If you have a bad driving record you may notice that your current auto insurance rates go up, and your insurer may even decide not to renew your policy. When you go to shop for a new car insurance policy, you may also find that it is difficult to find another car insurance company to insure you. The companies that are willing to insure you may also charge quite a bit more than what you used to pay before you had bad marks, such as accidents, DUIs, multiple speeding tickets and unpaid parking tickets on your driving record.

Each chargeable claim against your policy and every charge against you on your DMV record will count against you when insurance companies are deciding whether to insure you and how much to insure you for. A chargeable claim is considered any incident in which you are at fault and that causes property damage or bodily injury to either you or someone else. Charges on your DMV record include driving under intoxication, speeding and other traffic violations. Having one ticket for going ten miles over the speed limit or neglecting to stop at a stop sign will probably not hurt your record too much, but DUIs and multiple violations will. The percentages that a company may raise premiums for bad driving records and the limits for insuring “bad drivers” will vary from company to company. Each chargeable claim will generally stay on your record for three years.

As far as DUIs go, the laws and the car insurance coverage options will vary from state to state. In most cases, drivers who have been convicted of driving while intoxicated will be required to provide the DMV with a SR-22 form from their auto insurer, so the DMV will know if the policy has been cancelled. Many companies simply do not insure individuals who have DUIs on their recent record. The SR-22 DMV form will typically be required for three to five years, making it difficult to get insurance during that time. Every car insurance company has different standards as to what constitutes a bad driver and what is unacceptable for a policyholder. Some accidents, such as those with serious injuries, especially when drugs or alcohol are involved, will be considered unacceptable to most car insurance companies.