The break-even math

Should I Fight a Traffic Ticket?

Every figure sourced and dated. Updated 2026-09-01.

The math: fighting costs a lawyer's flat fee of $200 to $500; paying costs the fine ($75 to $400) plus roughly 24% higher insurance for the surcharge years, which is why keeping the violation off the record often wins even when the lawyer costs more than the ticket.

When paying is fine

Low-increase states (New York's average is 11% vs California's 44%), non-moving violations, or already-clean deferral options. All-in example: $274 in California at low speeds. Back to Traffic Tickets.

Plain disclosure: TheLawFacts is an informational publisher and advertising / lead-generation service. We are not a law firm, we do not give legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is formed by reading this site or submitting a request. We do not endorse or evaluate any attorney; attorneys who contact you have paid a flat advertising fee that never depends on your case or its outcome. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

Sources for every figure on this page

$75 to $400: Insurify 2026: national speeding-fine range (published estimate, retrieved 2026-09-01).
24%: ValuePenguin 2026: average insurance increase after one speeding ticket (about $50/month full coverage) (published estimate, retrieved 2026-09-01).
44%: ValuePenguin 2026: the one-ticket increase in California; New York's is 11% (published estimate, retrieved 2026-09-01).
$200 to $500: Best Online Traffic School 2026: typical traffic-lawyer flat fee (published estimate, retrieved 2026-09-01).
$274: MyImprov 2026: California all-in cost, 1-15 mph over ($438 at 16-25, $567 at 26+) (published estimate, retrieved 2026-09-01).