Life Insurance After DUI – What You Need To Know
Written by Daniel Ray, Life Insurance Expert |
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Fact Checked by
Lisamarie Monaco |
Editorial Disclosure
If you are in search of Life Insurance after DUI, you came to the right place!
Senior consumers have questions about life insurance and how it will be affected by a DUI. We are here to answer all of your questions with the help of an expert who specializes in this field.
Read on for more information, including what types there are, a few examples of each type, and why they might be appropriate for you.
The goal is to provide readers with enough information so that they can make an informed decision as to which policy best suits their needs.
Table of contents
- Can You Get a Life Insurance with DUI?
- How Far Back Do Insurance Companies Check For DUI?
- DUI And Life Insurance
- Does Life Insurance Cover Drunk Driving Death?
- Best Insurance for DUI
- Life Insurance Companies That Cover DUI
- Life Insurance Denied Due To DUI
- Life Insurance After a DUI
- Best Term Life Insurance With DUI
- FAQs
- Conclusion
Can You Get a Life Insurance with DUI?
I have a DUI on my driving record, can I still be approved for life insurance?
How do I get the best rates on life insurance with a DUI?
Best life insurance for someone with DUI on their record?
So many questions, let’s begin!
When it comes to life insurance after a DUI or DUI insurance, the ramifications of a recent DUI, usually within the last 12 months, will prevent a consumer from getting a life insurance policy or cheap insurance with DUI. Also, you might be surprised to know how many factors a life insurance company will consider when you are applying for life insurance.
Consequently, It’s not only about your general health. In fact, your driving record will almost certainly have an impact on your life insurance. Ultimately, having a DUI on a driving record, in some cases will be a decline. However, this isn’t always the case.
Furthermore, if you have a seasoned DUI, you should be able to find coverage. However, DUI insurance rates like car insurance after DUI nat take years of sobriety before you will be eligible for the best rates.
After all, they may consider you a high-risk applicant, making the life insurance rates more expensive.
How Far Back Do Insurance Companies Check For DUI?
The lookback period is typically 3-5 + years.
How do insurance companies find out about DUI? Well, they will do a DMV search and in some cases do an inspection report. In addition to this, the reason your rates increase is that you are more at risk to “die” with a DUI on your record and chance to have a repeat occurrence.
You are considered to have a high-risk lifestyle. Furthermore, getting cheap DUI insurance whether it is for life insurance or car insurance may take a while.
DUI And Life Insurance
What you need to know about life insurance with DUI arrest…
Life Insurance after a DUI – Whether a DUI or DWI, if you are caught driving impaired, not only will there be an arrest, but also car insurance companies will have raised your rates.
An insurance quote via your independent agent will be pricey with alcohol abuse records.
And remember one thing, not only car insurance rates are something you have to worry about. But the long term effect this has on your mind, body, soul, and your family.
Throughout this article, we will often remind you to be honest with your agent. Guidance by your agent is the only way to help you get the very best affordable rates.
You do not want a decline on your record because you were dishonest. Underwriters do MIB (Medical Information Bureau), Driver’s License research.
DUI’s and Underwriting Guidelines
Single DUI within the last 12 months: Table 2 (most carriers have min $3.50 flat or postpone)
Single DUI over 12 months ago: Standard Plus (most carriers have a min $2.50 flat)
Single DUI over 3 years ago: Standard Plus (most carriers go Standard)
2 DUI’s within past 5 years: Table 5 (most carriers postpone 2-3 years after the last DUI)
2 DUI’s over 5 years ago: Table 2 (most carriers have a $2 flat)
2 DUI’s over 10 years ago: No additional rating
All records will be known. It is better to pay a slightly higher premium than to get that decline for life insurance.
In the end, your family is who will suffer. Let’s continue…
Does Life Insurance Cover Drunk Driving Death?
Does Life Insurance Covers DUI?
DUI Can Prevent You From Getting Life Insurance, what you need to know…
Driving under the influence conviction comes with plenty of long-term consequences. Such as license suspension, probation, a potential jail sentence and years of high car insurance prices.
However, a DUI conviction may also have a significant impact on your life insurance rates. Furthermore, it can determine whether you can even get it.
Here is Reality!
- Lots of life insurance carriers will fail to offer you a policy in case you have experienced a DUI conviction within the previous calendar year.
- Some insurance companies will offer you a policy if your DUI is inside the previous year, but they will cost you more. Usually a sub-standard rate with a flat extra per 1000. You’ll have to do some searching around to find a company willing to sell you a policy if your DUI is recent.
- It may take five years (or longer, depending on the company) after a DUI to be eligible for the best rates, assuming your health also qualifies you to receive the best prices.
Best Insurance for DUI
What is the best insurance with DUI?
This would depend on if you were getting life insurance after or for. The bottom line is if you recently had a DUI and are still going to court then an accidental life policy is all that is available.
However, you should know that this accidental policy will not cover death if you drive while intoxicated.
You probably will not get cheap insurance for DUI until completing treatment and/or court proceedings. In addition, the life insurance company will want to see a few years of consistency before you can get near the top rates.
Will Life Insurance Pay if Drunk Driving?
This is a great question. In fact, if a drunk driver victimizes you, you should not face any issues with the payment of a death claim.
However, if you are intoxicated and get killed in an accident, then the carrier will contest this.
Will life insurance pay if drunk driving results of the insureds death? There is a very good chance that the carrier will not pay the death claim. In most cases, all premiums will be refunded to the beneficiary.
Life Insurance Companies That Cover DUI
Do DUI’s increase in life insurance?
Again, when it comes to life insurance after a DUI, many carriers may deny a life insurance policy entirely to applicants that have experienced a DUI conviction within the last calendar year. Many life carriers, such as SBLI, Banner, and AIG, will make applicants wait for a few years for just one DUI.
However, multiple DUI’s, carriers could have you wait a decade or two following a DUI till they will consider them to get a policy.
Insurers that do provide protection to people with a DUI typically charge higher prices, with a flat extra on top of the premium. Most life carriers will refuse to offer applicants their best, ‘preferred’ rates if they have a DUI conviction in the last five years. No matter how healthy they are.
Some carriers, make people wait ten years following a DUI before they will qualify for preferred prices. Life carriers usually don’t supply “standard plus” prices, that are between regular and preferred rates, for three to five years.
Life Insurance Denied Due To DUI
Are you working with an Independent Agent?
Does DUI Affect Life Insurance?
Above all, those that get declined life insurance probably aren’t applying to the right life insurance companies.
To put it another way, If you have a DUI on your driving record, you shouldn’t be applying to a few random life insurance companies.
Instead, you’ll want to do a bit of research. Therefore, we always recommend comparing multiple life insurance companies before choosing.
After all, each life insurance company will have different underwriting. In effect, this means that the companies’ assessments of risk will be quite varied.
Do not give up.
In short, if you get declined once or twice, do not give up.
Actually, you need to keep applying, and perhaps look into the top life insurance companies to find out which one tends to be more lenient to those with a DUI on their record.
The key to getting the best information and guidance in finding the best quote is to contact an independent life insurance agent! They have relationships with the top carriers and their underwriting teams.
Life Insurance After a DUI
What are my chances of getting life insurance coverage with a DUI? Without question, we’ve already been over comparing companies.
In this case, not only does this increase the likelihood of you getting approved for life insurance. But it also increases your chances of getting cheaper life insurance.
As a matter of fact, there are more ways to get lower rates on your life insurance. For example, one of the best things you can do is to be well-prepared for any questions that they may ask you about your driving record when you are applying.
Most important of all, the more honest and thorough your answers are, the higher the likelihood that an insurance company will approve your application.
Primarily, applications that have a lot of missing pieces usually cause concerns for life insurance companies.
Buy Life Insurance After DUI
Be honest!
I Have A DUI On My Driving Record — Can I Still Be Approved For Life Insurance?
With regards to life insurance after a DUI… Many insurance companies will consider each case separately, which opens the doorway for you to locate an experienced agent to assess your position favorably.
Since a few carriers impose surcharges for just a year following a DUI, it might pay off to wait for use.
If your young, you might want to get an accidental life insurance policy for the meantime.
Find an independent life insurance agent to help you browse multiple carriers.
Some agents concentrate on assisting high-risk customers purchase life insurance.
AGAIN, It is essential, to be honest about your DUI to your agent and your life insurance carrier from start to finish. Insurers routinely assess the motor vehicle records of applicants.
Therefore, it is unlikely you’re going to have the ability to slip a DUI beyond an insurer.
Any lies on an application are a fraud and can result in the insurer to reverse the coverage in the first two years when the lie is found.
Meaning that they can deny payment for your beneficiaries. This is called the contestability period.
Get ready to answer a lot of questions regarding your driving record and alcohol usage.
This will include, treatment, arrests, convictions and in some cases, probation.
A report on moving violations or healthcare indicators of alcohol misuse, which shows up on a life insurance medical examination, may cause insurance companies to deny you or indicate higher rates.
Make sure you ask your independent agent or insurer if you could submit an application for a decrease in premiums in a couple of years. This will be a factor when determining which company to select.
Life Insurance and Motor Vehicle Report (MVR)
How Do Insurance Companies Find Out About DUI?
This is exactly what your life insurance after a DUI, a carrier will look at through the underwriting phase!
So being honest is the only hand to play. The carrier will pull this report 2-3 days after you sign the applications. So dishonesty will be found out almost immediately.
It is otherwise known as your driving record. Furthermore, your DMV will always know exactly what you are talking about.
Your MVR will comprise formally recorded offenses, for example:
- Traffic citations
- Vehicular offenses
- Accident reports
- Driving record points
- DUI convictions, or under the influence of marijuana or other drugs
Based on your history, your MVR may contain offenses from as far back as one to two decades.
You can get a copy from your local DMV. You might have to purchase your copy. Learn how to purchase your MVR from your states licensing service by clicking here.
Once you receive your copy and see what is in your history, you can pretty correctly figure what your life insurance carrier will think and whether your rates will be higher.
How To Get Best Life Insurance After A DUI
To explain, here are a few example questions that they may ask you:
- First, are you on probation?
