; Racing; Driving with a Suspended License
81.1%
$1,127
Rhode Island
Hit and Run
94.5%
$1,995
South Carolina
Hit and Run
60.3%
$826
South Dakota
Hit and Run
59.1%
$792
Tennessee
Racing
57.4%
$820
Texas
At-Fault Accident
43.8%
$801
Utah
Driving with a Suspended License
46.6%
$564
Vermont
Hit and Run
87.9%
$946
Virginia
Hit and Run
67.6%
$620
Washington
Hit and Run
64.3%
$776
West Virginia
Hit and Run
76.8%
$1,090
Wisconsin
Driving with a Suspended License
64.3%
$687
Wyoming
Hit and Run
72.5%
$996