How Many Points Is a DUI in Michigan?

Carriers classify DUI as a major violation with its own surcharge schedule, separate from the point system. A typical 6-point speeding ticket might raise your premium 30-50% for 3 years. A DUI typically doubles or triples your premium for 3 years, even though both violations carry the same point value on the Secretary of State record. This happens because insurance underwriting models assign DUI a risk multiplier based on accident probability data, not DMV point counts. A DUI signals statistically higher claim likelihood than any moving violation, so the surcharge reflects that elevated risk independent of the state's point assignment. The insurance surcharge window is 3 years in Michigan, measured from the conviction date. Your 6 points fall off the Secretary of State record after 2 years, but most carriers continue the surcharge for a full 3 years. Some carriers extend the lookback to 5 years for major violations, meaning you may see rate impacts well beyond the point expiration.

Michigan requires SR-22 filing after most DUI convictions. SR-22 is a certificate your insurance carrier files with the Secretary of State proving you carry at least state minimum liability coverage: $50,000 bodily injury per person, $100,000 per accident, and $10,000 property damage. The filing itself costs $20-$50 as a one-time fee through your carrier. The real cost is the insurance premium increase that comes with needing SR-22. Many preferred carriers — State Farm, Allstate, Auto-Owners — either decline to write SR-22 policies or assign them to non-standard subsidiaries with higher base rates. This forces most DUI drivers into the non-standard market, where premiums run 2-3 times higher than preferred-tier rates even before the DUI surcharge applies. Michigan requires SR-22 filing for 2 years from the reinstatement date if your license was suspended due to the DUI. If you let your policy lapse or cancel during that 2-year window, your carrier notifies the state and your license suspends immediately. You must then start the 2-year SR-22 clock over from the new reinstatement date.

Michigan suspends your license when you reach 12 points in any 2-year period. With a 6-point DUI already on your record, a single 4-point violation — running a red light, improper lane use, or any speed 16+ mph over the limit — triggers automatic suspension. The suspension length varies by total points. A 12-point suspension typically lasts 30 days for a first occurrence. Repeat suspensions within 7 years carry longer terms and additional reinstatement requirements, including a driver assessment reexamination and proof of financial responsibility. Reinstatement after a DUI-related suspension requires paying a $125 reinstatement fee, completing any court-ordered alcohol treatment programs, and filing SR-22 proof of insurance before the Secretary of State restores your license. Some drivers qualify for a restricted license during the suspension period, allowing travel to work, school, or treatment appointments, but this requires a separate hearing and approval.

Your 6 DUI points disappear from the Secretary of State record 2 years after the conviction date. The violation itself — the DUI conviction — remains on your public driving record for 7 years and visible to insurance carriers during that entire window. Most carriers apply the DUI surcharge for 3 years from the conviction date, not 2 years. This means your premium stays elevated for a full year after the points have already fallen off the state record. Some carriers extend the major violation surcharge to 5 years, particularly if you had prior violations or claims before the DUI. You cannot remove DUI points early through defensive driving courses or any other state program. Michigan does not offer point reduction for major violations. The only path to clearing the surcharge is waiting out the full lookback window and maintaining a clean record during that period. Any additional violation during the 3-year surcharge window resets the clock and compounds the rate increase.

Rate variation between carriers is extreme for drivers with a DUI. One non-standard carrier might quote $3,200/year while another quotes $5,800/year for identical coverage, same driver, same violation. This spread exists because carriers use different risk models, different filing fee structures, and different thresholds for what violations they will accept. Non-standard carriers specialize in high-risk drivers and typically offer the most competitive rates after a DUI. Progressive, Acceptance, Bristol West, Dairyland, and The General all write DUI policies with SR-22 in Michigan. Preferred carriers like State Farm and Auto-Owners may still write your policy if the DUI is your only violation and you have a long prior clean record, but expect assignment to a higher-cost tier within their portfolio. Request quotes from at least 4 carriers within 30 days of your conviction. Rates are not static — carriers adjust their appetite for DUI risk quarterly based on claims performance, so a carrier that declines you today may offer competitive rates 6 months from now. Re-shop annually during the 3-year surcharge window to capture rate drops as the conviction ages.

Most carriers drop the DUI surcharge entirely 3 years after the conviction date, assuming no additional violations during that window. Your premium typically falls 40-60% at the 3-year mark as the major violation surcharge rolls off. You remain in a higher-risk tier than a clean-record driver, but the acute penalty phase ends. At 5 years post-conviction, many carriers reclassify you back into standard-risk tiers if your record has stayed clean. This is when you regain access to preferred carrier rates and multi-policy discounts that were unavailable during the surcharge window. Some carriers still apply a minor surcharge between years 5-7, but it is typically under 10%. The 7-year mark is full clearance — the DUI conviction no longer appears on insurance quotes and carriers treat you as a clean-record driver for rating purposes. The violation remains on your Secretary of State record permanently, but insurance underwriting systems stop pulling convictions older than 7 years under current Michigan industry practice.