A speeding ticket can raise your insurance rates by an average of 19% in Alaska. Shopping for new rates should be your first step after paying your fine.

Written by Sarah Gray

Edited by Jessica Barrett

Reviewed by Brice Regling

Updated on Jan 31, 2024

Jump to:

How to deal with an Alaska speeding ticket
What are the fines and penalties for speeding in Alaska?
Your insurance will go up after a speeding ticket—here’s how to lower it
When are insurance companies notified about speeding tickets?
Cheapest car insurance companies after a speeding ticket in Alaska
FAQs

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In Alaska, a speeding ticket is classified as a minor offense, which means you’re not likely to face jail time but you will face fines of up to $300 depending on where you were ticketed and how fast you were going. Plus, you can expect your

car insurance

rates to climb 19% or more at renewal.

How to deal with an Alaska speeding ticket

Step 1: Check your traffic ticket to find your options for payment or contestation

If your ticket is marked “optional court appearance,” you can either plead “no contest” and pay the fine, plead “not guilty” and request a court date, or ask for a hearing (not a trial) to have the charges read to you before entering a plea. If your ticket is marked “correctable” or “mandatory court appearance” you will have to appear in person to show proof of correction or face sentencing.

Step 2: Decide whether to pay your ticket or fight it

Choosing to pay your fine means you must enter a plea of guilty or no contest. Points will be added to your driving record, which could lead to license suspension or revocation. The ticket will also be recorded in your motor vehicle record (MVR), which means your auto insurance rates will increase.

Step 3: Shop for car insurance before your next renewal

Your insurer will learn of your speeding ticket when your insurance policy comes up for renewal, which will cause your premiums to increase by an average of 19%.

Learn more:

The best way to shop for car insurance in 2023

How to pay your ticket

If you choose to enter a plea of guilty and pay the fine, you can do so1:

Online through

Alaska’s CourtView

system using a major credit card

By mailing a check or money order made payable to “State of Alaska” and a copy of your citation to court listed on your citation. Be sure to include your citation number in the memo field of your check or money order.

In person with cash, check, or money order at the

district court

in the county in which your citation was issued.

Online payment is not available in all counties, and not all courts accept credit cards for payment. If you’re unsure of how to pay your fine,

contact the court

listed on your citation.

If you do not respond to your traffic ticket by paying your fine or entering a not guilty plea within 30 days of citation, you will receive a warning. If you do not respond within 15 days of receiving the warning, the court will enter a default judgment of guilty, charge the maximum fine allowable by law, and bill you for $70 in court and collection costs.

How to get your ticket dismissed

If you wish to contest your speeding ticket, you must enter a plea of not guilty to request a trial date. Ensure you have a solid defense prepared for your court date—you’ll have a better chance of success if you can prove:

Law enforcement made an error or used a defective radar detector

Your speedometer was defective or otherwise malfunctioning

You were experiencing or responding to a medical emergency

If you’re hoping simply to get your traffic ticket fine or penalty reduced, note that this is only an option in some counties. Where negotiating for a lower penalty is allowed, this must be done through a prosecutor before your trial.

In some locations, you may be able to negotiate a deal with the ticketing police officer immediately before the trial. If you’re unsure how to proceed, it may be in your best interest to seek legal advice from a traffic ticket attorney.

You’ll also improve your chances of a speeding ticket dismissal if you have an otherwise
clean driving record
. If you don’t have a strong case for dismissal, pursuing a hearing may not be worth your while.

Learn more:

How to get a clean driving record (and save on insurance)

What are the fines and penalties for speeding in Alaska?

Speeding is a minor offense in Alaska, which means it’s generally a payable offense rather than a criminal one.2 But this minor infraction can be enhanced to a misdemeanor reckless driving charge if:

You’re caught driving more than 20 miles per hour over the posted speed limit

You’re caught racing

The Alaska Court System’s Vehicle and

Traffic Offenses Booklet

notes that while fine amounts and fees for speeding vary by Alaskan county and municipality, the maximum allowable fine for speeding in the state of Alaska is $300.3

Assessment of points, on the other hand, is uniform across the state. Accumulation of 12 or more points on your Alaska driving record in a consecutive 12-month period or 18 or more points in a consecutive 24-month period can result in your

Alaska driver’s license being suspended

or revoked.

The table below details Alaska’s points system for speeding tickets, according to Alaska Administrative Code (AAC 90.310).4

The Alaska speeding ticket point system

Speeding offense	# of demerit points
3–9 mph over posted limit	4
10–19 mph over posted limit	4
20+ miles over posted limit	6
Speeding in a school zone	6
Reckless driving or racing	10

Points remain on your Alaska driving record for a minimum of 12 months.

