INSURANCE AFTER A DUI
Does a DUI CONVICTION AFFECT YOUR INSURANCE?
Auto insurance companies may check your driving vehicle record once every three years or when you apply for a new policy. Some records of accidents, tickets and DUIs may never make their way to your official vehicle record and are not picked up under a normal record check. If your insurer does discover your DUI you could earn the classification of a "high-risk driver." If that happens, shopping around at renewal time is the best strategy, as rates will vary greatly among auto insurers.
A rate hike may be the least of your problems after a DUI conviction. Your policy could be cancelled or non-renewed. If your policy is cancelled, you'll be forced to look for new car insurance with a DUI and a a cancellation on your record!
Laws regarding insurance requirements following a DUI are different for each state. Most states will require that you file proof of insurance in the form of a SR-22. This form must be provided by your insurance company so there is no way to keep your conviction a secret. This form proves to the BMV/DMV that you carry liability insurance and removes your license suspension. An SR-22 also requires your insurance company to notify your state’s department of motor vehicles (BMV/DMV) if it cancels your auto insurance for any reason. In most cases, you will have to maintain this proof of insurance for three years, and in some states it will be for five years.
Not all car insurance companies offer SR-22 policies. If the company that you are using at the time of the conviction does not, you will have to go to a new company.
SR-22 insuranceDelaware, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania don't require SR-22s, but if you have an SR-22 and then move to one of these states, you must continue to meet the requirements of the SR-22 state where the offense was committed. New York and North Carolina don't require SR-22 filings at all. In some states there is a fee for SR-22s Source: Progressive |
If you are insured by State Farm Mutual Insurance Co. and receive a DUI, State Farm will likely move you into State Farm Fire & Casualty, which is its standard-policy company for riskier drivers and higher rates
If you're with Progressive, you will not face nonrenewal or cancellation because of a DUI, but you may face a rate increase. Progressive also reviews rates on a case-by-case basis, with multiple factors such as age, gender, driving history and your vehicle model going into your rate
It doesn't end there. Your DUI conviction will follow you if you apply for life insurance and could affect your premiums there, too.
SR-22" form) with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles or BMV. For more information directly from the bureau, Click HERE
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