Need DUI Insurance? Get Covered Today

What Happens if I Get a DUI in Texas?

The State of Texas considers a driver to be intoxicated if the driver's blood alcohol level reaches 0.08 or higher. If you meet this criterion when pulled over by a police officer in the State of Texas, you will face severe penalties depending on whether the violation is a first or subsequent offense.

 • First Offense: You will pay up to a $2,000 fine, spend a mandatory minimum of 3 days or up to 180 days in jail, and lose your driver's license for up to a year.

 • Second Offense: You will pay up to a $4,000 fine, serve one month to one year of jail time, and lose your driver's license for up to two years.

 • Third Offense: You will pay a $10,000 fine, serve 2-10 years in prison, and lose your driver's license for up to two years.

In addition to these penalties, the State of Texas will assess additional fines of up to $6,000 once you are sentenced, as well as restoration fees to reinstate your driver's license.

Your punishment will be even more severe if you are driving with an open container driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs while driving with a child passenger.

The State of Texas takes drunk driving very seriously. It may require that you complete an alcohol education program, which is a 12-hour program for a first-time offender or a 32-hour program for a repeat DUI offender. In addition, you may have to install a device in your vehicle called an Ignition Interlock Device (IID). This device requires that you breathe into it before the vehicle's ignition can be turned on. If your blood alcohol limit exceeds the allowable amount, the car will not start.

How Long is a DUI Going to be on My Driving Record?

Drivers under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs are not practicing defensive driving, and they impact the safety of the public because they are driving while impaired. The risk of an impaired driver causing a severe accident that could result in injury or death for innocent people is high. In addition, an insurance claim that results from such an accident can have grave financial consequences for the people involved. This is why the State of Texas and auto insurance carriers penalize DUI drivers so heavily.

A DUI will impact your car insurance rates for up to five years or more on most car insurance policies. Car insurance companies all have an established "underwriting period," which is the period of time that they will charge you for a violation or accident after it occurs. Though a typical underwriting period is 3-5 years, some car insurance carriers will carry major violations like a DUI on your policy longer, especially if you have additional violations on your motor vehicle record.

How Does a DUI Affect Car Insurance?

Car insurance after a DUI can be tricky. Once your car insurance provider is notified of your DUI, you can expect your premium to increase, or your company may even decide to cancel or non-renew your policy. Car Insurance companies do not take major violations like a DUI lightly, and only a handful of them offer coverage to drivers with a DUI on their driving record.

Car insurance companies assess your level of risk using your driving history and other things, such as the type of vehicle you drive, your annual mileage, your credit score, etc., before offering you a rate for your auto insurance. High-risk drivers like those with a DWI/DUI violation are drivers that a lot of insurance companies will not offer coverage to. If an insurer does offer auto insurance coverage to a DWI/DUI driver, your rate will not be cheap. Every carrier is different, as are their rates for a DUI driver, but you can expect that your auto insurance rate will jump significantly.

After a DUI, the State of Texas may require that you obtain an SR-22 unless you have an acceptable car insurance policy in place with the minimum required liability limits required by the State of Texas when you receive the violation. An SR-22 is a statement of financial responsibility and is issued by your auto insurance company to indicate that someone who has been convicted of a DUI or other major moving violation has a car insurance policy that meets at least the minimum required coverage in the State of Texas. After a DUI, you will be required to maintain a valid SR-22 for two years from the date of your most recent DUI or the date you are convicted of the DUI.

How to Lower Your Car Insurance Premium After a DUI

The State of Texas requires that you have at least $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident for bodily injury liability coverage and a minimum of $25,000 for property damage. This is sometimes referred to as a split limit of 30/60/25.

You cannot purchase a car insurance policy in the State of Texas without meeting the minimum required coverage, but that doesn't mean that the minimum coverage is enough. If you get into an accident that is your fault and the coverage limits on your auto insurance policy are exhausted, you will be held financially accountable for all additional medical expenses and property damage expenses that the other party incurs due to your negligence. Because of this, consider spending a little extra to ensure you have enough liability coverage to protect yourself in an accident. In addition to liability coverage, if you have a loan or a lease on your vehicle, you are required to carry full coverage car insurance, which provides comprehensive insurance and collision insurance. These coverages respond when your vehicle is damaged in an accident. If you do not have these coverages when your vehicle is damaged, you will not receive any funds from your car insurance company to pay to repair or replace your car. If you are required to carry comprehensive coverage and collision coverage, or if your car still has a significant actual cash value and you want to protect that, consider raising deductibles on your comprehensive and collision deductibles to make the premium more affordable for you.

The best thing you can do for yourself after a DUI is to shop around for the cheapest insurance you can qualify for without compromising the coverage that you need. You can find the best car insurance options for your situation by comparing auto insurance rates with A-MAX, where you can find the cheapest car insurance company for your needs to find auto insurance after a DUI.

The cheapest car insurance providers are not always the best car insurance companies. You must research the carrier that you plan to purchase your policy through before purchasing what you think is the cheapest DUI insurance. Car insurance rates fluctuate quite a bit between carriers. Finding cheap DUI insurance so you can save money on your auto premium may be your priority, but it is important to find a carrier or auto insurance agent who can advise you best while you deal with the impacts of a DUI as well as provide you with the necessary coverages and documents that you need to comply with requirements of the State of Texas.

FAQs About DUI Insurance in Texas

Q: What are the consequences of getting a DUI in Texas?

A: If you are ticketed by a police officer in the State of Texas for driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, you will face hefty penalties, including fines, suspension of your driving privileges, and possibly jail time.

Q: How long will my DUI stay on my driving record?

A: A DUI violation will stay on your driving record for at least five years from the date you were ticketed or the date you were convicted.

Q: Can I get cheap car insurance coverage after a DUI?

A: A DUI conviction will inevitably raise the cost of your auto liability insurance and may even result in the cancellation or non-renewal of your car insurance policy. Insurance after a DUI can be expensive, but A-MAX can help you find the cheapest car insurance companies that can offer you car insurance after a DUI.