How long does a DUI stay on your insurance?
If you've been convicted of a DUI, you may be wondering how long a DUI stays on your driving record. A DUI can stay on your record for anywhere from a few months to more than 10 years.
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If you’ve ever been convicted of a DUI infraction, you may have found that you have many hurdles to overcome in regard to getting back behind the wheel. You may have to pay hefty fines, update your driver’s license, and shop around for a new car insurance company.
One of the questions that many people have when they receive a DUI infraction is how long that conviction will appear on their driving record. But if you’re wondering how long a DUI remains on your driving record, that will depend on where you live and whether it was your first conviction or an ensuing offense.
- A DUI is not documented on your car insurance, but it is recorded on your driving record, which is likely to impact your car insurance rates
- The length of time that a DUI infraction remains on your driving record will depend on where you live and whether this is your first or a subsequent offense
- Auto insurance rates after a DUI offense can increase as much as 80% depending on the situation and your insurance company
How long does a DUI stay on your insurance?
A DUI conviction does not actually get recorded on your insurance. Instead, if you are convicted of a DUI infraction, that offense will be documented on your driving record, which is certain to impact your future car insurance rates. A DUI conviction can remain on your record for anywhere from a few months to more than 10 years. This will depend on where you live and whether or not it was your first offense or a subsequent DUI charge.
Because a DUI infraction can impact your car insurance rates — and can force you to even stop driving for a period of time — how you handle your DUI offense is extremely important. There is no DUI insurance trick to help you evade your current insurance company regarding your conviction.
In the same way, if you are considering lying or failing to inform your insurance company about your DUI conciction, you should seriously reconsider. Your insurance company will discover the fact that you were caught driving under the influence, and your best bet is to let them know ahead of time to determine how much your rates will increase and inform them about your side of the story.
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How long does a DUI stay on your background check?
Unfortunately, a DUI infraction will remain on your criminal record for your entire life. While this will not impact factors such as your insurance rates after a certain number of years — because a DUI conviction will be erased from your driving record — if someone performs a background check on you, your DUI offense may be exposed regardless of how long it has been.
Similar to driving records in different states, the duration in which your DUI conviction will be disclosed on your background check will depend on where you reside. For instance, in South Carolina, a DUI infraction will remain on your background check indefinitely. In Florida, however, your DUI conviction will be expunged from any public records after 75 years.
The good news is that a single DUI offense is not very likely to impact any opportunities regarding your career, travel, or the purchase of a home. Instead, DUI infractions are most likely to impact your driving record and your car insurance options.
How much does a DUI cost?
Depending on where you live, your DUI conviction can cost you hundreds, and even thousands, of dollars. The table below reveals the various fines and fees associated with a DUI infraction in each state, based on whether it’s your first offense or an ensuing conviction.
Financial Penalties for DUI by State
| State | First Offense | Second Offense | Third and Subsequent Offenses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $500-$2000 +$100 for Impaired Drivers Trust Fund | $1000-$5000 +$100 for Impaired Drivers Trust Fund | Third - $2,000-$10,000 +$100 for Impaired Drivers Trust Fund Fourth - $4000-$10,000 |
| Alaska | $1500 minimum +$200 license reinstatement fee | $3000 minimum +$500 license reinstatement fee | Third - $4000 minimum Fourth - $10,000 |
| Arizona | $250 base fine | $500 base fine | $750 base fine |
| Arkansas | $150-$1000 | $400-$3000 | $900-$5000 |
| California | $390-$1000 | $390-$1000 | $390-$1000 |
| Colorado | $600-$1000 | $600-$1500 | $600-$1500 |
| Connecticut | $500-$1000 | $1000-$4000 | $2000-$8000 |
| Delaware | $500 | $750-$2500 | Third - $1,500 up to $5000 Fourth - up to $7000 Fifth and Sixth- up to $10,000 Seventh - up to $15,000 |
| Florida | $500-$1000; High BAC or minor in the car, $1000-$2000 | $1000-$2000; High BAC or minor in the car, $2000-$4000 | Third - more than 10 years from second conviction - $2000-$5000; high BAC or minor in the car - $4000 minimum Fourth - $2000 minimum |
| Georgia | $300-$1000 | $600-$1000 | $1000-$5000 |
| Hawaii | $150-$1000 +$25 to special fund +$25 to trauma system special fund if court-ordered | $500-$1500+$25 to special fund+$50 to trauma system fund if court-ordered; additional $500 if there is a child in the vehicle | $500-$2500+$25 to special fund+$50 to trauma system fund if court-ordered; additional $500 if there is a child in the vehicle |
| Idaho | no minimum up to $1000 | no minimum up to $2000 | no minimum up to $5000 |
| Illinois | $500 to $2500 | $1250 to $2500 | $2500 up to $25,000 |
| Indiana | $500 to $5000 | no minimum up to $10,000 | no minimum up to $10,000 |
| Iowa | $625-$1250 OR community service | $1875-$6250 | $3125-$9375 |
| Kansas | $500-$1000 | $1000-$1500 | Third - $1500-$2500 Fourth - $2500 |
| Kentucky | $200-$500 | $350-$500 | $500-$1000 |
