You Got a DUI! What Now?

Let’s say you are hanging out with your friends at a bar and having a good time, having few drinks and you’re thinking I’m still OK to drive. On your drive home you suddenly see the orange sign that says DUI check point! No reason to panic, you only had few drinks and you are feeling ok, you’re thinking surely police will let you pass. Well, the officer has another thing on his mind, he can smell the alcohol in your car and asks you to exit the vehicle to do a sobriety and the breathalyzer test. If you fail the test, you will get arrested, have your license taken away and have your vehicle towed. After you get home the next day, you realize you are in trouble, you got a DUI or Driving Under Influence. No vehicle, no license and big fines coming your way.

Receiving a DUI means most states can suspend your license for a period of 30 days or more. Now you have to hire an attorney to try to have the charges reduced. In addition to spending thousands of dollars in attorney fees, court costs and vehicle recovery fees, you may be required to have a breathalyzer installed in your vehicle and required to obtain SR22 Insurance. Common requirement is also for you to complete the SATOP class or Substance Awareness Traffic Offender Program in order to get your license reinstated.

SR22 is a financial responsibility form filed by your insurance company. SR22 filing period varies from state to state, it could be 6 months or several years of SR22 requirement during which you are to maintain insurance on all vehicles you own. If you don’t own any vehicles, you can purchase a non-owner SR22 insurance policy, which covers you as a driver on non-owned vehicles.

After a DUI conviction, you may be deemed a high risk by some insurance companies which then could choose not to renew your auto insurance policy. Your insurance rates can also increase after a DUI conviction for a period of three to five years. If you receive more than one driving under influence, it could turn into a felony conviction and potentially having your license suspended for life. In other words, DUI’s are really costly and best is not to drink and drive.

Bargain Insurance Connection can help you reinstate your license, our companies specialize in SR22’s and license reinstatements. Just give us a quick call at 816.453.7722 or fill our online quote request form and we will get back to you shortly. For more information on SR22’s check out our FAQ page.