Getting A Car Insurance After A DUI

Car insurance after a DUI charge can be stressful. It is costly and takes some time to get over it. You may find it difficult to get insured. A DUI is the driving of an automobile while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and this has a consequence on your car insurance.

Can You Still Get A Car Insurance After A DUI?

The good news is that, yes, you can. There are still options for car insurance coverage with a DUI charge, even if your current provider has terminated your policy.

Your insurer determines what happens to your auto insurance coverage after you’ve been charged with a DUI. Usually, you may be slammed with a premium increase, which is significant, and your insurer may even drop you.

In the event of an accident occurring, you may not be covered. If you do not inform your insurance company of your charge, your insurance will likely be terminated, and you will have difficulty getting another.

Even if you didn’t cause an accident while driving under the influence, you’ll see a rate increase when you renew your policy or buy a new one once the DUI shows up on your motor vehicle record.

How Much Does Your Car Insurance Go Up After A DUI?

Your premium will rise above the standard rate following a DUI charge. The new cost will depend on the insurance company providing you with coverage, the gravity of the charge, your driving violation history, insurance coverage lag, and other factors.

Insurance companies consider a driver with a bad driving history more likely to be involved in an accident, and therefore, they raise the premium accordingly.

If you are involved in an accident, your insurers may be held responsible for covering the cost. This costs insurers more on average.

The rise in your insurance cost after a DUI may be as much as two to seven times more than the rates for a driver without a DUI record. Forbes Advisor estimates the national average auto insurance rate increase to be about 74%.

How Long Does A DUI Affect Your Vehicle Insurance Rate?

Depending on the insurer and your state laws, it may take 3 – 6 years to remove your DUI charge from your history.

Before your renewal time and when you apply for an insurance policy, insurers review your driving history. Once a DUI is spotted in your record, it raises a red flag for the insurer. The company, in turn, increases your premium and keeps it high for upwards of three to six years depending on certain factors like:

The extent to which a DUI remains on your driving record.
The time frame your state insurance laws allow a DUI to raise rates.
Your age. Car insurance companies consider younger drivers to be riskier to insure.
Number of DUIs within a specific time frame.
The insurance company. Different companies use different calculations to set rates.

Average Auto Insurance Rate Increase by State After A DUI

The average insurance premium differs for different states after a DUI, with each state having different insurance laws.

Other factors, such as population density, the likelihood of causing an accident, and the average cost of an auto insurance claim, may also affect the average rate per state.

The table below shows the average full coverage premium raise after a single DUI conviction in each state.

State	The average car insurance rate increases after a DUI (%)
Alabama	70
Alaska	33
Arizona	62
Arkansas	50
California	131
Colorado	70
Connecticut	83
Delaware	69
Florida	33
Georgia	93
Hawaii	219
Idaho	65
Illinois	83
Indiana	93
Iowa	100
Kansas	63
Kentucky	76
Louisiana	38
Maine	97
Maryland	70
Massachusetts	94
Michigan	191
Minnesota	75
Mississippi	62
Missouri	33
Montana	55
Nebraska	88
Nevada	49
New Hampshire	126
New Jersey	82
New Mexico	53
New York	80
North Carolina	266
North Dakota	79
Ohio	100
Oklahoma	60
Oregon	68
Pennsylvania	83
Rhode Island	65
South Carolina	38
South Dakota	84
Tennessee	105
Texas	52
Utah	73
Vermont	143
Virginia	86
Washington	55
West Virginia	80
Wisconsin	82
Wyoming	67

Source: Quadrant Information Services

How Can I Get A Cheap Car Insurance Rate After A DUI?

If you want to lower your rates after a DUI, the following strategies will be helpful.

Compare Quotes from multiple insurance companies with your present insurer to get the best premium rate.
Request for discounts. You can request discounts by making full payments, insuring several cars, or bundling auto and homeowners policies.
Prove that you are a safe driver. You will have to avoid any further driving violations.
Purchasing a non-owner policy. You can get an auto insurance policy that gives you coverage when driving rental cars or borrowed vehicles at much-reduced rates than you’d pay for standard vehicle coverage.
Improve your credit scores. Most insurance firms in most states, except in California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Washington, Michigan, Oregon, and Utah, use a credit-based insurance score to determine your car premiums. Therefore, a poor credit score can lead to you paying more for your car insurance.
Change your insurance providers. Other companies in your state may offer you a more affordable rate than your present insurer.
Install safety devices. Installing anti-theft devices, automated seat belts, antilock brakes, and alarms can get you discounted rates.

Required Insurance Documents After A DUI

If you have a DUI, in most states, you may be required to show evidence of an SR-22 filing – a form filed by your insurer that indicates you consistently meet minimum coverage requirements. However, in Florida or Virginia, you may instead be required to have an FR-44 certification.

Auto insurance companies usually provide these documents. However, you should know that not all companies offer SR-22 or FR-44 filings. Therefore, you must search for an insurer that provides this service to high-risk drivers.

Which Is The Cheapest Car Insurance Company After A DUI?

To help you find the auto insurance company with the cheapest rates, a team from Rateforce researched the best companies for DUI insurance.

Below is a list of 12 car insurance companies that offer the cheapest rates for DUI drivers, as published by rateforce.com.

Company	Average Full Coverage Insurance Rate With DUI	Average Minimum Coverage Insurance Rate With DUI
21st Century	$4,712	$2,072
Liberty Mutual	$4,112	$1,823
Allstate	$3,323	$1,453
Auto-Owners	$2,821	$1,132
Farmers	$2,857	$1,419
Geico	$2,751	$1,072
State Farm	$2,561	$1,132
Travellers	$2,365	$1,271
Progressive	$2,271	$987
Safeco	$2,072	$754
USAA*	$1,931	$787
American Family	$1,381	$657

Conclusion

Once you are charged for a DUI, your current auto insurance rate will be raised by your insurer. In some instances, your policy may be cancelled.

However, you can still find companies with affordable premiums. Some insurers offer discounts based on specific considerations, such as installing safety devices in your car, taking safe driving courses, and avoiding further infractions for a period.