car insurance in Washington

Reader’s Question:

I received a ticket in BC with a Washington state drivers license. Will this increase my auto insurance rate?

Kelsey

Thank you for asking Kelsey.

The Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) site states that they keep a record of traffic violations, convictions for motor vehicle infractions and notices for failure to appear or respond to traffic citation on every motorist in the state. This information that goes on your driving record is obtained by clerk of the courts and licensing agencies so it would appear that the out of state information forwarded back to the DOL would also be placed on your WA driving record.

If this speeding ticket is placed on your WA driving record than your insurance company will see this violation the next time they pull up your MVR. According to the Washington Office of Insurance Commissioner the insurance rating systems differ depending upon an insurance company’s own guidelines usually rate on various factors including your driving record. To get information if this state speeding ticket will affect your rates, check with your insurance provider on how to go about their rating system.

Goodluck!

MariCAR