What to Do If You Have an Arizona Speeding Ticket

If you get a speeding ticket in Arizona, your insurance rates could go up by an average of 32%. After you pay your fine, shop for new rates to keep your costs low.
Written by Amy Bobinger
Edited by R.E. Fulton
An
Arizona
speeding ticket can be expensive enough, but it really adds up once you factor in the 32% increase in your
car insurance
premiums at your next renewal.

How to deal with a traffic ticket in Arizona

Step 1: Check your ticket to see if it’s a civic or criminal violation.
Look on your ticket for the boxes that say “civil violation” or “criminal violation”—the appropriate one will be checked based on your offense.
If your citation includes criminal violations for things like excessive speed, DUI, or aggressive driving, you won’t be able to pay your ticket ahead of time—you’ll be required to appear before the judge on the court date listed on your ticket. 
Step 2: Decide whether to pay the ticket or fight it.
Paying a ticket is essentially the same as pleading guilty to it. If you believe you were ticketed in error, do not pay the fine—plead not guilty or no contest at your court appearance, and you’ll be given a second date when you can have your case heard by a judge.
Step 3: Shop for car insurance before your policy renews.
Your car insurance rates will go up at the first renewal after a speeding ticket. Before your policy renews, shop for quotes from at least 3 to 5 insurance companies to make sure you’re paying the lowest rate available.

How to pay your Arizona speeding ticket

In the state of Arizona, you can pay a speeding ticket in person, through the mail, or online—but this can vary by the presiding justice court. Some courts may also allow you to pay your ticket over the phone.
For court-specific information about how to pay your fine, visit the
Arizona Department of Public Safety’s website
and select your county and municipality. You’ll see the phone number and address listed for each court, along with the acceptable payment options for each one.
You’ll also find information for the presiding court listed on the bottom of your traffic citation.
Most courts will accept some or all of the following payments:1
  • Credit/debit card
  • Personal check
  • Money order
  • Cash
If you’re paying through the mail, you can not use cash. Check with your district court or look on your bond envelope to see which payment types are accepted.

How to get your ticket dismissed in Arizona

If you believe you were ticketed improperly, you can plead not guilty at your initial scheduled court date. At that time, you’ll be given a trial date—the second hearing is generally when you’ll be given the chance to make your case.
Some common reasons tickets may be dismissed include:
  • A malfunction of the radar technology law enforcement used to track your speed
  • The speedometer in your vehicle was broken (and you were unaware of that fact at the time of the citation)
  • You were speeding due to a medical emergency
That said, you must be able to provide conclusive proof to get a ticket dismissed on these grounds. It can help to hire an experienced traffic attorney—especially if you were charged with a criminal violation—but this can be expensive. In many cases, it’s more cost-effective to pay your ticket.
You may have a better chance of getting a ticket dismissed if you have a clean driving record.

What are the fines and penalties for speeding in Arizona?

In Arizona, the fines and penalties for moving violations are set by individual courts. To see how much you’ll pay, visit the
Arizona Department of Public Safety’s website
Speeding tickets in Arizona are classified as either civil or criminal violations—your fines will be based on the seriousness of the charge. 
Civil traffic violations are relatively minor offenses, including:
  • Improper lane change
  • Running a red light
  • Speeding
Criminal traffic violations and misdemeanor charges may include:
  • Criminal speeding 
  • DUI
  • Speeding in a school or construction zone
  • Reckless endangerment
You can be charged with criminal speeding for:
  • Driving faster than 85 mph, regardless of the posted speed limit
  • Going more than 20 mph over the speed limit
  • Driving faster than 35 mph in a school zone
Under the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) points system, a civil or criminal speeding violation will lead to three points on your driver’s license, although more points may be added if you were convicted of another infraction:
  • Failure to stop at a red light or stop sign causing serious injury: 4 points
  • Failure to stop at a red light or stop sign causing death: 6 points
  • Hit and run: 6 points
  • Reckless driving: 8 points
  • DUI: 8 points
If you get 8 or more points within a 12-month period, you may be required to attend Traffic Survival School (TSS), or you could face a
driver’s license suspension
of up to a year. If you lose your driving privileges, you’ll need to pay a fee to
get your suspended license reinstated
2

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

1. Compare car insurance quotes close to your renewal date

Car insurance rates in Arizona go up an average of 32% after a speeding ticket—but your insurance won’t go up right away. Insurance companies generally pull a customer’s
motor vehicle report (MVR)
shortly before their policy is up for renewal. Your renewal rate will reflect the new violation on your record.
Once you get your renewal notice with the new rate, start comparing quotes from different insurance companies. Some insurers are more forgiving of minor violations, so by comparing rates from several companies, you’re more likely to find a favorable price on your insurance premiums. 
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The easiest way to compare insurance rates is with Jerry.
Once you fill out your driving profile, you can browse personalized offers pulled from dozens of insurance companies, all at once. 
Be sure to shop for new rates, even once you’ve found one you’re happy with. As more time passes after your Arizona speeding ticket, your insurance rates will gradually start going down.
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If you buy insurance with Jerry, you can turn on automatic reshops, and you’ll get a notification before your insurance renewal if another insurance company will offer you a lower rate.

2. Attend driving school 

Arizona drivers have the option to attend a defensive driving school to have one speeding ticket dismissed per year (it must have been 12 months or more from the date of your last violation). 
  • You must complete the course at least one week before your court date. 
  • Courses may be taken online or in person (unless a judge specifically orders you to take the course in person)
  • Violations involving serious injuries or fatalities are not eligible for dismissal.
  • You can find eligible Defensive Driving courses at
    AZCourts.gov
    .
If you’re eligible to take a Defensive Driving course, you can have one violation dismissed. If you were cited for multiple traffic violations, you’ll be responsible for any remaining fines and penalties.
In addition to having a violation dismissed, taking a defensive driving course could qualify you for savings on your insurance.

3. Take advantage of discounts

You might lose a good driver discount as a result of a speeding ticket, but you might still qualify for other car insurance discounts to help decrease the cost of your insurance. These might include:
  • Good student discount
  • Military discount 
  • Bundling homeowners or renters and auto insurance
  • Paying your premium in full
  • Paying your premium on time each month

When are insurance companies notified about speeding tickets?

The Arizona court system won’t notify your insurance company about your speeding ticket. Before your policy is up for renewal, your insurer will pull an updated motor vehicle report (MVR), which will list any new traffic offenses on your record. 

Cheapest car insurance companies after a speeding ticket in Arizona

Here’s how speeding tickets tend to affect rates for a few of the nation’s largest insurance companies:
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%
But this will only give you a general idea of how your rates will be impacted. Your rates might be higher or lower after a speeding ticket, depending on the exact violation you were cited for, how many other offenses you’ve had recently, and how long you’ve been with your insurance company.
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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.
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FAQs

How much is a speeding ticket in Arizona?

The exact cost of a speeding ticket in Arizona will vary depending on the city and county where you were ticketed.

How many points is a speeding ticket in Arizona?

According to the Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS), if you get a speeding ticket in Arizona, you’ll have two points added to your license.

How do you fight a speeding ticket in Arizona?

If you can prove you were ticketed in error, plead not guilty and request a trial date. Do not pay your ticket, as this is considered an admission of guilt.

What if I can’t pay my Arizona speeding ticket?

If you can’t afford to pay the fines for your Arizona speeding ticket, appear at your court date and request a payment plan. If the court determines that you’re eligible for a plan, you’ll be able to pay in installments—but there will be additional fees added to your fine.

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