A new North Dakota law requires the state to report all traffic citations to auto insurance companies.
That law took effect August 1.
The law used to be that offenses below two points on your driver’s licenses would not be reported.
"What this is attempting to solve is to give those companies a full picture of what your driving record is, so they can write that risk and rate that risk accurately," said State Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread.
Godfread said for the companies, it’s been an incomplete picture, meaning there are a number of unknowns – and that usually means insurance rates are a little higher, for all drivers, to make up for those unknowns.
"So we're hoping that, by getting a true picture, a true look, at what your driving record is, that should help the good drivers keep those rates down, or keep downward pressure on those rates, and hopefully incentivize the drivers, who are not as good, to consider following the law and following the rules of the road."
Godfread said the insurance industry asked for the law change. He said North Dakota was the only state not to provide the complete information on driver’s records.