Car Insurance After A DUI

Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is not only extremely dangerous, it’s unfortunately also extremely common.

It’s hard to use good judgment when you are intoxicated, and it’s even harder to have the sharp motor skills necessary to safely control a large, heavy vehicle. This is why DUIs are so dangerous — because, unlike accidents that happen when you are sober, there’s a substantially higher risk of bodily injury and property damage.

In addition to the risks involved to yourself and others and the criminal and civil penalties for driving under the influence, another repercussion is that car insurance after a DUI is often much more expensive.

If you have a DUI, and you need to find a more affordable rate on your auto insurance, you’re going to have to put in some work. Auto insurance for people with bad driving records can be complicated and costly. But it isn’t necessarily impossible to find a lower rate, though. You can compare rates for auto insurance after your DUI with our FREE search tool now.

Pre- and Post DUI Auto Insurance Rates

Legend:
DUI Conviction
Clean Driving Record

Florida
California
Texas
Kansas

40
80
120
160
200
240
280
320
360

$185
$118

$393
$239

$219
$134

$112
$88

Factors that Affect Your DUI Car Insurance Premiums

The DUI you got busted for, and the circumstances behind it will determine whether or not you can find a lower insurance premium. Things like age, whether or not you get into an accident because you are drowsy (read our “Drowsy Driving Fatal Crashes: 10 Occupations with the Highest Risk” for more information) while drunk driving, and the amount of DUIs you have will make the difference between getting a cheaper rate on car insurance after a DUI — or not being eligible for coverage at all. (For more information, read our “Factors that Affect Your Car Insurance Premium“).

Young Drivers With DUIs

Getting pulled over and ticketed for DUI when you are under the legal drinking age is a recipe for financial disaster. Not only are you already getting charged a higher rate based on your young age, lack of driving experience, and poor judgment, but you’re perceived risk will jump exponentially for violating the law in so many different ways simultaneously. Below, you can see the average price difference between an underage driver with a DUI and someone who is of legal drinking age who gets caught driving while intoxicated.

Underage DUI Premiums vs. Adult DUI Premiums

Legend:
Underage DUI
Of Age DUI

Florida
California
Texas
Kansas

80
160
240
320
400
480
560
640
720
800

$601
$185

$868
$393

$510
$219

$265
$112

DUIs and Accidents

If your DUI resulted in an accident, the additional violations and the severity of the accident will determine how much more you’ll be charged on your premiums. Minor property damage to either your vehicle or someone else’s may not result in a license suspension or lapse in coverage, but it will cost your insurance company more money to fix. Bodily injury – or worse, a drunk driving accident that results in death – will likely result in jail time, thus causing a lapse in coverage. Regardless, accidents which are the result of a DUI will cost you substantially more for your auto insurance once you get back on the road.

Property Damage Liability Claim with DUI

Legend:
DUI
DUI + Property Damage Liability Claim

Florida
California
Texas
Kansas

50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500

$185
$289

$393
$511

$219
$353

$112
$201

How Many DUIs Do You Have?

The more DUIs you collect, the riskier of a driver you are in the eyes of your insurance company. One DUI may be considered a mistake that can be forgiven over time if you keep your nose clean and maintain a good driving record for at least three, or up to five years. However, multiple DUIs is a dangerous sign that it’s only a matter of time before your driving habits result in property damage, bodily injury, or an innocent person’s death. In addition to such devastating tragedies, it will also cost your car insurance company a substantial amount of money to cover your financial liability in such scenarios.

Premiums After Multiple DUIs

Legend:
Single DUI
Three DUIs
Five DUIs

Florida
California
Texas
Kansas

80
160
240
320
400
480
560
640
720
800

$185
$298
$399

$393
$718
$820

$219
$329
$442

$112
$251
$294

Getting a Better Rate on DUI Insurance

If you only have a single DUI, if you are over the age of 25, and if your DUI did not result in an accident with bodily injury or severe property damage, there’s still hope that you can get a relatively affordable price on your auto insurance policy. But, as you’ve seen in some of the charts above, you’re going to have to shop around and find the right company. Many companies will charge you out the nose for your monthly premiums because they don’t believe you’re a responsible enough driver for them to insure cheaply.

Other companies won’t offer you any coverage at all. But there may be a few providers in your area who are willing to offer you lower rates on DUI car insurance because they cater specifically to high-risk drivers. And if you compare rates between those companies — which you can do quickly and easily on our site, for FREE — you can substantially lower the price you pay for coverage.