People with criminal convictions tend to face higher car insurance costs than drivers with a clean record, and some may even struggle to get covered. Read on and find out how to cut the costs of driving if you have a previous criminal conviction.
What is a criminal conviction?
A criminal conviction can be any type of conviction, warning, caution or investigation relating to a criminal offence. This could be for a relatively minor offence, or something serious and it can have an impact on your car insurance costs.
Can I get car insurance with a criminal conviction?
You can get car insurance with a criminal conviction, but the price you pay may be higher than for someone without one. If you're rejected by an insurer, you can also buy insurance from an insurer who specialises in car insurance for convictions.
How does a criminal conviction affect car insurance?
Having a criminal conviction will often push up the price of your car insurance premiums, even if your offence has nothing to do with driving.
Drivers with all types of criminal convictions are statistically more likely to be involved in an accident, so insurers adjust premiums to reflect this high risk.
Most insurers will ask about any "unspent” criminal convictions you’ve had in the last five years, so any convictions are likely to have an impact on your car insurance costs for this period.
What criminal convictions do I need to declare when getting car insurance?
Most types of conviction will be considered "spent” after some time has passed.
For example if you were sentenced with a community order your conviction will be spent one year after the end of the order. If you were sentenced to less than six months in prison your conviction will become spent two years after the end of the sentence. If you’ve been sentenced to more than two and a half years, your conviction will always remain unspent. If you have a conviction, you can find out when it will become spent here.
You will usually be asked to declare any unspent convictions on your car insurance applications for five years. After this time, or if your convictions are already spent, you will not have to tell your insurer.
Don’t be tempted to withhold any convictions if you are asked — in the event of a claim your insurance could be deemed invalid and you could face a big repair bill. This will also make it even harder to get insurance cover in the future.
If you were convicted recently, you do not have to contact your insurer to let them know (unless this is specifically stated in the terms and conditions of your policy). It’s highly likely you will be asked to declare any new convictions at renewal time, so be prepared for a price rise.
Which car insurance companies don’t ask about criminal convictions?
All car insurers will ask about "unspent" criminal convictions. If it's a specialist insurer, you may get a more affordable price when compared to a mainstream insurer.
How can I get cheaper car insurance if I have a conviction?
You may find that insurers will hike your insurance premium in light of your conviction, or even refuse to insure you altogether.
However, there are some specialist providers that keep insurance more affordable for drivers with convictions. The best way to get an affordable quote if you have convictions is to compare quotes from a number of providers — get started with the quick tool below.
Get a car insurance quote
See a range of car insurance quotes in just a few minutes when you compare with Uswitch
FAQs
Do I need to tell my car insurance provider if I’m convicted while I have insurance with it?
You may need to tell your insurer if you're convicted midway through a policy. This isn't always the case though so check your policy for find out.
How long do you have to declare criminal convictions to an insurer?
It depends on the insurer and its terms and conditions, even if it doesn't require you to tell it, you will need to when it comes to your renewal.
How long do criminal convictions stay on my record?
It depends on the type of conviction but most usually remain for five years.
What are my options if I’m refused cover?
If you are refused insurance, you can try a different insurer, such as one that specialises in car insurance for those with a criminal record. If you're still not getting anywhere, you can try the Unlock website which has a list of insurers who offer policies to those with convictions.
What can I do if my insurance provider refuses to pay a claim?
If your insurer refuses to pay a claim contact it to find out why. If you still believe it is in the wrong you can make an official complaint to it. If after eight weeks you do not hear back, or you're not happy with the response, you can complain to the free Financial Ombudsman Service.
