An Arizona conviction for driving under the influence leads to serious and substantial penalties. Even if you are a first-time DUI offender, you should still expect to have to serve at least 10 days in jail, pay more than $1,000 in fines and take part in alcohol counseling, among other penalties. Some of the repercussions of a DUI are quite long-term in nature, and one example is the elevated auto insurance rates you are going to face once you begin driving again.
According to Insure.com, Arizona’s drivers see some of the steepest insurance rate hikes in the United States after receiving a conviction for DUI. How much might your annual insurance bill increase following a conviction for drunk driving in Arizona?
Determining how much your rates increase
After a first-time Arizona DUI conviction, the typical state motorist sees his or her annual insurance expenses increase by 145%. So, if, before your conviction, you paid somewhere close to $1,399 for insurance each year, which is pretty typical in the state, you should plan on shelling out $3,423 per year to do so afterward. This amounts to an annual difference of $2,024.
Finding the most affordable provider
It may benefit you in the financial sense to obtain quotes from multiple insurance providers in addition to the one that already covers you. Some insurers may drop you from their policies after a drunk driving conviction. Even if your insurer does not do this, it may not offer the lowest rate for drivers with DUIs in their driving histories, so it pays to do some research.
The numbers outlined above refer to how much insurance might rise after a first drunk driving offense. Insurance rates typically climb even higher with each subsequent offense.