Expensive cars - The Daily Car Blog
How Expensive is Car Insurance After a DUI?
Features

A DUI, DWI, OWI, or whatever your state calls driving under the influence can have longstanding consequences. In addition to the fines, possible jail time, and license suspension, your car insurance also takes a heavy blow. Your premiums can increase sharply, or your insurance provider may choose to drop you as a policyholder depending on the severity or number of your offenses. The increase is no small feat either. Drivers after a DUI can see at least an $1,000 increase in their car insurance rates.

How Can a DUI Affect Car Insurance?

The short answer, as you’ve probably gathered, is badly. You can be a driver with a clean record and hold a safe driver discount, but it can all come crashing down after one DUI conviction. States may differ in the severity of their penalties, but they are consistent in terms of consequences. A multi-offender would be more likely to have jail time, for example. How car insurance providers respond to a DUI is consistent as well. They see driving under the influence as the ultimate in risky driver behavior. With impaired reaction time, decision making, and sight while driving under the influence -an accident is just waiting to happen. It’s certain that they will increase your rates significantly after such a violation. If this isn’t your first DUI, they may cancel your policy altogether.

CAr Insurance - Hick Female Drive -dailycarblog

But how much exactly does a DUI cause car insurance premiums to increase? That depends on the state you carry auto insurance in and where the violation took place. For example, a Florida driver after a DUI would pay about 33% more in car insurance premiums. In contrast, a driver in North Carolina after a DUI would pay about 314% more in car insurance premiums.

Here are some more examples of how much car insurance rates will increase after a DUI in a certain state:

      • Alabama – 61% increase in rates
      • Alaska – 35% increase in rates
      • Arizona – 56% increase in rates
      • Arkansas – 53% increase in rates
      • California – 154% increase in rates
      • Colorado – 45% increase in rates
      • Connecticut – 94% increase in rates
      • Delaware – 64% increase in rates
      • Florida – 33% increase in rates
      • Georgia – 72% increase in rates
      • Hawaii – 134% increase in rates
      • Idaho – 50% increase in rates
      • Illinois – 66% increase in rates
      • Indiana – 66% increase in rates
      • Iowa – 68% increase in rates
      • Kansas – 63% increase in rates
      • Kentucky – 77% increase in rates
      • Louisiana – 68% increase in rates
      • Maine – 130% increase in rates
      • Maryland – 56% increase in rates
      • Massachusetts – 91% increase in rates
      • Michigan – 193% increase in rates
      • Minnesota – 95% increase in rates
      • Mississippi – 52% increase in rates
      • Missouri – 42% increase in rates
      • Montana – 55% increase in rates
      • Nebraska – 73% increase in rates
      • Nevada – 67% increase in rates
      • New Hampshire – 120% increase in rates
      • New Jersey – 101% increase in rates
      • New Mexico – 36% increase in rates
      • New York – 68% increase in rates
      • North Carolina – 319% increase in rates
      • North Dakota – 82% increase in rates
      • Ohio – 95% increase in rates
      • Oklahoma – 41% increase in rates
      • Oregon – 46% increase in rates
      • Pennsylvania – 63% increase in rates
      • Rhode Island – 113% increase in rates
      • South Carolina – 50% increase in rates
      • South Dakota – 71% increase in rates
      • Tennessee – 67% increase in rates
      • Texas – 101% increase in rates
      • Utah – 45% increase in rates
      • Vermont – 115% increase in rates
      • Virginia – 49% increase in rates
      • Washington – 44% increase in rates
      • West Virginia – 71% increase in rates
      • Wisconsin – 93% increase in rates
      • Wyoming – 56% increase in rates

How Long Does a DUI Affect Car Insurance?

A DUI can stay on your driving record permanently depending on the state, but they don’t affect your car insurance premiums forever. On average, a DUI can cause the previously mentioned rate hikes anywhere from three to five years. During this time, as a high-risk driver with a suspended license due to a DUI, you may be required to file SR22 insurance with your insurance provider and the state Department of Motor Vehicles. This also comes with their set period and be maintained. More on SRR2s will be explored in a later section. In short, you can expect to be paying higher-than-average insurance premiums for about five years after a DUI conviction.

Can You Lower Car Insurance Rates While a DUI Affects Them?

While a good driver discount is out of the question, for the time being, you can still qualify for some policy discounts while a DUI conviction affects your insurance. You can explore the available discounts you can qualify for, like bundling insurance policies or paying in full. You can also inquire with your insurance agent about what you still qualify for.

Car Insurance differences explained, dude, dailycarblog  

If you were dropped or canceled your policy, you should search for a new auto insurance provider. There are some insurers out there that specialize in high-risk car insurance. Most of the time, it’s the local insurance companies that offer the best policies and not the national ones. Of course, you always want to stay out of trouble when driving after a DUI. Just because you don’t qualify for a safe driver discount doesn’t mean that it’s gone forever.

What is SR22 Insurance?

An auto insurance SR-22 is typically required by your state DMV when your driver’s license is suspended after a traffic violation -the most common one being a DUI. Some states like Virginia and Florida use FR44s, but they function the same way as SR22s. It provides proof that you carry at least your state’s minimum required auto insurance. An SR22 isn’t an insurance policy itself; it’s just the certification that is filed with your insurance provider and then passed to your state’s DMV.

Car Insurance differences explained, dudette dailycarblog

There’s usually a filing fee of around $20 that accompanies this. If your current insurance provider doesn’t offer SR22 filing after a DUI, then you’ll have to find one that does. SR22s are renewed on an annual basis and are usually required for around three years. Once it expires, it will be your responsibility to inform your insurance provider to drop it.

Expensive cars - The Daily Car Blog
Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap