Texting While Driving in Texas: Points, Rate Impact, Recovery

A texting-while-driving conviction in Texas adds 2 points to your license and triggers a moving violation surcharge that typically raises your premium 15-35% for the next 3 years. The violation stays on your DMV record for 3 years from the conviction date, but most carriers apply the surcharge for 36 months regardless of when the points fall off. Texas banned texting while driving statewide under the SAFE Act in 2017. The offense is classified as a moving violation, meaning it counts toward the state's point accumulation threshold. You do not need SR-22 filing for a texting conviction alone — SR-22 requirements in Texas are triggered by DUI convictions, license suspensions, or repeat serious violations, not by a single 2-point ticket. The 2-point penalty for texting puts you closer to Texas's 6-point suspension threshold within 3 years. If you already have 4 or more points from prior violations, a texting conviction could trigger a suspension. Under current state DMV point rules, accumulating 6 or more points in a 3-year period results in a license suspension, and reinstatement requires paying a fee and potentially completing additional requirements depending on your total violation history.

Most carriers treat a texting-while-driving conviction as a standard moving violation and apply a surcharge between 15% and 35% at your next renewal. A driver paying $110 per month before the conviction would see their premium rise to $127-$149 per month, an annual increase of roughly $200-$470. The size of the increase depends on your carrier's underwriting tier and how many other violations are already on your record. Preferred carriers — State Farm, GEICO, Progressive, Allstate — typically apply the lower end of the range for a first offense but may non-renew or reclassify you to a higher tier if you already have one prior violation. Standard and non-standard carriers price texting convictions more aggressively, often applying surcharges above 30% even for a first offense. Your rate will stay elevated for 3 years from the conviction date on most carriers' surcharge schedules, even though the points fall off your DMV record at the same time. Some carriers review your record at each renewal and drop the surcharge once the violation ages past 36 months, but others lock in the surcharge for the full lookback period and only reset your rate when you re-shop.

Texas allows drivers to dismiss certain traffic tickets by completing a defensive driving course, but texting-while-driving violations are not eligible for dismissal under Transportation Code Section 542.304. The course option is reserved for non-hazardous moving violations like speeding tickets under certain conditions, and texting does not qualify. This means the 2 points from a texting conviction will remain on your license for the full 3-year DMV record window. You cannot petition the court to remove them, and completing a defensive driving course voluntarily will not trigger a point reduction or insurance discount unless your carrier offers a separate discount for course completion unrelated to the violation. The only path to removing the points is waiting out the 3-year period. Once 3 years pass from the conviction date, the points drop from your record automatically and you are no longer counted toward the 6-point suspension threshold. Your insurance surcharge, however, is controlled by your carrier's lookback period, not the DMV's point expiry rule.

Texas removes points from your driving record 3 years after the conviction date. A texting ticket received on March 1, 2024, would drop from your DMV record on March 1, 2027. At that point, the violation no longer counts toward the state's 6-point suspension threshold. Your insurance rate, however, is controlled by your carrier's surcharge schedule, not the DMV's point expiry timeline. Most carriers apply a moving violation surcharge for 36 months from the conviction date, which aligns with the DMV's 3-year window. But some carriers extend the lookback period to 5 years for multi-violation drivers or non-standard policies, meaning your rate could stay elevated even after the points disappear from your state record. The fastest way to recover your rate is to re-shop at the 36-month mark when the violation ages out of most carriers' standard lookback windows. Carriers price violations independently — one carrier may still surcharge you at 37 months while another treats you as a clean driver. For pointed-record drivers, the spread between carriers at the same coverage level can exceed $50 per month, making the re-shop the highest-leverage action available once the violation ages past 3 years.

Preferred carriers like State Farm, GEICO, Progressive, and Allstate will usually renew your policy after a first texting conviction, but they will apply a surcharge and may move you to a higher pricing tier. If you already have one or more prior violations on your record, preferred carriers may non-renew you at the next renewal or decline to quote you when you shop. Standard carriers — including Kemper, National General, and regional mutuals — specialize in drivers with one or two violations and typically offer quotes when preferred carriers decline. Their base rates are higher than preferred carriers, but their surcharges for a texting ticket are often smaller in percentage terms, which can make them competitive for a pointed-record driver. Non-standard carriers — including Acceptance, Dairyland, and Direct Auto — write policies for drivers with multiple violations or points close to the suspension threshold. Their rates are the highest in the market, but they are often the only option if you have 4 or more points or have been non-renewed by two or more carriers in the past year. Shopping all three tiers at once gives you the clearest picture of your real cost after a texting conviction.

Request a copy of your driving record from the Texas Department of Public Safety within 30 days of the conviction. Verify that the violation is recorded correctly and that your total point count is accurate. If you are close to the 6-point threshold, knowing your exact standing lets you avoid accumulating additional violations that could trigger a suspension. Do not wait until your renewal to re-shop. Most carriers allow you to request a quote mid-term, and some will offer a lower rate even with the new conviction if their underwriting treats texting violations less severely than your current carrier. The rate difference between carriers for the same driver with a texting ticket can exceed $600 per year. If your current carrier applies the surcharge at renewal, ask whether they offer a multi-policy discount, a telematics discount, or a defensive driving course discount unrelated to the violation. These discounts will not remove the surcharge, but they can offset 5-15% of your total premium. If your carrier cannot reduce your rate below the surcharge floor, switching carriers is the only remaining lever.