Car insurance after a DUI: what changes and how to get covered again

What happens to your car insurance after a DUI

A DUI (called DWI or OWI in some states) does not cancel your auto insurance automatically. What changes is how insurers see you. Most companies check your motor vehicle record when you apply and again before renewal, and a DUI conviction is one of the most serious entries that record can show. When the conviction appears, several things can happen:

• A surcharge at renewal. Your insurer may keep you but raise the price, often for several years.
• Lost discounts. Good-driver, safe-driver and claim-free discounts usually depend on a clean record. In California the law makes Good Driver rates at least 20% lower than other rates at the same company, and a DUI conviction in the past 10 years disqualifies you, so losing that status alone can raise the bill.
• Non-renewal. Some insurers do not renew drivers with a DUI. States limit when a company can cancel a policy in the middle of its term; in California, once a policy is issued it can be cancelled or non-renewed only for fraud or material misrepresentation, non-payment, or a substantial increase in the hazard insured against.
• A move to a high-risk company. Many drivers end up with an insurer that specializes in high-risk auto insurance, sometimes called non-standard insurance.

Being honest on applications matters. If you leave a DUI off an application and the insurer finds it, the policy can be cancelled for misrepresentation, and a claim could be disputed.

Why a DUI raises car insurance prices

Insurers set prices from the claims they expect a driver to file. Impaired driving is strongly linked to severe crashes, so a conviction moves you into a much higher risk group. We do not quote a "typical" percentage increase: no official source publishes one, and the change depends on the insurer, your state, your age, the rest of your record and the coverage you buy. What is consistent is the direction. A DUI usually costs more than a speeding ticket or a minor at-fault accident, and the effect fades only as the conviction ages.

Use the premium factors tool to see how your driving record interacts with other rating factors, and read how your driving record affects your rate for the bigger picture.

SR-22 and FR-44 filings after a DUI

Many states require drivers convicted of DUI to prove they carry liability insurance for a set number of years. The proof is a certificate your insurer sends to the state, not a separate type of policy.

• SR-22. The most common filing. Texas lists Driving While Intoxicated among the convictions that require one, and California requires a California Insurance Proof Certificate (SR 22 or SR 1P) after a DUI conviction. See our full SR-22 guide.
• FR-44. Used only in Florida and Virginia. It certifies liability limits well above the normal minimum. See FR-44 insurance.

If the policy carrying your filing lapses, the insurer tells the state and your license can be suspended again. Texas, for example, re-suspends the license and charges a $100 reinstatement fee.

How long a DUI affects your car insurance

Three different clocks run after a DUI, and they rarely end on the same day.

1. The filing period. This is the time the state requires an SR-22 or FR-44, such as 2 years in Texas or 3 years in Arizona after the suspension ends.
2. Your driving record. States decide how long a DUI stays visible. California keeps DUI convictions on the record for 10 years.
3. Your insurer's look-back period. Each company's rating plan says how many years of history it surcharges. This varies by company and state and is filed with the state insurance department.

In practice the price is usually highest in the first years after the conviction and comes down as the offense ages, as long as you keep a clean record and avoid gaps in coverage. A new violation or a lapse can restart part of the clock.

Impaired driving by the numbers

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tracks deaths in crashes where a driver had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 text g/dL or higher:

• In 2023, 12,429 people died in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes, about 30% of all traffic deaths, or one death every 42 minutes.
• That was down 7.6% from 13,458 deaths in 2022.
• In 2024, NHTSA counted 11,904 deaths, about 32 people a day or one every 44 minutes.
• Alcohol-involved crashes cost the country $68.9 billion a year, based on 2019 figures.

NHTSA also notes that many states require offenders to install an ignition interlock device at their own expense. These numbers explain why insurers treat a DUI so seriously: the claims that follow impaired-driving crashes are often large injury claims.

How to get car insurance again after a DUI

1. Read your court and DMV paperwork. Note whether you need an SR-22 or FR-44, the required limits, the start date and how long the filing must last.
2. Call your current insurer first. Ask whether it will keep you, whether it files SR-22 or FR-44 forms in your state, and what the renewal price will be.
3. Compare several companies. Prices for high-risk drivers vary widely, so get car insurance quotes from insurers that write non-standard policies as well as standard ones, either directly or through a licensed independent agent.
4. Ask the insurer to file the certificate. The company sends the SR-22 or FR-44 to the state; you cannot file it yourself. Some insurers charge a small filing fee.
5. Choose limits that meet the order. An FR-44 needs much higher liability limits than the normal minimum. Consider whether you also need collision and comprehensive, especially if you have a car loan.
6. Avoid any gap. Pay on time and set up automatic payments if you can. If you switch insurers, have the new filing in place before the old policy ends.
7. Track the end date. When the requirement ends, confirm with the DMV and then tell your insurer it can stop the filing.

If no regular company will cover you, many states run an assigned risk plan of last resort. California's, the California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan (CAARP), assigns drivers with poor records to an insurer so they can at least buy liability coverage. Your state insurance department can tell you how its plan works.

If you do not own a car

A DUI filing follows the driver, not the vehicle. If you sold your car or never had one but need your license back, a non-owner policy can carry the SR-22. Texas and Arizona both tell drivers without a vehicle to ask insurers for a non-owner SR-22 policy. Read non-owner car insurance to see what these policies cover and what they leave out.

Ways to lower the cost over time

You cannot erase a DUI, but you can keep the rest of your profile working for you:

• Keep coverage continuous. A lapse looks worse to insurers than almost anything except a new violation.
• Shop again at each renewal. As the conviction ages, different companies may treat it differently. See shopping at renewal.
• Take an approved course. Some insurers and states give credit for a defensive driving course, although some exclude drivers with a recent DUI.
• Review deductibles and optional coverage. A higher deductible lowers the premium but raises what you pay after a claim; our deductible chooser shows the trade-off.
• Ask about every discount. Bundling, paying in full and vehicle safety features can still apply. See car insurance discounts.

For questions about your rights after a non-renewal or a price you think is wrong, your state insurance department's consumer line is the place to start.