What happens in Vegas does not stay in Vegas.

You may be holding out hope that authorities back home will never find out about your out-of-state driving ticket. And you’re probably worried about what it will do to your car insurance rates, too.

The bad news: The state that issued your driver’s license will almost certainly hear about your indiscretion. So will your insurer.

The good news is: Not all states treat out-of-state tickets the same way. And your car insurance company might not find out for years. (See laws specific to your area in our state car insurance rates guide.)

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Written by:
Prachi Singh
Contributing Writer
Prachi is an insurance writer with a master’s degree in business administration. Through her writing, she hopes to help readers make smart and informed decisions about their finances. She loves to travel and write poetry.
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Reviewed by:
Laura Longero
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Executive Editor
Laura is an award-winning editor with experience in content and communications covering auto insurance and personal finance. She has written for several media outlets, including the USA Today Network. She most recently worked in the public sector for the Nevada Department of Transportation.

How a ticket follows you home

Most states have interstate reciprocal agreements that require them to share information on convictions for moving violations. The most common is the Driver License Compact (DLC), signed by 45 states plus the District of Columbia.

DLC-member states agree to report out-of-state convictions to each other. In addition, when a state suspends the license of an out-of-state driver, that driver’s home state is encouraged to do the same. So if you receive a DUI while on spring break in Florida and your driver’s license is suspended in that state, your home state can also suspend your license.

Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Tennessee, and Wisconsin are not DLC members. However, receiving a ticket in one of these states does not guarantee that it will not be reported to your home state. Department of motor vehicle representatives in these five states said that they generally notify an out-of-state driver’s home state, even though they are not required to, and are generally notified if their own drivers received violations in other states.

What if you decide not to pay? States that are part of the Non-Resident Violator Compact and Driver License Agreement (virtually all of them) agree to suspend your driver’s license on the other state’s behalf.

How states treat out-of-state convictions

Most states record any out-of-state violation on your driving record and assign points to your driver’s license.

A few states, such as Colorado and Pennsylvania, do not record the violation if it is considered a minor offense, like a speeding ticket. Other states, like Maryland and Nevada, record the violation but do not assign points for out-of-state tickets. Florida and Texas place both the violation and points on your driving record for all out-of-state convictions – which will likely increase your car insurance premium.

Then there are a few states that have unique laws. If you’re a New York resident who received a minor traffic ticket in Quebec or Ontario, Canada, New York will record it and assess your points. But if you receive the ticket within the country, it will not go on your record. New Jersey adds two points for all out-of-state traffic convictions, even if your points for the violation would have been different in-state.

You can be certain of two things: A conviction for a serious offense such as DUI will go on your driving record. And any violation – serious or minor – that appears on your DMV record will be seen by your car insurance company.

Convictions and car insurance companies

Auto insurance companies don’t care where you received a traffic ticket. To them, a conviction in any state makes you a riskier driver. However, how traffic offenses are rated varies by insurer and state.

In some states, car insurance companies are not allowed to raise your rates after just one moving violation conviction. If this is the case in your state, and an out-of-state ticket is the only violation on your driving record, it may not affect your car insurance premium. In other states, your car insurance company will increase your premium for one speeding violation. Also, some insurers may not increase your rates but take away your good driver discount.

But your insurer also rates you based on the type of violation you receive. For example, a ticket for traveling 10 mph over the speed limit may not make a difference. But driving more than 30 mph over the limit may be seen as a major violation. The more serious the offense, your premium is likely to increase.

Another factor affecting your rates is how often your car insurer checks your DMV record. Some insurers check every time you renew your policy, while others check only once every one or two years. If your insurer pulls your driving record at every renewal period, you are more likely to see your premiums increase.

Penny Gusner contributed to this story.

Resources & Methodology

Sources

AAMVA. “Driver License Compact.” Accessed January 2023

Laura Longero

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Laura Longero

Executive Editor

Laura is an award-winning editor with experience in content and communications covering auto insurance and personal finance. She has written for several media outlets, including the USA Today Network. She most recently worked in the public sector for the Nevada Department of Transportation.

John McCormick

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John McCormick

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John is the editorial director for CarInsurance.com, Insurance.com and Insure.com. Before joining QuinStreet, John was a deputy editor at The Wall Street Journal and had been an editor and reporter at a number of other media outlets where he covered insurance, personal finance, and technology.

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Leslie Kasperowicz is an insurance educator and content creation professional with nearly two decades of experience first directly in the insurance industry at Farmers Insurance and then as a writer, researcher, and educator for insurance shoppers writing for sites like ExpertInsuranceReviews.com and InsuranceHotline.com and managing content, now at CarInsurance.com.

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Contributing Writer

Prachi is an insurance writer with a master’s degree in business administration. Through her writing, she hopes to help readers make smart and informed decisions about their finances. She loves to travel and write poetry.