Your first DUI conviction in Texas triggers SR-22 filing for two years, adds 2 points to your license, and typically doubles your insurance premium. Here's what carriers actually charge and who will still quote you.
What happens to your Texas car insurance rate after a first DUI conviction
A first DUI conviction in Texas adds 2 points to your driving record and requires SR-22 filing for two years from the conviction date. Your premium typically doubles—jumping from a pre-conviction average of $140/mo to $280–$380/mo for full coverage immediately after the conviction is reported to your insurer.
The rate increase comes from two separate mechanics. Your current carrier applies a major violation surcharge, usually 80–120% above your clean-record rate, that persists for three to five years depending on the carrier's underwriting rules. At the same time, most preferred carriers non-renew DUI policies at the next renewal cycle or decline to quote SR-22 altogether, forcing you into standard or non-standard markets where base rates start higher even before violation surcharges apply.
Texas does not assess a state-level surcharge for first-offense DUI under current DMV rules, but your insurer's internal surcharge schedule applies immediately once the conviction appears on your motor vehicle record. The 2 points stay on your Texas driving record for three years from the conviction date, but insurance surcharges typically last longer—most carriers maintain DUI surcharges for five years from the conviction, regardless of when points expire.
SR-22 filing requirements and costs in Texas after a DUI
Texas requires SR-22 filing for two years after a DUI conviction. Your insurer files the SR-22 certificate electronically with the Texas Department of Public Safety within 30 days of your conviction or license reinstatement order. The filing itself costs $15–$50 depending on your carrier, but the real cost is the premium increase that comes with being classified as an SR-22 driver.
SR-22 is not a separate insurance policy—it's a liability certification your existing insurer files on your behalf. You must maintain continuous liability coverage at Texas minimum limits or higher for the full two-year filing period. If your policy lapses for any reason, your insurer is legally required to notify DPS electronically within 10 days, triggering an automatic license suspension that lasts until you refile SR-22 and pay a $125 reinstatement fee.
Most preferred carriers either refuse to file SR-22 or non-renew policies that require it. Progressive, GEICO, and The General file SR-22 in Texas and actively quote DUI drivers, but expect rate quotes 100–150% higher than standard-market rates. Non-standard carriers like Acceptance Insurance and Freeway Insurance specialize in SR-22 policies and often deliver lower premiums than forcing SR-22 through a preferred carrier that doesn't want the risk.
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Which Texas carriers will still insure you after a DUI
Progressive writes the largest volume of post-DUI policies in Texas and files SR-22 electronically within three business days of binding coverage. Monthly premiums for a first-offense DUI driver with no other violations typically range from $240–$320/mo for state minimum liability and $380–$480/mo for full coverage, depending on age, vehicle, and ZIP code.
GEICO quotes DUI drivers in Texas but applies strict underwriting—if you have any additional moving violations in the three years before the DUI, GEICO typically declines to quote. When they do quote, rates run $260–$340/mo for minimum liability. The General and Acceptance Insurance both specialize in high-risk drivers and quote most first-offense DUI applicants, with premiums ranging from $220–$400/mo depending on coverage selections and whether you bundle SR-22 filing.
State Farm, Allstate, and USAA either decline DUI applications outright or non-renew at the next renewal cycle after a conviction is reported. If your current carrier non-renews you, shop for replacement coverage immediately—waiting until the non-renewal effective date leaves you with fewer options and higher quotes, since a lapse in coverage adds another risk signal on top of the DUI.
How long DUI surcharges last on your Texas insurance premium
Most Texas insurers maintain DUI surcharges for five years from the conviction date, even though the 2 points drop off your driving record after three years. Progressive's surcharge drops to 50% of the original increase at the three-year mark and phases out completely at five years. GEICO holds the full surcharge for five years, then removes it entirely at renewal.
Your SR-22 filing requirement ends after two years, but that does not automatically trigger a rate reduction. You must request removal of the SR-22 once your filing period expires and ask your carrier to re-rate your policy at renewal. Some carriers reduce rates modestly once SR-22 is removed; others maintain the DUI surcharge at the same level until the full five-year lookback window closes.
Switching carriers after your SR-22 period ends is often the fastest path to a lower premium. Once SR-22 is no longer required, standard-market carriers will quote you again, though the DUI still appears on your record and triggers a surcharge. A driver paying $380/mo for SR-22 coverage with a non-standard carrier might drop to $220–$280/mo by switching to a standard carrier once the two-year filing period expires, even with the DUI still on record.
What you can do right now to reduce your post-DUI premium
Shop at least three carriers within 30 days of your conviction. Rate spreads for DUI drivers in Texas routinely exceed $150/mo between the highest and lowest quotes for identical coverage. Progressive, The General, and Acceptance Insurance all compete for post-DUI business, and their underwriting models weight DUI severity differently—one might quote you $320/mo while another quotes $480/mo for the same policy.
Increase your liability limits to 50/100/50 if you can afford the additional premium. Texas minimum liability coverage of 30/60/25 leaves you personally liable for damages above those limits, and a DUI conviction makes you a more attractive target for litigation after any future at-fault accident. The difference in premium between minimum limits and 50/100/50 is typically $30–$50/mo, and higher limits signal lower risk to underwriters, sometimes offsetting part of the DUI surcharge.
Complete a Texas-approved Alcohol Education Program within 180 days of your conviction if your court order requires it. Failure to complete the program extends your SR-22 filing period and can trigger additional license sanctions. Completion does not remove the DUI from your record or reduce insurance surcharges directly, but it satisfies reinstatement requirements and prevents compounding penalties that would make you uninsurable in the standard market.
Texas DUI point system and license suspension rules
A first-offense DUI conviction adds 2 points to your Texas driving record under current DMV rules. Those points stay on your record for three years from the conviction date and count toward the 6-point suspension threshold Texas applies within a three-year rolling window. If you accumulate 6 points total—for example, a DUI plus two speeding tickets—your license is suspended for up to six months.
Texas does not offer point reduction through defensive driving courses for DUI convictions. Defensive driving can remove points for minor moving violations like speeding tickets, but major violations including DUI, reckless driving, and racing are ineligible for point reduction under Texas Transportation Code Section 521.344. The only way to clear DUI points is to wait three years from the conviction date.
Occupational driver's licenses are available during a DUI-related suspension if you can prove essential need—commuting to work, attending court-ordered alcohol education, or transporting dependents. You must file a petition with the court that issued your suspension order, pay a $10 application fee, and maintain SR-22 filing throughout the restricted license period. Your insurance premium does not decrease while driving on an occupational license; most carriers treat it the same as full SR-22 filing.
