How Much Will My Car Insurance Rates Increase After a DUI?

If you’ve been convicted of a DUI, your auto insurance rates could go up. Read on to find out how much you could end up paying for insurance and what you can do about it.

the consequences of a dui

If you are arrested for drunk or drugged driving, you not only face criminal penalties such as jail time, fines and license suspension, but you also risk your reputation and employment opportunities.

Depending on the circumstances surrounding your dui, you could face at least six months in jail, license suspension, and installation of an ignition interlock device for at least 140 days. For more complicated DUI cases, such as those involving injuries, deaths, or minors, you could face felony charges and more than a decade in state prison. In other words, you could be charged with a felony for having more than one dui. felony dui offenses often result in permanent license suspension and could apply to subsequent dui charges.

Medical professionals, especially doctors and nurses, must report criminal charges to their board of nursing and hospital leadership and submit to any protocol of disciplinary action. In many cases, the medical board can revoke a doctor’s or nurse’s license to practice if they have a DUI conviction. For professionals in a specific field, a dui could spell the end of their career goals.

College students and minors caught drinking and driving could be at risk of losing scholarships, jobs, and internship opportunities if they have a dui. Colleges and universities take drug and alcohol charges seriously and may not allow students convicted of a crime to remain on campus or continue their education.

When it comes to insured drivers, insurers don’t want to be responsible for highly responsible drivers, which means people with lots of accidents and driving-related offenses can be charged higher rates or lose their completely safe.

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car insurance and DUIs

Overall, the national average of auto insurance rate increases for drivers with a DUI is around 74%. this means your annual payments could increase by $1,000 or more, depending on your policy. this is a significant increase compared to accidents or speeding tickets, which increase rates by 20-40%. In West Virginia, the largest insurance rate increase after a DUI was 71%.

duis affects auto insurance because insurance providers may be responsible for covering the cost of your accident(s). High-risk drivers, including those with DUIs, cost insurers more on average and are less likely to change their driving habits in the future.

Insurance companies are nervous about drivers who act recklessly behind the wheel because, at the end of the day, they are the ones who have to pay for it. Because of this, many insurance companies offer good driving discounts for drivers who follow the rules and are careful behind the wheel.

These programs reward drivers with a clean record who can get discounted rates and can continue to make lower payments if they can maintain a good driving record.

lower your insurance rates after a dui

If you’re experiencing a rate increase due to a dui, you could be dealing with costly payments for years. Generally, most insurance companies keep driving records for three to five years. this means that if you got a dui in 2020, you may not have standard rates until 2023 or 2025.

While this can be annoying, there are ways to improve your car insurance rates. You can show that you are a safe driver by avoiding traffic violations and driving carefully or by switching insurance companies altogether. Most insurers are hesitant to insure drivers with criminal records, but some companies have more competitive rates than others.

check and see if you can get a better rate elsewhere or get an insurance package at a discounted price. Fortunately, there are many options, and you are free to change insurance companies.

prevent your insurance rates from going up after a dui

The best way to keep your rates from going up is to avoid a DUI conviction in the first place. being arrested does not mean you have a dui, it means you are facing legal proceedings for a dui. if you have been detained, contact our attorney immediately. The Wagner Firm specializes in DUI and DUI law, and our founding attorney has decades of experience handling cases like yours.

Schedule a consultation with the wagner law firm to learn more.