Driving Under Influence- Alcohol

The ability to obtain life insurance after a DUI or DWI could be affected for the next 5-10 years, depending on the life insurance carrier.

Life Insurance companies typically view a violation of this type as a higher risk. Life insurance providers calculate premiums by checking driving records for any violations. Even if an indiscretion such as a DUI or DWI took place a few years ago, do not expect their offer to be at the best rates until a certain number of years have gone by since the last incident.

There will typically be a flat extra for a certain number of years, or a permanent table rating for 2, 3, 4 or 5 years after the violation, or a possible decline, depending on the overall history developed during underwriting.

Also, life insurance providers will consider the number of DUIs and other infractions on ones driving record and rate accordingly. Why?  Multiple infractions of this type can be considered behavioral risk factors – meaning they consider this to be continually putting oneself in harm’s way. That doesn’t necessarily cause an uninsurable situation, but it does mean that premiums will be more expensive than they would have been without numerous offenses.

Every life insurance provider is different, and, for the most part, there’s no industry wide standard approach when it comes to setting policy rates for individuals with DUIs.