How Much Does a DUI Raise Your Car Insurance Per Month?

Say the renewal notice just landed and the new monthly figure is roughly double what you used to pay. The DUI is the reason, and you already know that. The question you cannot answer yet is the dollar number. Most drivers shopping after a DUI hear wild ranges, from $50 a month at the low end to $1,000 at the high end, and that is before SR-22 fees, state filing rules, and any chance of comparison-shopping the cost back down.

This guide gives the dollar answer. We walk through the national average post-DUI rate, the state-by-state cost projection, the SR-22 or FR-44 filing fee that is separate from the premium, the full multi-year cost of a typical filing period, and the post-DUI shopping playbook that lowers the all-in number for most drivers.

The Short Answer

A DUI raises full-coverage car insurance by about 74% on average, from roughly $150 a month to about $261 a month [1]. Annual cost moves from about $1,800 to $3,132 [1]. State variation runs from roughly $169 a month in Maine to $362 a month in Florida after the same multiplier (see the state-by-state estimates below). Most drivers also pay a one-time SR-22 or FR-44 filing fee of $15 to $50 on top.

The DUI is the largest single-event multiplier on a personal auto policy. The good news is that cross-carrier spread is widest in the high-risk segment, so post-DUI comparison shopping returns the biggest spread of any moment in your policy history.

How Much a DUI Raises Your Rate Nationally

Insurance carriers price a DUI as the steepest single driving-record event you can hit. The national full-coverage baseline runs about $150 a month, or $1,800 a year, based on the NAIC combined average premium adjusted for current BLS Consumer Price Index data [2][3]. A DUI moves that baseline to roughly $261 a month, or $3,132 a year, an increase of about 74% [1].

For comparison, a single speeding ticket moves the same baseline up about 30%, to roughly $195 a month, and one at-fault accident moves it up about 44%, to about $216 a month [1]. A DUI is the largest single-event multiplier you will see on a personal auto policy.

Driving record event	Monthly	Annual	Increase over clean record
Clean record	$150	$1,800	baseline
One speeding ticket	$195	$2,340	+30%
One at-fault accident	$216	$2,592	+44%
DUI	$261	$3,132	+74%

Last updated: May 2026 [1][2][3].

The rate increase usually does not hit your bill mid-policy. Your current carrier learns about the conviction when the court reports it to your state DMV, and the new rate lands at renewal. If you are weeks away from renewal, that is when the math shows up. If you are months away, you may have a small window before the surcharge takes effect. For the underlying breakdown of how violations move the rate, see our driving record impact data page. For the foundational math behind any rate increase, see our guide to why car insurance is so expensive.

State-by-State DUI Cost Snapshot

State cost varies because state baselines vary, not because the DUI multiplier itself shifts dramatically state to state. Here is what the +74% national DUI multiplier looks like applied to eight state baselines that span the cost distribution.

State	Monthly (clean record)	Estimated monthly (post-DUI)	Filing notes
Maine	$97	$169	Standard SR-22 filing
Pennsylvania	$133	$231	No SR-22 required for standard first-offense DUI
California	$148	$258	10-year DUI reporting window on driving record
Michigan	$164	$285	No-fault state; PIP coverage required
Texas	$180	$313	SR-22 required for two years from conviction
New York	$198	$345	10-year felony repeat-offender lookback
Florida	$208	$362	FR-44 required, 100/300/50 limits plus PIP for three years
Virginia	$129	$224	FR-44 required, similar elevated-limit rule

Last updated: May 2026. State baselines from NAIC plus BLS CPI [2][3]; post-DUI estimates apply the national +74% DUI multiplier from QuoteFii driving record data [1]. Actual carrier rates vary by carrier, driver age, credit, and prior history.

A few state-specific filing rules worth noting alongside the cost table. California's DMV reports a DUI conviction for 10 years on the noncommercial driving record [4]. Texas requires an SR-22 filing for two years from the conviction date [5]. Florida and Virginia require an FR-44 (not an SR-22), with Florida mandating 100/300/50 bodily-injury and property-damage limits plus PIP coverage for three years after license reinstatement [6].

