Getting a DUI: Insurance Increase Rates

If you receive a DUI, insurance rates can go up and up. Being convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) puts you in a high risk category with insurers, which means that for several years you could end up paying a lot more your vehicle insurance.

State Laws

In the majority of states, after a DUI conviction, a person has to obtain a special form from their insurance company. Called an SR-22, it's proof that you have liability DUI insurance, and only after you show that can you have your license returned. You'll pay increased rates for car insurance.

If you have an SR-22, your insurance company is also obliged to inform the state Department of Motor Vehicles if they cancel your insurance; the reason doesn't matter. You might need to file an SR-22 with the Department of Motor Vehicles in your state for up to five years. There are plenty of companies that won't insure anyone with an SR-22. That can leave you without car insurance for an accident until you can find another company that will insure you.

Missing a Conviction

Not all states require an SR-22 form. In the states that don't, it's possible that your insurance company won't learn of your conviction. As many as 20 percent of DUI convictions don't end up in the motor vehicle records that insurance companies consult. That doesn't mean you get off scot-free, though. If the conviction comes to light later, or if you lie about it when renewing your policy, you could end up paying a lot more further down the road, or facing non-renewal of your insurance.

High Risk

A DUI conviction automatically vaults you into the DUI insurance, high risk driver category. Others in that category include very young drivers and those who've had a few accidents. What it means is that you're going to be paying much higher insurance rates for at least the next three years. If you try to obtain insurance elsewhere, you'll have to reveal your conviction, so there's simply no way out of the high risk category for a few years.