Most drivers know that a DUI or OWI means flashing red lights, a ride in a squad car, and a hefty court fine. But the real punishment begins weeks later. In your mailbox. Long after the court case is closed, your auto insurance provider is going to hand you a bill that turns a one-time mistake into a multi-year financial crisis. Car insurance after a DUI depends upon a varity of factors.
DUI, DWI, and OWI: What’s the Difference?
DUI, DWI, and OWI all describe impaired-driving offenses, but states use different terminology:
- Minnesota uses DWI, meaning Driving While Impaired.
- Wisconsin uses OWI, meaning Operating While Intoxicated.
- DUI, or Driving Under the Influence, remains the term many drivers use when discussing or searching for information about impaired driving.
The consequences depend on the state, blood alcohol concentration, prior offenses, test refusal, license status, and whether the incident caused an injury or involved a child passenger.
Whatever term appears on your record, the conviction can significantly affect your car insurance.
Can You Keep Car Insurance After a DUI?
Yes, you can usually obtain car insurance after a DUI, DWI, or OWI—but you may not be able to keep the same carrier, policy, or premium.
Insurance companies use your driving history to determine your eligibility and rate. Because impaired driving represents a serious violation, a carrier may classify you as a higher-risk driver.
Following a conviction, you could experience:
- A significant premium increase
- Loss of a safe-driver or violation-free discount
- Removal from a preferred insurance program
- Fewer available coverage or payment options
- Nonrenewal of your current policy
- A requirement to provide proof of financial responsibility
- The need to find a carrier that accepts higher-risk drivers
Every insurance company evaluates impaired-driving convictions differently. Your age, location, vehicle, coverage limits, prior violations, insurance history, and other household drivers can also affect your premium.
How to Keep Your Car Insurance After a DUI
A conviction can make insurance more complicated, but taking the right steps may help you maintain coverage and avoid additional problems.
1. Don’t let your coverage lapse
Maintaining continuous car insurance becomes especially important after a serious driving violation.
A lapse can make it harder and more expensive to find replacement coverage. If the state requires an SR-22 and your policy lapses, your insurance company must generally notify the state. The state may then suspend or revoke your driving privileges again.
If you cannot drive temporarily, talk with your insurance agent before canceling your policy. Canceling coverage may create problems if you own a registered vehicle, share a household with other drivers, or need insurance to reinstate your license.
2. Read every notice from the state
Your insurance agent cannot determine your complete legal or licensing obligations. Review every notice you receive from the court, Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services, or the Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles.
These notices should tell you:
- How long the state will suspend or revoke your license
- Whether you qualify for limited driving privileges
- Whether you must complete an assessment or driver safety program
- Whether you need an ignition interlock device
- Whether you must provide an SR-22
- What you must do before the state restores your driving privileges
Requirements vary considerably, even among first-time offenders.
3. Tell your insurance agent what you need
Your insurance agent needs accurate information about your driving record, license status, household drivers, and state filing requirements.
Be prepared to provide:
- The date and type of violation
- The state where the violation occurred
- Your current license status
- Any notice requiring an SR-22
- Information about an occupational or limited license
- Details about an ignition interlock device, if applicable
Complete information helps your agent determine which carriers may consider your application and what documentation you need.
4. Compare more than one insurance carrier
One company may decline a driver while another carrier will accept the driver. Carriers can also apply different rates and eligibility rules to the same driving record.
Reliable Insurance Agency can compare options from multiple insurance companies rather than relying on a single carrier. Our agency represents several carriers, including Progressive, which confirms that it insures some drivers with DUI convictions and can file an SR-22 when required.
Your eligibility and premium will still depend on your individual circumstances. Progressive explains how a DUI can affect car insurance.
5. Avoid additional violations
A clean record following the conviction may help you qualify for more options over time. Drive carefully, make payments on time, and avoid any coverage lapses. And absolutely, positively, never put yourself in the position where you risk getting another DUI.
The conviction will not affect every insurance company for the same amount of time. As more time passes without another violation or accident, your agent may be able to reevaluate your coverage.
Will You Need an SR-22 Certificate?
An SR-22 is not a type of insurance policy. It is a certificate that an insurance company files with the state to prove that you carry the required liability insurance.
Minnesota and Wisconsin do not require every driver convicted of impaired driving to file an SR-22. The court or state licensing agency will tell you if you need one.
If the state requires an SR-22:
- You must purchase qualifying car insurance.
- Your insurance company files the certificate.
- You must maintain coverage for the required period.
- Your carrier notifies the state if your coverage ends prematurely.
The filing itself may involve a relatively small fee, but the violation that created the requirement can substantially affect your insurance eligibility and premium.
