What tips should I keep in mind?

Traffic school is almost always worth it to keep points off your record. Some violations (reckless driving) may not be eligible for traffic school. A traffic attorney can sometimes get charges reduced or dismissed.

Traffic Ticket Cost Calculator

Estimate the total cost of a traffic ticket including the base fine, court fees, traffic school, and long-term insurance impact.

Violation Type(Type of traffic violation)

Current Points on License(Points already on your driving record)

Attend Traffic School?(May dismiss points from your record)

Current Annual Insurance ($)(Your yearly auto insurance premium)

Contest the Ticket?(Fight the ticket in court)

Results

Visualization

How It Works

The real cost of a traffic ticket goes far beyond the base fine. Court surcharges can triple the base amount, and insurance rate increases from points on your license can cost thousands over the following 3 years. Traffic school can dismiss points and save on insurance.

The Formula

3-Year Cost = (Base Fine + Court Fees) + Traffic School + Attorney + (Insurance Increase x 3)

Variables

Base Fine — Statutory fine for the violation ($100-$600+)
Court Fees — Mandatory surcharges, often 2-5x the base fine
Insurance Impact — Each point can increase premiums ~8% for 3 years

Example

Moderate speeding ticket: $250 fine + $625 surcharges = $875. With traffic school ($100) to dismiss points: $975 total. Without school: $875 + $864 insurance increase (3yr) = $1,739.

Tips

Traffic school is almost always worth it to keep points off your record.
Some violations (reckless driving) may not be eligible for traffic school.
A traffic attorney can sometimes get charges reduced or dismissed.
Points typically stay on your record for 3-5 years.
Multiple tickets in a short period can lead to license suspension.