Getting Car Insurance With a Suspended License
- It’s possible to get car insurance with a suspended license, but it’s expensive.
- Progressive and National General have the cheapest car insurance for a suspended license.
- Your lender and state laws may require you to stay insured with a suspended license.
Can you get car insurance with a suspended license?
You can get car insurance with a suspended license, but it’s expensive and takes time. The cost depends largely on the reason for the suspension and the amount of coverage you need.
Full-coverage car insurance after a major violation costs an average of $470 a month, for example. Liability insurance after a minor offense is cheaper, at $140 a month.
Car insurance rates with a suspended license
| Type of insurance | Major violation monthly | Minor violation monthly | No violations monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liability only | $190 | $140 | $87 |
| Full coverage | $470 | $390 | $243 |
Major violations include DUI (driving under the influence) and reckless driving. Minor violations include driving without insurance.
Cheap liability car insurance with a suspended license
Progressive and National General have the cheapest liability car insurance for a suspended license with a major violation. Progressive’s rates average $91 a month. This is slightly less than National General’s average of $104 a month.
State Farm has the cheapest liability quotes for a minor violation suspension.
Liability car insurance rates with a suspended license
| Company | Major violation monthly | Minor violation monthly | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Progressive | $91 | $101 |
 | National General | $104 | $100 |
 | State Farm | $124 | $70 |
 | Bristol West | $148 | $185 |
 | Kemper | $178 | $80 |
 | Geico | $198 | $154 |
 | Dairyland | $233 | $290 |
 | Nationwide | $264 | $172 |
 | Farmers | $288 | $194 |
 | Hanover | $343 | $324 |
 | The General | $393 | $341 |
Liability insurance policies provide the minimum amount of coverage required by law. The requirements vary by state.
Full coverage car insurance includes collision and comprehensive coverage types. You usually need to buy full coverage for a car loan or lease. Otherwise, comprehensive and collision coverages are optional.
Cheap full-coverage car insurance with a suspended license
National General and Progressive have the cheapest full coverage car insurance after a major license suspension. National General’s rate averages $308 a month. This is only slightly less than Progressive’s rate of $310 a month.
State Farm has the cheapest full-coverage car insurance for drivers suspended for a minor violation. These rates average $198 a month.
Full-coverage rates for drivers with a suspended license
| Company | Major violation monthly | Minor violation monthly |
|---|---|---|
| National General | $308 | $301 |
| Progressive | $310 | $322 |
| State Farm | $335 | $198 |
| Geico | $344 | $284 |
| Kemper | $473 | $213 |
| Farmers | $724 | $510 |
| Bristol West | $742 | $950 |
| Nationwide | $790 | $516 |
| The General | $793 | $793 |
| Dairyland | $852 | $852 |
| Hanover | $941 | $888 |
Should I cancel my car insurance if my license is suspended?
It’s usually worth keeping your existing car insurance in place if your license is suspended. This lets you stay insured as you sort through the legal process. Your rate should stay the same for the rest of your current policy period.
Your insurance company may cancel your policy if your license is suspended, though. If you’re on a policy with others, your insurance company may exclude you from coverage.
Most insurance companies check your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) records when you buy your policy and before each renewal. These records show your license status.
Do I need car insurance with a suspended license?
If your license is suspended, you may still need car insurance for a car loan or to meet your state’s laws. Staying insured protects you from an insurance gap, which can leave you paying more for car insurance in the future.
Insurance requirements for car loans
Lenders typically require you to keep your car insured for the life of your loan. As the lienholder on your policy, your lender gets notified of policy lapses and cancellations. If you don’t replace a canceled policy with a new one, your lender usually does. Lender-placed car insurance often costs a lot more than a policy you buy for yourself.
State car insurance laws
The car insurance requirements in most states apply to any registered vehicle. Letting your insurance lapse without a new policy in place may violate these laws. In several states, insurance companies report policy lapses to the DMV.
You may be able to avoid your state’s registration requirements by storing your vehicle. A stored vehicle is one that you don’t plan to let anyone drive for an extended period.
Check your state’s requirements if you go this route. In some states, including California, you have to submit a non-use form to the DMV to get your insurance requirement waived. In states like Florida, you have to turn in your license plates to avoid insuring a stored vehicle.
Avoiding insurance gaps
You usually get cheaper car insurance rates when you avoid gaps or interruptions in coverage. Even when you switch companies, you want to avoid being uninsured between policies.
Some companies won’t insure you if you don’t have prior continuous coverage with any company. Others are likely to charge you a higher rate than you’d pay without a gap.
How to get car insurance with a suspended license
Getting car insurance can take longer than usual if you have a suspended license. Insurance companies may view you as nonstandard, or high risk. Some companies don’t insure high-risk drivers. This means you may have to contact more companies than normal for quotes.
Contact nonstandard companies
A few car insurance companies specialize in high-risk drivers. These companies tend to charge higher rates than mainstream insurers. However, if your license is suspended after a major violation, a nonstandard insurer may be your only option.
Some of the better-known companies for high-risk drivers include:
- Bristol West
- Dairyland
- The General
- Kemper
- National General
Get a restricted driver’s license
Getting a restricted license can allow you to drive legally while your license is suspended. A restricted license usually only lets you drive for things like work, school and medical appointments. The conditions and requirements vary by state.
A restricted license re-establishes your legal right to drive. This, in turn, may make more car insurance companies willing to offer you a policy.
Compare quotes
Compare car insurance quotes from multiple companies to find the most affordable rate. Each company uses a different system to set your rate. Some companies are more forgiving of prior accidents. violations or license suspensions.
Know your SR-22 or FR-44 requirements
The documents you get to reinstate your driver’s license should let you know if you need an SR-22 or FR-44 certificate. These forms certify that you meet your state’s insurance requirements. Your insurance company files them with the state when you buy a policy.
Be upfront about your license status and filing requirements with the companies you contact for quotes. If a company doesn’t offer the filing you need, move on to the next one on your list.
Consider non-owner car insurance
Non-owner car insurance helps you reinstate your driver’s license if you don’t own a car. It covers you while you drive other people’s cars. In the process, it lets you meet your state’s insurance requirements, including those for an SR-22 or FR-44 certificate.
Frequently asked questions
It could be. Most car insurance contracts let your provider cancel your policy if your license is suspended.
Yes. Your car insurance company can tell if your license is suspended when it checks your state’s motor vehicle records. Insurance companies typically check these records when you buy your policy and a few weeks before each renewal.
Methodology
LendingTree gets insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services using publicly sourced insurance company filings. Rates for this article are based on an analysis of quotes for drivers in California, Illinois and Texas. Your rates may be different.
Unless noted otherwise, quotes are for a full-coverage policy for a 30-year-old man who drives a 2015 Honda Civic EX.
Minimum-liability policies provide liability coverage with the state’s required minimum limits.
Full-coverage policies include:
- Bodily injury liability: $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
- Property damage liability: $25,000
- Uninsured motorist: $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident if required in that state
- Personal injury protection: Minimum limits if required in that state
- Collision: $500 deductible
- Comprehensive: $500 deductible
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