How Far Back Do Insurance Companies Check for a DUI?
Car insurance companies generally look back 7 to 10 years for a DUI depending on the insurer and your state.
Written by Shannon Fitzgerald
Reviewed by Hillary Kobayashi
Car insurance companies generally look back for 7 to 10 years for a
DUI conviction
, depending on your state and insurer. If a drunk driving charge is on your driving record, expect to pay higher rates on car insurance
until your state removes the DUI from your record or your insurer’s lookback period no longer includes it. - The lookback time for a DUI conviction ranges from 7 to 10 years but varies depending on your state and insurance company.
- Policy surcharges typically last 3 to 6 years, though you might see higher rates for up to 10 years.
- Since you’ll be labeled a high-risk driver, you could see insurance premiums spike by as much as 80%.
- The lookback time for a DUI conviction ranges from 7 to 10 years but varies depending on your state and insurance company.
- Policy surcharges typically last 3 to 6 years, though you might see higher rates for up to 10 years.
- Since you’ll be labeled a high-risk driver, you could see insurance premiums spike by as much as 80%.
MORE: How to get car insurance with a bad driving record
How long does a DUI impact your car insurance rates?
The duration of your insurance rate hike after a DUI conviction depends on your state and the auto insurance company. While a DUI stays on your motor vehicle report (MVR) for a specific duration of time, it doesn’t necessarily impact your rates the entire time it’s in your driving history.
In most cases, once you get a DUI on your driving record, an insurance company will factor it into your premiums like it would any other ticket or accident. This means that you could see a surcharge for 3 to 6 years after the offense, depending on your state and insurer.
That said, a DUI is a major traffic violation and the lookback period for general underwriting purposes is often longer. In other words, while something like a speeding ticket will be looked at for up to 6 years for general underwriting, an insurance company looks at a DUI for as long as 7 to 10 years.
To double-check your specific circumstances, consult with your insurance agent or state DMV.
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How much will your auto insurance premium increase after a DUI?
Getting a DUI labels you as a
high-risk driver
. As such, your insurance costs are going to go up once you're convicted—but by how much? While the exact number depends on a wide range of factors specific to you (like your age and zip code), you can anticipate your rates to increase by as much as 80%. That said, certain insurers offer better rates to high-risk drivers than others.
Progressive
, for example, promotes surcharges of only 13% on average for a single DUI conviction. GEICO
also tends to offer lower surcharges to high-risk drivers compared to other major insurance companies, like Allstate
. Of course, the increase in your rates following a DUI will vary depending on some key details, such as:
- Your current driving record—if you had aclean driving recordbefore your DUI, you’ll experience much less of an increase in rates than if you already have another major conviction, like reckless driving, or even minor infractions on your record.
- Your BAC (blood alcohol concentration)—certain states penalize drivers with higher BACs more severely. Though the standard BAC for a DUI conviction is 0.08%, drivers with a BAC of 0.15% and higher may receive harsher convictions and higher insurance rate hikes.
- How your insurance company handles rate hikes—aside from assigning surcharge rates differently, some insurers gradually lower DUI surcharges each term as long as you receive no other citations and file no claims. Other insurers may maintain a continuous rate surcharge until the DUI falls off your driving record.
How to get car insurance if you have a DUI on your driving record
Once you have a DUI on your driving record, your insurance coverage options can become much more limited. Not all major insurers are willing to insure or renew coverage with high-risk drivers—so you may need to look into DUI insurance options from non-standard insurers, like
The General
or Dairyland, if you’re having trouble. Even after you find an insurance provider who offers
high-risk car insurance
, renewing or purchasing a new policy can frequently require a few extra steps depending on your state laws. In many states, major traffic violations, like DUIs, result in license suspension
and require you to file an SR-22 form as a condition of your license reinstatement
. Not all states have SR-22 requirements, though, so check with your local DMV to be sure.What is an SR-22
? Essentially, an SR-22 form—and the FR-44
form in Florida
and Virginia
—is filed through your insurance company for a fee and certifies to your state’s DMV that you possess your state’s minimum liability coverages
after a major violation. By proving your financial responsibility in this way, your license can usually be reinstated under the agreement that it will be suspended again if there is ever a lapse in your insurance coverage
. If you’re searching for car insurance after a DUI conviction, contact your insurance agent to gauge how much your rates will increase or whether they will renew your coverage in the first place. This will give you more time to secure a new policy if need be and compare better options.
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How far back on your driving record do insurance companies look?
Insurers generally look back three to five years on your driving record, but this timeframe can vary significantly by state. State laws not only regulate how long certain traffic violations go on your driving record, but they can also impose limits on how far back insurers are allowed to check when calculating rates.
Your insurance provider may also choose to check up to a certain number of years, as well—often this can be fewer years than your violation will stay on your record. Typically, insurers will look further back for major violations—like reckless driving and DUIs—than for minor infractions, like speeding tickets.
Do all insurance companies sell car insurance to high-risk drivers?
No. While many major auto insurance companies, like GEICO and Progressive, still offer high-risk car insurance options, not every insurer is willing to take on the risk of insuring a driver with a bad driving record.
If you are a high-risk driver and you’re having difficulty securing coverage, you may want to look into non-standard insurance companies that specialize in providing coverage for drivers with tricky backgrounds. Some popular non-standard insurers include The General, Dairyland, and Infinity.
