How Do DUIs Affect Car Insurance?

How DUIs Impact Car Insurance Costs

When determining car insurance prices, companies calculate driver risk, the risk that someone will file a claim. A driver with a DUI on their record is part of a group of high-risk drivers or nonstandard drivers, and not all car insurance companies offer nonstandard insurance. Even companies that serve people with DUIs have higher rates, ranging from 28 to 371 percent higher than standard policies’ prices, with an 80 percent average increase¹.

Person with handcuffs on behind police vehicle

The exact increase will depend on these factors, among others:

The amount of time that has passed since the DUI
Age of the driver
Driving history (at-fault accidents, tickets, etc.)
Company
State

How Long Will DUIs Impact Car Insurance Rates?

DUIs will impact car insurance costs for as long as the DUI is on the customer’s motor vehicle report. See below for how long a DUI stays on your record in your state.

State	How long a DUI will stay on your driving record
Alabama	5 years
Alaska	10 years
Arizona	7 years
Arkansas	5 years
California	10 years
Colorado	5 years
Connecticut	10 years
Delaware	Lifetime
District of Columbia	15 years
Florida	10 years
Georgia	5 years
Hawaii	5 years
Idaho	5 years
Illinois	5 years
Indiana	5 years
Iowa	12 years
Kansas	Lifetime
Kentucky	10 years
Louisiana	5 years
Maine	10 years
Maryland	10 years
Maryland	5 years
Michigan	7 years
Minnesota	10 years
Mississippi	5 years
Missouri	5 years
Montana	10 years
Nebraska	15 years
Nevada	7 years
New Hampshire	10 years
New Jersey	10 years
New Mexico	10 years
New York	10 years
North Carolina	10 years
North Dakota	7 years
Ohio	6 years
Oklahoma	10 years
Oregon	10 years
Pennsylvania	10 years
Rhode Island	5 years
South Carolina	10 years
South Dakota	10 years
Tennessee	10 years
Texas	Lifetime
Utah	10 years
Vermont	Lifetime
Virginia	10 years
Washington	7 years
West Virginia	10 years
Wisconsin	10 years
Wyoming	10 years

Once the DUI is removed from your driving record, your average car insurance rates will decrease.

Are People With DUIs Less Likely to Own Homes?

People with DUIs are 14 percent less likely to own homes than people without DUIs.

Driver status	Has not had a DUI in the past 5 years	Has had a DUI in the past 5 years
Owns a home	50%	43%
Does not own a home	50%	57%

While mortgage companies don’t perform criminal background checks, they do perform financial, credit, and employment history background checks. DUIs can affect your income, debt, stability, and job history, meaning they factor into whether or not you can get a mortgage. Therefore, homeownership is another area where DUIs can negatively impact your car insurance premiums.

Are People With DUIs More Likely to Get Tickets?

Not surprisingly, people with DUIs are 108 percent more likely to have had two to five tickets in the past five years – another factor that increases car insurance costs.

Driver status	Has not had a DUI in the past 5 years	Has had a DUI in the past 5 years
Has had 2-5 tickets in the past 5 years	4%	8%
Has not had 2-5 tickets in the past 5 years	96%	92%

Are People With DUIs More Likely to Get Into At-Fault Accidents?

Finally, people with DUIs are 136 percent more likely to have been involved in at-fault accidents in the past five years.

Driver status	Has not had a DUI in the past 5 years	Has had a DUI in the past 5 years
Has been involved in an at-fault accident in the past 5 years	11%	27%
Has not been involved in an at-fault accident in the past 5 years	89%	73%

While some companies offer accident forgiveness, being at fault in a car accident will usually cause your premiums to increase, whether or not drugs or alcohol were involved.

Penalties for DUIs by State

Getting a DUI may require drivers to file an SR-22 form (proof of minimum coverage). They may also face license suspension or have to install an ignition interlock device. Find your state’s penalties for DUI convictions below.

