Auto Insurance After a Hit and Run in New York With Points

A hit and run conviction in New York — specifically leaving the scene of an accident under VTL 600(1) — adds 3 points to your driving record and triggers a major auto insurance surcharge. Most carriers increase premiums 30–50% for three years following the conviction date. The violation stays on your DMV record for three years from the conviction date, but it affects your insurance rates for the full three-year surcharge period even after the points fall off. New York distinguishes between leaving the scene of a property-damage-only accident, which is typically charged as a traffic infraction carrying 3 points, and leaving the scene of an accident involving injury or death, which is a misdemeanor or felony with no point value but triggers license suspension and mandatory SR-22 filing. If you were convicted of the infraction, you do not need SR-22. If you were convicted of the misdemeanor, you will need SR-22 for three years following license reinstatement. Carriers treat hit and run more severely than a typical at-fault accident because it demonstrates evasion of responsibility. Even if the accident itself was minor, the decision to leave the scene signals elevated risk. Preferred carriers — State Farm, GEICO standard tiers, Allstate — typically decline new applicants with a hit and run conviction within the past three years and non-renew existing policyholders at the next renewal. Standard and non-standard carriers become your primary market.

New York suspends your license when you accumulate 11 points within an 18-month period. A hit and run conviction adds 3 points. If you have no other violations, you remain 8 points below the suspension threshold. If you already carry 8 or more points from prior speeding tickets or moving violations, the hit and run conviction will push you over the threshold and trigger an automatic suspension. The DMV calculates the 18-month window from violation date to violation date, not conviction date. If you received a speeding ticket 14 months ago that added 4 points, then were convicted of hit and run today adding 3 points, you now carry 7 points within the 18-month window. A third violation before the first ticket ages out will trigger suspension. Points fall off your record three years from the conviction date, but the 18-month calculation window for suspension purposes resets with each new violation. Once you cross the 11-point threshold, the DMV issues a suspension notice. You cannot drive legally until you complete the suspension period, pay the $50 suspension termination fee, and file proof of insurance. If the hit and run was charged as a misdemeanor leaving the scene, the suspension is conviction-based rather than points-based, and reinstatement requires SR-22 filing for three years.

Preferred carriers — the lowest-cost tier that includes State Farm, GEICO, Progressive's standard policies, and Allstate — typically decline applicants with a hit and run conviction on record. These carriers reserve preferred rates for drivers with zero at-fault accidents and zero major violations within three to five years. A hit and run disqualifies you from preferred underwriting for the full three-year surcharge period. Standard carriers and non-standard specialists will write your policy. Progressive writes non-standard auto through its standard platform and often quotes drivers with one major violation. Dairyland, The General, and National General specialize in non-standard risk and write policies for drivers with hit and run convictions. Expect monthly premiums 40–70% higher than your prior preferred rate, with the increase concentrated in collision and liability coverages. If you were convicted of misdemeanor leaving the scene and your license was suspended, you will need SR-22 filing upon reinstatement. Carriers that write SR-22 in New York include Progressive, Dairyland, The General, Bristol West, and Acceptance. The SR-22 filing itself costs $25–50 per year, but the underlying non-standard policy premium is the larger expense. Most SR-22 carriers in New York quote monthly premiums of $180–$320 for state minimum liability, compared to $90–$140 for a clean-record driver.

The 3-point DMV penalty falls off your record three years from the conviction date, but your insurance surcharge lasts for the full three-year period regardless of when the points technically expire. Carriers apply surcharges based on violation date, not current point totals. Even after the points drop off your DMV abstract, the hit and run conviction remains visible to insurers reviewing your record during the underwriting process. You can switch carriers at any time, but the new carrier will see the hit and run conviction when they pull your MVR. Shopping every six months is standard advice for pointed drivers, but realistic expectations matter — you will not qualify for preferred rates until the conviction ages past the three-year mark. Standard and non-standard carriers compete on price within their tier, so rate variation of 20–40% between carriers is common even when all are writing non-standard policies. After three years from the conviction date, the violation no longer appears on your driving record and you regain access to preferred carrier pricing. At that point, request quotes from State Farm, GEICO, Erie, and other preferred carriers. The rate drop from non-standard to preferred typically ranges from 35–55%, depending on your vehicle and coverage selections. If you completed a defensive driving course during the surcharge period, mention it when quoting — New York allows a 10% discount for course completion, and some carriers apply it retroactively when you switch.

New York allows you to reduce your point total by 4 points if you complete an approved Point and Insurance Reduction Program (PIRP) defensive driving course. The course must be completed after the hit and run conviction date to apply to those points. Completion reduces your DMV point total by up to 4 points, which brings your 3-point hit and run conviction to zero for suspension-threshold purposes, but it does not erase the underlying conviction from your record. The PIRP course also triggers a mandatory 10% discount on liability and collision premiums for three years following course completion. The discount is mandated by New York Insurance Law and applies to all carriers writing auto policies in the state. You must request the discount when you complete the course — carriers do not apply it automatically. Submit your certificate of completion to your carrier within 90 days of the course end date to activate the discount at your next renewal. The 10% discount reduces your surcharge but does not eliminate it. If your premium increased from $120/month to $180/month after the conviction, the PIRP discount brings it to $162/month, not back to the original rate. The conviction still appears on your MVR and still triggers non-standard underwriting. The PIRP course is most valuable when you are close to the 11-point suspension threshold, because the 4-point reduction can prevent suspension if you receive another violation before the hit and run conviction ages out.

New York requires minimum liability limits of 25/50/10: $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $10,000 for property damage. These minimums do not change after a hit and run conviction, but your rate for those minimums will increase significantly. Dropping to state minimums reduces your premium but exposes you to substantial out-of-pocket liability in any future accident. If you carry a loan or lease, your lender requires collision and comprehensive coverage regardless of your violation history. Dropping these coverages violates your financing agreement and can trigger forced-place insurance at even higher cost. If you own your vehicle outright and its value is below $5,000, dropping collision coverage eliminates the largest component of your surcharge — collision premiums increase more sharply than liability after an at-fault violation. Uninsured motorist coverage becomes more valuable after a violation, not less. You now carry a higher risk profile in the eyes of other insurers, and if you are hit by an uninsured driver, your own UM coverage is your only financial protection. New York does not require UM coverage but most carriers offer it as an optional endorsement. Adding UM/UIM at 25/50 limits typically costs $8–15/month even on a non-standard policy and covers medical bills and lost wages if you are struck by a driver with no insurance or insufficient limits.