How Many Points Is a Speeding Ticket in Arizona?

Arizona suspends your license when you accumulate 8 or more points in a 12-month period. The suspension lasts until you complete Traffic Survival School, a state-mandated 8-hour course that costs approximately $200 to $300 depending on provider. Once you complete the course, MVD reduces your point total by 2 points and reinstates your license. The remaining points stay on your record and continue counting toward future suspension thresholds. A third accumulation of 8 points within 36 months triggers a 12-month suspension with no restricted license option. If your license is suspended and you let your insurance policy lapse during that period, Arizona requires SR-22 filing for 3 years from the reinstatement date. The SR-22 filing fee is typically $15 to $25, but the premium increase from being classified as an SR-22 risk adds $40 to $80 per month to your base rate across most carriers writing non-standard auto in Arizona.

Most carriers in Arizona surcharge a speeding ticket for 3 years from the violation date. A first speeding ticket of 10-19 mph over typically increases premiums 15% to 25%, translating to an additional $25 to $50 per month on a policy that was $150/month before the violation. A second ticket within 3 years compounds the surcharge. Two tickets on the same policy period often trigger a 35% to 50% total increase, and some preferred carriers reclassify the policy as standard or decline renewal entirely, forcing a move to a higher-priced tier. The surcharge drops off at the 3-year anniversary under most carrier rating plans, but only if no additional violations occur during that window. Carriers recalculate your rate at each renewal, so a ticket from April 2022 stops affecting your premium at the April 2025 renewal, assuming your record stays clean.

Arizona allows first-time traffic school dismissal once every 12 months for eligible violations. If the court grants dismissal after completion of a defensive driving course, the conviction does not appear on your MVR and no points are assessed. You must request traffic school before your court date or plea deadline, and the violation must be non-criminal with a speed under 20 mph over the limit in most jurisdictions. Excessive speed violations, commercial vehicle violations, and any violation in a construction zone are typically ineligible. If you were already convicted and points were assessed, completing Traffic Survival School after the fact does not remove the conviction from your insurance lookback period. Carriers still see the violation when they pull your MVR at renewal, even if MVD has reduced your point total for suspension calculation purposes.

Progressive, GEICO, and State Farm write policies for drivers with one speeding ticket in Arizona, typically moving the policy from preferred to standard pricing tiers. A single 3-point ticket usually does not trigger a declination, but expect a surcharge at your next renewal. Drivers with two or more tickets within 3 years often need non-standard carriers. Bristol West, Infinity, and Dairyland specialize in non-standard auto in Arizona and quote policies for multi-point violations without requiring SR-22. Monthly premiums in the non-standard market run $180 to $280 for state minimum liability coverage, compared to $90 to $140 for a clean-record driver in the preferred market. Carriers re-tier policies at renewal based on current MVR status. If your violation ages past the 3-year surcharge window and no new tickets appear, you can request re-rating or shop for preferred-tier quotes again. Most drivers see a 20% to 30% rate drop when moving back from standard to preferred classification.

Request a rate review at your policy renewal date once the ticket reaches its 3-year anniversary. Carriers do not automatically remove surcharges when violations age off — you must confirm the updated MVR has been pulled and your rate recalculated. Shopping for quotes from at least three carriers after a violation drops off your surcharge window often produces a lower premium than waiting for your current carrier to re-tier you. Preferred carriers weight recent violations heavily, so a quote from a carrier that did not insure you during the violation period may price you as a clean-risk driver once the lookback window clears. Maintaining continuous coverage without lapses during your point accumulation period prevents SR-22 filing requirements and keeps you eligible for standard-tier markets. A lapse of more than 30 days after a points violation often triggers reclassification as high-risk, adding $30 to $60 per month even after reinstatement.