Car insurance for drink-drivers

The figures shown are the average quoted car insurance price for drivers with conviction codes related to drink-driving offences. Taken from our own data, the figures are only a guideline and your own quote will vary depending on your personal circumstances. These include:

• The specific drink-driving conviction
• Your vehicle details

As with any motoring conviction, drink-driving is likely to see your car insurance costs increase for as long as the conviction remains in place.

You're also likely to find fewer car insurance companies willing to offer you a policy due to your level of risk. That's why it's even more important to compare car insurance quotes from the insurers available to you to make sure you're getting the best deal.

^{*Based on confused data, average price of quotes given between December 2022 - 17th April 2023}

You’ll pay more after your conviction, but there are still ways to save. You can help lower your costs by:

• Completing a drink-driving rehabilitation course
• Shopping around and comparing quotes
• Considering a black box insurance policy
• Getting your estimated mileage right
• Increasing your voluntary excess
• Considering a pay as you go insurance policy
• Adding an experienced named driver

• Completing a Drink-Driving Rehabilitation Course. In certain cases, such as if your driving ban is for 12 months or more, the court may offer you the opportunity to take a drink-driving rehabilitation course. These are carried out by a range of providers such as IAM RoadSmart. This is a good opportunity to reduce the length of your driving ban by up to 25% and potentially lower what you pay for your car insurance in future. When you’re ready to get reinsured, you’ll be asked for the certificate you had on completion of the course as proof when you buy your insurance.
• Shopping around and comparing quotes will ensure you get the best price and the right policy for your needs
• Considering a black box insurance policy where your driving is monitored by a telematics device. Having your driving monitored by your insurance company could lower your costs if you can prove you're a safe, consistent driver.
• Getting your estimated mileage right, as setting it too high could see you paying more than you need to. The average yearly mileage is around 6,621**, but think about the types of trips you do and how often you do them. You can check the mileage between your most recent MOTs to show your exact mileage for 12 months.
• Increasing your voluntary excess, as the more you’re willing to pay towards the cost of a claim, the lower your costs are likely to be. Just make sure you're able to afford this amount if you do need to claim.
• Considering a pay as you go insurance policy where you only pay per mile you drive. These telematics policies often work out cheaper than standard car insurance as long as you keep your mileage relatively low.
• Adding an experienced named driver to share the driving. Having a safe driver with a clean licence on your policy could help lower your overall insurance risk. But make sure that whoever's doing the majority of the driving is the main policyholder.

For more tips, take a look at our guide on how to save money on your car insurance.

^{**Based on Confused.com data December - May 2023.}

The following motoring conviction codes stay on your driving licence for 11 years from date of conviction:

The following stay on a driving licence for 4 years from the date of offence. But you must still declare them to your insurer for 5 years: