DUI Car Insurance For Convicted Drivers

DUI car insurance has different requirements, depending on where a policyholder lives, in order to satisfy state compliance. Only qualified applicants will be issued a suitable policy. Form SR22 is used in most states to monitor insurance compliance for drivers with a DUI conviction. Florida and Virginia use Form FR44 for their drivers. A qualified policy must remain in effect for a valid license to continue. Some companies discourage applicants while others compete for their business. Due to FR44 requirements, policies in Florida and Virginia have become profitable business for companies as they compete for new ones with low rates.

Each state legislature determines the requirements that need to be met for a DUI convicted driver. Mandatory Bodily Injury Liability (BIL) with increased limits is common. In Florida the FR44 requires $300,000 limits of BIL, the largest increase of any state. In Virginia, the only other state to adopt the this Form, mandates $100,000 of BIL. A policy in Texas requires $60,000 of BIL and DUI in California $30,000, and so on. Most states have a compliance period of three years (Texas is two) in order to maintain a valid license. Additional administrative and underwriting requirements vary by state for the applicant and policy.

How much is DUI insurance? This is a question every convicted driver asks and it is best answered by shopping around and receiving quotes from a variety of companies. Keep in mind that a policy is basically like any other except for some additional requirements and increased limits. Because of increased costs and more varied requirements a policy has more fluctuation in prices between companies than a policy without a DUI. Keep in mind that a qualified policy may be a car insurance policy, motorcycle policy, or an operator’s policy where there is no vehicle to insure. Florida no longer allows a filing on a policy for motorcycles.

A drunken driver is a bad risk for any insurance company, however, most drivers who have experienced the consequences of a conviction avoid driving drunk. Also, because of their previous experience, the awareness of convicted drivers is extremely elevated, and they drive very carefully when they consume just a small amount of alcohol. Mindful drivers are a good risk for companies and reasonable rates are available to any risk group that proves to be profitable. Because the FR44 Form in Florida and Virginia, unlike the SR22 Form in other states, separates DUI drivers from all other high risk drivers, it is easy for companies to determine that this specific group has low claims payouts making it profitable business.

A qualified DUI insurance policy for a convicted driver is generally the last step before driving privileges are restored. A person convicted of driving under the influence will need a policy with SR22 (FR44 in Florida and Virginia) to maintain a valid license. Requirements for this type of policy vary considerably between states and between companies. A good shopping strategy will keep rates lower, especially where companies are competing for this type of business such as in Florida and Virginia.