What is DUI-SR22 Insurance?

Reader’s Question:

What is DUI SR22 insurance?

Nancy

Kansas City, MO

DUI – SR22 insurance is certainly one of the worst possible auto insurance policies a driver must get. Drivers must purchase SR22 insurance, not voluntarily, but because he or she made the judgment of driving while under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances. A DUI – driving under the influence – is one of those crimes that may not seem so serious in the beginning but later on when the consequences arrive can ruin your finances.

At worst, being charged with a DUI offense can lead to imprisonment. In most cases, it leads to the loss of one’s driving privileges, a temporary suspension of your driver’s license and car registration, or your car can get impounded. The only way of clearing up your condition and getting back your privileges is to file an SR22 certificate with your insurance company. This certificate, or bond, is a way of proving to your state that your auto insurance company is aware of your DUI conviction and is willing to take on the added risk to insure you. If the certificate is canceled for any reason, you might find yourself in bigger trouble if caught driving without it. The certificate must be held for a specific time period assigned by the state.

Most car insurance companies respond to DUI charges by increasing insurance rates or canceling the policy altogether for the offender. An SR22 insurance policy is in the high risk category and many auto insurance providers do not want to work with high risk drivers. Paying for a high risk auto insurance policy can strain your budget but the DUI offender has fewer and fewer choices. Getting a DUI offense and having SR22 insurance is not something you would want on your record.

Drunk Driving Laws in Texas

Reader’s Question:

My nephew was arrested for drunk-driving last year. He’ll be 19 next year. Will his DWI conviction go off his record? And how will his car insurance rates be affected?

Lisa

Beaumont, TX

Thanks for your question Lisa. Whether the DWI offender was a minor or not during the time the violation was made is not going to change the fact that his driving records will still show a DWI conviction.

DWI laws vary per state regarding how long a DWI conviction will stay on a DWI offender’s driving records. In California , DWI record stays for 7 years. In other states, for example, in New Mexico , it stays for 25 years while in Georgia it stays forever.

To know how many years it will stay on your nephew’s driving record and to see if your state has different rules regarding DWIs committed by a minor, I would suggest checking with the Department of Motor Vehicles in your area since your state may have different laws to the ones mentioned here.

Lastly, if the DWI conviction continues to stay on his record for a number of years, it will likely affect his auto insurance premium rates by putting him in a higher risk category. An individual in this category can expect the insurance premiums paid to possibly double, maybe even triple. (If he needs to look for a new insurance company he can get a car insurance quote online.)

DUI Auto Insurance For Commercial Vehicle

Reader’s Question:

I am planning on going to truck driving school. I have had 3 DWIs and the last DWI was 6 years ago. Will I be insured by an insurance company in a commercial car?

Paul

Nashua, NH

Many commercial car insurance companies do not want to insure a motorist with a commercial driver’s license (CDL) that has a DWI, DUI or OUI. Since your last DWI was over 6 years ago, you might be able to find an insurance company that will insure you but the costs will likely still be high.

I would verify with the trucking school you are going to attend to for more information since they would typically deal with the insurance carriers that you would possibly want to be insured through. You can also check if the school thinks you will be insurable through an insurer plan once you acquired a job after your truck driving school is over.

Will my Auto Insurance Increase After DUI?

Reader’s Question:

Will my auto insurance increase after DUI conviction?

Mark

Thank you for asking Mark.

You will see an increase in your car insurance rates because of having a DUI conviction on your driving record. Operating a vehicle while under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs generally puts you now into a high risk class of motorist.

The amount of an auto insurance increase because of a DUI and/or needing an SR-22 (certificate of financial responsibility) will depend upon the insurance provider that you are dealing with and their rating system. In addition to that you might also lose discounts that you previously had on the insurance policy which helped to lower your rates, such as a safe driver discount.

Most state insurance regulators and DMV give information on the average auto insurance increase for a DUI conviction. For instance, the Colorado Department of Transportation that a CO auto insurance could go up 30 % on average, that is if it is not canceled, after having a DUI conviction.

Goodluck!

MariCAR