Why did my car insurance rate go up?

Violations on your motor vehicle report, especially a DUI or multiple speeding tickets, tell your insurance company that you're more likely to have an accident than a driver with no violations. The more violations you have, the higher your risk to file a claim — resulting in a rate increase. Even a minor moving violation ticket could increase your car insurance rate. The good news is, insurance companies often don't increase your rate due to a non-moving violation like a parking ticket.

Just like with violations, at-fault accidents on your driving record often indicate you're at risk for more, and insurance companies will price you accordingly. You may ask, will my insurance go up if I file a claim for an accident that isn't my fault? In some cases, yes — even accidents you didn't cause can increase your rate in states that allow it, as insurers have data showing that some drivers have a propensity for not-at-fault accidents.

Depending on your insurance company and your state, your rate may increase for damage-related incidents that were out of your control. Your rate may go up if you have comprehensive auto coverage and file a claim for incidents like car theft and vandalism, hitting a deer, fire, glass breakage (including a cracked windshield), hail/weather-related damage, and other acts of nature.

If you purchase a more expensive car, your rate is likely to go up as your new ride may be more likely to be stolen and cost more to repair or replace than your previous vehicle. Adding a new driver to your existing policy could also drive up your price, especially adding teen drivers or someone with a poor driving record.

As unfair as it may seem, you may experience an auto rate increase due to insurance claims data in your ZIP code. If your area has a high rate of theft, accident, or weather-related claims, it becomes riskier for an insurance company to cover drivers there. That risk can lead to an auto insurance price increase, even if you have a perfect driving record.

Changing the address where your car is "garaged" (kept overnight) is a rare instance where your rate could increase mid-policy without making changes to your coverages, vehicles, or covered drivers. If you're moving out of state, you'll need a new auto policy. However, if you're remaining in the same state, your rate could go up based on claims in your new ZIP code.

While senior car insurance discounts may be available depending on your insurer and state, your rate could increase around the time you reach your mid-70s. From a risk perspective, insurance companies often view drivers in their 70s, 80s, and 90s as riskier than they were as middle-aged adults, but likely still not as risky as teens (unless you start filing more claims or have an increase in other risk factors).

Learn more about how your age can impact your insurance rate.

If you're looking to reinstate a policy or start a new one and are coming off a lapse in car insurance coverage, you might be charged more for insurance.

If you no longer qualify for discounts that are based upon having no tickets or accidents on your driving record, your auto rate will likely increase. Not only could your rate go up due to the incident, but you could also lose associated discounts. For example, if you had a discount for not being involved in an accident for the past three years, you'll no longer qualify for that discount after getting in an accident. Other common discounts you could lose if your situation changes include ones for being a homeowner, going paperless, and bundling home and auto policies.

If you've lost a discount, there may be other ways to lower your policy's rate. Check out other tips on how to get cheap auto insurance.