Car Insurance After a DUI in Missouri

What happens to my car insurance after a DUI in Missouri?

Your price goes up, and the state wants proof that you are insured before it lets you drive again. That proof is an SR-22, a short form your insurer sends to the Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR). It is not a type of insurance. It is a promise from your insurer that you carry at least the legal minimum. Our Missouri SR-22 page covers filing in more detail.

A DWI arrest alone does not end your policy. Trouble starts when your license is suspended, because that is one of the few reasons Missouri lets an insurer cancel.

Why can I lose my license twice for one arrest?

Missouri runs a court case and a DOR case side by side. The court case is the criminal charge. The DOR case is automatic and starts with the arrest if your breath or blood test shows .08 or more, or if you refuse the test.

The DOR case stands even if your charge is later reduced. It is also the one with a short deadline: you have 15 days from the notice to ask for a hearing. The suspension begins 15 days after the arrest unless a hearing changes that. If you had no alcohol conviction or suspension in the last five years, it is 90 days. If you did, it is a year. Refusing the test is a one-year revocation.

A court conviction for a first DWI adds 8 points and a 90-day suspension, and you may qualify for a restricted driving privilege (permission to drive to work, school or treatment). A second conviction usually means a one-year revocation. A second within five years can add a five-year denial.

A first DWI is a misdemeanor, with a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail. A prior offense or a child under 17 in the car raises the charge.

How long do I need an SR-22 in Missouri?

Two years, counted from the day your suspension or revocation starts. This surprises people. If you are suspended for 90 days, the clock is already running while you wait, so you have roughly 21 months left on the day you reinstate.

Here is an example with made-up dates. You are suspended on March 1. You reinstate on June 1 and your SR-22 goes on file. Your two-year period ends on March 1 two years later, about 21 months after you reinstate, not two years after June.

If DOR counts two suspensions from one arrest, ask the department which start date it uses for you. Only one SR-22 is needed, even when several reasons require one.

To reinstate after an alcohol suspension, you will usually need all of these:

• A $45 reinstatement fee.
• The SR-22 on file.
• Proof that you finished a Substance Awareness Traffic Offender Program (SATOP), the state’s alcohol education or treatment course.
• An ignition interlock device, if one is required. This is a breath-test unit wired to the car’s ignition.

Missouri’s SR-22 policy must carry at least 25/50/25 liability (see the state minimums). We found no FR-44 (a higher-limit form used in Florida and Virginia) in Missouri law or on DOR pages. See our FR-44 guide if you have moved from one of those states.

Is an ignition interlock required after a first DWI?

It can be, since August 28, 2026. Before that, the device was required mainly for drivers with more than one alcohol-related contact on their record. A new law, H.B. 1740, adds first-time offenders, once convicted, whose blood alcohol was .15 or higher, or whose offense caused injury or property damage.

The device must be approved by the state transportation department, installed on every vehicle you drive and kept at least six months after reinstatement. A violation during the last three months extends the period until you have three clean months in a row.

Some older DOR FAQ pages (points, DWI court) still show only the “more than one contact” rule. The reinstatement chart, the alcohol FAQ and the law-changes page show the newer one, so trust those. A judge can also order a device after one offense.

Will my insurance company cancel or drop me?

Probably not for the arrest, and not before a suspension. Once a policy has been in force 60 days, a Missouri insurer can cancel only for non-payment or a suspended or revoked license of the named insured. It must give 30 days’ written notice and a reason.

If two people are named on the policy, the insurer cannot cancel for one person’s suspension. It can instead exclude that person by name. Exclusion means that person is not covered on your policy while suspended, so do not let them drive.

Your insurer can still raise the price or refuse to renew. A refusal must come in writing and mention the Missouri Automobile Insurance Plan. Insurers also may not ask whether another company has cancelled or refused you before.

How much more will a DUI cost me in Missouri?

Published estimates differ because they model different drivers. Neither is a quote.

In the Insurance.com table, the spread by company is the real story. One DWI took USAA from $1,273 to $2,234, a rise of about $960. It took Auto-Owners from $1,825 to $4,664, more than double. Travelers went from $1,692 to $2,303. Insurance.com puts several DWIs at an average of $5,531.

A national CarInsurance.com table shows the same spread: +92% on average, from +36% at one insurer to +205% at another. We found no official Missouri figure. The Department of Commerce and Insurance does not set rates, and insurers choose their own surcharge.

How long does a DWI stay on my record?

It depends on whose record you mean, and the answers do not match.

• Your DOR record: Points fade to zero after three years. But DOR says administrative alcohol suspensions and test-refusal revocations stay on your record for good. A new alcohol case can look back five years at the old one.
• Insurer look-back: Insurance.com says about five years. CarInsurance.com gives a range of five to ten. MoneyGeek says ten, and we could not find that in any DOR page. Each insurer decides for itself.

Ask each company you quote how far back it looks, and read our general DUI insurance guide for the national picture. The answer can change which insurer is cheapest in year four.

What if no company will insure me?

The Missouri Automobile Insurance Plan is the last-resort market. The Department of Commerce and Insurance says it is only for drivers who cannot find coverage the normal way, and that any agent or broker should be able to give you plan rates. If you cannot find help, call the department’s consumer line at 800-726-7390.

The plan’s operator site was blocked when we checked, so we could not confirm its rules, limits or down payment. Another site says you need two refusals within 60 days. We could not verify that. Ask the agent about coverage and costs before you apply. Our high-risk insurance guide explains the wider market.

What to do next

1. Act on the 15-day deadline. If you got a DOR notice, decide within 15 days whether to request an administrative hearing. A lawyer can advise you on this.
2. Tell your insurer. Call before renewal and ask whether your policy continues, what it will charge, and whether it will file the SR-22.
3. Get three or more quotes with the SR-22 included. Use the same limits on each and ask about the filing fee. Missouri sets no cap on that fee beyond “reasonable”.
4. Do not let the policy lapse. Set up autopay. A gap during the two years can mean a new suspension.
5. Finish SATOP and install any required interlock early. Reinstatement waits on both.
6. Keep the policy until the SR-22 period ends, then re-shop. Rates often fall as the DWI ages.

Common mistakes

• Counting the two years from reinstatement instead of the suspension start.
• Cancelling the old policy before the new one has filed the SR-22.
• Letting a suspended household member keep driving a car on the policy.
• Skipping the hearing request because the criminal case seems to be going well.
• Assuming the cheapest insurer before a DWI is cheapest after one.

Bottom line

If your license was suspended for a DWI, plan on two years of SR-22 starting from the suspension date, a policy that stays active without gaps, and quotes from several insurers because prices differ so much. If everyone refuses you, ask an agent about the Missouri Automobile Insurance Plan. For your exact dates, call the Department of Revenue at 573-526-2407. This page is general information, not legal or insurance advice.