Alaska Auto Insurance After DUI

Reader’s Question:

Will my current auto insurance here in Alaska increase immediately after I get convicted for DUI? How long would I have to pay those higher auto insurance rates?

Galen

Anchorage, AK

Unless your auto insurance policy in Alaska is already up for renewal, your premiums will not increase immediately after a DUI conviction. In general, an auto insurance company runs a check on your motor vehicle record (MVR) if they are renewing your auto insurance policy or if you are a new customer. Once your auto insurance provider notices your DUI, it’s the time that your premiums will increase. Depending on the state laws and the rating systems of the auto insurance companies, your premiums will be affected for a period of three, five or seven years, or as long as the conviction is on your Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) record if the insurance laws in Alaska allow it.

Because of a DUI conviction, auto insurance premiums are likely to increase substantially and you will be considered as a high risk driver by auto insurance companies. On average and depending on the guidelines of your auto insurance provider, the increase on your premiums is 30%.

Your DUI would have a negative effect on your auto insurance as you will be placed in a higher risk group and your rates could stay higher on a number of years after your conviction. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it because you can still shop and compare auto insurance quotes to find the most manageable rates.

Why is Car Insurance in Alaska So Expensive?

Reader’s Question:

Is it true that even short gaps in my insurance coverage can cause my auto insurance rates to go up? I recently moved to Alaska and I was wondering if this could be the reason my insurance rates are bigger here than where I came from.

Chuck

Anchorage, AK

Increased auto insurance rates, or in rare cases being denied auto insurance protection, can definitely be due to lack of or gaps in your insurance coverage. Driving without any form of car insurance protection is not very advisable, and is even considered illegal under the financial responsibility laws of many states, since this makes car insurance providers perceive you as a high-risk driver (due to taking the risk of driving without adequate financial protection). There is basis for this as studies have shown that people who pay high amounts for insurance actually drives in a much safer manner as those without.

There could be other factors involved that made your auto insurance rates there in Alaska. It is possible that it is just simply more expensive to get insurance there in your new location as compared to the old one. If you did not change providers, it is also possible that your comprehensive insurance clause became more expensive due to increased likelihood of accidents caused by snow-storms, skidding in ice and other natural events that may cause damage or loss of your vehicle.

Did you change to a more expensive vehicle? This could also affect but if nothing much has changed other than that you relocated and did not have coverage for an extended span of time, the gap in your coverage could have definitely increased your rates.

 

Cheap Alaska DUI SR22 Auto Insurance

Reader’s Question:

My brother has a DUI conviction . He is asking me to help him out on finding cheap SR22 auto insurance. Why does he need this and will we be able to find SR22 auto insurance here in Alaska without paying an arm and a leg?

Jude

Anchorage, AK

Let me explain first why your brother needs SR22 auto insurance. This is commonly referred to as a certificate of financial responsibility or high risk car insurance. The mere fact that your brother has a DUI conviction in Anchorage, Alaska makes this a requirement as a proof of financial responsibility. The SR22 form provides a guarantee of insurance by the company your brother has purchased it from. This supplies the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) with the guarantee that even though he is a high risk driver, he at least carries the state mandated minimum limits of coverage. Further, it is essential that your brother does not allow this type of policy to lapse. The insurance company is required to immediately notify the DMV if it does lapse, and the DMV will immediately suspend your brother’s license until the insurance is reinstated.

To find SR22 auto or high risk car insurance, your brother can first check with his current insurance company to see if they can file it for him. If his insurance company does not offer that service or he does not have current insurance, time to start his comparison search. Finding SR22 auto insurance is easy with just a click of the mouse. There are a lot of insurance companies which offer this online. No need to worry, comparing car insurance rates from top companies against each other is an easy way to find a cheap rate and still get the coverage that you need.

Getting Auto Insurance After a DUI Conviction

Reader’s Question:

I was convicted with DUI and it would still seem fortunate enough that I was able to avoid being in jail. What concerns me now is my car insurance. What will happen to my car insurance after my DUI conviction?

William

Anchorage, AK

In general, there are actually two ways insurance companies deal with customers convicted of DUI. First is that your insurance company will likely raise your car insurance premiums and label you a high-risk driver if it finds out you have been convicted of DUI in Alaska. Second is that your insurance company may cancel your insurance mid-term or terminate the policy at the end of the term because of your DUI conviction, especially if you are currently in a preferred class. Your insurance company would send you a notice stating why you have been cancelled, and then you would have to find another insurance company while having a cancellation on your claims history and a DUI on your driving record.

In Alaska, you will be required to file an SR22 so that you can have your driver’s license back. Your insurance company would have to provide SR22 form to Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This would serve as a proof of your insurance. You should carry the SR22 for three years after the last day of your driver’s license revocation.