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Will a DUI Raise My Car Insurance?

By AutoInsuranceBundle.pro · Published November 6, 2026 · Reviewed November 6, 2026

Short answer: A DUI or DWI can raise your auto insurance premium because insurers use your driving record when they set the price. The Insurance Information Institute says people with serious traffic violations are likely to pay more than drivers with a clean record, and that driving drunk can be a reason a company does not renew a policy. The Texas Department of Insurance lists driving under the influence or a DWI conviction among the reasons a company might not renew, and it says a suspended or revoked license can be a reason for cancellation. Some states also require an SR-22 or similar filing after a DUI. How long the offense affects a policy depends on state rules and the company. State rules vary.

A DUI changes more than a court docket. It becomes part of the driving record insurers use to decide whether to keep you and what to charge if they do. People looking at the first bill afterward often hope it is a one-time surcharge. Sometimes it is a new price that lasts as long as the company can still see the offense.

What people on X are saying

The public posts are personal price stories, not a schedule of typical DUI rates.

@KTenpas said their insurance went up after a DUI and that they later switched companies. The monthly premium they named after the switch is one person's bill, not a typical post-DUI price. @sharmutal said their car insurance rose to a much higher number after a DUI. @mar187 said their premium dropped after a DUI from years earlier finally came off, and @otakuhotgirl999 described the same relief when an offense aged off their record. Those timelines belong to those drivers. They are not a national rule for how many years a DUI stays on an insurance record. @mosquitoboy93 said that while a DUI stays on the record, a person may have to buy more expensive coverage, and described their own later charge reduction and a switch to a cheaper policy.

None of those posts is legal advice, and none of them is a quote you should use to budget your own renewal.

A court or DMV may also require proof that you carry liability coverage. That filing is explained in What Is an SR-22 Filing?. A ticket that is not a DUI is a different rating event, covered in Will a Speeding Ticket Raise My Car Insurance?.

What official sources say about price and renewal

The Insurance Information Institute says your driving record is one of the factors that determine the premium. III says that if you have had at-fault accidents or serious traffic violations, you are likely to pay more than a driver with a clean record.

On a separate page about cancellation and nonrenewal, III says a company generally cannot cancel a policy that has been in force more than 60 days except for reasons such as unpaid premium, fraud or a serious misrepresentation, or a revoked or suspended driver's license. Not renewing the policy when it expires is a different decision. III says that doing something that considerably raises the company's risk, like driving drunk, would be cause for nonrenewal.

The Texas Department of Insurance lists the same split. TDI says a company might not renew a policy if you drove under the influence of alcohol or were convicted of a DWI. TDI separately says that after the first 60 days, a company can cancel if you stop paying, file a fraudulent claim, or if your driver's license or car registration is suspended or revoked, including for other drivers who live with you or use your car.

TDI's auto FAQ also notes that if you have had tickets or accidents and are trying to buy insurance, some companies might not sell you a policy, and that Texas has an assigned-risk plan if two or more companies turn you down. Other states have their own fallback markets.

If the company does keep you, the new price is still a driving-record issue, similar in kind to the increases described in Car Insurance Rates After an Accident and in Why Car Insurance Went Up With No Accidents, except that a DUI is a specific, serious violation rather than a general market change.

What to do after a DUI

1. Keep liability coverage in force. A lapse on top of a DUI can create a second problem with the DMV and with future applications.
2. Tell your insurer what happened if you have not already, rather than hoping the record never arrives.
3. Ask whether the company will renew you and what documents it needs, including any SR-22 or FR-44 request from the state.
4. If you receive a cancellation or nonrenewal notice, read the reason and the effective date and start shopping immediately.
5. Ask each new company how it will rate the offense, rather than copying a monthly premium you saw on X.
6. If two companies decline you, ask an agent about your state's assigned-risk or leftover-market option.
7. Do not treat a social-media timeline as the date the surcharge ends. Ask the company when it will stop rating the violation.

:::template Subject: How a DUI or DWI will affect my auto policy

Hello,

I need to understand, in writing, how a recent DUI or DWI will affect my current auto insurance.

Please tell me whether you will continue the policy at the next renewal, whether a license suspension would lead to cancellation, what premium change you expect, and whether you can file any SR-22 or similar form my state requires.

Thank you. :::

Edge cases and common mistakes

Do not confuse a cheaper quote after you switch companies with the offense disappearing. One public post described a lower bill at a new company. That is shopping, not an official nationwide post-DUI rate.

Do not assume every state uses the same number of years. People on X described offenses falling off after a long wait. Those waits were theirs. Ask your department of insurance or the company how it treats the record.

Do not drop the policy to save money while a court or DMV still requires proof of insurance. That can restart a suspension, which What Is an SR-22 Filing? explains in more detail.

More answers built from public X questions are collected at X Answers.

If you need to see what a current policy will do after a DUI, or whether a company will file the form your state requires, a licensed agent can review that with you.

FAQ

Will a DUI raise my car insurance?

It often does. III says serious traffic violations are likely to raise the premium compared with a clean record. The amount is company- and state-specific.

Can my insurer drop me after a DUI?

It may decline to renew the policy. III says driving drunk can be a reason for nonrenewal. TDI lists a DUI or DWI among possible nonrenewal reasons. Midterm cancellation rules are narrower and often involve nonpayment, fraud or a license suspension.

How long will a DUI affect my rates?

There is no single national number of years. Ask the company when it will stop rating the violation, and do not use a timeline someone posted about their own policy.

What is an SR-22?

It is a filing your insurer sends the state to prove you carry required liability coverage. It is not a separate type of insurance. Some states use an FR-44 instead, usually with higher limits.

If I switch companies, will the price go back down?

It might or might not. Another company will still see the driving record. Shopping can change the number, as some people on X described, but it does not erase the offense.

What if my license is suspended?

Tell the insurer. TDI says a suspended or revoked license can be a reason to cancel after the first 60 days, and that this can also apply to other household drivers.

Should I let the policy lapse until things settle?

No. A lapse can add financial-responsibility problems on top of the DUI. Keep required liability in force.

Does reducing the court charge automatically lower the insurance bill?

Not automatically. Insurers rate the record they receive. One person on X described a later charge reduction and a cheaper policy after they switched. That was their case, not a process you can count on.

Important: This article is general information, not legal, tax, or insurance advice, and coverage rules vary by state, insurer, and policy. AutoInsuranceBundle.pro is a free, independent insurance comparison and referral service. We are not an insurance company, we do not issue policies, and we do not provide insurance advice. Calls to the number on this site are routed to licensed insurance agents or agencies in our partner network, who may receive compensation. Calling is completely voluntary and there is no obligation to buy. Rates, discounts, and availability vary by carrier, state, and individual eligibility; not all carriers, products, or discounts are available in all states. Calls may be recorded for quality and compliance purposes.