DUI Insurance Rates

By: William Head, DUI Defense Lawyer Since 1976, and Drunk Driving Book Author Since 1991

How does a DUI affect car insurance rates? In a nutshell, either one of two things happen after DUI in Georgia offenses are discovered by your automobile insurance carrier: Georgia car insurance rates go up, OR the policy is canceled. Either alternative may affect your credit score (and, if suspended from driving due to DUI) having to pay the State of Georgia a reinstatement fee.

Then, even with exorbitant auto insurance quotes, you are usually offered only minimum-level coverages, and this cheap DUI insurance may not cover losses in new car accidents to the full extent of your claim. A driving while intoxicated charge on your criminal record can be like a big rock landing in a quiet pond, with disruptive ripples going out in all directions, and not just for car insurance premiums.

By this, we mean that young drivers who already are expensive to insure may have a license suspension for DUI, reckless driving GA, or due to too many points on his or her driving record. If this triggers an insurance lapse, these drivers may be relegated to only being eligible for bodily injury liability to other drivers, if in an accident.

Because driving without insurance in GA is a new crime, that is a terrible option. Judges who decide sentencing on such a conviction do not have a sense of humor about the lack of DUI auto insurance when medical bills from injuries or a substantial claim for property damage exists.

You will then have to look for the best car insurance for DUI drivers and possibly go with another high-risk auto insurance Georgia company. You may qualify for car insurance in Georgia with your previous insurer, but with a substandard carrier, as a high-risk driver.

Because all states require liability insurance coverage, you cannot escape being insured, since driving without insurance is a crime in all states. Your only option except giving up driving is to look for the best insurance for DUI.

Auto insurance for those who have been convicted of DUI, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs will cost more. Most citizens charged with DUI in Georgia know to expect a rate increase or cancellation of their motor vehicle policy from their insurance company if convicted. Higher car insurance rates after DUI is one of many different penalties that will affect a Georgia citizen, but only if convicted.

Therefore, fighting the case to not allow for a driving under the influence conviction to be placed on your criminal history is the smart move. Plus, avoiding an administrative license suspension under Georgia implied consent laws is critically important, so see a drunk driving lawyer immediately after to arrest, to meet the 30 days filing deadline.

Many auto insurance carriers will decline to insure those convicted of DUI-DWI. If a high-risk policy is offered, the standard cost insurance coverage will be lost for someone who has either been convicted of drunk driving or has had an administrative license suspension action (based on a DUI arrest with a high BAC or a DUI refusal) on their Georgia DDS (DMV record) history.

Substandard car insurance cost often has a rate increase of five times more than standard premiums. In addition to a boost in auto insurance rates, higher liability limits cannot be obtained with most car insurance carriers, following a DUI conviction.

State laws control how far back do insurance companies check for DUI. These companies will be able to look BACK further, but state insurance laws control how long does DUI affect your insurance premiums. In Georgia, the time frame is three (3) years, but in California, the time is longer.

According to some national insurance company industry websites, rate increases may push past 370 percent or more. Two southern states with highly punitive rates after a DWI-DUI are North Carolina and South Carolina.

It is essential for anyone charged with any drunk driving offense to get professional insurance agent advice regarding their post-conviction car insurance situation, just as they needed legal advice for their criminal charges.

Although every insured person appreciates the financial strength and customer support from major insurers (State Farm, GEICO, Progressive, Allstate), a smaller auto insurance company could provide the best auto insurance for DUI drivers. Many national car insurance companies like State Farm will turn down people right away when they learn of a pending DUI case.

Most states have confidentiality waivers that permit insurance companies to check their insureds’ driving histories at the DMV, DPS, BMV or DDS in your state. Plus, every state has an available electronic method of recording which drivers are insured and which drivers have had an insurance cancellation or lapse in coverage. Using software, your insurance carrier can run an automated check of your driving history and flag anyone with a serious driving offense, like being convicted of drinking and driving.

By far, the most punitive thing about DUI laws is the total lack of a mechanism to remove a DUI from your criminal history. Most states (MS, NJ, AL, WA, OR, IL) have some method for a first time DUI offender to obtain diversion, expunction, or (after some time) be able to apply for a record restriction. Georgia completely lacks that mechanism for erasing the blemish of a conviction of drunk driving or drugged driving.

As mentioned earlier, cheap car insurance with DUI is not going to be available, but you may have to carry only liability coverage for a while, which will not work if your motor vehicle is financed or has a bank or dealer loan. Obtaining affordable car insurance coverage in the wake of an impaired driving arrest, a drunk driving conviction, or a DMV-DPS license suspension action will disqualify you from finding cheap car insurance.

For decades, states have enacted laws compelling insurers to carry what they called assigned risk insurance pool or “SR-22.” This insurance for high risk drivers is a financial burden that state insurance laws mandate each company to offer, but at high rates. A certificate shows that you have the Proof of Insurance Certificate required to reinstate your driver’s license.

An SR-22 Proof of Insurance Certificate is more than the typical insurance card that is sent by auto insurance companies. The SR-22 Insurance Certificate is only needed by those who have been convicted of driving under the influence or otherwise been the subject of suspension or revocation due to the applicable state’s DDS, BMV, SOS, DMV or DPS administrative driver’s license action.

This insurance change is another reason for any person with a DUI conviction to meet with a professional insurance agent is to review his or her best options about how to handle insurance needs.

If you or a loving family member has been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, contact an experienced DUI lawyer immediately. Make hiring the DUI attorneys with the best lawyer ratings a priority versus settling on a DUI attorney near me.

In no other criminal law field is hiring the best Georgia attorney so critical to your job and family security. A DUI in GA can haunt you for years, and these misdemeanor DUI cases offer a great opportunity to obtain a reduction of criminal charges and perhaps get a DUI reduced to reckless driving.

Larry Kohn, Cory Yager, and William C. (Bubba) Head are the firm to reach for statewide coverage of DUI charges. Get your FREE lawyer consultation by meeting with our lawyers for DUI in person, via Facetime, DUO, or other video conferencing method.

Call (404) 567-5515 to speak to our attorneys in Atlanta today. What do you have to lose since it is FREE?