The Cheapest Car Insurance for Drink Drivers After Ban?

Table of Contents
- What are the drink-drive alcohol limits in the UK? Jump
- What are the penalties for drunk driving in the UK? Jump
- Does car insurance cover drunk drivers? Jump
- Do I have to tell insurance about drunk driving? Jump
- How long do I have to tell insurance about the drunk driving ban? Jump
- Will my insurance go up after a driving ban? Jump
- How long does a driving ban affect insurance? Jump
- Is it hard to get insurance after drunk driving? Jump
- What do I need to know about car insurance for drunk drivers? Jump
- How to get car insurance after the drunk driving ban? Jump
- How much is car insurance after drunk driving? Jump
- What is the cheapest car to insure after a ban? Jump
- How do I lower my car insurance after a drunk driving ban? Jump
- How much will car insurance cost after the drunk driving ban? Jump
- How could I get cheaper drunk driving car insurance? Jump
- Will drinking and driving invalidate my car insurance? Jump
- Will a drunk driver rehabilitation course make my insurance cheaper? Jump
- Does a drunk driving conviction show up on a DBS check? Jump
- More information on unspent convictions Jump
Finding the cheapest car insurance for drunk drivers after a ban is challenging and there’s no getting away from that. But there are things you can do which could bring down a premium which I cover in this post!
How to find the cheapest insurance with a conviction
If you’ve got a conviction or points, getting insurance through a standard provider could be more expensive.
You might find cheaper deals through specialist insurers.
I’ve partnered with Quotezone who can help you find the best insurance specifically for convicted drivers with points.
Fill out the simple form below to find great quotes for convicted drivers today.
What are the drink-drive alcohol limits in the UK?
The legal alcohol limit in England, Northern Ireland and Wales is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood or 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
Anything above that would see you being convicted of drink-driving for which the penalties are severe!
What are the penalties for drunk driving in the UK?
I’ve listed the three conviction codes for drunk driving offences in the table below:
Conviction Code | Description of the Offence | Penalty Points |
DR10 | Driving or trying to when over the legal limit | 3-11 points |
DR20 | Driving or trying while unfit due to being over the legal limit | 3-11 points |
DR30 | Driving or trying to but failing to provide a specimen | 3-11 points |
You’d get more points for a serious drunk driving offence and if you get 12 or more on your driving licence, it automatically means disqualification from driving.
Does car insurance cover drunk drivers?
Motor insurance companies are only legally obliged to pay out third-party damages if you’re convicted of drunk driving. It’s a legal requirement under the Road Traffic Act.