- Second, have you ever had your license taken away?
- Third, how many DUI’s have you received?
- Fourth, do you still consume alcoholic beverages?
- Lastly, when was your last DUI?
As a matter of fact, these questions help insurance companies assess your risk level. Also may have a significant impact on your life insurance rates. Whether the application is accepted or not.
Therefore, the earlier you get life insurance, the better your rates will be.
Buying life insurance when your 40 years old will be much cheaper than buying life insurance over 50 years old.
DUI And Getting Life Insurance
Life insurance companies aren’t keen to offer their lowest prices to people with a driving history.
In fact, getting several moving violations is a type of behavior that directly impacts the danger that an insurance provider takes.
Some insurance companies may forgive one moving violation which has happened within the previous 36 months.
However, insurance applicants with more than one moving violation in their driving record are poorer risks for the insurance carrier. This induces insurance companies to require higher prices.
There are a couple of carriers that are prepared to provide fantastic rates. Even if the MRV suggests two moving violations within the previous three years. Therefore it’s worth spending some time comparison shopping.
Your insurance agent will shop you to over 50+ carriers in one phone call.
Be Honest
When getting life insurance after a DUI, it’s really important to be honest about everything. Make sure you tell your agent the truth, because they’ll find out anyway.
Above all, when it comes to DUI and life insurance, it is essential when somebody is buying life insurance policy they’re conscious of their driving history may impact the top rates.
It is essential to be completely truthful when answering questions about any information about moving offenses. DUI convictions or other reckless driving behaviors will be detrimental to the rate. It can be beneficial for the individuals whose driving record isn’t spotless.
For instance, working with an independent insurance agent who knows which insurance providers tend to be lenient. Most important, knowing which carrier and rates are affected by an applicant’s driving history. This will save you thousands of dollars over the years.
It is vital that you understand where to locate insurance companies who will not punish drivers. Or at the very least, be able to get life insurance premiums when their driving record is not entirely blemish-free.
DUI Conviction And Life Insurance
Most often a DUI will remain on your record for up to 7 years.
On your criminal record, it could remain forever. Once the citation falls off your driving record, your rate will return to normal. Keeping in mind, your rate could stay elevated up to 3 years. Depends on the situation, how many offenses, etc.
Best Term Life Insurance With DUI
Actually, there are more ways to lower the cost of your life insurance after a DUI.
For example, receiving quotes from several of the top life insurance companies. Previously, we have mentioned above how being prepared to answer likely questions can be useful for getting the best coverage.
However, another recommended way to lower your life insurance rates is to make a good impression when you get your medical exam.
As I have said, when in good general health, life insurance companies will offer lower prices.
In addition, here are a few more things you can do to lower life insurance costs:
- Exercise plenty
- Eat healthily
- Take measures to reduce your blood pressure
- Lose excess weight
- Stop any unhealthy habits — without question, life insurance for smokers, for example, can cost two to three times more than for nonsmokers. Furthermore, quitting tobacco usage a year before applying will have a significant impact on your quote!
Of course, if you are not in good health, you may wish to avoid a medical exam. What’s more, no medical exam life insurance policies are always an option. However, these plans are usually more expensive.
Additional Info
How do I report a DUI anonymously? What number do I call to report a drunk driver? If you see drunk driving in progress or need help for yourself, in an emergency, call 911.
Local officers will be able to locate if given the following information:
- Direction driver is headed
- Location
- License plate number
- Driver description
- The motor vehicle make/model/color
They are available for guidance and referrals. You can also call the NATIONAL COUNCIL ON ALCOHOL, 1-800-NCA-CALL.
MADD Mothers Against Drunk Driving
There are also 24-hour emergency lines and counseling available to you. For instance, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
They are 24 hour hotlines open to help victims of drunk driving and to you or family members. MADD’S phone number is 1-877-MADD-HELP.
There is always help available to you. Never hesitate!
FAQs
A DUI can impact your life insurance eligibility, often resulting in higher premiums due to the increased risk perceived by insurers. In some cases, it may also lead to a decline in coverage, especially if there are multiple DUI incidents.
If you already have a life insurance policy, a DUI may not affect your current rates. However, if the policy is up for renewal, the insurer might reassess your premiums based on the DUI.
The impact of a DUI on life insurance rates can last for several years, typically around 3-5 years, depending on the insurer’s policies and the severity of the DUI incident.
Yes, you can still obtain life insurance after a DUI, but your options may be more limited, and you might face higher premiums.
While there aren’t specific policies for individuals with a DUI, some insurers specialize in high-risk cases and may offer more favorable terms.
Demonstrating sobriety, maintaining a clean driving record, and completing any court-ordered programs can help lower premiums over time.
Insurers also consider your overall health, age, lifestyle, driving record, and any other risk factors.
Yes, it’s important to disclose a DUI when applying for life insurance. Failing to do so can result in denial of coverage or future claims being contested.
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Conclusion
A DUI conviction and obtaining life insurance may feel overwhelming. Remember, it is NOT impossible to get coverage. It is important to understand that every insurance carrier will look at you differently. They all have their own guidelines. We will help you shop around and find the best coverage for you and your family.
