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SR22 insurance in Wisconsin is a certificate of financial responsibility required by the DMV to reinstate a driver’s license after a driving related conviction such as an OWI or reckless driving. It proves you have minimum liability coverage and is typically required for three years.
If you have been convicted of an OWI, you will be required to provide the DMV with an SR-22 certificate. This is a form that certifies you have sufficient auto insurance. You are cannot file this form yourself, instead this has to be done by an insurance provider. Different companies charge different fees for this service, but it is typically about $25 dollars.
Your bigger expense will be the insurance itself. If you are convicted of a DUI, your rates will almost certainly increase–possibly as much as 200 to 300%. Insurance companies are even entitled to drop you entirely if you have a new OWI on your record, and some companies will do just that. In these cases, you will have to shop around for a provider that will accept you.
When it comes to rates, you may not have much of a choice because the insurance provider has the bargaining power.
When considering the true penalties of an OWI in Wisconsin, you have to factor in much more than the insurance. Depending on how many prior convictions you have, your DUI could carry penalties into the thousands of dollars. But even if this is only your 1st offense OWI, the true cost is much higher than the fine.
Wisconsin is the only state where a first offense DUI is still considered a civil offense and not a crime. That is why the police may try to tell you it is “no big deal” or “just a ticket,” but don’t believe them. Even a first OWI will have a permanent effect on your future, so it is best to fight your OWI before you are convicted. A conviction can negatively impact your ability to get a job, especially if it is something involving driving.
An OWI can affect your auto insurance rates for about five years. After several years have passed since your first offense OWI and your insurance rate lowers, it will be extremely important to maintain a clean driving record. If you have had more than two DUIs, Wisconsin has a lifetime look-back policy and will count previous DUIs as prior offenses no matter how much time has passed between them.
With multiple DUIs on your record, you can anticipate not only steep insurance rates but also lengthy license revocation periods, not to mention thousands of dollars in fines and years of jail time.
In Wisconsin, you have to have SR-22 insurance for a minimum of three years. There is a lot of confusion surrounding both SR-22s and OWI offenses in general. An SR-22 is a form that your insurance company files with the DMV to certify that you are insured after being classified as a high-risk driver. The SR-22 itself is only a certificate–it is not a type of insurance. If your provider cancels your policy, or if they will not file your SR-22, you will need to find a new provider.
Your insurance rates are likely to stay high for about five years from conviction, depending on your provider. However, your DUI will not simply vanish or “drop off” after that time. Wisconsin has a “lifetime look back” policy when it comes to drunk driving violations. If you are being charged with your third DUI or above, prior convictions will be considered even if over a decade has passed.
Therefore, while your insurance rates may temporarily double or triple, your criminal record will be an ongoing, lifelong concern. A first offense drunk driving charge is never “just a ticket.” Most people do not realize this, and they do not bother to get an attorney when it is their first offense. But almost everyone gets a lawyer when they are facing a second DUI charge, and they wish they had done so in the first place. Even if you have never been accused of a crime before in your life, do not let your name be dragged through the mud.
