Speeding + Following Too Closely in Texas: How Surcharges Stack

Texas Transportation Code allows peace officers to cite multiple violations observed during a single interaction. When you're pulled over for speeding and the officer notes you were also following the vehicle ahead too closely, both observations become separate citable offenses. Each citation results in a separate conviction if you pay the fine or are found responsible in court. Texas does not use a traditional point system. The Department of Public Safety tracks convictions directly. Two convictions from one stop count as two convictions on your record — the state makes no distinction between violations written simultaneously and violations separated by months. Your driving record reflects the conviction date for each ticket, typically within 30-45 days of payment or court disposition. Carriers apply surcharges per conviction, not per traffic stop. A driver who receives speeding and following-too-closely citations on the same date will see two separate surcharges applied at the next renewal. The timing overlap does not trigger a combined or reduced surcharge in standard carrier underwriting models.

Most carriers operating in Texas apply surcharges as percentage multipliers to your base premium. A single speeding ticket of 10-14 mph over typically triggers a 20-25% increase. Following too closely — classified as a moving violation — adds another 15-20% increase. When both convictions appear on your record simultaneously, carriers apply both multipliers to your base rate. The math is multiplicative, not additive. If your base premium is $120/mo, a 22% speeding surcharge brings you to $146/mo. The 18% following-too-closely surcharge then applies to that already-increased rate, adding another $26 and landing you near $172/mo. The combined impact is a 43% increase, not the 40% you'd expect from simple addition. Surcharge duration varies by carrier but typically runs 3 years from the conviction date. Because both convictions share the same date when written during one stop, both surcharges will expire simultaneously at the 3-year mark — assuming no additional violations during that window. Progressive, State Farm, and GEICO all use 3-year lookback periods for moving violations in Texas. USAA reviews violations at each renewal and may reduce surcharges after 2 years for members with no subsequent incidents.

Preferred carriers — those offering the lowest base rates to clean-record drivers — set violation thresholds that determine whether they'll quote your renewal or non-renew your policy. Two moving violations within 12 months often cross that threshold, even when both violations occurred during a single traffic stop. State Farm and Allstate typically non-renew Texas policies after 2 moving violations in 12 months. Progressive and GEICO may retain the policy but move it to a higher-risk tier with a steeper base rate in addition to the per-conviction surcharges. Non-standard carriers like The General, Acceptance, and Dairyland specialize in multi-conviction drivers and will quote policies preferred carriers decline, but base rates start 40-70% higher than preferred-tier pricing before any surcharges apply. The effective rate difference between staying with a preferred carrier at surcharged rates and moving to a non-standard carrier depends on your base profile. A 28-year-old driver with no prior violations who receives two tickets in one stop might see a renewal quote of $172/mo with their current preferred carrier. That same driver quoted by a non-standard carrier might receive an initial quote of $210/mo with no surcharges applied yet, because the base rate already prices in high-risk underwriting assumptions.

Texas allows one defensive driving course dismissal per 12-month period under Transportation Code 45.0511. You must request permission from the court before your appearance date or plea deadline. If granted, completing the course dismisses one citation. The dismissed ticket does not appear as a conviction on your DPS driving record and generates no insurance surcharge. When you receive two citations during one stop, you choose which ticket to dismiss. Most drivers dismiss the ticket with the higher fine or the one classified as the more serious violation. Speeding tickets 15+ mph over the limit carry higher fines and often trigger steeper insurance surcharges than following-too-closely citations, making speeding the typical dismissal candidate. The second ticket proceeds to conviction unless you contest it in court and win. Once the dismissed ticket is processed — typically within 10 business days of course completion — your DPS record will show only one conviction from the stop. Your insurer will apply only one surcharge at renewal. Defensive driving must be requested and completed before the ticket is processed as a conviction. Paying the fine converts the citation to a conviction immediately, making dismissal unavailable. If you've already paid one or both fines, the convictions are final and no course will remove them from your record or prevent surcharges.

Carriers review your DPS-certified driving record at each renewal. Most Texas insurers pull a 3-year history, though some review up to 5 years for serious violations. Moving violations remain on your Texas DPS record for 3 years from the conviction date. After 3 years, the convictions are purged from the public driving record and no longer appear when carriers order your MVR. Surcharges typically drop off when the violation leaves your record. If both tickets were convicted on the same date, both surcharges will expire 3 years later at your renewal following that anniversary. A driver convicted on March 15, 2024 will see both surcharges persist through renewals in 2024, 2025, and 2026. The renewal on or after March 15, 2027 should quote without those surcharges, assuming no new violations during the 3-year window. Some carriers apply tiered surcharge reduction schedules. USAA and American Family may reduce the surcharge percentage after 24 months if no additional violations occur. State Farm maintains full surcharges for the entire 3-year period. If you add another moving violation during the surcharge window, the new violation resets your risk profile and may trigger non-renewal or a move to a higher underwriting tier even if the original violations are approaching expiration.

Carriers weigh violations differently. A driver surcharged 45% by one carrier might receive a 30% surcharge from another, depending on underwriting models and current book composition. Texas requires insurers to file their rating factors with the Department of Insurance, but those filings do not publish exactly how each carrier weights specific violation combinations. Request quotes from at least 3 carriers in different market segments: one preferred carrier, one standard carrier, and one non-standard carrier. Progressive and GEICO quote across multiple tiers and may offer standard-market pricing even with two convictions. The General and Acceptance specialize in high-risk drivers and often beat preferred-carrier surcharged rates for multi-conviction profiles. Independent agents contracted with non-standard carriers can access markets like Dairyland and Foremost that don't quote directly to consumers. Quotes are free and do not affect your rate. Switching carriers does not reset your surcharge clock — the new carrier will see the same convictions on your DPS record and apply their own surcharge schedule. But base rate differences between carriers can offset surcharge differences. A carrier with a higher surcharge percentage but a lower base rate may still deliver a lower total premium than your current carrier's surcharged renewal.

Texas requires continuous liability coverage. If your policy lapses for any reason — non-payment, non-renewal, or voluntary cancellation without replacement coverage — the state's TexasSure system flags the lapse. You'll receive a notice requiring proof of coverage or face registration suspension and a $260 reinstatement fee. A coverage lapse adds a separate surcharge layer when you reapply for insurance. Carriers classify lapsed coverage as a higher risk signal than moving violations. A driver with two convictions and a 30-day lapse might see combined surcharges of 60-80% with preferred carriers, if those carriers quote at all. Non-standard carriers expect lapses in high-risk driver profiles and price them into base rates, but even non-standard markets add 10-20% for recent lapses. If your current carrier non-renews your policy, you have until the policy expiration date to secure replacement coverage without triggering a lapse. Most carriers mail non-renewal notices 30-60 days before expiration, giving you time to shop. Missing that window and letting the expiration date pass uninsured starts the lapse clock immediately. Under current state rules, even a 1-day lapse appears on your record and generates both a state penalty and an insurance surcharge that persists for 3 years.