How to Shop for Car Insurance After a DUI

Why shopping matters more after a DUI

For a clean-record driver, the spread between the cheapest and most expensive quote for identical coverage is meaningful but bounded. After a DUI it widens dramatically. Some insurers decline the risk outright; some accept it with a steep surcharge; non-standard specialists build their business on it and price it more moderately. Published comparisons for a single-DUI driver routinely show the highest quote at two to three times the lowest. That gap is money you keep or give away depending on whether you compare.

What to have ready

• Driver's licence numbers for everyone in the household, and the reinstatement notice if your licence was suspended.
• The court or state notice specifying SR-22 or FR-44, required limits and duration.
• Vehicle identification numbers, current mileage and estimated annual mileage.
• Your current policy's declarations page so you can match coverage exactly.
• The conviction date. Insurers ask; getting it right avoids re-quotes.
• Details of any other incidents in the last five years. Everything will be found on the record anyway.

The method

1. 1

   Lead with the conviction

   Tell each provider about the DUI and the filing requirement before anything else. It filters out companies that will decline, and it prevents a quote that evaporates at underwriting.

2. 2

   Request identical coverage

   Same liability limits, same deductibles, same optional coverages. A cheaper quote with lower limits is not cheaper.

3. 3

   Get at least three quotes, including a specialist

   Include at least one insurer that writes primarily non-standard business. Comparison tools that return multiple quotes from one form are an efficient way to do this.

4. 4

   Compare total annual cost

   Add the filing fee, any policy fee, and instalment charges. Some low headline premiums carry high monthly fees.

5. 5

   Ask about the recovery path

   How long does this company rate a DUI? Does the surcharge step down annually? Is there a telematics programme? A slightly higher year-one price with a shorter lookback can be cheaper over three years.

6. 6

   Switch cleanly

   Bind the new policy and confirm the new filing is recorded before cancelling the old one. Never leave a day uncovered.

Questions worth asking every provider

• Do you file SR-22s (or FR-44s) electronically, and is there a fee?
• How many years do you rate a DUI conviction?
• Will I be placed with this company or an affiliate, and does that change the policy terms?
• Which discounts do I still qualify for—multi-policy, paid-in-full, paperless, defensive-driving course, telematics?
• What happens to my rate if I complete the filing period without incident?

When to repeat the exercise

Shop at every renewal during the surcharge period, and especially at the renewals nearest the three-year and five-year marks, when different insurers drop the conviction from their rating at different times. Also shop whenever your circumstances change: a new car, a move, a new household driver, or completion of an ignition-interlock requirement. The how long a DUI affects insurance guide explains why those dates matter.