Reader’s Question:

My sister was given a citation last week. Is there any difference between a citation and a ticket? How do these affect her car insurance in Boise Idaho?

Ally

Boise, ID

Hi Ally, thanks for asking. There’s no really any difference between a citation and a ticket. By definition, a citation is an official summon, especially one calling for appearance in court. A ticket has a definition of a legal summon, especially for a violation. These two words are interchangeable when discussing being written up by law enforcement for a moving violation.

A citation or ticket will only affect your car insurance if you are convicted of the moving violation for which it was written up for. For example if it is for speeding and you decide to plead guilty and pay the fine then the court will inform your State’s DMV so that the offense can be placed on your driving record. Your car insurance company will then be able to see that offense the next time they pull your motor vehicle record (MVR).
It will still depend on your car insurance company’s rating system whether a certain offense will affect your rates. For example one single speeding ticket may not affect your car insurance rates in Boise ID, but it will likely take away any good driver discount. However, if you already had a previous moving violation conviction on your motor vehicle record, then this speeding ticket may cause your rates to increase. Most states allow each individual insurance company to determine their own rating system and decide which moving violations as well as how many violations or accidents may affect your rates. The car insurance companies then must file their rates with the state insurance regulator for their approval.

Tags: auto insurance, auto insurance premium