A Missouri conviction for driving while intoxicated brings with it considerable penalties. If you have the unfortunate experience of facing a DWI charge, you may face steep fines, mandatory jail time and more if convicted. While these repercussions can cost you a lot of money, the expenses you will face for a DWI conviction, regrettably, do not end there.
Per Insure.com, your DWI can cost you considerable money even after you get your driving privileges back because you can count on having to pay substantially more for automotive insurance coverage than you did before your conviction. Just how much of an insurance rate hike should you expect in the wake of a Missouri DWI?
A notable increase
Each year, the typical Missouri motorist with an average driving record, but no DWI convictions, must pay somewhere in the ballpark of $1,288 for insurance coverage. Once you have a DWI on your record, though, you become more of a liability to insurers, and they typically want you to pay accordingly. Therefore, once you have a conviction for DWI on your Missouri driving record, you can expect to pay closer to about $2,117 annually for car insurance, which is a yearly difference of $829.
Coming up with an additional $829 can prove difficult. You may find it especially hard to do if you already paid steep fines and related expenses for your conviction. You may, too, have struggled to maintain employment without a license. This can make coming up with the extra money for insurance even more problematic.
So, how long can you expect your DWI conviction to stay with you, and how long can you expect to pay elevated auto insurance rates? In Missouri, a first-time DWI conviction remains on your record for 10 years. If you are a repeat DWI offender, however, your offense will remain on your record permanently.
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