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Danny Smith is a licensed property and casualty insurance agent who has written for Compare.com since 2024. A former insurance editor, he specializes in auto, home, and pet insurance. He works to translate his insurance expertise into digestible, easy-to-understand content for drivers, homeowners, and pet owners alike.
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Lequita Westbrooks is an insurance editor at Compare.com. Her writing and editing experiences span several industries, including insurance, personal finance, higher education, and more. She excels at explaining complex topics like auto insurance in simple, easy-to-understand language and is passionate about helping readers save money. Lequita graduated from the University of South Florida, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in English.
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Amanda Clear is a licensed Property and Casualty insurance agent who runs her family insurance agency providing coverage in the states of Connecticut, New York, and Vermont. She specializes in providing customized insurance packages to her clients that provide the best coverage for the price that they can afford. She holds a bachelor's degree in English from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT, and works as a freelance editor, proofreader, and writer outside of her insurance career.
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States can suspend licenses for a few different reasons, including driving without insurance, having unpaid fines, racking up excessive traffic violations, and driving under the influence (DUI).
Regardless of why you have a suspended license, many states still require you to maintain an active car insurance policy. And unfortunately, a license suspension will affect your car insurance rates — your insurance company may increase your insurance premiums or choose not to renew your policy altogether.
The good news is that you can still find cheap car insurance, even if you don’t have an active license. In this guide, we’ll explore car insurance options for drivers with a suspended license.
Auto-Owners offers the cheapest car insurance rates to high-risk drivers, at an average of $72 per month.
USAA has the cheapest car insurance for drivers who need an SR-22 certificate, at an average of $92 per month.
You can get coverage after a license suspension by listing yourself as an excluded driver, making someone else the primary driver, or getting parked car insurance.
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Even with a suspended license, you might still need car insurance. If you own a car, your state laws may require you to have car insurance regardless of whether your license is active. Your car loan or leasing company may also require you to keep coverage. And if other family members drive your vehicle, you’ll need to keep your car insurance to protect them and your car.
You’ll also want to prevent a coverage lapse. Not only can it be a hassle to find a new policy after a gap in coverage, but many insurers consider a lapse to be a sign of increased risk, so you might end up paying substantially higher rates in the long run.
If you don’t have car insurance and begin driving again once the state reinstates your license, your state will likely suspend your license again if a police officer pulls you over. You may also face other penalties and fines.
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A suspended license can have a significant effect on your car insurance rates. Insurers consider drivers with a suspended license to be high-risk and will charge higher rates to account for that increased risk.
High-risk drivers can be anyone with infractions such as DUIs, reckless driving, or too many traffic violations. These drivers generally pay more for car insurance than drivers with clean records — but you can still find affordable rates from some insurance companies.
Check out the table below to see the five cheapest car insurance companies for high-risk drivers, according to Compare.com data.
Insurance Company ▲▼ | Average Monthly Premium ▲▼ |
|---|---|
| Auto-Owners | $72 |
| USAA | $83 |
| State Farm | $93 |
| GEICO | $99 |
| Allstate | $113 |
| Industry average | $170 |
Auto-Owners is the cheapest car insurance company for high-risk drivers, with an average monthly premium of $72, according to our data. You can keep your rates down by raising your deductible, applying for discounts, and comparing quotes from multiple insurers.
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An SR-22 certificate is a form that proves you meet your state’s minimum requirements for liability insurance. This proof of insurance is typically a requirement for drivers with a license suspension for a DUI or reckless driving.
If you have an SR-22 requirement, you’ll need to find an insurance company that will file your SR-22 certificate with your state when you sign up for a policy. You should expect to pay higher rates than average if you have an SR-22 form, and most companies charge a small fee (usually around $15–$25) to file it for you.
The table below shows the five cheapest car insurance companies for drivers with an SR-22, according to Compare.com data.
Insurance Company ▲▼ | Average Monthly Premium ▲▼ |
|---|---|
| USAA | $92 |
| State Farm | $105 |
| GEICO | $109 |
| Safeco | $115 |
| Allstate | $125 |
USAA is the cheapest car insurance company for drivers who need an SR-22 certificate, with an average monthly premium of $92, according to our data.
