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Tennessee DUI
Laws Tennessee DUI
Terms Tennessee DUI
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Tennessee
Drivers Licenses Suspensions
How a DUI Affects Your Car Insurance in TennesseeDriving under the influence (DWI
or DUI) is a serious offense. If you have ever had a DWI or DUI
conviction, you most certainly know that the consequences can be both
humiliating and expensive. Aside from the fines, attorney fees, and
license suspension, there are the more long-term consequences, such as
the impact on your car insurance rates and coverage.
If you are convicted of a DWI or
DUI, more often than not, your insurance company will find out about
the DWI or DUI and will deal with you in one of two ways. Typically,
your rates will go up, sometimes substantially, or, the company will
simply cancel your policy. If your insurance company raises your
premiums but keeps you as an insured, you will likely be labeled a
“high-risk driver.” Most states require the insurance company to
provide the state motor vehicle agency (DMV, MVD) with an SR-22 Proof
of Insurance Certificate, which removes your license suspension by
providing the state with proof that you are insured.
While this is all starting to
sound fine and dandy, the catch is that not all insurance companies
offer SR-22 policies. So your policy may be non-renewed or cancelled
simply because the company can no longer provide insurance for you. In
some states, insurers can’t cut you off in the middle of the policy
term, so be sure to check on the laws where you live.
Another less-likely scenario is
that your insurance company does not find out about your DWI or DUI
because, for whatever reason, it slips through the cracks.
Occasionally, your insurance company will not raise your rates or
cancel you if you have been a long time insured with no other blemishes
on your record. But this is also pretty unlikely.
If your policy is
cancelled or non-renewed, you will still be able to find insurance. It
will not likely be one of the preferred carriers, like AAA, Allstate or
Geico, but some other well-known companies (such as State Farm and
Progressive Insurance) as well as other smaller companies will cover
you and file the SR-22 for you so your license may be reinstated. Your
rates will most certainly be higher, particularly because a DWI or DUI
violation remains on your driving record for anywhere from five years
to the rest of your life, depending on the state you are in. To find
new insurance coverage after a DWI or DUI, it is probably best to go
through an independent agent who works with many different insurance
companies.
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