Parking Tickets – Will They Affect My Auto Insurance Rate?

Reader’s Question:

Can a California parking ticket affect my auto insurance?

Brittany

San Diego, CA

Auto insurance companies in the State of California regularly check a driver’s motor vehicle record (MVR) especially if that driver’s auto insurance policy is up for renewal. Violations that are typically put against an individual’s driving record are those that involve moving citations. This could mean that a parking ticket may not be put in your driving record. However, if you were not able to address the matter as soon as you got the ticket, you may be up for more severe penalties in the future. Failure to pay traffic tickets, even the seemingly harmless parking ticket, may lead to restricted driving privileges in the future.

If this is your first parking ticket, you may avail of the deferment program. This gives you the chance to pay the ticket without having to inform your auto insurance company about it. However, subsequent tickets may not be eliminated by deferment. In this case, you will have to inform your insurance provider about it. It would be more practical to voluntarily give this information to them rather than have them discover the information when they review your record for renewal. They may see this withholding of information with suspicion. Although a parking ticket is not considered a grave offense and may not be used as sole basis for refusal to renew your auto insurance policy, you may still want to ask your agent about the company’s rules on this matter. If anything, this parking ticket could cause a higher premium assessment in the future.