When New Jersey authorities charge you with driving while intoxicated and that charge results in a conviction, you should plan on having to pay much more to insure yourself behind the wheel. When determining how much your drunk driving conviction is going to cost you in total, it is important that you consider the insurance-related implications.
How much more might you expect to shell out for auto insurance coverage once you have a conviction for drunk driving in New Jersey in your history? According to NerdWallet, you may see some variation among insurance providers as far as how much they charge you when you have a DWI. However, most residents who receive first-time drunk driving convictions pay more than $1,200 more a year for car insurance afterward.
A notable increase
If you had a clean driving record before your drunk driving conviction, meaning you did not have any major traffic tickets or other infractions, you may have paid your insurance company about $1,759 a year. Once you have that conviction, though, your annual estimates may come in closer to about $3,013, which is a yearly increase of $1,254.
A 10-year increase
In some states, a DWI goes away after a certain amount of time, but this is not the case in New Jersey. However, if you remain free from subsequent DWI arrests for at least 10 years after your first offense, you may get the benefit of a 10-year step-down. Essentially, this means that your DWI should no longer increase your auto insurance rates 10 years after your initial offense.
