There is no saying how serious a driving under the influence conviction is, until someone has gotten one.  If anyone has gone through one, they will certainly know about the costs, as well as the repercussions that come with a DWI case. Aside from the fines, attorney fees, and license suspension, there are the more long-term consequences, such as the impact on car insurance rates and coverage.  Driving under the influence leaves a permanent mark on a driving record, and many consequences could possibly follow, depending on the severity of the DUI offenses. 

 

Once someone is convicted of driving under the influence, it is only a matter of time when the insurance company will find out about the DUI and have to deal with it.  Once it gets into their hands, they have a couple of options to deal with the person with DUI offenses.  The insurance company more often than not raises the person’s insurance rates, if they are so kind as to not cancel the policy all together.  At that point, the person that was driving under the influence will be marked as a “high risk driver”.   Should this be the case for the DWI offenses, most states require the insurance company to provide the state motor vehicle agency (DMV, MVD) with an SR-22 Proof of Insurance Certificate, which removes the license suspension by providing the state with proof that that person is insured.

 

One should take note, however, that not all insurance companies offer SR-22 policies for driving under the influence. So the person’s policy may be non-renewed or cancelled simply because the company can no longer provide insurance for the person.  In some states, insurers can’t cut someone off in the middle of the policy term, so each person should check their specific laws. 

 

In a rare occurrence for DWI offenses, the insurance company will not find out about the DUI case because, for whatever reason, it slips through the cracks of red tape. In these special and rare situations, the insurer will not raise the person’s insurance rates or cancel them if they have been good (other then the driving under the influence offense) with no other blemishes on their record. One should not sit and hope for this type of situation, but it can happen.

 

The person with a DUI case should not panic if their insurance policy is cancelled or non-renewed; they will still be able to find insurance. It will likely be a smaller insurance provider that will cover the DUI offenses and file the SR-22 for the person so their license may be reinstated. Their insurance rates will most certainly be higher, particularly because DUI offenses and violations remain on a driving record for anywhere from five years to life, depending on the state they were in when pulled over for driving under the influence.