If you get a Rhode Island traffic ticket, your insurance rates could go up by an average of 31%. After you pay your fine, shop for new rates to keep your costs low

Written by Amy Bobinger

Edited by Jessica Barrett

Updated on Jan 31, 2024

Jump to:

How to deal with a traffic ticket in Rhode Island
How to pay your Rhode Island speeding ticket
How to get your ticket dismissed in Rhode Island
What are the fines and penalties for speeding in Rhode Island?
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 Rhode Island
FAQs

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Speeding tickets in

Rhode Island

cost $95 plus court costs if you were going less than 10 mph over the speed limit and $205 (or more) if you were going more than 10 mph over the speed limit. You can pay the fine—and see your

car insurance

costs rise an average of 31%—or try to get the ticket dismissed.

How to deal with a traffic ticket in Rhode Island

Step 1: Check for the word “HEARING” on your ticket

Look near the bottom of your ticket for the section that says “Hearing Location.” If you see “HEARING” in that section, you’ll have to appear in court to handle your ticket—you won’t be able to pay it online. You’ll also need to appear if you receive a summons.

If there’s a court listed in the box, you should be able to pay your fine through that court before your court date.1

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

Paying a traffic ticket is the equivalent of pleading guilty—so if you think you might have a case for why your ticket should be dismissed, it might be worth pleading not guilty.

Step 3: Shop for car insurance before your policy renews

Getting a speeding ticket in Rhode Island can raise your car insurance rates by an average of 31%—but you may be able to offset the cost by shopping around.

Learn more:

The best way to shop for car insurance in 2023

How to pay your Rhode Island speeding ticket

Check your paper ticket for more information on how to pay your fines.

If there’s a municipal court listed in the box that says “Hearing Location,” you should be able to pay the ticket through your local traffic court. The ticket may provide additional information about how to pay your fine, but you can also visit the website for your district court.

If the ticket says R.I.T.T. (Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal) and the amount of your fine is listed, you can pay your ticket online at the

Rhode Island Judiciary’s Public Portal

or mail the payment to the address on your ticket. You must pay this fine within 18 days of receiving the citation.

How to get your ticket dismissed in Rhode Island

Rhode Island offers good drivers the opportunity to have a speeding ticket dismissed if:

You were going less than 14 mph over the speed limit at the time of the moving violation

You have not had any traffic violations in the past three years

To take advantage of the good driver dismissal, appear in court on your listed court date. You’ll need to pay $35 in court costs and a $25 surcharge, for a total of $60—but that’s far less than the average cost of a Rhode Island speeding ticket.

You may also be able to have your ticket dismissed if you can prove that:

The radar, LiDAR, or speed camera that was used to track your speed was malfunctioning at the time of your citation

Your vehicle’s speedometer was malfunctioning, and you were unaware of it

You were speeding due to a medical emergency

That said, fighting a traffic ticket can be expensive and time-consuming. You may need to hire a traffic ticket attorney to help you beat the charge, which could end up costing more than the ticket.

Learn more:

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

What are the fines and penalties for speeding in Rhode Island?

According to Rhode Island traffic laws, your speeding ticket costs will vary depending on how fast you were going and whether you’ve gotten more speeding tickets in the past 18 months.2

Number of recent tickets	MPH over posted speed limit	Potential fines and penalties
First offense	1-10	$95 fine + $35 court costs
First offense	11+	$205 fine + an additional $10 for every mile per hour over the speed limit + $35 court costs
Second offense within 12 months	1-10	$95 fine + an additional $10 for every mile per hour over the speed limit + $35 court costs
Second offense within 12 months	11+	$205 fine + an additional $15 for every mile per hour over the speed limit + $35 court costs
Third offense within 12 months	1-10	$95 fine + an additional $15 for every mile per hour over the speed limit + $35 court costs Potential 30-day license suspension
Third offense within 12 months	11+	$205 fine + an additional $20 for every mile per hour over the speed limit + $35 court costs Potential 60-day license suspension
Fourth offense within 18 months	Any speeding violation	Driver’s license suspension (up to 1 year) or revocation (up to 2 years) Up to $1,000 in fines 60 hours of community service 60 hours of driver retraining course

