When authorities in Missouri suspect you have been drinking and driving and charge you with doing so, there is quite a bit at stake. Even if it is your first time facing a charge of driving while intoxicated, you still stand to lose your license, rack up hefty fines and potentially even spend time behind bars. While you should anticipate having to pay fines directly related to your arrest, such as bail or towing fees, you should also plan on paying much more for car insurance after a DWI conviction.
According to Insure.com, a DWI is going to raise your insurance rates, but certain factors affect how much it does. Your insurer’s own policies affect how much of an increase you might see, and so, too, do the facts surrounding your arrest, such as whether you are a first-time offender. That said, most Missouri motorists who receive DWIs watch their insurance rates increase by a similar amount.
How much insurance rates increase after a DWI
The typical Missouri driver convicted of drunk driving for the first time watches his or her insurance rates climb by about 64%. Before a DWI, the average Missouri motorist pays somewhere in the ballpark of $1,288 per year for insurance coverage. After a first-time DWI arrest, most motorists pay closer to $2,117, which makes for an annual increase of $829.
How to find the most affordable rate available to you
Because different insurers rely on different practices and formulas when setting rates, it is advisable that you get quotes from multiple insurers before choosing which one to have cover you after a DWI.
A DWI conviction has the potential to increase your insurance rates for years, so it may serve you well to find the lowest premium available to you.