Is It Possible to Get Car Insurance When You Have a Conviction?


Insurance Tips / Saturday, February 10th, 2018

If you have a conviction then you might be seriously concerned that it will affect your ability to get car insurance.

It’s certainly true that a conviction can increase what you’ll pay for car insurance but it doesn’t mean you won’t be able to find cover at all.

Below is a guide to getting car insurance when you have a conviction.

Why does a conviction affect the cost of car insurance?

The reason that having a criminal conviction affects what you pay for car insurance is simply because insurance providers consider people who have a conviction to be a greater risk. It is not different to how younger people under the age of 25 have to pay more for insurance since they’re statistically more likely to be involved in an incident that results in a claim.

For example if you’re looking for insurance with a drink driving conviction then insurers are certainly going to consider you greater risk.

Other things that affect the cost of car insurance include –

  • The value of your vehicle
  • Your age
  • How secure your vehicle is
  • Where you park it
  • The area you live in
  • The level of cover you take out
  • Named drivers on the policy

Types of convictions

There are many different types of convictions. Some are minor offences that come with a fine or community service; whereas other more serious convictions come with prison sentences. The type of conviction you have will certainly affect what you pay for car insurance.

Another thing that’s very important when you have a conviction is to know whether your conviction is spent or unspent. These are legal terms which indicate whether or not your conviction is something you must declare to employers, insurance providers etc. If your conviction is spent then you’re no longer obligated to inform others about it. Unspent convictions however you must declare.

If you’d like to know when your particular conviction becomes spent then click here to visit the Unlock Criminal Record Disclosure Calculator.

Where to find insurance for convicted drivers

There are many specialist providers of insurance for convicted drivers so if you’re worried that you won’t be able to get cover at all then you needn’t be.

It’s true that you will pay more for cover than if you didn’t have a conviction but specialist providers will take your unique circumstances into account and provide a fair price.

Conviction Insure is a site that enables you to get quotes from many providers of convicted drivers insurance. Getting a lot of quotes is always recommended when looking for car insurance, particularly when you have a conviction.