| Louisiana | $300-$1000 +$100 reinstatement fee | $750-$1000 +$200 reinstatement fee | Third - $2000 +$300 reinstatement fee Fourth - $5000 +$300 reinstatement fee |
| Maine | $500 | $700 minimum | Third - $1100 minimum Fourth - $2100 minimum |
| Maryland | no minimum to $1000 | no minimum to $2,000 | no minimum to $3,000 |
| Massachusetts | $500-$5000 | $600-$10000 | Third - $1000-$15,000 Fourth - $1500-$25,000 Fifth - $2000-$50,000 |
| Michigan | $100-$500 | $200-$1000 +$1000 driver responsibility fee | $500-$5000 +$1000 driver responsibility fee |
| Minnesota | $1,000 | $3,000 | Third - $3,000 minimum Fourth - if within 10 years, $14000 |
| Mississippi | $250-$1000 | 2nd in 5 years: $600-$1500 | 3rd in 5 years: $2000-$5000 |
| Missouri | no minimum | no minimum | no minimum |
| Montana | $600-$1000 +$200 reinstatement fee | $1200-$2000 | $2500-$5000 |
| Nebraska | no minimum, but up to $500 | no minimum, but up to $1000 | Third - no minimum, but up to $1,000 Fourth - up to $10,000 Fifth - up to $25000 |
| Nevada | $400-$1000 | $750-$1000 | Third in seven years - $2000-$5000 |
| New Hampshire | $500 minimum | $750 minimum | Third - $750 minimum Fourth - $930 minimum |
| New Jersey | BAC 0.08-0.99: $250-$400; BAC 0.10-0.14: $300-$500; BAC 0.15+: $300-$500; BAC 0.08+ $3505 in fees and surcharges | $500-$1000; $3555 in fees and surcharges | Third in 10 years of 2nd: $1000 +$5055 in fees and surcharges |
| New Mexico | No minimum | $500-$1000 | Third - $750-$1000 Fourth - up tp $5000 |
| New York | $500-$1000; ADWI: $1000-$2500 | Second in 10 years: $1000-$5000; ADWI: $1000-$5000 | Third in 10 years: $2000-$10000; ADWI: $2000-$10000 |
| North Carolina | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| North Dakota | $500 minimum | $600 minimum | $2,000 minimum |
| Ohio | $250-$1075; license reinstatement fee $475 | $350-$1625 +license reinstatement fee of $475 | $350-$2750 +$475 license reinstatement fee |
| Oklahoma | no minimum, but up to $1000 | no minimum, but up to $2500 | no minimum, but up to $5000 |
| Oregon | minimum $1000 for BAC; minimum $2000 for HBAC; up to $10,000 if child in car | minimum $1500; HBAC minimum $2000; up to $10,000 if child in car | $2000 minimum, additional $2000 for HBAC |
| Pennsylvania | $300 | $300-$2500 | $500-$5000 |
| Rhode Island | $100-$500 +$500 to highway assessment fund | $400-$800 | $400-$5000 +$500 to highway assessment fund |
| South Carolina | $400 minimum ($992 with assessments and surcharges) | $2100-$5,100 ($10,744.50 with assessments and surcharges) | $3800 - $6300 ($13,234.50 with assessments and surcharges) |
| South Dakota | $2000 minimum | $2000 minimum | Third - $4000 Fourth - $20,000 |
| Tennessee | $350-$1500 | $600-$10,000 | Third - $1100-$10,000 Fourth - $3000-$15,000 |
| Texas | no minimum up to $2000 +conviction based surcharge of $1000 for three consecutive years; if HBAC, the surcharge is $1500 for three consecutive years | no minimum up to $4000 +conviction based surcharge of $1500 for three consecutive years; HBAC surcharge $2000 for three consecutive years | no minimum up to $10,000 |
| Utah | $1310 minimum | $1560 minimum | $2,850 up to $5000 |
| Vermont | no minimum up to $700 | no minimum up to $1500 | no minimum up to $2,500 |
| Virginia | $250 mandatory minimum | $500 mandatory minimum | $1000 mandatory minimum |
| Washington | $865.50-$5000 | $1195.50-$5000 | $2045.50-$5000 |
| West Virginia | $100-$500 | $1000-$3000 | $3000-$5000 |
| Wisconsin | $150-$300 +$365 OWI surcharge | 2nd in 10 years: $350-$1100 +$365 surcharge. 2nd in 11+ years: $150-$300 +$365 surcharge | $600-$2000 +$365 OWI surcharge |
| Wyoming | no minimum, but up to $750 | $250-$750 | Third - $250-$3000 Fourth - up to $10,000 |
| Washington DC | up to $300 | $1000-$5000 | $2000-$10000 |
As you can see from the table above, a DUI conviction can cost as little as $100 or as much as $25,000. And this number is simply a reflection of the financial penalties from your actual infraction. You will still have to face potentially staggering auto insurance rates as well.
How much is car insurance after a DUI?
After you’ve been convicted of a DUI infraction, you can expect your car insurance rates to increase significantly. Most estimates state that car insurance rates for people with a first offense can increase as much as 80%. This is especially true if you choose to remain with the same insurance company.
If you have received a DUI conviction, it’s a good idea to let your insurance company know about it and determine how this might impact your auto insurance rates. Based on your driving record, there’s a slight chance that you may lose your car insurance coverage altogether.
Your state may require that you file an SR-22 once your DUI conviction is official. If you do, you should check with your insurance company to discern whether this will impact your coverage. There are many companies that will still offer you SR-22 car insurance coverage, but these companies may only be willing to provide you with liability insurance.
Can I find cheap car insurance after a DUI?
Insurance coverage after a DUI conviction will probably never be inexpensive. But you can certainly do a few things to ensure that you find the most affordable coverage possible following your DUI offense.
First, you can speak with your insurance company and determine how much your rates will increase. Find out if you can lower your coverage amount or increase your deductible to offset the cost of your monthly rates. You can also inquire as to whether or not you are eligible for any discounts on auto insurance coverage.
If your insurance company does not help you lower your car insurance rates, you should shop around for coverage from other companies. Be sure to compare quotes from several different insurance companies to discover which one offers the best deal following a DUI infraction.
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