Can DUI offenders get car insurance?
We checked 54 different insurers in Australia and were able to find cover from just 7 providers.
Key takeaways
- Getting car insurance after a drink driving offence is possible, but options are limited.
- According to our research, of the 54 car insurers in our database, only 7 provided a quote.
- Failing to tell your insurer about a relevant conviction or driving offence could lead to your policy being cancelled or a claim being denied.
We know it's a frustrating process so we've done what we can to help you out.
Given that you have to be honest in your application, the key is to find insurers who:
- Don't ask about criminal convictions.
- Who ask about specific offences only, like theft or fraud.
- Who ask about recent convictions rather than any convictions ever. This is only helpful for people who had the DUI charge over 3 or 5 years ago.
Insurers who will cover DUI offenders
To find out if these providers will offer cover, we answered "yes" when asked about criminal convictions and specified DUI when prompted. If the provider let us proceed and returned a quote, we marked it as one that offers insurance for DUI offenders.
We did this for 54 different insurers across Australia and only the below 7 returned a quote.
| Provider | States it operates | Offers insurance for DUI offenders? |
|---|---|---|
In some instances, we would answer "yes" to criminal conviction questions and then the provider would end the online quote and refer us to a customer support agent over the phone.
This was done because they wanted to gather more information about our history before they decide if they'll offer cover or not.
So with this in mind, it's possible you may be able to get cover from the following providers, following a phone call to discuss your history.
| Provider | States it operates | Offers insurance for DUI offenders? |
|---|---|---|
| RAA | SA only | Maybe |
| RACT | TAS only | Maybe |
| TIO | NT only | Maybe |
What questions will an insurer ask about DUI offences?
The questions vary between insurers and can be worded in a way that's sometimes difficult to understand. Here's some examples and how you should be answering them if you've been charged with a criminal offence as a result of your DUI charge.
| Question | Your answer |
|---|---|
| Have any of the drivers listed below ever been convicted of a criminal offence? We do NOT want to know about convictions or offences that the law permits you NOT to disclose. | |
| In the past 3 years has this driver been charged with, or convicted of, any criminal offence? | |
| Have you been convicted of, or had any fines or penalties imposed for any criminal activity? | |
| Have any insureds, drivers or any person to be covered by this policy been convicted of fraud in the past 3 years? | |
| Have you been convicted of, or had any fines or penalties imposed for any criminal activity? |
Frequently asked questions
Sources
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