The estimates above use one multiplier across all states because no public dataset isolates DUI rate impact by state at sufficient quality. Actual carrier-specific surcharges vary, and the cross-carrier spread in the high-risk segment is wide enough that an estimate is only a starting point, not a quote. For the full state baseline table, see our state rates data page and our average car insurance cost by state guide.

What Drives the Variation: Five Factors That Move the Number

Carriers do not assign one DUI surcharge to every driver. Five factors widen or narrow your specific number around the national average.

1. State: state baselines run from roughly $97 to $208 a month for full coverage, so the same +74% DUI multiplier produces very different absolute dollar figures across states [2][3].
2. Age: drivers under 25 face age multipliers around 1.98x the clean-record baseline before any violation is added, so a young driver with a DUI sits well above the national post-DUI average [7].
3. Prior driving history: a clean record before the DUI lands you closer to the national average; an existing ticket or accident on the same record amplifies the surcharge.
4. Credit and rating profile: poor credit pushes the rate higher in most states; for the breakdown of how this works see 560 credit score and car insurance. Four states (CA, HI, MA, MI) ban credit scoring in auto rating, which compresses the spread there.
5. First versus repeat offense: a second DUI carries a steeper surcharge than the national first-offense figure, and many carriers either non-renew or move repeat-offense drivers entirely to the non-standard market.

Say you are a 22-year-old in Texas with a DUI. Your starting point is not the national +74% surcharge applied to the national $150 baseline. It is the Texas state baseline (around $180 a month) compounded by the young-driver age tier (about 1.98x for under-25 drivers), and the DUI tier on top. The all-in monthly figure can land at two to three times what an older driver with the same DUI sees in the same state. Comparing carriers becomes more important the higher this stack runs.

SR-22 and FR-44 Filing Fees: Separate from the Premium

Most states require an SR-22 filing after a DUI to reinstate your license. The filing fee itself is a one-time charge by the carrier, typically $15 to $50 in most states. That fee sits on top of the higher premium, not inside it.

Florida and Virginia require an FR-44 instead of an SR-22 for DUI-related convictions. The FR-44 mandates higher liability limits than a standard policy: in Florida, 100/300/50 bodily-injury and property-damage limits plus PIP coverage, held for three years after license reinstatement [6]. Drivers in those two states pay both the filing fee and the cost of the higher coverage requirement on top of the DUI surcharge.

A few practical notes:

• Not every carrier files SR-22 or FR-44. If your current carrier will not, you have to switch to one that will. This is one of the reasons a post-DUI shop is rarely a worse outcome than staying put.
• The filing period is usually two to three years (Texas requires SR-22 for two years from conviction [5]; Florida's FR-44 runs three years from license reinstatement [6]; most other states require SR-22 for three years).
• The filing dropping off does not automatically lower your rate. The DUI itself stays on your driving record longer than the filing requirement. For the full timeline, see how long a DUI affects your car insurance.

Deeper walkthroughs live at SR-22 insurance explained and FR-44 insurance explained.

Total Cost Across the Filing Period

Monthly and annual figures understate the financial impact. The number that matters is the cumulative cost across the SR-22 or FR-44 period.

Take the national average. A driver paying about $150 a month before the DUI moves to $261 a month after. That is a $111 monthly surcharge. Across a 36-month SR-22 period, the surcharge alone totals roughly $3,996 above what the same driver would have paid with a clean record [1]. The cumulative surcharge is often the single most expensive piece of a DUI, larger than legal fines and court costs combined in many states.

Say you live in California paying about $148 a month before a DUI. The post-DUI estimate sits around $258 a month at the state average. The $110 monthly surcharge stacks to roughly $3,960 across a three-year filing period, on top of the $5,328 you would have paid at the clean baseline anyway. That total is the realistic cost ceiling unless you comparison-shop, which most drivers do not. The next section is what reduces it.

How to Cut the Cost (Shopping Playbook)

The largest cost lever you have right now is also the simplest: comparing carriers. Drivers who shop and switch save a median of $461 a year, based on a Consumer Reports survey of policyholders who changed providers [8]. The cross-carrier spread for clean records runs about 15 to 20%. The same spread in the high-risk segment runs 40 to 50% or more, so the actual upside for post-DUI comparison shopping is usually larger than the clean-record median.

