Consequences and Penalty on Your Car Payments
Paying for DUI auto insurance is very expensive. If you were arrested for drunk driving, you will have to face two potential consequences on your car insurance policy.
- Your current provider will dramatically increase your monthly rates.OR
- Your current policy will be canceled.
1. Increased DUI Car Insurance Rates
If you stay with your current policy provider, you will be classified as a “High Risk” driver. This means you will be paying a lot for your DUI auto insurance.
Although each policy provider has different rates, you should expect to pay at least three times more per month.
Which means that if before your DUI arrest you were paying $100 a month, you will now be paying $300 a month. On average, you should expect your auto insurance payments to increase between $3,000 and $7,000 over the course of a year.
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2. Your Policy is Canceled
Insurance companies don’t like to carry DUI drivers on their policies. The reason is that they consider you too risky and and they think it will cost them more to maintain your policy. So they decide to drop you and cancel your coverage.
If your current policy is canceled, you will need to purchase your DUI auto insurance from another provider.
How to Get DUI Auto Insurance
In either scenario, before your policy changes you will first need to fill out an SR-22 form.
What is SR-22 Insurance?
SR stands for State Required. An SR-22 form is a certificate that is required by a state to show that you�re maintaining your auto liability coverage. Basically this is form that shows to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) that you were able to get a policy after your DUI arrest.
Who gives out an SR-22 Form?
You purchase the SR-22 form from the auto insurance companies. The typical price is between $15-$25.
When you ask your current provider for an SR-22 form it’s a red flag to them saying that you are a risky driver. Your policy provider will then increase your car rates or cancel your current coverage.
Not every policy provider gives out an SR-22 form to handle DUI arrests. This is because it may be too expensive for them to insure a risky driver. You can only get an SR-22 form from a company that has filed with your state to issue the forms.
What are the Requirements for SR-22?
The requirements for the SR-22 depends on your state DUI laws.
However, typically you must carry the SR-22 for approximately 3 years. During this time you must maintain your DUI car insurance even if you not own a vehicle. If you do not own a car, you will need to purchase a non-owner’s car insurance policy.
What if I Don’t Maintain my DUI Auto Insurance?
Your policy provider is required by law to report to the state if you are maintaining your car insurance policy. If you let your DUI auto insurance lapse during the SR-22 reporting period, you will face serious consequences. At the bare minimum, you will lose your driving privileges and have your driver’s license immediately suspended.
How Long Do My Auto Insurance Rates Stay High?
Your rates will remain high as long as you have a DUI on your driving record. This is true even after the SR-22 form period is over.
The amount of time your rates are high depends on the policy of your provider and your state’s DUI laws. Each state has a different length of time a DUI or DWI stays on your driving record. The time can be from a few years to 10 years.
