A Michigan speeding ticket can raise your car insurance rates by an average of 40%. Shopping for new quotes can help you find lower rates after you pay your fine.

Written by Jaya Anandjit

Edited by Sarah Gray

Reviewed by Jessica Barrett

Updated on Jan 31, 2024

Jump to:

How to deal with your speeding ticket in Michigan
What are the fines and penalties for speeding in Michigan
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 Michigan?
FAQs

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There is no state-wide rate for speeding tickets in

Michigan

, but you will receive a fine of at least $115 and points on your record. You can pay the fine—and face a potential 40%

car insurance

rate hike—plead guilty with an explanation, or plead not guilty and fight the ticket.

How to deal with your speeding ticket in Michigan

Step 1: Assess your ticket. Ensure that you have a standard speeding ticket rather than a

reckless driving

ticket. Reckless or careless driving tickets are typically assigned to drivers who are pulled over by law enforcement for operating a motor vehicle with willful disregard for the safety of others or surrounding property. For example, speeding while driving under the influence (DUI) is deemed reckless driving in most states.

Step 2: Decide how you’ll handle the ticket. Michigan drivers get three options for responding to a speeding ticket. You can admit guilt and accept all penalties by paying the fine, plead guilty with an explanation and pay the fine, or fight the ticket in court to reduce or dismiss the penalties. The first two options will result in points on your driving record, which will impact your insurance rates.

Step 3: Compare car insurance quotes before your next renewal. Your insurance provider will discover your speeding ticket when your policy is up for renewal. As your renewal approaches, your insurer will send you a notice with your new rate, which will go up by an average of 40% due to your speeding ticket. Comparing quotes from other providers can help you find a lower rate after your moving violation.

Learn more:

The best way to shop for car insurance in 2023

How to pay your speeding ticket in Michigan

Your Michigan speeding ticket will include specific information to help you pay your fine. If you cannot find the payment instructions or you’ve lost your ticket, you can contact the appropriate

Michigan traffic court

to verify the correct payment procedure.

Paying your fine online may be an option, but only certain district courts allow it. You can check the Michigan Courts online application to confirm if the online

ePayment option

is available to you.

In most cases, you will be able to pay your ticket by credit card, debit card, check, or money order.

How to get your speeding ticket dismissed in Michigan

If you choose to contest your Michigan traffic ticket, you will need to appear in court. If you or your traffic ticket lawyer make a good case, your fines, fees, and demerit points will be reduced or dismissed. Common effective arguments to dismiss a speeding ticket include:1

Defective equipment or incorrect use: Michigan law enforcement uses radar and LiDAR speed measurement technology to dictate speed. To have your ticket dismissed, you may be able to prove that your ticket was issued due to a defective radar or LiDAR gun, or misuse of the tool by the applicable police officer.

Defective speedometer: In some cases, drivers speed because their speedometer is broken. If you have evidence that your speedometer was unresponsive to your speed, the court may grant you a dismissal.

Medical emergencies: If you were speeding due to a medical emergency, your ticket could be dismissed.

Michigan drivers with

clean driving records

and no previous traffic misdemeanors have a higher chance of getting their speeding tickets dismissed.

You cannot argue that you were unaware of Michigan’s speeding laws as a defense. Whether you are a new driver, a new resident of the state, or an out-of-state driver—you must comply with Michigan’s traffic laws.

What are the fines and penalties for speeding in Michigan

You will face fines, fees, and points on your

driving record

for a speeding violation in Michigan.

Fines and points vary from county to county, but in general, drivers are charged a minimum of $115 for the civil infraction or speeding misdemeanor. Additionally, fines increase for speeding tickets issued in school zones or construction zones.

General Michigan Speeding Fines2

Speeding violation	Fines
Speeding one to five miles per hour over the speed limit	$115
Speeding six to 10 miles per hour over the speed limit	$125
Speeding 11 to 15 miles per hour over the speed limit	$135
Speeding 16 miles per hour or more over the speed limit	$150 to $200

Michigan speeding ticket point system

Speeding tickets in Michigan typically result in one to four demerit points on your driving record, but the exact point designation depends on the county and area where your ticket was issued. In general, you can expect the following points based on your speed:3

Speeding violation	Points
Speeding one to five miles per hour over the speed limit	1
Speeding six to 10 miles per hour over the speed limit	2
Speeding 11 to 15 miles per hour over the speed limit	3
Speeding 16 miles per hour or more over the speed limit	4

In some cases, you may be able to take a
Basic Driver Improvement Course
approved by the State of Michigan to avoid points on your record. Drivers with commercial driver’s licenses are not eligible for this option.

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

Michigan drivers see an average rate increase of 40% after a speeding ticket, so you will need to prepare for steeper premiums. Here’s how.

1. Confirm your renewal date and compare car insurance quotes

Your car insurance company will review your

motor vehicle report (MVR)

when your policy is up for renewal, so you won’t see a rate increase until your renewal date comes around. When you receive your renewal notice, you’ll have the option to accept your new premium or find a lower rate from a different insurer.

The

Jerry

app offers a quick and easy way to compare quotes from different insurance providers in one place.

Regardless of your driving record, Jerry’s quote comparison function will show you rates from multiple insurers at once.

The initial quote comparison process can help you find the best rate for your driver profile when your policy is due for renewal after your speeding ticket. With this said, it’s wise to continue reshopping for insurance as your traffic infraction ages on your driving record.

When you purchase a car insurance policy through the Jerry app, you’ll have access to automatic reshops to help you keep up to date with the lowest rates available to you.

Learn more:

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

2. Take a driver improvement course

Michigan offers a Basic Driver Improvement Course (BDIC) program to help Michigan drivers avoid points on their record and, in the worst cases, a license suspension.

The course includes four hours of instruction and upon completion, the Michigan Department of State will not add any points from your speeding ticket—which can reduce the impact on your insurance rates.

Keep in mind that you will still be responsible for court fees, fines, and other costs associated with your ticket. Additionally, drivers typically only have 60 days after receiving their ticket to enroll in a course and complete the necessary curriculum.

3. Take advantage of discounts

After a speeding ticket in Michigan, you will likely lose any good driver discounts you previously had on your insurance plan. Luckily, there are other

car insurance discounts

that could help you save, including:

Telematics discounts (i.e. tracking your driving)

Good student discounts

Paid-in-full discounts

Electronic payment discounts

Vehicle discounts (i.e. anti-theft discount)

Low-mileage discounts

When are insurance companies notified about speeding tickets?

Your insurance company won’t find out about your Michigan speeding ticket until

your policy is up for renewal

. When your renewal date is approaching, your insurer will look over your updated motor vehicle report, which will include your recent traffic offense.

Key Takeaway: Your car insurance rate will not go up due to a speeding ticket until your policy renews.

Learn more:

When does car insurance go down?

Cheapest car insurance companies after a speeding ticket in Michigan?

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: Various factors impact your rate increase after a speeding ticket. The state of your overall driving record, your insurance history, the number of years you’ve been insured with your current provider, and whether or not your plead guilty to the infraction could cause your insurance premiums to go up more or less than the numbers listed in the table above.

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

Will I lose my license if I don’t fight a speeding ticket in Michigan?

You may lose your license if you have a history of speeding or other traffic violations on your record. The only way to reduce the demerit points on your record is to wait for them to expire in two years or take Michigan’s Basic Driver Improvement Course BDIC.

It’s important to remember that you can also have your license suspended for failing to pay your ticket fees. Always respond to a traffic ticket on time to avoid worse penalties than you’ve already received.

Should I fight or pay my Michigan speeding ticket?

You should only fight your ticket if you have evidence that you were wrongfully ticketed. Otherwise, it’s easiest to simply pay the ticket fine or file a guilty with explanation plea.

There is a chance that the officer who issued your ticket will not appear in court, which could result in your ticket being dismissed. However, you should never count on this happening.

How much is a 20 over speeding ticket in Michigan?

The penalties for driving over the speed limit by 20 miles per hour varies from county to county in Michigan, but the general fine is $150 with four points added to your driving record.

What is the penalty for speeding in Michigan?

The penalties for speeding in Michigan include fines, fees, and demerit points. If you have additional traffic violations or points on your record, you may run into a license suspension or revocation by the Michigan Secretary of State. If your license is suspended, your driving privileges will be restricted for a period of time.

How much is a 5 mile over the speed limit ticket in Michigan?

A speeding ticket in Michigan typically costs $115 for going over the limit by one to five miles per hour.

How many points will I get in Michigan for speeding 10 to 15 miles over the speed limit?

You will get three points on your Michigan driving record for speeding between 10 to 15 miles over the posted speed limit.

What is felony speeding in Michigan?

Felony speeding in Michigan is classified as speeding that causes injury or death. You can be charged vehicular manslaughter or vehicular assault for causing injury or death from speeding.

How can I avoid points from a speeding ticket in Michigan?

You have two options to avoid points on your driving record. Firstly, you can contest your ticket and win your court case to have your ticket dismissed, which will exclude the number of points from your speeding ticket on your driving record. Secondly, you can participate in Michigan’s Basic Driver Improvement Course (BDIC) to excuse the points—but not the fines and fees—resulting from your ticket.

SOURCES

https://michigancourtrecords.us/traffic-court-records/tickets/how-to-fight/#:~:text=Recipients%20who%20choose%20to%20contest,pay%20any%20fines%20or%20fees

https://www.countyofbranch.com/courts/3-a-district-court/traffic-fines/

https://www.michigan.gov/-/media/Project/Websites/sos/01piercej/WEDMK_Chapter_Two_Your_Driving_Record.pdf?rev=ab25c661bccf42efbb254a06a8599a81