Does getting a DUI in another state effect one’s auto insurance rate?

If you got a DUI in most states (the exceptions being Wisconsin, Georgia, Tennessee, Massachusetts, or Michigan), your DUI conviction will be shared with your home state.  Only those five states do not participate in the Interstate Compact.  Once it’s shared with your home state, the reactions will vary depending on your state’s out-of-state driving laws.  In many states, a DUI in any state is the same as it occurring in your home state – which means your license could be revoked.

In order to get auto insurance after a DUI, you’ll need to be aware that in the states other than a few (Delaware, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania), you’ll need a form called an SR-22.  This form lets the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) of your state know that you are officially insured, and it allows them to reinstate your driver’s license.  The insurance companies are the ones who offer the SR-22, and it will definitely raise your rates.  The SR-22 also lets the DMV know if your insurance company cancels your policy.  It’s possible you’ll have to deal with an SR-22 for the rest of your driving life.

If the DUI occurred in one of the five states who don’t share records, then chances are good that your home state will never learn of the DUI and your rates will not be effected.  Do realize, however, that you most likely will have your license suspended in that state, and if you’re caught driving there again, you’ll face heavy fines and even jail time, depending on state laws.