Cheap DUI Insurance

If you have been convicted of a DUI (Driving Under the Influence) charge, you may know that finding cheap car insurance after a DUI can be hard. Insurance companies use your driving record as one of the largest factors when deciding how much to charge you. A blemish, such as a DUI, makes you a high-risk driver. It’s not uncommon for your car insurance rates to be double or even triple the amount you were paying before.

Understandably, anyone convicted of DUI may be left struggling to recover from the financial impact this has on your bank balance. In itself, a DUI conviction is expensive. Some sources place the average total cost for a DUI at $10,000. Because you are now looking for high risk driver insurance, you’ll be paying more for your auto coverage for at least 3 years.

At Acceptance, we aren’t here to judge you. Our agents live and work where you do – they understand you still have to drive yourself to work, pick the kids up from school and go grocery shopping. We guarantee your confidentiality.

A DUI conviction isn’t the end of the story – it’s the beginning. Finding cheap insurance for drivers with a DUI is what we do every day.

DUI insurance is no different than regular car insurance – it’s just more expensive. As with all policies, insurance companies use many different factors to arrive at a premium (cost you pay for your coverage). One of the most important factors is your driving record and a DUI conviction is a serious blot on that record. It puts you in a new category of high-risk people to insure. Many insurers will not even write a policy for someone with a DUI on their record.

It is up to you to shop around and find a carrier that will insure you now, and in the future, because one thing is certain: At this juncture, you cannot afford to be found driving without insurance on top of a DUI conviction.

On average, full coverage prices with one DUI conviction are $260 per month, about $120 more than the cost for a clean driving record. Minimum liability averages $95 monthly, almost $50 more than a driver with no DUI.

Along with an average cost of about $10,000 (fines, fees) for the DUI, you’ll be paying more for your insurance now. Depending on factors including if this is your first serious traffic incident, if there was an accident involved at the time you were arrested for DUI and regular considerations such as your age, type of vehicle, etc., your coverage cost could increase by as much as 93 percent.

We can help by searching through many different carriers to find one that meets your unique requirements and budget.

You do not have to tell your insurer you’ve been convicted of DUI, but it will come out one way or another. Most insurance companies run a driving record check before renewing your policy each time. Alternatively, if your state requires an SR-22 certificate, you’ll need to inform your carrier.

If the court does not require you to file an SR-22 (or you live in a state that does not require SR-22), you may have some time before renewal to line up an alternative in case your insurer cancels you or raises your rates too much when they do find out.

How Long Does a DUI Affect Your Auto Insurance?

Insurance companies use what is called a “look-back window” to help determine your policy costs. Some look back 3-5 years and some look back 10. The more distance you put between yourself and your DUI (while keeping a clean record) the better.

Your DUI conviction may be expunged from your record and may not, depending on where you live. Many states will drop it off your record after 3-5 years if it is your first DUI and you successfully follow through with all your court-ordered requirements, plus pay your associated fines and fees. However, some states, such as Texas, never drop a DUI from your record.

Keep in mind that the federal and state governments are passing tougher and tougher DUI laws to combat this problem that kills many innocent lives every year on our nation’s roads. What holds true today may change in the near future.

Your car insurance should kick in whether an accident is caused by DUI or not, but it can depend on where you live. For example, in California, insurance companies may consider the fact that someone got behind the wheel drunk to be an “intentional and illegal act,” and they are not required to cover something that results from that act.

However, if you have the minimum required insurance, your coverage will kick in to help pay for the injuries and damages caused to others if you are at fault for an accident, up to your policy limits. If you have full coverage, repairs for damages to your own vehicle will be covered.

Again, this may be dependent on the state where you live, so it’s always best to make sure you understand your policy and its limitations by talking to your agent.

Just like with any other insurance, shopping around is one great way to find affordable DUI insurance. You can choose to do the research yourself or you can let the agents at Acceptance do the work for you. Our agents listen to your needs and budget, so they can find flexible options just for you.

Other ways to save money on car insurance include:

• Discounts: You probably won’t qualify for a good driver discount anytime soon, but you can still take advantage of other discounts, including previous or current military service, good grades if you are still in high school or college, and much more.
• Bundling: Buying two or more policies with the same carrier can earn you discounts. For example, bundling your car and home insurance can net you up to 25 percent off.
• Drive Safely: You can start right away improving your driving record by keeping it clean and safe. Starting now, always drive safely and don’t let your car insurance lapse for even a single day.

Our agents are friendly and non-judgmental. They can help you get back on the road and begin your journey towards low-cost car insurance rates immediately.