Car insurance after a DUI

A DUI conviction is among the most expensive entries a driving record can carry. Expect a large surcharge for several years, the loss of good-driver discounts, a possible nonrenewal from your current insurer, and often a state-required SR-22 or, in Florida and Virginia, an FR-44 filing proving you carry insurance. In North Carolina's regulated plan, for example, a DWI conviction carries a 340% rate increase.

What happens to your current policy

Your insurer usually learns of a DUI conviction when it checks your motor vehicle record at renewal, or sooner if you need it to file an SR-22 for you to get your license back. What happens next depends on the insurer and the state:

• A surcharge at renewal. The conviction is rated as a major violation, typically the most severe category in an insurer's rating plan.
• Nonrenewal. Some insurers decline to renew drivers with a DUI. State laws generally limit when an insurer can cancel mid-term and require advance written notice of a nonrenewal, so you usually have time to find new coverage.
• A move to a different company or tier. Insurers that keep you may move you to a higher-priced affiliate or tier, and others may only quote through a nonstandard auto insurance company.

If the DUI involved a crash, the claim itself adds to the cost, separately from the conviction.

How much rates can rise

Most insurers set their own DUI surcharges, so the increase varies widely by company. North Carolina publishes its schedule. Under the state's Safe Driver Incentive Plan, according to the North Carolina Department of Insurance, driving while impaired or driving with a blood alcohol level of .08 or more carries 12 insurance points and a 340% rate increase. Driving by a person under 21 after consuming alcohol or drugs carries 4 points and a 90% increase.

In California, a DUI also ends eligibility for the good driver discount, which state law requires to be at least 20% below other rates. Under Insurance Code 1861.025, a driver with a DUI conviction in the past 10 years does not qualify.

SR-22 and FR-44 filings

Many states require proof of future financial responsibility before reinstating a license after a DUI. Your insurer files the certificate with the state and must notify the state if the policy ends.

• SR-22, used in most states, certifies that you carry at least the state's minimum liability limits. See SR-22 insurance explained.
• FR-44, used only in Florida and Virginia for DUI-related convictions, certifies higher limits. Florida requires 100/300/50 for at least three years under Fla. Stat. 324.023. Virginia requires limits double its standard minimums, according to the Virginia DMV. See FR-44 insurance in Florida and Virginia.

Not every insurer will file these forms, which is one reason drivers after a DUI often end up with a different company.

How long a DUI follows you

A DUI counts against you longer than a typical ticket, and the clocks differ:

Many insurers surcharge a DUI for three to five years and may consider it for eligibility longer. See how long accidents and tickets affect your rates for how these periods interact.

Steps to stay insured after a DUI

1. Do not let coverage lapse. A gap stacked on a DUI makes you harder to insure and, if a filing is required, can lead to a new suspension. Keep paying your current policy while you shop.
2. Read your court and DMV paperwork for the filing type (SR-22 or FR-44), the required limits, the start date and how long it must be kept.
3. Tell insurers about the conviction up front when you request quotes. They will find it on your record, and an inaccurate application can void coverage.
4. Get quotes from several sources, including an independent agent who works with nonstandard carriers. See high-risk car insurance: options when insurers say no for the full range of options.
5. Ask the insurer to file the certificate and confirm with the DMV that it was received before you drive.
6. Comply with any ignition interlock device order. Interlock requirements are set by the court or DMV; driving without a required device can lead to further suspension.
7. Keep the policy in force for the whole filing period. If it cancels, the insurer notifies the state, and your license can be suspended again.

If you do not own a car

If your license requires an SR-22 but you do not own a vehicle, a non-owner car insurance policy can provide the liability coverage and the filing. The Texas Department of Public Safety, for example, tells drivers without a vehicle to ask insurers about a non-owner SR-22 policy. A non-owner policy does not cover a car you own or one you drive regularly.

Bringing the cost down over time

• Keep the rest of your record clean. A second violation or crash during the surcharge period compounds the cost.
• Choose coverage carefully. You must meet the filing limits, but you can reconsider collision on an older car or raise deductibles.
• Pay in full if you can, to avoid installment fees, which are common with nonstandard insurers.
• Complete any required alcohol education promptly, since license reinstatement depends on it.
• Shop again as the DUI ages. Prices often drop at the three- and five-year marks, but only if you ask for new quotes. Standard insurers may take you back once the conviction falls outside their look-back period.

Key takeaways

• A DUI is a major violation that brings a multi-year surcharge, lost discounts and often a nonrenewal.
• Many states require an SR-22 after a DUI; Florida and Virginia require an FR-44 with higher liability limits.
• DUIs count longer than tickets: California, for example, keeps them on the disclosed record and in good-driver rules for 10 years.
• Keep coverage continuous for the whole filing period, or the state can suspend your license again.
• Shop as the conviction ages; prices can fall substantially once it passes insurers' look-back periods.