My license just got suspended after a DUI. Do I actually still need to keep paying for insurance?
So I got a DUI about three weeks ago and my license is suspended for the next 90 days. Not my proudest moment, but it is what it is and I'm dealing with it.
I'm still making payments on my car, it's sitting in my driveway, and I'm not going to be driving it. Money is tight right now between the legal fees, the fines, and the classes I have to take. Paying $180/month for insurance on a car I literally cannot legally drive feels like lighting money on fire.
I called my insurance company and they already know about the DUI so my rate is going up at renewal anyway. Part of me just wants to cancel the policy now, save whatever I can for the next few months, and figure out the insurance situation when I actually get my license back.
But I keep seeing conflicting stuff online. Some people say if you have a lien on the car your lender requires you to keep coverage no matter what. Other people say a lapse in coverage will make your rates even worse when you try to get insured again, which seems hard to believe since they're already going to be bad. And I think I might need an SR-22 to get my license reinstated, which means I'd need an active policy at that point anyway?
I honestly don't know what the smart move is here. I'm not trying to get away with anything, I just don't want to pay for something I don't need if I don't have to.
Has anyone actually been through this? What did you end up doing with your insurance while your license was suspended?