For most people, at one time of another in their lives they end up getting a speeding ticket or traffic ticket in Washington DC. Most people, in fact over 75%, just pay the ticket without thinking through other alternatives that could save them money in the long run. Few people really realize how much a ticket actually costs when you take into account the car insurance impact and impact on your driving record. To make this more clear, let’s use an example. Let’s imagine that I live in Washington DC and just received my first traffic ticket for speeding. The ticket I was given costs $250. My monthly insurance rate is $150 and until this ticket I had a clean driving record. After getting the ticket, I have three options for taking care of it – I can just pay it; I can take Washington DC traffic school; or I can fight it in court.
Option 1: Just Pay the Ticket, Total Cost: $2200
If I decided to just pay the ticket, the total cost of the ticket would actually end up being $2200! How? Well the ticket itself was for $250, but when I went to pay it there was an additional $150 in court fees and administration fees bringing the total ticket price to $400. Additionally, when the car insurance company finds out I received a ticket, my premiums will increase by 20% (national average). So my monthly payment will go from $150 to $180, or $30 extra every month. The ticket will be on my record for 5 years, so that means an additional $1800 in car insurance costs. Together with the ticket, that is a extra $2200 for just one ticket!
Option 2: Take Washington DC Traffic School, Total Cost: $435 or less
The second option I have is to take Washington DC traffic school to dismiss my ticket. In many cases I will still have to pay the ticket itself, which is $400, but sometimes that fine is reduced for taking traffic school. You just need to check with the court. The traffic school course costs $35 but once I complete it successfully the ticket isn’t added to my driving record. This means my insurance costs won’t increase and I will save $1800 from taking the traffic school course.
Option 3: Fight the Ticket in Court, Total Cost: $2200 or $0
The last option I have is to fight the ticket in court and see if I can have it completely dismissed. If I win, I will not have any fines or fees to pay. However, if I lose then I will have to pay for the ticket, the insurance increases, and any additional fees. I will also have to spend time preparing for court to make sure I am ready.
In the end, I decided to take Washington DC traffic school. I was able to get my fine reduced to $75 and finished the online course quickly and easily. My car insurance rates never increased and I was able to maintain my safe driver status which actually got me deeper insurance discounts in the years to come.




Taking a traffic school or defensive driving course is a great way to dismiss a ticket, lower insurance costs, and learn new driving skills, but for many it can be difficult to find the lowest priced traffic school. And likely since you are already trying to save money by taking the traffic school course in the first place, you are probably looking to find the lowest priced traffic school out there. Here are some tips to help you find the lowest priced traffic school out there: