Cheapest Car Insurance After A DUI (April 2024)

Company	Company - Logo	Forbes Advisor Rating	Forbes Advisor rating	Average annual rate for drivers with a DUI	Collision repair grade	Complaint level	Learn More CTA text	Learn more CTA below text	LEARN MORE
Progressive		5.0		$2,776	C	Low	Get Quotes	Compare rates via EverQuote’s website
American Family		5.0		$2,983	C+	Very low	Get Quotes	Compare rates via EverQuote’s website
USAA		5.0		$2,751	C	Average	Get Quotes	Compare rates via EverQuote’s website
Auto-Owners		4.0		$3,363	B+	Low	Get Quotes	Compare rates via EverQuote’s website
State Farm		3.5		$3,235	C-	Low	Get Quotes	Compare rates via EverQuote’s website
Nationwide		3.5		$3,677	C	Very low	Get Quotes	Compare rates via EverQuote’s website
Erie		3.0		$3,390	B+	High	Get Quotes	Compare rates via EverQuote’s website
Farmers		3.0		$3,517	C	Low	Get Quotes	Compare rates via EverQuote’s website
Travelers		3.0		$3,675	C+	Very low	Get Quotes	Compare rates via EverQuote’s website
Geico		3.0		$3,451	C-	Average	Get Quotes	Compare rates via EverQuote’s website
Allstate		2.5		$3,856	D+	Low	Get Quotes	Compare rates via EverQuote’s website
Westfield		2.5		$4,357	B	Very low	Get Quotes	Compare rates via EverQuote’s website
Safe Auto		1.0		$3,874	C-	Very high	Get Quotes	Compare rates via EverQuote’s website

Rates are based on coverage of $100,000 bodily injury per person, $300,000 bodily injury per accident and $100,000 for property damage (100/300/100), and collision and comprehensive insurance, and uninsured motorist coverage. Source: Quadrant Information Services. *USAA auto insurance is available only to military members, veterans and their families.

USAA, Progressive and American Family offer car insurance policies for less than $3,000 a year, on average, for drivers with a recent DUI. It’s wise to get and compare car insurance quotes from multiple companies because rates vary significantly among insurers.

Car Insurance Rate Increases by Company After a DUI

We analyzed DUI insurance rates among 10 of the largest car insurance companies and found that rate increases after a DUi ranged from 29% for Allstate and Progressive to 148% for Westfield.

Make sure you look at the total monthly or annual premium, not just the surcharge for the DUI. For instance, USAA imposes an average increase of 95% after a DUI, but it still has the overall cheapest average rate of $2,751 a year, which is lowest among top competitors. Progressive and Allstate also have low rate hikes after a DUI.

Company	Average annual rates for a good driver	Average annual rates after one DUI	Average rate increase after a DUI
USAA*	$1,412	$2,751	95%
Progressive	$2,157	$2,776	29%
American Family	$2,176	$2,983	37%
State Farm	$1,959	$3,235	65%
Auto-Owners	$1,628	$3,363	107%
Erie	$2,144	$3,390	58%
Geico	$1,716	$3,451	101%
Farmers	$2,381	$3,517	48%
Travelers	$1,852	$3,675	98%
Nationwide	$2,041	$3,677	80%
Allstate	$3,000	$3,856	29%
Safe Auto	$2,647	$3,874	46%
Westfield	$1,759	$4,357	148%

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Rates are based on coverage of $100,000 bodily injury per person, $300,000 bodily injury per accident and $100,000 for property damage (100/300/100), and collision and comprehensive insurance, and uninsured motorist coverage. Source: Quadrant Information Services. *USAA car insurance is available only to military members, veterans and their families.

State	Cheapest company for drivers with a DUI	Cost per year from cheapest company for a driver with a DUI
Alabama	Travelers	$1,824
Alaska	Umialik	$1,808
Arizona	Root	$956
Arkansas	Southern Farm Bureau	$1,952
California	Wawanesa	$2,599
Colorado	Colorado Farm Bureau Mutual	$1,807
Connecticut	Progressive	$2,270
Delaware	Travelers	$2,620
Florida	Geico	$4,150
Georgia	ACCC Insurance	$2,176
Hawaii	State Farm	$1,823
Idaho	American National P&C	$678
Illinois	Mercury	$1,990
Indiana	Indiana Farmers Mutual	$1,328
Iowa	State Farm	$1,342
Kansas	Progressive	$1,652
Kentucky	Progressive	$2,157
Louisiana	Southern Farm Bureau	$3,315
Maine	Countryway Insurance	$1,267
Maryland	Geico	$3,020
Massachusetts	State Farm	$2,461
Michigan	Progressive	$2,073
Minnesota	American Family	$2,427
Mississippi	Safeway	$1,990
Missouri	Umialik Insurance	$1,808
Montana	Progressive	$1,425
Nebraska	Progressive	$1,853
Nevada	American Access Casualty	$2,656
New Hampshire	USAA*	$1,347
New Jersey	NJM	$1,545
New Mexico	Nationwide	$2,357
New York	New York Central Mutual Fire	$3,811
North Carolina	National General	$3,020
North Dakota	Nodak Mutual	$1,168
Ohio	USAA*	$1,204
Oklahoma	Progressive	$2,119
Oregon	State Farm	$1,592
Pennsylvania	Travelers	$3,347
Rhode Island	State Farm	$1,233
South Carolina	Travelers	$2,172
South Dakota	State Farm	$1,830
Tennessee	State Farm	$1,810
Texas	Esurance	$2,302
Utah	USAA*	$2,182
Vermont	Progressive	$1,165
Virginia	Virginia Farm Bureau	$1,349
Washington	PEMCO	$1,802
West Virginia	USAA*	$1,784
Wisconsin	USAA*	$1,726
Wyoming	American National P&C	$1,068

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We averaged the rate increase in each state among large insurers for drivers with liability coverage of $100,000 bodily injury per person, $300,000 bodily injury per accident and $100,000 for property damage (100/300/100), and collision and comprehensive insurance, and uninsured motorist coverage. Source: Quadrant Information Services. *USAA car insurance is available only to military members, veterans and their families.

Average Car Insurance Rate Increases by State After a DUI

State	Average annual car insurance cost for good drivers	Annual annual car insurance cost after a DUI	Average car insurance rate increase after a DUI
Alabama	$1,809	$3,069	70%
Alaska	$2,323	$3,093	33%
Arizona	$1,696	$2,748	62%
Arkansas	$1,961	$2,939	50%
California	$2,476	$5,716	131%
Colorado	$2,489	$4,243	70%
Connecticut	$1,730	$3,161	83%
Delaware	$2,431	$4,018	69%
Florida	$4,326	$5,768	33%
Georgia	$2,181	$4,208	93%
Hawaii	$1,633	$5,202	219%
Idaho	$1,021	$1,688	65%
Illinois	$2,345	$4,296	83%
Indiana	$1,454	$2,810	93%
Iowa	$1,238	$2,480	100%
Kansas	$1,693	$2,766	63%
Kentucky	$1,979	$3,492	76%
Louisiana	$3,629	$5,231	38%
Maine	$1,216	$2,397	97%
Maryland	$3,368	$5,797	70%
Massachusetts	$2,333	$4,532	94%
Michigan	$2,995	$8,719	191%
Minnesota	$2,360	$4,124	75%
Mississippi	$1,704	$2,768	62%
Missouri	$2,323	$3,093	33%
Montana	$1,770	$2,752	55%
Nebraska	$1,558	$2,935	88%
Nevada	$3,342	$4,965	49%
New Hampshire	$1,411	$3,185	126%
New Jersey	$2,240	$4,084	82%
New Mexico	$2,104	$3,211	53%
New York	$4,769	$8,564	80%
North Carolina	$1,307	$4,783	266%
North Dakota	$1,319	$2,356	79%
Ohio	$1,133	$2,300	100%
Oklahoma	$2,291	$3,667	60%
Oregon	$1,459	$2,447	68%
Pennsylvania	$3,600	$6,595	83%
Rhode Island	$2,715	$4,487	65%
South Carolina	$2,387	$3,555	38%
South Dakota	$1,821	$3,357	84%
Tennessee	$1,720	$3,527	105%
Texas	$2,938	$4,467	52%
Utah	$1,994	$3,455	73%
Vermont	$1,037	$2,516	143%
Virginia	$1,511	$2,812	86%
Washington	$1,829	$2,842	55%
West Virginia	$1,688	$3,041	80%
Wisconsin	$1,905	$3,474	82%
Wyoming	$1,341	$2,240	67%

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We averaged the rate increase in each state among large insurers for drivers with liability coverage of $100,000 bodily injury per person, $300,000 bodily injury per accident and $100,000 for property damage (100/300/100), and collision and comprehensive insurance, and uninsured motorist coverage. Source: Quadrant Information Services

Here are ways to find lower rates, even with a DUI on your record.

Ask About Discounts

You’ll likely lose any good driver discount you have and be hit by a rate surcharge, but you can still look for discount car insurance after a DUI by paying in full, insuring multiple vehicles or bundling auto and homeowners policies. Don’t be afraid to ask your insurance agent what discounts you’re eligible for to get the best rate possible.

Show That You’re a Safe Driver

Keep your record clean of all accidents and traffic violations, especially another DUI. That will take time but will result in eventually being moved back to a lower-risk tier.

Shop Around for Car Insurance

Shopping with multiple insurance companies to compare car insurance quotes is your best bet to save money. After your current insurer raises your rates due to the DUI, compare that rate to others to find the cheapest rates.

Even though your surcharge will last a certain period of time, some companies keep a surcharge steady while others decrease it over time.

For instance, some auto insurance companies will keep a constant surcharge of, say, 45% each year for five years, while another may start at 45% but drop down to 30% by the third year and continue to decrease the surcharge until it’s gone by the fifth year.

Related: Auto Insurance Calculator

It’s a good idea to shop around for car insurance if you recently had a DUI.

The first step is to get quotes from multiple car insurance companies. Start by requesting quotes for the same level of coverage from the insurers with the cheapest car insurance rates after a DUI, which can be found on this page.

Contact those insurance companies and request quotes.

Make sure to maximize discounts. You can save by bundling car and home insurance policies with the same company, including multiple cars on the same policy, paying in full and other reasons. Ask each insurance company to include car insurance quotes with the discounts you’re eligible for.

Once you have quotes, you can see which one offers the best overall rate and decide whether you want to choose that insurer.

Car insurance companies view drivers who were convicted of driving under the influence (DUI), driving while intoxicated (DWI) or operating under the influence (OUI) as riskier than other drivers.

Driving while influenced by drugs or alcohol impairs your judgment, coordination and reaction times. Without having your skills sharp behind the wheel, you’re more likely to be in an accident, and that makes car insurance companies nervous about potential future claim payouts.

Being considered a high-risk driver typically means you pay higher car insurance rates than other drivers.

Analyzing the average annual rate increase after a DUI in all 50 states, we found that drivers in Alaska, Florida and Missouri drivers have the smallest average increase of 33%. Meanwhile, North Carolina has the highest average rate hike of 266%, which is actually lower than the state-recommended increase of 340% under its Safe Driver Incentive Plan.

There are also legal consequences to contend with after a DUI conviction. The penalties the court can give out vary widely depending on the state but usually include fines, license suspension and/or jail time.

More: DUI vs. DWI

How Much Do Car Insurance Rates Go Up After a DUI?

The national average auto insurance rate increase for drivers with a DUI is 65%, according to Forbes Advisor’s analysis. That king-size rate increase translates to an average of nearly $1,400 extra per year for car insurance. By comparison, the average rate increase after a speeding ticket is only 22% and the rate increase after an accident with injury is 43%.

Do Car Insurance Rates Go Up if You Didn’t Cause an Accident but had a DUI?

Yes, if you’re convicted of a DUI, car insurance rates increase regardless of whether you got into an accident or not.

The insurance company essentially accounts for the possibility that you may drive while intoxicated again, and that they’ll have to pay a future claim.

The National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that drivers with blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) of .08% (the legal limit in all states except Utah, where it is .05%) or higher are approximately four times more likely to be in an accident than drivers with a BAC of zero. If a driver’s BAC is 0.15% or more, the NHTSA found they are about 12 times more likely to be in an accident.

Statistics like this send a message to car insurance companies that intoxicated or impaired drivers pose a lot of risk when they are behind the wheel. As a result, you’ll pay much higher rates—on average 65% higher—for typically the next three to five years.

How long will a DUI affect my car insurance rates?

Since a DUI is a major infraction in the view of insurance companies, they can hit you with a high surcharge (rate increase) and keep your rates high for typically three to five years.

How long your rates will stay high depends on a few variables:

• The first is how long a DUI stays on your driving record because having the DUI on your motor vehicle record (MVR) triggers the surcharge.
• Next is how long your state insurance laws allow a DUI to hike up rates. For example, in North Carolina, insurance companies can look back three years, but Massachusetts allows five years.
• A DUI could affect your rates longer than the surcharge period. For example, in California, the DUI surcharge could drop away, but you’re not eligible to receive a 20% good driver discount until 10 years after a DUI.

What happens to my car insurance if I get multiple DUIs?

If you get a second, third or more DUI, a car insurance company may decide you’re too much of a risk and deny you coverage. The problem is that multiple DUIs also mean you may have trouble finding any insurance company to cover you.

The only one who may cover you is your state’s high-risk insurer, which typically has exorbitant car insurance rates because of your risk.

If you’re denied car insurance after a DUI, you can get quotes from other car insurance companies. Insurers gauge risk differently, and you might find a car insurance company that will cover you at a more affordable price.

If you still have trouble finding coverage after a DUI, look into high-risk insurers like The General.

If your insurer drops you after a DUI, you’ll need to look for alternative car insurance. This might happen if you have multiple DUIs or a DUI plus other driving infractions.

An alternative could be to look outside of the “voluntary” car insurance market, such as your state’s assigned risk pool. Buying coverage from the assigned risk pool is costly, but it can be a solution if you need high-risk car insurance.

Auto insurance companies typically request a copy of your driving record from your state’s department of motor vehicles at each policy renewal time. That is how they find out about DUIs—along with speeding tickets and other moving violations.

But because insurance companies don’t find out about a DUI right after it happens (unless your insurance renewal is soon), you may have time to save up for an expected increase in your car insurance bill.

Your insurance company will find out sooner about a DUI if you need to contact them to obtain an SR-22 form (a form some states mandate after a DUI to prove you have required auto insurance coverage).

Insurance companies generally cannot raise rates mid-policy term. So even if it does find out that because you need an SR-22, your rates shouldn’t be affected until renewal. If your insurer doesn’t offer SR-22s, you’ll need to shop around with other companies for one that does. Any new company will likely factor a DUI immediately into its car insurance quotes.

Car insurance companies will typically continue to cover you after one DUI, but your car insurance rates will likely skyrocket at renewal time.

If you get a DUI, it’s wise to shop around for car insurance at your next renewal to see if you can find a cheaper rate. Car insurance companies calculate rates in different ways, so it’s a good idea to get quotes from multiple companies.

Forbes Advisor’s analysis found that Allstate and Progressive have lower increases after a DUI compared to competitors, but they may still have overall higher rates than other companies. That’s why it’s crucial to get quotes from multiple insurance companies to see if you can find a better rate after a DUI.

To identify the best car insurance companies after a DUI we scored each company on its average auto insurance rates, the coverage options offered, complaints against the company, collision repair and how easy it is to understand the information on their websites.

Auto insurance rates: 50% of score. We used data from Quadrant Information Services to find average rates from each company for drivers with a DUI.

Complaints: 20% of score: We used complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Each state’s department of insurance is in charge of logging and monitoring complaints against the companies that operate in their states. Most auto insurance complaints center on claims, including unsatisfactory settlements, delays and denials.

Accident forgiveness: 5% of score. We used whether an insurance company offers accident forgiveness.

New car replacement: 5% of score. We used whether an insurance company offers new car replacement.

Vanishing deductible: 5% of score. We used whether an insurance company provides a vanishing deductible if you don’t file claims.

SR-22: 5% of score. We used information about whether a company offers SR-22, which a driver with a DUI may need to get.

Usage-based insurance or pay-per-mile policies: 5% of score. We gauged whether a company offers UBI or PPM policies are ways to get discounted car insurance rates.

Collision repair score: 5% of score. Auto body shop professionals have an insider view of each company’s approach to repairs. The better insurers don’t apply pressure to cut costs or install lower-quality repair parts. Some insurers also have processes that help speed up repair and claims processes, making for more happy customers. We used data provided by CRASH Network, a weekly newsletter covering the collision repair and auto insurance market segments.

• DUI Vs. DWI: What’s The Difference?
• How Much Do Car Insurance Rates Go Up After A DUI?
• How Long Does A DUI Stay On Your Record?
• How Much Does Car Insurance Go Up After An Accident?
• Compare Car Insurance Quotes
• Best Car Insurance Companies