How to Get Car Insurance After a DWI

Knowing how to get car insurance after a DWI is critical to getting your life back on track. Having car insurance is important to obtaining your driver's license again, which is crucial to having a means of transportation to work to support yourself and/or your family. Getting caught driving under the influence happens, but you can work to make the right decisions to put your mistakes behind you and move forward with gaining your mobility back.

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Understanding Your Situation

  1. After a DWI, you will likely be moved to a high-risk group by insurance providers. This means that your rates will go up dramatically. In most cases, this means an increase of a couple hundred dollars every six months. However, the increase depends on your policy, vehicle, state, and insurer. Overall, a DWI can cost you upwards of $9,000 after the incident and during the subsequent years. [1]
  2. A good attorney may be able to get the charges dropped or reduced. This is the best case scenario because if your license is not suspended, your insurance carrier may not find out now or later. Even if the charges were reduced, though, and you didn't lose your license, there is still a chance that your DWI would show up on your record with the insurance company. So use caution the next time you go in to have your rates looked at.
    • If the charges are reduced but you don't lose your license, the insurance company won't look into your record until you go in and have them run your file.
    • Most people have their insurance rates looked at once per year or every two years. Just be mindful that when you go in, unless the charges are dropped completely, the DWI will appear on your record. [2]
    • However, some state require that you inform your insurer of your DWI immediately after conviction. [3]
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  3. Your DWI will stay on your insurance record, and therefore raise your premiums, for about three to ten years, depending on your state. Some states specify a period of no longer than three years, but others, like Massachusetts and Alaska, have much longer record periods, at 10 years and forever, respectively. [4]
  4. Think about the costs of getting insured after a DUI. You may not be able to afford them at all, especially after dealing with court costs. Even if you can, you might want to consider taking alternate forms of transportation until your DWI is removed from your insurance record in a few years. Think about getting rides from friends and family, using taxis or ride-sharing services, or even walking to work if you can. These can end up being cheaper than paying to get back on the road. [5]
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Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

Finding An Insurance Provider

  1. There are many lists online of which insurers are the "best" choice after a DWI, however your actual best option will depend on a huge number of factors, including your driving record, state, insurance needs, and the severity of your DWI offense. Your best course of action is to get as many insurance quotes as possible from various lenders and then choose the best rate from there. Start with the major providers, like StateFarm, Allstate, Progressive, Esurance, Geico, and USAA. You can usually get an insurance quote for free on each provider's website. [6]
  2. Your other option is to get an insurance plan from a specialize high-risk insurance provider. Check out Geico Casualty, Dairyland Auto, or Titan Insurance and request a quote. In some cases, you may be able to get a more affordable rate by going this route. [7]
  3. Compare your quoted rates to determine your best option. Look at who will help you with your SR 22 paperwork, as not at providers offer this service. SR-22 paperwork is required to prove to your state that you have minimum liability insurance after a DWI conviction. Calculate which provider can give you the best price. And, as always, make sure you have enough coverage to meet your state minimum and protect yourself from further liability. [8]
    • Many people look for state minimum coverage when shopping for car insurance, but it is in your best interest to look for at least standard coverage because if you get into another incident that causes an accident, if you have cut rate coverage, you may be sued for the balance of what is owed. Anything above and over your policy will then come out of your pocket.
    • You can add additional liability coverage over a car insurance plan by purchasing a personal liability umbrella policy. This type of insurance will protect you from legal costs and settlements up to a much higher threshold than minimum-coverage car insurance.
  4. If you don't own a car, but will be driving one occasionally, you can get a non-owner policy that will satisfy your state's insurance requirement. This will allow you to use cars that you rent or borrow from friends or family members. This type of policy will cost about $200 to $500 per year and can be purchased from most insurance providers. [9]
  5. If you can't seem to qualify for insurance, but do still have a license, you may have an additional insurance option available to you in form of an assigned risk program. Most states have this sort of program to get drivers back on the road by providing them with liability insurance. However, these programs can be very expensive and should only be used as a last resort if you can't get insurance from a regular provider. [10]
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Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

Getting Your License Back

  1. Your SR-22 Filing is what certifies that you have been issued coverage by an auto insurance company. It verifies to the state Department of Motor Vehicles that you have an automobile insurance policy that meets your state's minimum liability limits. The time line for taking care of this paperwork is generally six months after losing your license, but this may vary depending on the severity of your charges and when the court says you can drive again.
    • The insurer will file the proper forms for you for a small fee, usually between $25 and $50.
    • For more severe offenses, some drivers may be required to file other forms, like the FR-19 or FR-44. [11]
    • SR-22s are monitored by insurance companies. If you fail to keep up your insurance coverage, your state will be notified and take actions to file charges against you.
    • In most cases, the driver must fulfill SR-22 requirements for three years after they regain their license following a DWI-related suspension. [12]
  2. Take the appropriate punitive actions from your DWI charge including required restitution or community service. You may also be required to take a driver's education or specialized DWI course. Make sure to fulfill these requirements completely as soon as possible. [13]
  3. After your DWI, even if you manage to get insurance, you are essentially on thin ice from an insurance and legal standpoint. Getting another DWI charge will result in penalties even worse than those from the first time. Your second or third DWI can result in much higher insurance premiums, longer license suspension, and in some states even mandatory jail time. To put it in another way, the cost of your second and third DWI can be exponentially higher than your first. [14]
  4. To get your license back, you will have to apply for reinstatement with your state's DMV. First, you'll have to fill out a form for reinstatement. This form will require that you submit proof of insurance and your SR-22 or FR-44. If your application is accepted, you will then have to pay a reinstatement fee. The fee varies by state but can be as high as several hundred dollars.
    • These actions must be taken within the suspension period to ensure that you receive your license back at the end of the period. [15]
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      Tips

      • The term DWI, driving while intoxicated, is used for this article. This term is usually interchangeable with the words used in different states for the same offense, which may be DUI or OUI. [16]
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.esurance.com/info/car/the-true-cost-of-a-dui
      2. ↑ http://www.insure.com/car-insurance/drunk-driving-penalties.html
      3. ↑ http://thelawdictionary.org/article/how-long-does-a-dui-on-your-record-affect-your-car-insurance/
      4. ↑ http://thelawdictionary.org/article/how-long-does-a-dui-on-your-record-affect-your-car-insurance/
      5. ↑ https://wallethub.com/edu/dui-insurance/13542/
      6. ↑ https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/insurance/car-insurance-basics/car-insurance-dui/
      7. ↑ https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/insurance/car-insurance-basics/car-insurance-dui/
      8. ↑ https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/insurance/car-insurance-basics/car-insurance-dui/
      9. ↑ https://wallethub.com/edu/non-owner-car-insurance/9833/
      1. ↑ https://wallethub.com/edu/dui-insurance/13542/
      2. ↑ https://www.esurance.com/info/car/how-a-dui-affects-car-insurance-premiums
      3. ↑ http://dui.drivinglaws.org/dui-insurance.php
      4. ↑ https://www.insurantly.com/high-risk-driver/dui-insurance/
      5. ↑ https://wallethub.com/edu/dui-insurance/13542/
      6. ↑ https://www.insurantly.com/high-risk-driver/dui-insurance/
      7. ↑ https://www.esurance.com/info/car/how-a-dui-affects-car-insurance-premiums

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