California Car Insurance Premiums After A DUI/DWI
(Quotes, Cost & Coverage)

Get California DUI/DWI car insurance quotes, cost & coverage fast. Find the best CA car insurance premiums after a DUI/DWI conviction.

CA Auto Insurance After DUI/DWI

California Car Insurance Premiums After A DUI/DWI ⋆ Quotes, Cost & Coverage

You were out at a work event or you were hanging out with friends and had one too many drinks. Against your better judgment, you decided to get behind the wheel of a car. You were wary of your decision, and as soon as you see those blue lights flashing in your rearview mirror, you know that you made a major mistake.

DUIs (driving under the influence) happen to the best of people. Unfortunately, while drinking alcohol may be fun and take the edge off, it also impairs judgment; even the most upstanding and law-abiding people have been arrested and charged with a DUI.

The ordeal of being arrested and charged is difficult, but the repercussions can affect you for a long time after the incident. Namely, it will affect your ability to drive. If you are granted permission to drive, you could find yourself facing difficulties when it comes to acquiring CA auto insurance. Here we will discuss California car insurance premiums after a DUI/DWI.

How a DUI Affects Your Car Insurance

California car insurance premiums after a DUI/DWI. Your past driving record plays a big role in determining how much you are going to end up paying for CA car insurance. A prior conviction of driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while intoxicated (DWI) is an indication to insurance companies that you are a risk. As such, there is a greater chance that you could repeat the same behavior in the future, which will end up costing them more money. In turn, it will end up making your California car insurance premiums after a DUI/DWI higher.

Anyone who has been convicted of a DUI in CA is classified as a high-risk driver by auto insurance companies. This will end up having negatively impacting your insurance in a number of ways:

The California car insurance premiums after a DUI/DWI you pay will go up.
You will be required to purchase a more expensive "high risk" policy.
The CA auto insurance that you had at the time of the infraction will most likely be cancelled immediately.

Moreover, the more high risk an insurance company saw you before your DUI conviction, the more difficult it will be for you to find coverage. And, if you do get coverage, California car insurance premiums after a DUI/DWI is going to be quite expensive.

Why A California Car Insurance Policy Is Cancelled After A DUI

Many auto insurance providers will simply raise your California car insurance premiums after a DUI/DWI, instead of cancelling out your policy completely. However, there are instances when an insurance provider will determine that it is in their best interests to end your coverage.

Why would a CA insurance provider decide to cancel your existing coverage? There are several reasons, some of which include:

Your driving record before the DUI occurred was poor
You have received a DUI or a DWI in the past
You received a DUI or DWI before you were of legal drinking age (21)

In other words, if you were already deemed a high risk driver before your DUI, your CA car insurance provider might find that there is little reason to insure you because you are a serious risk to them.

Ignition Interlock Devices

In certain states, people who are charged with a DUI will be required to install an Ignition Interlock Device to be able to legally drive. Like a breathalyzer, an ignition interlock measures the alcohol in a person's system. If that amount exceeds a pre-programmed level, then the interlock temporarily locks the vehicle's ignition so the driver can't start the car and drive.

Many states now use ignition interlock devices as an alternative to revoking driving privileges. These devices prevent drunk driving while giving those with DUI convictions the opportunity to attend school, got to work and perform other daily tasks.

If you have been convicted of a first offense DUI in CA your license will be suspended for a minimum of six months. Depending on the circumstances of your arrest, you may be eligible to apply for restricted driving privileges right away.

If you have been convicted of a CA DUI your license will be suspended for two to three years depending on the circumstances of your arrest. You may be eligible to regain your restricted driving privileges within 90 days.

If you have been convicted of a third offense DUI in California your license will be suspended for three to five years depending on the circumstances of your arrest. You may be eligible to get back your driving privileges within six months.

The SR-22 Form

In most states, if you have been convicted of a DUI, you will be required to fill out an SR-22 following your charge. The SR-22 form is used by the DMV to find out if your insurance coverage is valid. If the SR-22 reveals that you do not have valid auto insurance, the DMV will force you to surrender your license.

California High Risk Insurance After A DUI

A lot of auto insurance providers will offer those who have been convicted of a DUI with insurance, but it will be considered high risk insurance. A driver is usually classified as high risk if the insurance provider believes that the probability that the individual will be involved in another risky behavior while driving; a traffic infraction or an accident, for example.

Once you are classified high risk, your California car insurance premiums after a DUI/DWI rates will go up. The good news is, however, that if you maintain a clean driving record for a few years, your insurance rates can go back down again. Progressive DUI insurance rates CA is a good place to start.

CA DUI/DWI Auto Insurance Quotes

California Insurance

Request a California Car Insurance With DUI/DWI quote in Anaheim, Bakersfield, Chula Vista, Concord, Corona, Elk Grove, Escondido, Fontana, Fremont, Fresno, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Glendale, Hayward, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Lancaster, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Modesto, Moreno Valley, Oakland, Oceanside, Ontario, Orange, Oxnard, Palmdale, Pasadena, Pomona, Rancho Cucamonga, Riverside, Roseville, Sacramento, Salinas, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Ana, Santa Clara, Santa Clarita, Santa Rosa, Simi Valley, Stockton, Sunnyvale, Thousand Oaks, Torrance, Vallejo, Victorville, Visalia and all other cities in CA.

The California Department of Insurance

The CA Dept. of Insurance is the regulatory agency behind the insurance rules for the state of California. If you want to understand these rules, then this is definitely the agency that you need to focus on. Let's start with limits within the state.

California Minimum Insurance Limits

For auto insurance, California requires $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident.
For life insurance, there are certain regulations in place to determine how someone is able to get or offer life insurance, but there are no limits listed.
For commercial insurance, insurance agents may offer broker or casualty insurance as well as covered property insurance, covered causes of loss, specified perils and open perils along with a number of coverage forms like builder's risk, legal liability, building ordinance, glass, peak season, inflation guard and peak element.

CA Insurance Regulations

As for regular insurance regulations there are a lot of things that California provides that you can look up. For example, there are deadlines for the insurer to pay the claim or deny it, deadlines for submitting paperwork to prove a loss for insurance reimbursement, specific information your insurance company is required to give you and regulations on what information you have to provide to your insurance company.

One of the California regulations calls for you to be treated by your insurance company in good faith. This means that your insurer must be considered of your needs and must communicate completely and honestly with you about your policy and everything that you need to know about it in order to make a good decision. In turn, you are legally obligated to be honest and cooperative with your insurance company when it comes to your claim.

You should also be aware that your insurance company is required to offer prompt, honest and complete communications. The company and all of its representatives must respond to your communications within 15 calendar days with a complete response based upon the facts that are known.

Finally, be aware that your insurance company is required to have a fair claims process. Unless it is specified in your policy, you do not have to use the forms that are provided to you by your insurance provider in order to make a claim. You can create a list of losses on your own if you need to. In addition, insurers are not able to ask for unreasonable proof of loss. If you provide photographic evidence or video of items that you lost, insurers are not able to ask you to provide additional information.