Today’s posts comes from LifeSafer’s blog, Interlock Talk.

There are many different terms for drinking and driving. Across the United States, you may be convicted for driving while intoxicated (DWI), driving under the influence (DUI), or operating a vehicle while intoxicated. No matter which term your state uses, if you are convicted of driving after drinking, you’ll need to learn about SR-22 Insurance.

As a penalty for offenders, every state requires that the offender lose their privilege to drive for a period of time. Depending on the state laws, it could be a few days or up to one year. In order to regain your ability to drive, you will need to show your licensing agency an SR-22 insurance form. An SR-22 insurance form proves you have vehicle liability insurance, and the agency that provides your insurance is required to let the DMV in your state know if your policy is canceled or terminated. Essentially the SR-22 is the key to reinstating a driver’s driving privileges following a driving after drinking conviction.

Once you have an SR-22 insurance form, your insurance company will consider you a high-risk driver. If you previously received safe driver discounts or were eligible for any type of insurance discount, your premiums could potentially triple from what you were originally paying.

How long will you be required to pay higher premiums due to needing SR-22 insurance? Laws will vary according to your state, but most will require your insurance to be affected for at least three years for a first offense and longer for subsequent offenses.