Image of SR-22 document

State	How long will your license be suspended for the first offense?	Do you still have driving privileges during the suspension (limited)?	When will you be required to install an ignition interlock device?	How long will you have to use the ignition interlock device?
Alabama	90 days	Must apply for hardship license	Mandatory for high BAC (0.15% and above) and repeat convictions; highly incentivized for first convictions	First offense, BAC under 0.15%: 6 months First offense, BAC over 0.15%: 1 year Second offense: 1 year Third offense: 3 years Fourth and subsequent offenses: 5 years
Alaska	90 days	After 30 days	Mandatory for all convictions	First conviction: 6 months Second conviction: 12 months Third conviction: 18 months
Arizona	90 days	After 30 days	Mandatory for all convictions	Second or third offense, or offense in which you are driving on a suspended or revoked license due to a prior DWI offense, or you endanger a child with your drunk driving: 1 year after the license suspension/revocation ends or the date of the conviction, whichever is later
Arkansas	6 months	Yes	Mandatory for all convictions	1 year after the license is no longer suspended or revoked, or, if you have a restricted license, during the period of the original suspension
California	4 months	After 30 days	Discretionary; mandatory for all convictions in Alameda, Los Angeles, Tulare, and Sacramento counties (pilot project – extended)	Determined by the court, but can’t exceed 3 years from conviction date
Colorado	3 months	Yes	Mandatory for high BAC (0.15% and above) and repeat convictions; highly incentivized for first convictions	Longer than 1 year or the total time remaining on the license restraint for those who have had driving privileges revoked for more than 1 year for driving impaired or under the influence
Connecticut	90 days	Yes	Highly incentivized for all convictions	No minimum
Delaware	3 months	No	Highly incentivized for all convictions	No minimum
District of Columbia	2-90 days or until deposition	Yes	Mandatory for all convictions	First conviction: 6 months Second conviction: 1 year Third or subsequent conviction: 2 years
Florida	6 months for DUI; 12 months for refusal	After 30 or (for refusal) 90 days	Mandatory for repeat convictions	DWI defendant: 6 months Someone reinstating their license: No minimum First conviction: No minimum but will need one installed if driver had someone under 18 in the car Second conviction: 1 year Third conviction: 2 years
Georgia	1 year	Yes	Mandatory for repeat convictions	First offense: Must use an interlock but no minimum Second and subsequent offenses: 12 months from when driver is issued limited driving privileges
Hawaii	3 months	After 30 days	Mandatory for all convictions	First offense: 1 year Second offense within 5 years, or first conviction if highly intoxicated: Must install interlock during revocation period
Idaho	90 days	After 30 days	Mandatory for all convictions	No specified time period
Illinois	6 months	After 30 days	Mandatory for all convictions; highly incentivized for first convictions	Period of statutory license suspension
Indiana	180 days	Available immediately	Mandatory for repeat convictions	Determined by the court but can’t exceed the maximum prison sentence
Iowa	180 days	After 30 days	Highly incentivized for all convictions	First offense: $1,000-$2,000 fine, up to 9 months in jail, minimum 6 months with interlock Second offense: $2,000-$4,000 fine, up to 12 months in jail, minimum 2 years with interlock Third and fourth offenses: Minimum $4,000 fine, plus the above penalties Additional penalties for BAC 0.15% or above while under age 18
Kansas	30 days	Can apply for limited license after 45-90 days	Highly incentivized for all convictions	First offense and BAC over 0.08%: 6 months if driver’s record is clear; 1 year if driver has a prior open-container violation or at least 3 moving violations BAC over 0.15% on first offense, BAC over 0.08% on the second or subsequent offense, or refusal of a breath, blood, or urine test: Length dependent on priors
Kentucky	30-120 days	Yes	Mandatory for all convictions	First offense: 6 months after license revocation Second offense within 5 years: 1 year Third or subsequent offense within 5 years: 30 months
Louisiana	2 years	Vehicle confiscation	Mandatory for BAC 0.2% or above and repeat convictions; highly incentivized for first convictions	No specified time period
Maine	90 days	Yes	Highly incentivized for all convictions	As a condition of license reinstatement: 2 years 2 OUI offenses and license revoked for 2 years: 9 months 3 offenses: 3 years 4 or more offenses: 4 years
Maryland	90 days	Yes, with interlock	Mandatory for all convictions	1-3 years BAC of 0.15% or more: 1 year minimum
Massachusetts	90 days	Yes	Mandatory for repeat convictions	First offense, high BAC: 2 years Second offense: 2 years Third offense: 3 years Fourth and subsequent offenses: 5 years
Michigan	30-180 days	After 45 days	Mandatory for high BAC (0.17%) and repeat convictions	1 year, regardless of number of offenses
Minnesota	90 days	After 15 days	Highly incentivized for high BAC (0.16%) and repeat convictions	At court’s discretion
Mississippi	90 days	Yes, with interlock	Mandatory for all convictions	First offense: At court’s discretion Second and subsequent offenses: 6 months minimum
Missouri	90 days	Immediately with interlock use or after 30 days (restricted)	Mandatory for repeat convictions	6 months minimum
Montana	6 months	Yes	Mandatory for repeat convictions	First offense: 6 months Second and third offense: 1 year Fourth offense: 1 year or more
Nebraska	90 days	After 30 days	Mandatory for all convictions	First offense: 60 days to 6 months Second offense: 1 year Third offense: 2-15 years Fourth and subsequent offenses: 15 years
Nevada	90 days	After 45 days	Mandatory for all convictions	First and second offenses: 3-6 months Third and subsequent offenses: 12-36 months
