Car Insurance with a Criminal Conviction
Caeva O'Callaghan | August 8th, 2023
What is Convicted Driver Insurance?
Convicted driver insurance is insurance for a driver who has a criminal conviction. The cost of car insurance is usually higher when the driver has a previous criminal conviction.
Does a criminal conviction make it harder to get car insurance?
A criminal conviction makes it harder to get car insurance. Surprisingly to many, this does not only include convictions that relate directly to driving. Any conviction may result in certain problems when seeking car insurance.
How to get car insurance when you have a criminal conviction
The first thing you need to do is disclose your conviction to your insurance broker and insurer. Never hide your conviction because it will lead to problems down the line. It may result in your policy being voided.
It is also important to know that any conviction must be disclosed even if the event or the conviction happened after the policy of car insurance was taken out.
This is something that can easily be forgotten but is just as important as disclosing the conviction when the policy is taken out. In this circumstance, it is up to the policy holder to make contact with their insurance provider and notify them about the conviction.
There are insurers who specialise in policies for people with convictions. It is possible for a convicted driver to shop around to find the best quote.
Spent Convictions – Car Insurance
What is a “Spent” Conviction?
Some convictions are regarded as “spent” after 7 years. The 7 years is counted from the date of the sentence (conviction).
These are:
- All convictions in the District Court except for convictions for dangerous driving and a single conviction in either the District our Circuit Court which resulted in a prison term of less than 12 months or a fine
- Convictions for a sexual offence or an offence tried in the Central Criminal Court must always be disclosed and are never “spent.”
Up until 2016, there was no set time in Ireland whereby there was expungement of adult criminal convictions after a set period.
In terms of insurance, it is really a lifelong punishment since all insurance companies ask, at the time of new business quotation and/or renewal, whether there has ever been any criminal convictions.
The 2016 act states “If you have been convicted of fraud, deceit or dishonesty in respect of a claim under a policy of insurance or a policy of assurance, you have to disclose that conviction on any insurance or assurance proposal or form.”
Failure to disclose such convictions could mean that your policy is invalid and cancelled from inception date – effectively meaning that cover never existed. It will also mean that any claim will not be paid.
It is important to note that these rules apply to all insurance policies, not just car insurance.
Questions Insurance Brokers/Companies will ask a Convicted Driver
At quoteme.ie we ask the following question when we receive an application for car insurance:
“Have you or any driver who may drive your car ever had any convictions for any offence of any nature or any pending prosecutions?”
Convicted Drivers Insurance
In the case where the offence resulting in the conviction was related to driving you will have to disclose details. For example, in the case of seeking car insurance for a person convicted of a drink driving related offence a number of additional details are required.
A number of insurance companies provide quotes to convicted drivers. We get quotes on your behalf from these insurers so you can select the best quote.
Convicted drivers insurance can be significantly higher than a driver without a conviction. That’s a key reason to shop around for your car insurance quote. We can help you get cheap convicted drivers insurance. Everyone’s circumstances are different. You may be surprised at how much you can save on your policy.
Convicted Driver Insurance and Drink Driving Insurance
We help drivers with a drink driving related conviction get car insurance. During the application process, we require additional details from the applicant that relate to their conviction.
If you have a drink driving conviction, we have a number of insurers willing to quote for your car insurance.
In order to get an insurance quote for a driver who has a drink driving conviction we require the following details:
The date of the offence and the penalty you received.
Since 2011 your penalty will reflect the offence so we no longer need to know the statistics around your blood/alcohol levels at the time of your offence.
A major factor in determining the cost of your car insurance policy will be around the penalty you received. If you were disqualified from driving for more than 2 years, you will have lost your no claims bonus, with the obvious consequence.
Even if you have a drink driving conviction it is worth shopping around for quotes. Many insurers will give you a quote but in our experience, this can vary according to a number of factors.
We can help you find the lowest price quote from insurers who have policies for drivers with a drink driving conviction.
Our insurance professionals can help people with convictions get the best possible quote for their circumstances. We recommend that you give us a call and we will do our utmost to find the best quote for you.
Insurance for a Driver with a Conviction
For a driver with a conviction, it is more difficult to get car insurance. Quotes are higher for individuals with a conviction than for people without a criminal conviction. However, this increase in cost can be reduced.
Over the years we have seen many convicted drivers make substantial savings on their policy. Even though the quote will be higher if they did not have any convictions, shopping around does pay.
Please call us for a quote. We will compare car insurance companies that insure convicted drivers and are happy to walk you through the application process. Our friendly insurance professionals will make it easy for you to provide all the required details.
You can call us Mon-Fri between 8.30am and 5.30pm on 0818 224433 or 042 9359051.