Pennsylvania · After a DUI

Car Insurance After a DUI in Pennsylvania: What It Costs and What PennDOT Requires

Pennsylvania is one of the few states with no SR-22 at all. The cost of a DUI shows up in your premium, which roughly doubles, and, if your BAC was high, in a mandatory ignition interlock.

Iker, founder of Covered Route · Published · Requirements verified · How we research
~$237/moFull coverage after a DUI (MoneyGeek)
No SR-22No special insurance filing required
0.10%+BAC tier where interlock becomes mandatory

Pennsylvania doesn't require SR-22, or any substitute

Most states make a driver with a DUI carry an SR-22, a certificate the insurer files with the state for a set number of years. Pennsylvania doesn't. There's no SR-22 and no equivalent form for your insurer to file. Instead, PennDOT sends a restoration requirements letter listing everything you must do before your license comes back, such as restoration fees, treatment, or proof of insurance. You can also get that letter free, in real time, from the "Restorations" section of dmv.pa.gov.

Correction (September 24, 2026): an earlier version of this guide said Pennsylvania requires an insurance filing called "Form DL-123" for 3 years. That was wrong. DL-123 is North Carolina's insurance form; in Pennsylvania, DL-123 is PennDOT's medical form. We also removed a reference to a "2024" interlock law that we couldn't confirm in PennDOT's materials.

Whether you need an ignition interlock depends on your BAC. Pennsylvania's DUI law has three tiers: general impairment (0.08%-0.099%), high BAC (0.10%-0.159%), and highest BAC (0.16% and up). Per PennDOT, an interlock is mandatory for first-time and repeat offenders with high blood alcohol levels, and for drivers suspended for refusing a chemical test. It stays on for one year after your license is restored, and PennDOT puts the average lease cost at $900-$1,300 a year.

What a DUI does to your Pennsylvania premium

ScenarioTypical figure
Clean record, full coverage~$117/mo
After a DUI, full coverage~$237/mo (about +103%)
Cheapest insurer found after a DUITravelers, ~$95/mo
Ignition interlock lease, if required~$900 – $1,300/yr

Insurance figures are MoneyGeek's full-coverage averages for Pennsylvania; we haven't yet found a second source with comparable Pennsylvania DUI data, so treat them as one estimate rather than a range. Interlock cost is from PennDOT's Ignition Interlock fact sheet.

How the surcharge eases over time

The DUI surcharge doesn't stay flat. It's worst right when the conviction is fresh and eases in stages as your record ages, assuming no new violations:

Point in timeWhat typically happens
Year 1Highest rates, fewest carriers willing to quote at all
Years 2-3More carriers compete for the business; annual decreases of roughly 10%-25%
Years 3-5Most insurers stop surcharging the DUI somewhere in this window, assuming a clean record since the conviction

This is a general industry pattern, not Pennsylvania-specific data — individual insurers set their own schedules, so ask directly when your rate is due to step down rather than assuming a fixed timeline.

Which insurers tend to be cheapest after a DUI

Published rate surveys for a full-coverage policy after one DUI consistently rank a handful of carriers well below the national average:

InsurerNational average rateVs. average
State Farm~$192/mo-43%
Progressive~$268/moOften cited as cheapest among carriers that specialize in high-risk policies
Travelers~$236/mo-30%
National General~$249/mo-26%; actively accepts DUI applicants
GEICO~$334/moBaseline in this comparison
USAA~$150/moCheapest of all, but restricted to military members, veterans, and their families

Figures reflect a 40-year-old driver with one DUI, full coverage (100/300/100 limits), $500 deductible — a standard national comparison profile, not a Pennsylvania-specific or personalized quote. Not every insurer writes high-risk policies; confirm availability directly.

What affects the size of the increase

BAC level

Your BAC tier sets the license suspension and whether an ignition interlock is mandatory. A high-BAC or refusal case adds the interlock lease on top of the higher premium.

Tort election

Because Pennsylvania is a choice no-fault state (see our Pennsylvania teen driver guide, which covers the state minimums), whether the household carries full tort or limited tort affects the baseline premium the DUI surcharge gets layered on top of.

Insurer availability

Not every standard insurer writes high-risk policies; drivers often need to shop carriers that specifically accept DUI applicants.

Ways to lower the cost

  1. Shop insurers that specifically write high-risk policies — pricing varies more here than for standard coverage.
  2. Budget for the ignition interlock separately if your BAC was 0.10% or higher or you refused a chemical test, since PennDOT requires one in those cases even for a first offense.
  3. Keep coverage continuous. A lapse in Pennsylvania can get your vehicle registration suspended, and a gap on your record makes the next quote worse.
  4. Re-shop every year, and especially around the 3-year mark, since most insurers drop the DUI surcharge within 3-5 years.

How do published estimates compare? For full coverage after a DUI in Pennsylvania, Insurify, MoneyGeek and Insurance.com range from $219 to $258 a month — see the three sources side by side.

Frequently asked questions

Does Pennsylvania require SR-22 after a DUI?

No. There's no SR-22 or equivalent filing. PennDOT's restoration requirements letter lists what you need to get your license back, which can include proof of insurance.

Does Pennsylvania require an ignition interlock for a first DUI?

Only if your BAC was in the high tiers (0.10% and up) or you refused a chemical test. It then lasts one year after your license is restored.

How long does a DUI raise car insurance rates in Pennsylvania?

Most insurers surcharge a DUI for about 3-5 years after the conviction.

See our related guides for Pennsylvania: teen drivers and senior drivers. Curious how Pennsylvania compares nationally? See our SR-22 requirements by state reference.

More Pennsylvania guides

Sources

  1. PennDOT, "Driving Privilege Sanctions and Restoration Requirements Letter" fact sheet — accessed September 2026
  2. PennDOT, "Ignition Interlock" fact sheet (July 2025) and Ignition Interlock FAQs — accessed September 2026
  3. PennDOT, ".08 DUI Legislation" — accessed September 2026
  4. MoneyGeek, "DUI Car Insurance in Pennsylvania: Cost and Cheap Rates (2026)" — accessed September 2026
  5. InsureMojo, "Car Insurance After a DUI: Costs and Best Companies 2026" — accessed September 2026
  6. Ocho, "SR22 Insurance Cost: What You'll Actually Pay in 2026" — accessed September 2026

See our methodology and disclaimer — these are estimates, not a quote, and this page is not legal advice.