How DUI’s Affect Your Auto Insurance

No matter how you look at it, driving under the influence is no laughing matter. A DUI is a serious offense and if you are convicted then you better be ready to deal with the consequences. Not only will you be forced to pay fines, court fees, and lose your license, but you also have to deal with a change in your auto insurance rates.

Once convicted of a DUI or DWI, it’s a pretty safe bet that your insurance provider will find out. Once this happens, there are a few different ways that they may handle the news: your rate either goes up considerably or they just cancel your policy all together. If you are lucky enough to keep your policy, you will most likely be labeled as a ‘high risk driver’, which will insure that you pay a high premium for years to come. Typically, an insurance provider will supply you with a SR-22 Proof of Insurance Certificate. Once you present this document to the Department of Motor Vehicles, they will lift your license suspension. The problem is, not all providers offer SR-22 policies and some may simply cancel your policy or deem it “non-renewable”. Depending on the state, your provider may not be legally able to terminate your policy in the middle of your policy term, so it’s important to know your particular state’s regulations.

If you have lost your policy with your current provider due to your conviction, that doesn’t necessarily mean you can no longer obtain auto insurance. Odds are, you will not be able to obtain a policy from larger, better known providers. You will most likely have to settle for smaller providers, and pay a rather large premium, as a DUI conviction can stay on your record for the rest of your life depending on the state.

There is still the chance that your insurance provider will not find out about your DUI conviction, which would mean that your record will not be affected and your rates will not increase. It is possible to fall through the cracks of the system, but the odds of that happening are very unlikely.