If you receive any type of moving violation your insurance rates could be affected, depending upon your state's insurance laws and your insurance company's rating system.

In most cases, any driving infraction can have an impact on your insurance premiums, but typically minor violations do not impact your rates, especially if you only have one. Some states have insurance rules stating that an insurance provider cannot charge you for a single minor driving infraction if it is the only infraction within 18 months.

With some companies, a small infraction may remove discounts and with other companies it may impose a surcharge. As violations accumulate, the surcharge is higher. Typically if you plead guilty or not, it still reflected on your driving record. In some states driver license points can be removed while your violation conviction remains on your driving record for your insurance company to see and rate you on.

Different companies have different practices when it comes to raising premiums. Some companies will consider the severity of your violation and raise your rates accordingly; others will raise rates a specific amount per violation. There are too many factors to simply say it will be $50 more a year due to one moving violation on your motor vehicle record (MVR).

Keep in mind that your driving record is reviewed periodically. Following is a list of the typical times when an insurance company will be checking your motor vehicle record:

• When you initially apply for coverage
• When you request a change to your policy (increased coverage amounts, etc.)
• When you add a vehicle to your policy, or change the covered vehicle
• When you add a driver or updated a driver's status
• When your policy comes up for renewal (some carriers wait for every second renewal)

Read our article titled, What a Traffic Ticket can Truly Cost You for more information. You may also want to check your state insurance regulator's website since many contain a consumer's guide to auto insurance explaining how rates are allowed to be calculated in your state. And finally discuss with your insurance agent your insurance carrier's rating system and how tickers can affect your premiums.