The post-DUI playbook below is five steps:

1. Comparing quotes across at least three carriers, including a non-standard carrier reached through an independent agent. Some carriers specialize in high-risk drivers and price post-DUI policies more favorably than the standard market. Independent agents have access to several non-standard carriers that you cannot easily quote yourself online.
2. Asking for the all-in monthly cost including the SR-22 or FR-44 filing fee. Most carriers that file the certificate add an administrative fee on top of the policy premium. Make sure you are comparing the total number, not just the base rate.
3. Considering a non-owner SR-22 or FR-44 if you can avoid driving during the filing period. This option keeps your license valid and your filing active at a fraction of the full owner-policy cost.
4. Re-shopping at each milestone (year 1 surcharge, year 3 reclassification, SR-22 expiration). Carrier reclassification creates the widest price spread at these moments, and the carrier that wins at year 1 is often not the carrier that wins at year 3.
5. Checking your state's assigned-risk plan if every voluntary carrier denies you. Every state operates a residual market that must write minimum coverage for drivers who cannot find a voluntary carrier. The rates are higher than the voluntary market but lower than driving uninsured, which would push you into the 14% of U.S. drivers who lack any coverage according to the Treasury's Federal Insurance Office [9].

For the underlying method, see how to compare auto insurance rates. For the related post-conviction shopping context, see car insurance after a DUI.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my insurance triple after a DUI?

Rarely. The national average increase is about 74%, not 200% [1]. Some combinations (young drivers, repeat offenses, high-cost states) can approach or exceed double, but tripling is uncommon for a first-offense adult driver. The actual figure depends on your state baseline, age, credit, and the carrier writing the policy.

Why is DUI insurance so expensive?

Carriers price the DUI tier from claims data. NHTSA recorded 11,904 deaths in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in 2024, about 30% of all U.S. traffic fatalities [10]. The CDC put the annual societal cost of impaired driving at about $143 billion in 2022 [11]. From an actuarial perspective, drivers with a DUI on record re-offend and file claims at higher rates than the baseline pool, and the premium follows the loss math.

Can I drop my coverage to save money after a DUI?

No. Dropping coverage during a license suspension or SR-22 filing period triggers a state notification, which can lead to license re-suspension and an extended filing requirement. A coverage lapse of more than 30 days also stacks a 25-50% rate hike on top of the DUI surcharge in most carrier rating systems, lasting up to a year. See what happens if your car insurance lapses.

What is the most expensive part of a DUI?

For most drivers, it is the multi-year insurance surcharge, not the legal fines or court costs. A typical $111 monthly surcharge across a 36-month SR-22 filing period totals roughly $3,996, often exceeding the combined fines, court fees, and legal representation costs in many states.

Does my rate drop when my SR-22 ends?

Rarely in one step. SR-22 expiration releases your filing obligation, but the DUI itself usually stays on your driving record longer than the filing requirement. Most carriers taper the surcharge gradually across years three through seven, with the biggest reduction at the policy renewal after each milestone year. See the full timeline at how long a DUI affects your car insurance.

Next Steps

Your rate just reset. The shopping window in front of you is the single largest cost-reduction lever you have between now and the conviction aging off your record. A few action items:

• This week: pull your renewal notice and confirm the new monthly figure, plus whether your current carrier is filing the SR-22 or FR-44 for you. If they are not, you have to switch.
• This month: get quotes from at least three carriers, including at least one non-standard carrier through an independent agent. Compare the all-in monthly cost, not just the base rate.
• At each milestone (year 1, year 3, SR-22 expiration): re-shop. The carrier mix that wins on price changes as the conviction ages, and so does the spread.

Enter your zip code at the top of this page or at quotefii.com to compare rates from top carriers in two minutes. Free, no obligation. The carrier you signed with before the DUI is often not your cheapest carrier today.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified attorney for guidance on DUI charges and their legal consequences in your jurisdiction.

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