COLIN’S LAW The penalties for a fourth or subsequent offense are set forth in the Colin B. Foote Act, a law that sets additional consequences for drivers who habitually violate driving regulations. The law was passed after Rhode Island resident Colin B. Foote was killed by a habitual traffic offender.3

You may receive additional fines and penalties if you were convicted of other traffic offenses at the time of your speeding ticket, including:

Running a red light or stop sign

Following too closely

Failing to wear a seat belt or properly use child restraints

DUI

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

After a Rhode Island speeding ticket, you can expect your car insurance rates to go up by an average of 31%. In addition to a surcharge for your speeding ticket, you’ll also likely lose any discounts for having a good driving record, which could cause your rates to increase even more.

1. Compare car insurance quotes close to your renewal date

Your insurance rates will go up after a speeding ticket—but they won’t go up right away. Your insurance company will run your

motor vehicle report (MVR)

shortly before your policy renews, at which time they’ll become aware of your citation.

When your insurer sends your renewal notice, they’ll include your new rate, which will include a surcharge for your speeding ticket. Once you see that new rate, start comparing quotes from different insurance companies to see if anyone can offer you a better price.

The fastest way to compare insurance quotes is with

Jerry

—in minutes, you’ll have personalized rates based on a comparison of dozens of insurance companies, so you can easily see if any insurers are more forgiving of minor violations like speeding tickets.

Be sure to reshop frequently, even if you’ve found the best rate. As more time passes after your Rhode Island speeding ticket, your insurance rates should start to come down gradually—and some insurers will drop your rates faster than others.

If you buy a car insurance policy with Jerry, you can turn on automatic reshops and you’ll be notified before your policy renews if there’s another insurance company willing to offer you a lower premium.

Learn more:

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

2. Attend driving school

In some cases, the judge or Magistrate presiding over your case may allow you to take a Defensive Driving course to have your fines reduced or your ticket dismissed. As a bonus, the course may also qualify you for an insurance discount.

If you’re granted permission to take the course, the court will mail you a registration packet. The cost of the six-hour program is $165.4

3. Take advantage of discounts

Even if your insurance rates go up after a speeding ticket, you may still be able to qualify for

car insurance discounts

to help you save. Check with your insurance company to see if you’re eligible for discounts such as:

Bundling your auto insurance with your renters or homeowners insurance

Being a good student

Paying your premium in full

Paying your premium on time

Tracking your driving (telematics)

When are insurance companies notified about speeding tickets?

The courts won’t notify your insurance company about your speeding ticket—the information will be included on your motor vehicle report (MVR), and your insurer will pull that information just before your policy is up for renewal.

Learn more:

When does car insurance go down?

Cheapest car insurance companies after a speeding ticket in Rhode Island

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 actual car insurance premiums could go up more or less depending on factors like the exact citation you received, whether you pled guilty, your previous driving history, and how long you’ve been with your insurance company.

Where’d we get these numbers? To find the average rate increase after a speeding ticket in every state, Jerry’s editorial team researched the average rate increase after a speeding ticket using expert sources from Forbes, NerdWallet, ValuePenguin, WalletHub, Liberty Mutual, The Zebra, and CarInsurance.com. We averaged the rate increase data from these sources and applied it to average rate data derived from thousands of real quotes drivers found through Jerry to determine average premium drivers pay after a speeding ticket in each state.

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FAQs

How do you pay a Rhode Island speeding ticket?

Rhode Island drivers can pay speeding tickets in person, online, or through the mail. Your paper ticket will have more information regarding acceptable payment methods.

How long do you have to pay a speeding ticket in Rhode Island?

You must pay your ticket within 18 days of receiving it.

What happens if you miss a traffic court date in Rhode Island?

Contact the court clerk as soon as you realize you’ve missed your court date—you could face additional fines and penalties, including a suspended license.

SOURCES

https://pawtucketri.com/municipal-courttraffic/municipal-court-frequently-asked-questions

http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/Statutes/TITLE31/31-41.1/31-41.1-4.HTM

https://traffictribunal-ri.org/topics/traffic-violations/colin-b-foote-act/

https://dmv.ri.gov/adjudications-suspensions/adjudication-office/driver-retraining