Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
True cost if you just pay
$1,438
Insurance surcharge total
$1,188
Cost with traffic school
$370
Saved by masking the point
$1,068
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One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter fine + court costs ($).
- 2Enter annual insurance premium ($).
- 3Enter premium increase (%).
- 4Enter years surcharged.
- 5Enter traffic school cost ($).
- 6Read your true cost if you just pay on the right — it updates as you type.
- 7Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
The fine is the small part. A moving violation typically raises your premium for three to five years, and that surcharge usually dwarfs the ticket itself. Compare paying it against fighting it or taking traffic school.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Fine + court costs: 250 $
- Annual insurance premium: 1800 $
- Premium increase: 22 %
- Years surcharged: 3
- Traffic school cost: 120 $
Results
- True cost if you just pay: $1,438
- Insurance surcharge total: $1,188
- Cost with traffic school: $370
- Saved by masking the point: $1,068
What each field means
Inputs
- Fine + court costs ($)
- The fine + court costs used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 250 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Annual insurance premium ($)
- The annual insurance premium used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1800 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Premium increase (%)
- The premium increase used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 22 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–100 %.
- Years surcharged
- The years surcharged used in the calculation. Starts at 3 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–7.
- Traffic school cost ($)
- The traffic school cost used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 120 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- True cost if you just pay
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Insurance surcharge total
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Cost with traffic school
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Saved by masking the point
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Does traffic school always work?
Where offered, it usually keeps the point off your record so insurers never see it. Eligibility is typically limited to one course every 12 to 18 months and excludes serious violations.
How long do tickets affect insurance?
Most carriers look back three to five years for minor moving violations, and longer for DUI or reckless driving.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Traffic Ticket True Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/traffic-ticket-cost
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/traffic-ticket-cost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Traffic Ticket True Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Traffic Ticket True Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/traffic-ticket-cost) (2026).