Can You Get Car Insurance With a Suspended License?

A driver with a suspended license can get car insurance, but not surprisingly, it’ll be a much more difficult process than if they had a valid license. Usually, driver’s licenses are suspended due to poor driving records full of incidents like speeding or DUIs. Maybe you even had to get an SR-22 form, proof of your auto insurance, due to such an incident. No matter the reason, having a suspended license will certainly make getting insurance more difficult, but not impossible.

Will My Car Insurance Rates Increase Because My License Was Suspended?

As you can imagine, getting a license suspension will also make car insurance more expensive than it would otherwise be, especially if you were convicted of a serious offense like reckless driving or a DUI¹. Learn more in our FAQs about insurance for motor vehicles.

There are car insurance companies that will write you a policy even with a suspended license. The process isn’t too difficult from how to get auto insurance under normal circumstances.

1. Find the right auto insurance companies. The hardest part will be finding a provider that takes license suspensions and/or SR-22s. We’ve reviewed the best auto insurance for high-risk drivers and the best for drivers with DUIs. In addition, these companies file SR-22s:

• Acceptance Insurance
• Allstate
• Dairyland
• Direct Auto
• Esurance
• Farmers
• GEICO
• Infinity
• Nationwide
• Progressive
• State Farm
• The General
• Titan
• USAA

1. Compare rates. To get the lowest-priced auto insurance, compare auto insurance quotes from different companies.
2. Pay your premium. Once you pay your premium, your coverage will go into effect on the effective date in your policy.

If you already have a policy currently, you may be wondering if you can cancel your auto insurance and save some money. While you technically can cancel your auto insurance at any time, you may run into some cancellation fees, and you may or may not get a refund on the premium you’ve paid for in advance.

Another outcome is that your auto insurance provider cancels your policy mid-term, which it’s legally allowed to do due to the suspension. If that’s the case, you won’t have a choice, and your policy will end before its expiration date. But if your insurance provider doesn’t cancel your insurance, there are some good reasons to keep it active.

Why You Should Keep Your Car Insurance

Although you might be tempted to suspend your car insurance temporarily while your license is suspended, it makes sense to keep paying for coverage for a few reasons:

• Avoid lapses in coverage: Gaps in coverage could make your insurance rates higher, as they’re associated with high-risk drivers.
• Drive on a restricted basis: If you have to go to work, school, or medical appointments, you could get a restricted license to drive to these locations. If you’re driving at all, you’ll still need insurance.
• Get your license reinstated: Once you’re eligible for license reinstatement, you will most likely need proof of insurance to get it reinstated.
• Protect your car from damages: Even if you’re not driving your car, it could still be damaged, and without insurance, you’d be responsible for the costs of repairing or replacing it out of pocket. Insurance can reimburse you for events like hit-and-runs under uninsured motorist coverage; vandalism, theft, and fires under comprehensive coverage; and other events that don’t require driving on your part.

To save money, consider dropping collision coverage if you’re allowed. If no one else is driving your car and it’s parked in a private spot, it’s unlikely it’ll be involved in a collision. Read more about the difference between collision and comprehensive coverage.

If you’re notified that your license has been suspended, stop and think before canceling your current auto insurance policy. Gaps in coverage never look good, and unlike with license revocation, license suspensions aren’t forever. To keep your rates as reasonable as possible, it’s best to maintain some form of auto insurance, even if you have to stop supplemental insurance coverages. You’ll appreciate it when you’ll be able to legally drive again.