Drivers who do not own a vehicle may need a non-owner insurance policy with an SR-22 filing. Progressive provides additional information about SR-22 requirements.
What Happens After a DWI in Minnesota?
Minnesota treats impaired driving as a criminal offense. The state considers several factors when determining the severity and consequences, including:
- Your blood alcohol concentration
- Previous impaired-driving incidents
- Test refusal
- The presence of a child in the vehicle
- An injury or death resulting from the incident
Minnesota considers a blood alcohol concentration of 0.16 or higher an aggravating factor. The state may also impose additional penalties when a driver has prior DWI convictions or impaired-driving license revocations within the preceding 10 years.
Ignition interlock devices in Minnesota
Minnesota may allow or require some drivers to participate in its Ignition Interlock Device Program. The device requires a breath sample before the vehicle starts and at certain points while driving.
Drivers generally pay the installation, leasing, calibration, and monitoring costs. The requirements depend on the violation, blood alcohol concentration, prior record, and license-reinstatement path.
Minnesota explains the current rules in its Ignition Interlock Device Program guidelines.
Minnesota license reinstatement
Minnesota’s current driver’s manual lists a $680 reinstatement fee for an alcohol-related license revocation. Drivers may also need to apply for a new license, provide proof of insurance, or complete other requirements. Follow the specific instructions you receive from Minnesota DVS. The state outlines its general impaired-driving penalties in the Minnesota Driver’s Manual.
What Happens After an OWI in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin generally treats a first OWI without injury as a civil offense rather than a crime. However, a first offense can still result in a forfeiture, license revocation, an alcohol or drug assessment, a driver safety plan, and higher insurance costs.
Subsequent offenses—and offenses that involve injury or death—carry much more serious consequences.
Wisconsin recorded 18,645 OWI convictions in 2023. Wisconsin estimates that an OWI can cost approximately $10,000—but that figure is not a ceiling. Attorney fees, an ignition interlock device, lost income and several years of higher car insurance premiums can push the final cost considerably higher. According to WisDOT, the average ignition interlock device alone now costs approximately $1,500 per year for each affected vehicle. WisDOT describes the financial and legal consequences of an OWI.
Occupational licenses in Wisconsin
Some drivers may qualify for a Wisconsin occupational license after a suspension or revocation. This restricted license allows driving only for approved purposes and during specified times.
The state does not issue an occupational license automatically. You must apply and satisfy the applicable requirements. WisDOT provides current occupational-license eligibility information.
Wisconsin SR-22 requirements
Wisconsin may require an SR-22 following certain license suspensions or revocations. However, not every first-offense OWI produces an SR-22 requirement. Follow your DMV reinstatement notice or contact WisDOT before purchasing or changing coverage. WisDOT explains Wisconsin’s proof-of-insurance requirements.
How Much Will Car Insurance Increase After a DUI?
No single percentage applies to every driver.
Online estimates often claim that a DUI will increase car insurance by a specific amount, but those averages cannot predict an individual driver’s premium. Insurance companies calculate rates using many factors, including:
- Driving and claims history
- Age and experience
- Location
- Vehicle
- Coverage limits and deductibles
- Household drivers
- Prior insurance history
- The carrier’s underwriting rules
A DUI, DWI, or OWI may affect your rate for several years. However, each carrier decides how long it uses the conviction when determining eligibility and premiums. That insurance timeline may differ from the state’s legal look-back period.
The Real Cost Goes Beyond Car Insurance
Higher insurance premiums represent only one part of the total financial impact. Depending on the offense, a driver may also pay for:
- Court and attorney fees
- Towing or vehicle impoundment
- License reinstatement
- Alcohol or drug assessments
- Education or treatment programs
- Ignition interlock installation and monitoring
- Alternative transportation
- Lost wages or employment consequences
These costs can easily reach thousands of dollars and continue long after the court resolves the case.
Reliable Insurance Agency Can Help
Keeping car insurance after a DUI may require a different carrier, an SR-22 filing, or changes to your policy. The right solution depends on your driving record, license status, vehicle, location, and coverage needs.
Reliable Insurance Agency can compare options among multiple insurance carriers rather than limiting you to one company. From our offices in Cloquet, Hermantown, and Superior, we help drivers throughout northern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin understand their insurance options.
If an impaired-driving conviction has affected your license or car insurance, contact us right away. We can help you determine what information the insurance company needs, assist with an SR-22 filing when required, and explore the coverage options available to you.
This article provides general insurance information, not legal advice. DWI and OWI consequences depend on the circumstances of each case. Consult an attorney and the appropriate state licensing agency for guidance about criminal charges, driving privileges, and license-reinstatement requirements.
