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Q: Should you disclose Traffic School to the Auto Insurance Company?

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You're not under any obligation to inform your current insurance company of traffic tickets. In general, if you are not getting new coverage, you do not have to call your insurance company and inform them. In California, your current insurance company can not base your premiums based on either incident. Keep in mind, insurance companies will look up your record every six months or if you are renewing.

Your First Traffic Ticket:

If the first citation was dismissed, then you were not convicted, and can honestly answer that way. It is not the "point" which is dismissed, it is the charge itself, even before the point.

I would never inform my car insurance company, because after my first level class is completed, those tickets will not be on my your public record which is the only record your insurance sees, which is why you took TS in the first place.

Divulge your attendance in traffic school if:

• Your getting new auto insurance coverage; and
• You had more than one ticket in the last 18 months.

Applying For A New Car Insurance Policy:

If you are applying for new coverage, the new carrier will find out pretty fast when they check your record. Then they will issue a "rate up" or charge you more than the initial quote. It happens a lot.

When you switch car insurance companies, the new company can set your rates with reference to the non-confidential dismissal. Depending on your State's Insurance Regulations, insurance companies may only consider a SECOND non-confidential dismissal in setting rates.

If you are getting new insurance coverage, and only went to traffic school once in 18 months, that 1st offence will usually send you to a level 1 traffic school course, which is not disclosed to your insurance carrier. The discharge of points is confidential the first offense.

However, a new insurance company can base their rates on the second offense. What they are able to see is that you attended Traffic Violator School (TVS), not what you were charged with.

Auto Insurance Company Questions:

They ask you to disclose because they can rate based on that information. The question usually is "Have you had any traffic convictions in the past 3 years?" If it was dismissed, then no, that doesn't count as a conviction. Will the carrier asks you about "violations" or "convictions?"

Again, they are basing rates on the fact that you attended TVS. The actual violation isn't visible, so they can't rate based on that. But no matter what questions they ask you, Insurers can and will check your driving record.

Your Second Traffic Ticket:

If a violation occurs within 18 months of a previous violation that was dismissed under Vehicle Code section 41501(a), a judge may order a continuance and dismissal in consideration for completion of a program at a licensed school for traffic violators as specified in Vehicle Code section 41501(a). Under Vehicle Code section 1808.7, a dismissal for completion of the 12-hour program under this subdivision is not confidential.

The 2nd offense within 18 months is not confidential. The insurance company can safely assume you had TWO violations within 18 months.

After a 2nd offence, you can expect the car insurance rate to go up. Insurance companies will look up your record if you are renewing or applying for new coverage. There is debate if level 2 traffic school is even worth going to since your auto insurance rates will still go up anyway.

Check out our user updated list of California Traffic Schools.

Written by Craig J. Casey

Financial Writer helping people with their insurance problems on the net since 1998.

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