Getting Car Insurance in New York State With a DUI

New York actually uses the abbreviation DWI instead of DUI, which means driving under the influence versus driving while intoxicated.

Penalties

You shouldn’t be surprised to learn that in New York, you’ll face serious consequences for DWI even if it’s your first offense. However, the penalties for DWI increase for a second and subsequent offenses that occur within 10 years of the first offense or for drivers under the age of 21.¹

On top of these penalties, New York has:

• Additional penalties for someone with multiple drug and/or alcohol violations within a 25-year period
• An 18-month license revocation for an aggravated DWI violation if, within the past 10 years, the person also had convictions for DWI, DWAI/drugs, or DWAI/combination, meaning both drugs and alcohol
• A permanent license revocation for those with three or more drug/alcohol convictions or refusals within 10 years (although the state may accept a waiver after the first five years minimum)
• Surcharges for alcohol-related felonies, generally $400 but at the discretion of the court
• Surcharges for alcohol-related misdemeanors of $260
• A Class D felony for people with three or more convictions in the past 15 years of:
  • Aggravated DWI
  • Aggravated vehicular assault
  • DWAI/combination
  • DWAI/drug
  • DWI
  • Manslaughter
  • Vehicular assault
  • Vehicular homicide

Teen driver laws are more harsh in New York, so if you’re under 21 and caught drinking and driving, you’ll face steeper penalties when it comes to your license. However, your license can remain in conditional status if you enroll in the Impaired Driver Program (IDP), also known as the Drinking Driver Program (DDP). You can find a program near you on the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) website at https://dmv.ny.gov/tickets/find-impaired-driver-programs-idp-county.

How Long a DWI Stays on Your Record

In the state of New York, a DWI will remain on your driving record for two years.

How much will New York car insurance, already known for being expensive, increase with a DWI on your record?

Average Costs

On average, a DUI will increase your car insurance premium by 37 percent in New York.

Will Your Insurance Cover You?

Your provider may choose to drop you as a customer with a DWI on your record, as not all insurance companies cover high-risk drivers. However, the insurer must let you know 20 days before the expiration date so you have time to get a new policy and avoid a lapse in coverage.²

Is it possible to find cheap New York car insurance after being convicted of a DWI? While cheap is a relative term, there are ways to lower your rates even if you have a bad driving record.

What Is the Best and Cheapest Auto Insurance Company?

The cheapest and best DUI auto insurance companies in New York are:

• Erie: Expect to pay around $2,600 for Erie’s car insurance with a DUI on your record, only about 12 percent more than what you would pay with a clean driving record.
• GEICO: GEICO’s average cost is even lower than Erie’s at only $2,556, though that’s a 23 percent increase compared to someone with a clean driving record. Learn more about GEICO’s pricing.

Alternatives

There’s no doubt that being considered a high-risk driver makes it harder to find insurance companies that want you as a customer. If all else fails when shopping the private market, consider these two alternative options.

• New York Automobile Insurance Plan (NYAIP): Your last resort is the New York Automobile Insurance Plan, also known as the Assigned Risk Plan or Auto Plan. Most of the state’s brokers and agents can get you coverage through this plan for three years. To qualify, you must certify that you’ve tried and failed to find car insurance in the past 60 days and haven’t been able to find rates lower than they would be under the Auto Plan. Learn more about the plan through the Automobile Insurance Plan Service Office, also known as AIPSO.
  • Mailing address:
    • New York AIP
    • 22 Cortlandt St., Suite 2101
    • New York, NY 10007-3151
  • Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. ET
  • Phone: 212-943-5100
  • Fax: 212-742-2116
  • Email addresses: nyaip@aipso.com³
• Self-insurance: Technically, you can insure your own cars if you have a certain amount of liquidity, which you can determine using the formula listed on the application at https://dmv.ny.gov/ii-es/fs-100.pdf. This option won’t be financially possible for most people, however.

How to Save

Once you’ve found an insurance provider willing to accept you, here’s how to lower your auto insurance premium as much as possible.

1. Complete the Point and Insurance Reduction Program (PIRP). If you successfully complete the PIRP and send the certificate of completion to your insurance company or agent within 90 days, you can get four points “subtracted” from your record, preventing a license suspension and giving you a 10 percent discount on liability and collision insurance. Classes last 320 minutes, and fees vary by provider. Find a provider for either online or in-person instruction.
   • Online: https://dmv.ny.gov/pirp/online
   • In person: https://dmv.ny.gov/pirp/classroom
     While the points technically will remain on your record, completing the PIRP still allows people with 11 or more points on their record to avoid a license suspension and an inflated insurance premium.
2. Get minimum insurance coverage. Getting minimum coverage is the cheapest option in any state, and in New York, even minimum coverage can be pretty extensive.
   • Bodily injury liability coverage: $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident
   • Property damage liability coverage: $10,000 per accident
   • Uninsured motorist coverage: $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident
   • Personal injury protection: $50,000 per person
   • Death: $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
3. Improve your credit score. As of early 2021, the average VantageScore in New York was 712, slightly higher than the national average of 698.⁴ Improving your credit will result in lower car insurance premium in the state, as creditworthiness indicates a lower likelihood of filing a claim.
4. Bundle policies. Bundling two insurance policies under the same provider, like homeowners and auto insurance, could get you a discount.
5. Use pay-per-mile insurance. Second only to Washington, D.C., New York has the lowest percentage of motor vehicle commuters in the U.S. — just 55 percent. Meanwhile, 12 percent take public transportation, 48 percent work from home, and a combined 11 percent walk, bike, or take other means like motorcycles. If you’re part of the work-from-home crowd or don’t drive to work, consider pay-per-mile insurance, which will reward you with a discount for low mileage.

The easiest way to avoid penalties for driving drunk and maintain cheap car insurance in New York is to drive sober, especially if you’re under the age of 21. However, if you do have a DWI conviction, it’s still possible to find car insurance you can afford, especially through the state’s Auto Plan. Keep reading our frequently asked questions below for more information on DWIs in the Empire State.