subject: How Your Dui Can Affect Your Auto Insurance Policy And Premiums [print this page] The negative impacts with a DUI/DWI dont stop with the license suspension, find and court costs. This, of course, is provided nobody was injured or killed during the act. When you have been convicted of a DUI/DWI, you should also be ready for the other financial expense that comes with it: your insurance rate.
You will end up paying a much higher vehicle insurance premium and be labeled a high-risk driver upon the time the company finds out about the offense. Its also possible that your vehicle insurance company will drop you from their service, which means you now have to shop for a new insurance policy with the insurance cancellation and DUI on your record.
The SR-22 Form: What This Means For Your Insurance
The majority of states will require people who have been found guilty of a DUI to get an SR-22 form from their car insurance company. This form is to prove to your states department of mother vehicles that you will have liability insurance before the agency will release the suspension.
No doubt the SR-22 form is a telltale sign about the DUI conviction. Its also ensures that the insurance company will get in touch with the DMV should it decide to cancel your auto policy. Each state is different in how long an SR-22 must remain enforced but it could go up to five years if you desire to keep your license.
You have to bear in mind that not every company will offer you the SR-22 vehicle insurance policy. Some of them will do one of two things:
Cancel your policy
Wont renew your policy after youve been convicted of a DUI
The six states that dont make an SR-22 form a requirement are:
- New Mexico
- Oklahoma
- Minnesota
- Kentucky
- Delaware
- Pennsylvania
What Are Your Insurance Rates Like After Your DUI
Its important to remember that every DUI offense is not the same and wont be treated as such. Thus, the majority of insurance companies will look at the offense case by case.
For instance: you might see a slightly higher increase if your driving record was impeccable and the DUI conviction was the first offense. Two or more DUIs on your record will lead to higher insurance premiums and some insurance companies wont offer vehicle coverage to repeat DUI offenders. If your company doesnt know about the DUI right away, they still have several years to raise those rates. Its even possible that any life insurance premiums you have will increase too.
Regardless of how soon your vehicle insurance company learns of your DUI (if they ever discover it), it will all depend on your states procedures and laws and how the case was handled. According to the Insurance Research Council, about 20 percent of traffic violation convictions such as DUIs dont even get into the motor vehicle records.
There are several reasons why this can occur:
- Poor communication between the DMV and court system
- Erased conviction because of the attendance of a defensive driving school
- Reduced charge because of a guilty plea
It can also go undetected by your auto insurance company if the offense took place in a state that does not require the SR-22 form.
by: Gen Wright
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