A hit and run citation in Michigan carries 6 points and triggers rate increases between 40% and 90% depending on carrier and tier. Here's what happens to your premium, how long the surcharge lasts, and which carriers still write policies after a first offense.
What a Hit and Run Conviction Does to Your Michigan Insurance Rate
A hit and run conviction under Michigan misdemeanor statute MCL 257.617 assigns 6 points to your driving record and triggers premium increases ranging from 40% to 90% depending on your carrier and current tier. Preferred carriers typically non-renew at 6 points, moving you into the standard or non-standard market where base rates are already 25% to 60% higher before the violation surcharge applies.
The rate increase lasts 3 years on most carrier surcharge schedules, measured from the conviction date. Your points remain on the Secretary of State driving record for 2 years from the conviction date under MCL 257.320a, but insurance lookback periods extend beyond DMV point expiration because carriers pull your entire 3-year driving history at each renewal.
If you're convicted under the civil infraction pathway for leaving the scene of an unattended vehicle accident under MCL 257.619, you receive zero points but the conviction still appears on your record. Carriers flag civil hit and run convictions during underwriting review even without point assignment, and many apply surcharges or non-renew based on the incident type regardless of point count.
How Michigan Carriers Price Hit and Run Risk in 2025
State Farm, AAA Michigan, and Auto-Owners typically non-renew preferred policies at 6 points, routing you to their standard affiliate or declining coverage entirely. Progressive and Geico write standard-tier policies for single 6-point violations but apply surcharges between 50% and 75% for the first 3 years post-conviction.
Non-standard carriers like Dairyland, Bristol West, and National General accept 6-point violations and quote rates 60% to 110% higher than clean-record preferred pricing. Monthly premiums for state minimum liability coverage after a hit and run conviction range from $210 to $385 in Detroit metro, $145 to $260 in Grand Rapids, and $125 to $230 in rural counties, based on February 2025 rate filings.
Carriers distinguish between property-damage-only hit and run and injury-involved hit and run. Injury-involved convictions trigger immediate non-renewal or policy cancellation at most preferred and standard carriers, leaving only assigned-risk pool coverage or high-risk specialty writers.
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When Michigan Suspends Your License After Hit and Run
Michigan does not suspend your license solely for accumulating 6 points from a single hit and run conviction. The Secretary of State suspension threshold is 12 points within 2 years under MCL 257.320a, so a first-offense 6-point violation leaves you 6 points below the suspension line.
If you already have 6 or more points from prior violations when the hit and run conviction posts, you cross the 12-point threshold and receive a license suspension notice. The suspension period is typically 30 days for a first suspension, 3 months for a second suspension within 7 years.
Hit and run convictions also carry independent court-ordered penalties including potential jail time up to 90 days for misdemeanor property damage hit and run, and up to 1 year for injury-involved hit and run. Court-ordered license restrictions or suspensions apply separately from point-based Secretary of State suspensions and often require completion of a driver responsibility program before reinstatement.
Which Coverage Types Cost More After a Hit and Run
Liability coverage surcharges after a hit and run range from 40% to 65% at standard carriers and 70% to 90% at non-standard carriers. Collision and comprehensive coverage see smaller percentage increases, typically 20% to 35%, because those coverages pay for your own vehicle damage regardless of fault and hit and run is classified as an at-fault incident under most carrier underwriting rules.
Personal injury protection (PIP) premiums increase 15% to 30% after a hit and run conviction because Michigan's no-fault system ties PIP pricing to overall risk profile rather than individual incident fault. Property protection insurance (PPI) follows liability surcharge patterns, adding 40% to 60% to base PPI rates.
If you carried state minimum liability only before the conviction, adding collision or comprehensive after the hit and run triggers underwriting review and you'll be quoted at post-violation rates for all coverages. Waiting until your points drop to 3 or fewer before adding physical damage coverages saves 25% to 45% compared to adding coverages immediately after conviction.
How Long Hit and Run Stays on Your Michigan Insurance Record
The 6-point assignment expires 2 years from the conviction date under MCL 257.320a, but the underlying conviction remains on your Secretary of State driving record permanently and appears on insurance MVR pulls for 7 years. Carriers apply surcharges based on the conviction itself, not just the point assignment, so your rates remain elevated for the full carrier lookback period even after points expire.
Most Michigan carriers use a 3-year lookback window for major violations including hit and run, meaning your surcharge drops at your first renewal after the 3-year anniversary of the conviction date. A small number of carriers extend lookback to 5 years for hit and run because it's classified as an incident involving failure to fulfill legal responsibilities.
You cannot remove a hit and run conviction from your record through defensive driving courses or traffic school. Michigan's Basic Driver Improvement Course (BDIC) reduces up to 3 points for minor violations like speeding, but hit and run is excluded from point reduction programs under Secretary of State policy.
What to Do Immediately After a Hit and Run Citation
Request a complete copy of your driving record from the Michigan Secretary of State within 10 days of the citation to verify your current point total and confirm whether the 6-point assignment pushes you above the 12-point suspension threshold. If you're already at 6 or more points, you have between the conviction date and the Secretary of State suspension notice to arrange alternative transportation or apply for a restricted license if you qualify for hardship consideration.
Contact your current carrier before the conviction posts to your record and ask whether they will non-renew or move you to a standard affiliate. If non-renewal is likely, start shopping 30 to 45 days before your renewal date because non-standard carriers require longer underwriting timelines and you want quotes in hand before your current policy expires.
Do not let your coverage lapse. A coverage gap after a hit and run conviction signals high risk to all carriers and results in non-standard placement even if you would have qualified for standard-tier pricing with continuous coverage. Michigan does not require SR-22 filing for hit and run convictions unless your license is suspended for a separate reason and SR-22 is ordered as a reinstatement condition.
Which Michigan Carriers Write Policies After Hit and Run
Progressive, Geico, and Nationwide write standard-tier policies for drivers with a single 6-point violation and no other major incidents in the prior 3 years. These carriers quote rates 50% to 80% higher than their preferred-tier pricing but remain 20% to 40% below non-standard market rates.
Dairyland, Bristol West, National General, and Acceptance write non-standard policies for drivers with 6 to 11 points or multiple violations within 3 years. Monthly premiums for state minimum liability range from $185 to $340 depending on county and driving history beyond the hit and run.
If you're above 12 points or have multiple at-fault incidents including the hit and run, the Michigan Automobile Insurance Placement Facility (MAIPF) assigns you to a carrier in the residual market pool. Assigned-risk rates are typically 110% to 150% higher than non-standard voluntary market rates and you remain in the pool until you maintain 12 consecutive months of clean driving and drop below 6 points.
