DUI Charges & Car Insurance
DUI Attorney Serving Ventura
A DUI conviction can affect virtually every aspect of your life, including your job, family, reputation, and finances. According to researchers, a drunk driving conviction can easily cost $10,000, in fees, fines, bail, and car insurance penalties. After a conviction, you will no longer be eligible to receive “good driver” discounts, the cost of your insurance might increase, and your insurance provider may decide to cancel your insurance agreement.
You don’t have to face this challenge alone, though; work with a member of our Ventura DUI team to fight for your rights and your future in court.
How will a DUI affect my car insurance?
Your car insurance provider can choose to increase the cost of your insurance. After a DUI, many insurance companies will decide to label you as a “dangerous driver,” especially if your DUI resulted in an accident. Once your provider decides that you are at-risk, it will most likely raise the cost of your insurance policy or cancel it altogether. Additionally, you will no longer be eligible to receive a “good driver” discount on your insurance.
A drunk driving conviction will stay on your driver record for ten years. After ten years, the offense will be automatically removed from your record. “Wet reckless” traffic convictions produce similar insurance penalties but only stay on your driving record for seven years. The term “wet reckless” is used to describe a traffic offense that involved alcohol but did not meet the qualifications of a DUI. A Wet reckless charge can only be offered as a sentence reduction, not an initial allegation.
Your Insurance Provider May Cancel Your Policy
After a DUI conviction, your insurance provider may decide to cancel your policy. In California, it is illegal to drive a car without proper insurance coverage, so a DUI conviction could mean that you have to find a new provider. Under certain circumstances, your provider may decide to give you a new, more expensive policy instead of canceling it; so speak with the company before you establish a new policy. Once the company determines how your DUI will impact the policy, it will notify the DMV of any relevant legal changes.
If your car insurance policy is canceled, the DMV will send notification to you, explaining that you need to obtain new car insurance. After you receive notification from the DMV, you only have 45 days to find insurance with a new company. Unfortunately, some insurance companies may be reticent to sell insurance to you after a DUI conviction. After you find a new provider, the insurance company will send a California Insurance Proof Certificate (SR 22) form to the DMV. The DMV will suspend your vehicle registration if it does not receive this form in 45 days.
