DUI insurance Alabama, or SR22 insurance, is a requirement for license reinstatement after a DUI conviction. Getting a DUI or DWI conviction not only leads to license suspension but can play a significant role in your future auto insurance coverage rate.
SR22 is a financial responsibility form that’s tied to an insurance policy. Filing the SR22 form guarantees the state that you meet Alabama’s minimum insurance liability requirement. Getting a DUI conviction puts you in a higher insurance risk category. Therefore, you must file a financial responsibility form if you want to continue to drive legally.
How does DUI insurance Alabama work?
First, the state will notify you when you’re eligible for license reinstatement. Then you’ll contact an insurance provider who can bind the SR22 certificate to your insurance policy and file it with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) Driver License Department. After that, you’ll have to maintain this insurance policy for the time the state assigns.
The SR22 form itself is not an insurance policy; rather, it is a certificate your insurance provider endorses to an auto or non-owner insurance policy. The SR22 filing serves to monitor the status of your insurance policy. When you’ve had a DUI conviction, the state and insurance companies consider you at higher risk for future traffic violations. Therefore, Alabama wants to make sure you carry the state-mandated liability insurance coverage at all times. Monitoring and verifying that your insurance policy is current is how the state ensures you’re financially responsible.
Two types of SR22 insurance
You’ll have to complete several steps to reinstate your driver’s license. First, there is a mandatory license suspension period. Afterward, you may have to complete a DUI class and pay a fine. The most notable requirement is obtaining DUI insurance Alabama – the attachment of an SR22 rider to your auto insurance policy. An SR22 policy that insures a vehicle is called an owner or owner-operator policy.
But what if you don’t own a vehicle? In that case, the SR22 form binds with a non-owner SR22 insurance Alabama policy. If you occasionally drive a borrowed car, non-owner insurance covers you when driving it. It’s cheaper than an auto insurance policy since you’re not insuring a vehicle. Non-owner insurance coverage is secondary to a vehicle owner’s auto insurance. It comes into play if you’re in an accident and claims exceed the coverage limits of the owner’s insurance on the vehicle you were driving.
How does Alabama define DUI/DWI?
A blood alcohol concentration (BAC) test determines the level of intoxication for a DUI/DWI charge. The BAC limit in Alabama is 0.08% for adults and 0.02% for drivers under 21. For commercial drivers, the BAC limit is lower – 0.04%. If your breath test or blood alcohol concentration test is above these limits, the state will charge you with DUI. The state will suspend or revoke your driver’s license upon conviction. As a result, you’ll need DUI insurance Alabama to regain your driving privileges.
Alabama DUI Penalties
There is a ninety-day license suspension for a first DUI conviction. If a second DUI conviction happens within five years of a first conviction, there is a one-year license suspension. A third or fourth DUI conviction results in a license suspension of three and five years, respectively. Other DUI penalties may include imprisonment and costly fines, depending on the circumstances of the conviction.
DUI penalties for drivers below age 21 are less severe than for people 21 years and over. A first DUI conviction results in a thirty-day license suspension, and subsequent convictions lead to longer suspension times. However, younger drivers will have to pay the same fines as adult DUI offenders.
Alabama Implied Consent
Alabama operates on an Implied Consent rule, which means that Alabama licensed drivers will submit an alcohol or drug test if an officer requests it. If you refuse to submit to a sobriety test, the state will immediately suspend your license for one year.
Other reasons people need Alabama SR22 insurance
Besides DUI offenses, other reasons the state can require someone to carry SR22 insurance include:
- Operating a motor vehicle without insurance
- Too many points against your driving record
- DWI offense
- Reckless driving
- Uninsured accident
- Legal judgment or a court order
Call a friendly UltraCar Insurance agent when you need DUI insurance Alabama. We have low rates for SR22 DUI insurance and offer quick filing of your certificate.
