Tickets and at-fault accidents usually affect your rates for a period of time, but they do not stay on your insurance history forever. Once older incidents age off, you may look like a lower-risk driver to many insurers. Your current company may adjust at renewal, but the change is not always as large as you might expect.

In many states, insurers may also consider a credit-based insurance score. If you have paid down debt, cleared up errors on your credit report, or built a longer history of on-time payments, your profile could look different than it did when you first bought the policy.

These improvements are a good reason to get fresh quotes. Ask each company to quote the same liability limits, deductibles and optional coverages you have now so you can compare fairly. If you are unsure what changed, you can request a copy of your driving record from your state's motor vehicle agency. A cleaner record is something you worked for, and it is worth making sure your price reflects it.