No matter which state they live in, drivers can expect to face higher insurance premiums after they are charged with a DUI. However, Utah has some of the least stringent insurance policies in the country; drivers in Utah are the least likely to suffer from severe rate hikes after a DUI. That doesn’t mean that a DUI won’t negatively impact their lives, or that drivers may feel incentivized to hide their DUI.
Drivers in Utah should realize that attempting to hide their DUI from their insurance provider is futile because their insurance company is likely to find out anyway. Continue reading or call (801) 758-2287 to learn more about what a DUI can mean for your auto insurance policy in Utah and how Salt Lake City criminal defense lawyer Darwin Overson can help.
Will My Insurance Company Find Out About My DUI?
Whether or not you openly discuss your DUI, your insurance company will, at some point, check your driving record and find out about your DUI. The degree to which your rate will be affected as a result of your DUI will depend on whether you have an existing policy or are looking for a new policy.
If you already have a policy, your insurance company is unlikely to check your driving record until it is time for you to renew your policy at the end of the policy period. You are not obligated to tell your insurance company about your DUI before your policy period is over, and your rate is not likely to change. However, when it is time for you to renew your policy, your insurance company will almost certainly run a motor vehicle report, which will reveal your DUI.
The DUI will be reflected in the price of your premium and may even result in a cancellation of your policy if you already have a history of risky driving. Drivers in Utah should note that DUIs remain on record for up to 10 years following the initial incident. However, it rarely hurts to be open about your DUI ahead of time.
If you have an insurance agent, alerting them to the existence of your DUI as early as possible can help them identify the best solution for you as you go forward with the insurance process. And if you happen to lose your insurance coverage as a result of your DUI, an agent can help you find a new policy.
Failure to Report a DUI to an Insurance Company in Utah
While you don’t necessarily need to tell your insurance company about your DUI, you do need to make sure that they know whether members of your household have been charged with a DUI. Since drivers within the same household often share cars or take turns driving the same vehicle, insurance companies need to know the number of high-risk drivers that live in one household.
If someone, such as your son or daughter, has been charged with a DUI, it’s important to tell your insurance company as soon as possible. Failing to let your insurance company know about DUI charges faced by any member of your household can result in severe penalties, including unpaid claims and insurance fraud charges if they can prove that you knowingly withheld information from them.
How a DUI Will Affect Your Insurance Premium
A DUI can greatly increase the price that you will pay for your insurance premium, sometimes by as much as 100% or more. The increase in your premium will depend on a few factors that are independent of your most recent DUI. These factors include:
- Number of prior DUI charges – A driver that is facing their second DUI arrest is much more likely to pay higher rates for their insurance than a driver facing their first DUI. Insurance companies usually only consider DUIs within the past three to five years. As time goes by without another DUI, your rates will go down.
- Your insurance company – Not all insurance companies calculate rates for drivers in the same way, nor do they give the same weight to DUIs. Some companies may increase premium rates more than others following a DUI.
- Driver’s age – Since younger drivers, regardless of whether they have been drinking or not, always carry more of a risk than older drivers, they will see more of a rate increase following a DUI. Drivers that have faced underage DUI charges can expect the highest rate increases following a DUI.
Filing for an SR-22 Certificate After a DUI in Utah
Following a DUI in Utah, drivers will have to file for an SR-22 certificate. This certificate is for high-risk drivers and includes not only drivers that have been involved in DUIs but those that were involved in an accident without insurance. Obtaining the certificate itself only costs between $15 and $35. However, a driver’s possession of this certificate can significantly increase the price of the driver’s premiums. To obtain an SR-22 certificate, drivers can call their insurance company and request that they file one on their behalf.
Get in Touch with a Salt Lake City DUI Lawyer Today
After being charged with a DUI, it’s common to attempt to hide the incident from your insurance company. However, attempting to keep your insurance company from learning about your DUI charge will only result in negative consequences in the long term. For assistance with your DUI charge, get in touch with the Salt Lake City DUI lawyers at Overson Law as soon as possible. Call (801) 758-2287 to schedule a free consultation today.