Your insurance will go up after a speeding ticket—here’s how to lower it

Fines and fees are a comparatively small price to pay after a speeding ticket in Alaska. But they’ll be the least of your worries once you get hit with increased car insurance costs.

Alaska drivers should expect an average insurance rate increase of 19% following a speeding ticket—and these rate increases can stick with you for years depending on the severity of the charge.

Once you’ve finished handling your ticket, it’s time to focus on keeping your insurance rates affordable. Here’s how.

1. Check your renewal date and compare car insurance quotes

Your provider can’t increase your rates until your policy renews. So if you’ve just purchased or renewed your coverage, you may still be able to enjoy low rates for a few more months.

Once your renewal date approaches, your carrier will run your

motor vehicle report (MVR)

, find out about your speeding ticket, and surcharge your rates for it. This surcharge will be reflected in the new higher premium referenced in your renewal letter.

Once you know what your new rate will be, use it to compare quotes from at least three to five other providers. Your current provider will offer you the best rate they can, but each insurer calculates rates differently, so you may qualify for lower premiums elsewhere.

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Learn more:

Car insurance renewal—are you ready for your new rate?

2. Take a defensive driving course

Alaska allows motorists to complete a defensive driving course once every 12 months for the chance to deduct two (2) points from their accumulated driver’s license points. Better yet, many insurance providers provide

discounted rates

to drivers who’ve completed an approved driver safety course.

3. Take advantage of discounts

Speaking of discounted rates—while you’ll no longer be able to take advantage of good driver discounts after a speeding ticket, most providers still offer myriad other discounts you could qualify for, including:

Telematics discounts (i.e., tracking your driving)

Good student discounts

Paid-in-full discounts

Responsible payer discounts

Low-mileage discounts

When are insurance companies notified about speeding tickets?

Your provider will

learn about your speeding ticket

and any other traffic violations when they run your MVR to prepare your renewal paperwork. In other words, if your policy renews annually, you may have several months before you have to worry about rate increases.

Learn more:

When does car insurance go down?

Cheapest car insurance companies after a speeding ticket in Alaska

The best car insurance company after a speeding ticket is the one that can offer you the most affordable rate for quality coverage. To help you choose, here is a breakdown of how some of Alaska’s top providers handle rate renewals after a speeding ticket:

Insurance company	Average rate increase after a speeding ticket
Allstate	15%
USAA	17%
American Family	22%
Nationwide	26%
State Farm	26%
Farmers	31%
Auto-Owners	36%
Travelers	37%
GEICO	38%
Progressive	43%

Remember: Every car insurance company calculates rates differently and that includes how they deal with traffic offenses. Your rate may increase by less or more than shown in this table based on the length of time you’ve been with your provider, your existing record, and whether or not you plead guilty to your ticket.

Where'd we get these numbers?
Jerry’s editorial team researched the average rate increase after a speeding ticket for these 10 insurance companies using expert sources from Forbes, NerdWallet, ValuePenguin, WalletHub, Liberty Mutual, The Zebra, and CarInsurance.com. Our data shows the average of the data shared by these sources.

RECOMMENDED

Compare auto insurance policies

No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms

ZIP Code

Find insurance savings

FAQs

How much is a speeding ticket in Alaska?

Fines for speeding vary by county and municipality in Alaska, but state law prohibits fines from exceeding $300.

How do I get out of a speeding ticket in Alaska?

To get out of a speeding ticket in Alaska, you’ll have to enter a plea of “not guilty” and request a trial date. Once in court, you’ll have the opportunity to plead your case for dismissal or have a traffic ticket attorney plead it for you.

What happens if you don’t pay a speeding ticket in Alaska?

If you don’t pay an Alaska speeding ticket or respond with a not guilty plea or a request for a hearing within 30 days, you’ll be issued a warning allowing you an additional 15 days to enter a plea. If you still haven’t responded after the additional 15 days, the court will enter a default guilty judgment, and you’ll be charged the maximum penalty for the infraction plus a $70 fee for court and collection costs.

How do I pay a speeding ticket in Anchorage, Alaska?

Motorists ticketed in Anchorage, AK have the option to pay their ticket online, by phone, by mail, or in person. Check your citation or visit the

Anchorage Police Department’s website

for more information.

How long does a speeding ticket stay on your record in Alaska?

The Alaska DMV will keep a record of your speeding ticket for at least 12 months following the offense.

How many points do you get for speeding in Alaska?

Alaska assigns three to 10 points for speeding offenses. How many points you’ll be assigned depends on how far over the speed limit you were going and whether you were speeding in a school zone or other safety zone.

What are the consequences of a speeding ticket in Alaska?

The most immediate consequence of speeding in Alaska is a fine, not to exceed $300. But you’ll also receive driver’s license points, which could lead to suspension or revocation of driving privileges, and you’ll also face increased insurance costs.