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Criminal convictions car insurance explained
Having a criminal record can affect many areas of your life, not least of all your car insurance. Because the price of motor insurance is based on the amount of risk a person poses, people with a criminal record are considered ‘high risk’. This means they’re often expected to pay more for their car insurance policies, that’s if they’re able to get one at all.
Luckily there are specialist insurance providers who can arrange car insurance for convicted criminals and help you find the cover you need. They are experienced in helping people in different circumstances, with all types of convictions, finding them the right cover at a fair price.
Below is a quick start guide that covers the most important aspects of getting car insurance when you have a criminal conviction. If you’d like to get quotes now then simple click the green quote button on this page.
[box type=”info”] Quick Start Guide- Always disclose convictions that your insurance provider asks you about
- If your conviction is spent then you’re not obligated to disclose it unless it came with a prison sentence of more than 4 years
- If you have a conviction then you can expect to pay more for your insurance than someone who does not
- If you’re not entirely certain whether you need to declare your conviction or not then use the Unlock disclosure calculator which you’ll find further down the page
- You should be able to find cover at an affordable rate by using an insurance comparison service and/or seeking quotes from specialist providers
Types of convictions
The two main types of convictions are:
- Spent convictions – Some convictions become ‘spent’ after a certain amount of time has passed. This means you’re no longer obliged to inform employers and insurance providers about your conviction. The amount of time until a conviction becomes spent depends on its severity. You can find out if your conviction is spent at Unlock website
- Unspent convictions – Unspent convictions must be disclosed when requested. This is no longer the case once your conviction becomes spent. You do not need to declare an unspent conviction if you’re not asked about it.
If you’re not sure if your conviction is spent or not, check out the useful links below:
Do I have to declare spent convictions to insurance companies?
Spent convictions do not need to be declared to insurance providers regardless of what questions you’re asked. If you have unspent convictions however then it’s very important that you declare them if asked since it can easily invalidate your insurance policy. You can find out more information about spent and unspent convictions are they relate to insurance here.
[box type=”info”] Quick Start Guide- If your conviction is spent then you’re not obligated to let insurance providers know about it.
Car insurance criminal record FAQ
How much will criminal convictions car insurance cost?
This is a hard question to answer since it will depend on a number of factors. These include –
- Your age
- The type of conviction you have
- The size of your car
- The value of your car
- How powerful your car is
- The area you live in
- How secure your car is
- Where the car is parked when not in use
What is classed as a criminal conviction?
A criminal conviction can be anything from a prison sentence to a minor offence such as littering or fare dodging. When it comes to criminal convictions they can either by ‘spent’ or ‘unspent’. Convictions become spent after a certain amount of time. For more serious crimes it will take longer for the convictions to become spent.
As far as insurance goes, you only have to declare unspent convictions. Even if you are asked directly about any previous convictions, you do not have to declare them if they’re spent. If you’re planning to get more than one person insured on a vehicle, the same rules apply to them.
How do I find out if my conviction is spent?
Often you’ll be told when you conviction will be spent, either by a police officer or the court.
If you’re not sure if your conviction is spent or not, check out the useful links below:
Do I have to declare unspent convictions?
When it comes to unspent convictions, you usually don’t have to declare them unless you’re asked specifically. It’s down to the insurance provider to get this information from you.
If you’re convicted of a crime after you’ve taken out an insurance policy, you don’t have to declare it until it’s time to renew the policy. It’s always a good idea to request written confirmation of any convictions you’ve declared so there are no disputes further down the line.
What if I lie about a criminal conviction?
Lying about a criminal conviction is a bad idea. If you take out a policy after lying about a conviction and your insurance provider finds out, your car insurance could easily be declared void. Also, if you were to make a claim and your insurance provider later discovered you had an unspent conviction – and you had lied about it – they could ask for the money they paid out back.
What if I have a van?
If you own a van rather than a car and want to get cover with a conviction then this is not a problem. There are also providers of van insurance for convicted drivers who can help you get a policy at a fair price.
Did you know?
Getting cover from specialist providers can help to save money criminal convictions car insurance
Why do criminal convictions affect the cost of car insurance?
If you have a criminal conviction then it might seem unfair that it affects the cost of your car insurance, especially if your conviction was for something minor and/or wasn’t related to driving in anyway. However the reason that a criminal conviction affects the cost of car insurance is simply because insurance providers will consider you to be a higher risk individual.
When calculating the cost of a car insurance policy, insurance providers take many factors into account. These are usually things that indicate how much risk there is that you’ll make a claim on the policy. Age is always a big once since statistically younger drivers are involved in more collisions. Unfortunately convictions are considered to be quite a big risk factor for insurance providers too so those with criminal convictions can expect to pay more for cover.
How do convictions affect other parties on a policy?
If you decide to take out a policy with multiple named drivers then any convictions will impact on the price for everyone. This means if you have a conviction and want to add somebody else to the policy who does not have a conviction then the price will stay be affected. Even if you’re not the main driver on the policy, the fact that you have a conviction will still affect the cost.
What if I’m convicted when I have a car insurance policy?
If you happen to be convicted of a crime while your car insurance policy is running then you’re usually not obligated to disclose this to your insurance provider, that is unless there’s something specific in your policy that states this. However once it becomes time to renew your insurance then you will need to declare your conviction if it’s still unspent. The same applies to taking out a policy with a new insurance provider.
Cautions, reprimands and warnings
If you receive a caution, reprimand or final warning from the police then these do not count as criminal convictions and therefore you’re not obligated to disclose them to insurance providers.
Ways to save money on criminal convictions car insurance
- Limit cover options – One of the best ways to save money on criminal convictions car insurance is to limit the level of cover you get. Third party only insurance is the cheapest option and although it doesn’t provide any real protection for your vehicle, it does make it legal to drive so you have peace of mind while on the road.
- Increase excess – Your excess is the amount you have to pay upfront if you need to make a claim. By increasing your excess you can save a lot of money on the monthly cost of your insurance depending on how much you choose to increase it by. Of course this is a little risky since you would have to pay more if you had to make a claim.
- Pay annually – Although most people choose to pay their cover monthly since it helps to spread the cost, by paying annually you can make a very significant overall saving on the cost of the policy.
- Make your car secure – Taking steps to make your car more secure is a very reliable way to save money on insurance since it reduces the risk of theft and vandalism. Installing an alarm, parking your car securely and using a steering wheel lock are all measures that can help to make your car more secure. Using a dash cam will also help you to save money with certain providers.
- Get multiple quotes – Getting quotes from different insurance providers is one of the best ways to save money on criminal record motor insurance, since you can easily compare them and choose the one that’s right for you
Get quotes easily for criminal conviction car insurance
To get multiple quotes for criminal record motor insurance quickly and easily you’re in the right place. All you have to do to get quotes from a panel of expert providers is fill out the quote form. Once you’ve done this you’ll have access to your tailored quotes in a matter of minutes.
Just click the green button below to get criminal conviction insurance quotes now.
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