New Hampshire	6 months	No privileges during suspension	Mandatory for all convictions	First offense: 1-2 years, if aggravating factors are present (e.g., high BAC) Second and subsequent offenses: 1-2 years
New Jersey	3 months	Must apply for hardship license	Mandatory for all convictions	First offense: 6 months to 1 year Second and subsequent offenses: 1-3 years
New Mexico	1 year for those under 21; 6 months for those over 21	Immediately with interlock	Mandatory for all convictions	First offense: 1 year Second offense: 2 years Third offense: 3 years Fourth and subsequent offenses: Lifetime (reviewed after 5 years)
New York	Yes	Yes	Mandatory for all convictions	First and second offenses: 6 months minimum Third and fourth offenses: 5 years Fifth offense: Permanent license revocation (barring extenuating circumstances)
North Carolina	30 days	After 10 days	Mandatory for high BAC (over 0.15%) and repeat convictions	First offense: Not required for low-BAC offenders Second offense or high BAC: 3 years Third offense: 7 years (if license is restored)
North Dakota	91 days	After 30 days	Discretionary	First offense: Not required Second and subsequent offenses: Encouraged, but at court’s discretion
Ohio	90 days	After 15 days	Mandatory for repeat convictions	At court’s discretion
Oklahoma	180 days	Yes	Mandatory for high BAC (0.15% and above) and repeat convictions; highly incentivized for first convictions	First offense: Not required for low-BAC offenders Second offense or high BAC: 4 years minimum Third and subsequent offenses: 5 years minimum
Oregon	90 days	After 30 days	Mandatory for all convictions and diversions	First offense: 1 year Second and subsequent offenses: 2 years
Pennsylvania	12 months	Yes, with Occupational Limited License and Ignition Interlock Limited License programs	Mandatory for high BAC (over 0.1%) and repeat convictions	First offense: Not required for low-BAC offenders Second and subsequent offenses: 1 year
Rhode Island	30-180 days	Conditional hardship license to commute to work, contingent on interlock	Mandatory for high BAC (over 0.1%)	First offense: Not required Second offense: 1-2 years, if required Third and subsequent offenses: 2 years, if required
South Carolina	1 month for BAC over 0.15%	Yes	Mandatory for high BAC (0.15% or above) and repeat convictions	First offense: Not required for low-BAC offenders Second offense: 2 years Third offense: 3 years Fourth and subsequent offenses: Lifetime, if license is reinstated (may apply to remove interlock restriction after 10 years)
South Dakota	30 days	Yes	Discretionary	At the court’s discretion
Tennessee	1 year	Yes	Mandatory for repeat convictions; highly incentivized for first convictions	Up to 1 year upon license reinstatement, regardless of prior offenses
Texas	90 days for BAC of 0.08% or greater; 180 days for refusal	Yes	Mandatory for high BAC and repeat convictions	First offense: 45 days to 6 months Second offense: 90 days to 1 year Third offense: 1-10 years
Utah	120 days	Temporary limited privileges (for employment, education, child visitation)	Mandatory for repeat convictions; highly incentivized for first convictions	First offense: Not required, but may be a condition of probation Second and subsequent offenses: Required as a condition of probation for a time period determined by the courts (3 years for drivers under 21 years old)
Vermont	90 days	Eligible for interlock restricted license after 30 days to a year, depending on number of prior offenses	Highly incentivized for all convictions	First offense: 6 months Second offense: 18 months Third offense: 3 years Fourth offense: Lifetime license suspension, no interlock possibility
Virginia	7 days	Yes	Mandatory for repeat convictions; highly incentivized for first convictions	Minimum 6 months upon license reinstatement, regardless of prior offenses
Washington	90 days	Yes, with an interlock driver’s license	Mandatory for all convictions	First offense: 1 year minimum Second offense: 5 years minimum Third offense: 10 years minimum
West Virginia	6 months	After 30 days	Mandatory for BAC over 0.15% and repeat convictions	First offense: 6 months minimum Second and subsequent offenses: 1 year minimum
Wisconsin	6-9 months	Yes	Mandatory for high BAC (over 0.15%) and repeat convictions	First offense: Not required for low-BAC offenders Second and subsequent offenses: 1 year minimum, once driving privileges are reinstated
Wyoming	90 days	Yes	Mandatory for high BAC (over 0.15%) and repeat convictions	First offense: Not required for low-BAC offenders Second offense: 1 year Third offense: 2 years Fourth and subsequent offenses: Lifetime (can appeal for removal after 5 years)²³

Recap

DUIs don’t occur in a vacuum. Rather, people with DUIs are also more likely to have had multiple traffic violations and at-fault accidents in the past five years, which also increases their auto insurance costs.

This can be a vicious cycle. People with DUIs may have trouble finding employment, leading them into debt and difficulty getting mortgages, and lack of homeownership increases car insurance costs further. To learn more, read our other car insurance research.

Methodology

We used thousands of data points from real car insurance customers, collected from May to October of 2021. We also consulted Irfan Chaudry – a former actuary at EY, Aon Benfield, and Ernst & Young – and used third-party data from Alcolock USA, Rubinstein Law Offices, the Governors Highway Safety Association, and the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Compare Cheap Auto Insurance in Washington, D.C.

June 5, 2025

How Do DUIs Affect Car Insurance?

Why You Can Trust Us

How DUIs Impact Car Insurance Costs

Are People With DUIs Less Likely to Own Homes?

Are People With DUIs More Likely to Get Tickets?

Are People With DUIs More Likely to Get Into At-Fault Accidents?

Penalties for DUIs by State

Recap

Methodology

Citations

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