Blog · pricing · lookback
The Three-Year vs Five-Year Lookback Gap, Explained
Two drivers with the same DUI and the same clean record since can pay very different premiums in year four. The reason is a single number in each insurer's rating plan.
By Daniel Okafor · Senior Editor
Published
Answer in brief
Insurers choose how far back to look when rating violations—three years and five years are the common choices. In years four and five after a DUI, that single difference can be the largest factor in your premium, which is why those two renewals are the best time to compare providers.
Most of the time, the lookback period an insurer uses is invisible to you. In years one to three after a DUI it does not matter: every insurer is rating the conviction. After year five it does not matter either: almost none are. Years four and five are where it decides your premium.
A simple illustration
Two drivers, identical in every respect, each with a DUI exactly four years old and a clean record since. Driver A is with an insurer that looks back three years; the conviction is no longer in A's rating and A is quoted as a standard driver. Driver B is with an insurer that looks back five years; the conviction is still in B's rating. B's premium might be 40–70% higher than A's for the same coverage, for one more year.
Why insurers choose differently
A longer lookback captures more risk information and lets an insurer price more finely. A shorter one is simpler and more attractive to drivers whose records are improving. Both are legitimate actuarial choices, and each company files its own with its state regulator.
What to do about it
You cannot see an insurer's lookback period on a quote, but you can ask: "How many years do you rate a DUI?" Ask it at every comparison, and compare at the renewals nearest your three-year and five-year marks. The when rates start dropping entry has the timeline.
Guides referenced in this post
Guide
How Long a DUI Affects Car Insurance
Lookback periods, surcharge windows and state record rules that decide how many years a DUI raises your premium, and when rates start to come down.
Guide
When Car Insurance Rates Start Dropping After a DUI
The typical year-three and year-five step-downs, why they happen, how to time your comparison shopping around them and what else has to be true for the drop to arrive.