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Getting car insurance with a suspended license is challenging, but it’s not impossible. You may need to designate someone else as the primary driver on the policy to do this. It’s important to be honest with your insurance company about your circumstances and your license status — otherwise, your insurer may cancel your policy or deny a claim.
Here are three ways you can get car insurance as an unlicensed driver:
Some insurers will allow you to exclude yourself and members of your household from your policy. By listing yourself as an excluded driver on the policy, the insurance remains active for other drivers, but you won’t be able to drive.
A primary driver is usually the person who owns the vehicle, but you can get coverage with a suspended license if you list someone else — such as a spouse or roommate — as the primary driver on your policy. The person you list must drive the vehicle frequently and should have a good driving history — insurers will base your rates on their driving record.
You can buy auto insurance for a parked vehicle you don’t drive — known as comprehensive-only coverage — if you don’t expect anyone else to drive the car until the state reinstates your license. This type of policy will protect your car from damages such as theft, vandalism, and natural disasters.
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Though your rates will likely be higher than rates for drivers with clean records, it doesn’t mean you’re stuck paying expensive car insurance rates. You still have options to keep your car insurance costs low.
Here are some ways you can save on your car insurance, even with a suspended license:
Apply for discounts. Just about every insurance company offers a variety of discounts. Ask your company or your insurance agent which discounts you qualify for. For example, bundling multiple policies, such as homeowners and car insurance, is a common discount that can save you hundreds.
Increase your deductible. A higher deductible means a lower premium. Just make sure you can afford to pay the deductible out of pocket if you need to file a claim.
Consider non-owner insurance. A non-owner car insurance policy is typically cheaper than a standard policy, but it only applies if you don’t own your car.
Shop around and compare quotes. The best way to save money on car insurance — no matter your license status — is to compare rates from at least three insurers before buying a policy. Make sure you focus on companies that specialize in high-risk car insurance.
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If you still have questions about car insurance with a suspended license, check out the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about the topic.
Yes, your insurance rate will likley increase with a suspended license. States typically only suspend licenses for high-risk driving infractions, such as reckless driving and DUIs. Insurers charge drivers higher rates when they have infractions like these to account for the higher risk.
Yes, auto insurance companies can see if your state has suspended your license. Companies can check the status of your license by accessing your driving record. In some cases, states alert insurers if your driver’s license status changes, depending on state law.
Yes, you can get insurance with a suspended license in Texas. But you’ll likely need to file an SR-22 certificate to show proof of financial responsibility first. You also may need to list another driver as the primary driver.
It depends. Insurers do license status checks periodically, and each insurer is different, so there’s no set timeline. Either way, you should tell your insurer before they have a chance to find out — not doing so could cause it to cancel your policy or deny a claim.
Data Methodology:
Data scientists at Compare.com analyzed more than 50 million real-time auto insurance quotes from more than 75 partner insurers in order to compile the rates and statistics seen in this article. Compare.com’s auto insurance data includes coverage analysis and details on drivers’ vehicles, driving records, insurance histories, and demographic information.
All the rates listed in this article have been collected from a combination of real Compare.com quotes and external insurance rate data gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. Compare.com uses these observations to provide readers with insights into how auto insurance companies determine their premiums.
Sources:
National Association of Insurance Commissioners, “A Consumer's Guide to Auto Insurance,” accessed September 13, 2024.
Insurance Information Institute, “What determines the price of an auto insurance policy?,” accessed September 13, 2024.
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Danny Smith is a licensed property and casualty insurance agent who has written for Compare.com since 2024. A former insurance editor, he specializes in auto, home, and pet insurance. He works to translate his insurance expertise into digestible, easy-to-understand content for drivers, homeowners, and pet owners alike.
Lequita Westbrooks is an insurance editor at Compare.com. Her writing and editing experiences span several industries, including insurance, personal finance, higher education, and more. She excels at explaining complex topics like auto insurance in simple, easy-to-understand language and is passionate about helping readers save money. Lequita graduated from the University of South Florida, where she earned her Bachelor ’s degree in English.
Amanda Clear is a licensed Property and Casualty insurance agent who runs her family insurance agency providing coverage in the states of Connecticut, New York, and Vermont. She specializes in providing customized insurance packages to her clients that provide the best coverage for the price that they can afford. She holds a bachelor's degree in English from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT, and works as a freelance editor, proofreader, and writer outside of her insurance career.
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