Don’t get ripped off by insurance companies
Getting affordable car insurance with a conviction or points can feel impossible, especially if you’re using standard comparison websites.
Luckily, there are some specialist insurers out there… you just need to know where to find them!
I’ve partnered with Quotezone to provide access to some of the best specialist convicted drivers’ insurance deals available.
In partnership with QuoteZone
Do I have to tell insurance about drunk driving?
Yes. You are legally obliged to tell your insurance company if you’ve got a drunk driving conviction because they may want to cancel your car insurance policy!
You could be in breach of the law if you fail to tell them about the conviction and may even be prosecuted for attempting to defraud the insurer!
The police could get involved and you could be arrested and prosecuted!
How long do I have to tell insurance about the drunk driving ban?
Drink-driving convictions must be disclosed to insurers for five years which starts from the date of the offence or the conviction.
For younger drivers who are under 18 years of age, the time is halved!
Will my insurance go up after a driving ban?
Yes. Your car insurance will go up after a driving ban which stays on your record until it expires!
In short, your car insurance premiums remain high for that length of time. The good news is that over time, a premium could come down provided you show you’re a safe driver and no longer high-risk!
But this could make finding affordable car insurance difficult for a number of years which is one of the consequences linked to drinking driving convictions!
How long does a driving ban affect insurance?
As mentioned, a driving ban will affect your car insurance premium for 5 years as most car insurance companies ask for details of convictions you received over that length of time.
Even when a conviction is spent in 4 years, the insurer will ask you to declare it.
Is it hard to get insurance after drunk driving?
Yes. Having been disqualified from driving for drunk driving, you’ll find getting car insurance extremely challenging.
Insurance companies see you as a high-risk driver and may not be willing to offer you insurance because you’re too much of a liability!
That said, a specialist insurer could offer to insure you under a non-standard insurance policy! You may want to consider shopping around and speaking to insurance brokers too.
What do I need to know about car insurance for drunk drivers?
You need to know the following about car insurance when you’ve got a drunk driving conviction:
- Your insurance premium will rise by over 100%
- You could be refused coverage from standard insurance providers
- You should shop around and contact several specialist insurers and brokers
- You must inform an insurer even if you take out temporary insurance cover
How to get car insurance after the drunk driving ban?
As mentioned above, finding insurance after a drunk driving ban is challenging but not impossible. It just means you’re going to pay a higher premium to insure a vehicle.
You could contact several insurance brokers and specialist car insurance companies who may provide a better quote.
In short, you’d have to shop around to find a company willing to insure you.
How much is car insurance after drunk driving?
Your car insurance premium could rise by 100% and sometimes more when you’re convicted of drunk driving.
The best deals you may get are through specialist insurers but even then the premium may be high! In short, drunk driver insurance is going to be expensive.
What is the cheapest car to insure after a ban?
There are several car models that fall in the lower insurance group which could bring down the amount you pay for motor insurance.
I’ve included some of the cars worth considering in the list below:
- Volkswagen Up.
- Fiat Panda.
- Vauxhall Corsa hatchback.
- Skoda Citigo.
- Chevrolet Spark.
- Citroen C1.
- Nissan Micra.
- Smart ForFour.
How do I lower my car insurance after a drunk driving ban?
There are things you can do if you’re looking for ways to lower your car insurance with a drunk driving ban on your record.
But as the conviction stays on your record for a long time, you may have to pay more than you used to before getting a drunk driving conviction!
You could:
- Use comparison sites, shop around and contact several specialist insurers
- Pay a higher amount on your voluntary excess
- Opt for third-party insurance cover
- Limit the number of named drivers on a policy
- Do fewer miles annually which reduces the risk of being involved in a road traffic accident
- Secure your vehicle by garaging at night, installing an immobiliser and/or car alarm
- Choose to drive a car that’s in the lower insurance group
How much will car insurance cost after the drunk driving ban?
As mentioned, your car insurance premium is likely to increase by 100% and more when you have a drunk driving conviction on your record.
As a high-risk previously banned driver, most standard insurance companies may not want to offer you drunk driving insurance!
You could get better quotes from specialist insurers who routinely offer tailored car insurance packages for drunk drivers.
How could I get cheaper drunk driving car insurance?
The best way to lower your car insurance premium once your ban is over is to:
- Think about taking out telematics insurance which insurance companies favour as they can assess how you drive
- Think about reducing your annual mileage
- Consider paying more towards the excess on a policy
- Think about driving a lower insurance group vehicle
- Consider taking out third-party insurance cover
- Think about enrolling in an advanced driver course
- Garage your vehicle at night, fit an alarm or immobiliser
Will drinking and driving invalidate my car insurance?
Your car insurance company is only legally obliged to pay third-party damages if you’re in an accident and drunk in charge of a vehicle.
In short, even if you have comprehensive cover, your insurer will downgrade it to third-party-only when you’re a convicted driver!
Will a drunk driver rehabilitation course make my insurance cheaper?
Unfortunately, not all car insurance companies view a drunk driver rehabilitation course as something that could reduce your premium.
Some insurers do whereas other insurers won’t, so it’s worth checking which insurer does and which insurer won’t.

Affordable Convicted Driver Insurance
To help you avoid some of the ludicrously expensive packages out there and actually find something reasonable I’ve partnered with Quotezone.
They bring together some of the best specialist deals for convicted drivers to make your search easier.
Try it below.
In partnership with QuoteZone
Does a drunk driving conviction show up on a DBS check?
When you have a drunk driving conviction on your record, it will be visible to anyone who carries out a DBS check. The record remains visible until it expires!
More information on unspent convictions
Check out our recent post for more information on unspent convictions and how they will affect your car insurance premium.