The Five-Year Mark Doesn't Automatically Lower Your Premium
You've cleared five years since your DUI conviction. Your SR-22 filing ended two years ago. You're still paying $240/month for liability coverage that cost $95/month before the conviction. You assumed the premium would drop automatically when you hit the five-year mark. It didn't.
Colorado law requires SR-22 for three years after a DUI conviction, measured from conviction date per C.R.S. § 42-2-132.5. Your carrier rating period runs five years from that same conviction date. These are separate clocks. The SR-22 release at year three does not trigger a premium review. The five-year mark does not force your carrier to re-rate you. You have to request it.
Compare car insurance rates in your state
Get quotes from licensed carriers — no obligation, no spam, results in minutes.
Get Your Free QuoteColorado SR-22 Filing Period
3 years
Required under C.R.S. § 42-2-132.5 after DUI conviction, measured from conviction date. Filing period ends automatically when DMV receives continuous proof of coverage for the full three years without lapse.
C.R.S. § 42-2-132.5
Two Separate Rating Windows
The SR-22 filing is a state-mandated proof mechanism. The premium surcharge is a carrier underwriting decision. Colorado carriers classify DUI convictions as major violations and apply surcharges for five years from conviction date. The surcharge period does not align with the SR-22 period.
At year three, your SR-22 obligation ends. Your DMV record clears the filing requirement. Your carrier's underwriting system still sees the conviction and applies the elevated rate. Most carriers do not automatically re-rate you when the five-year window closes. They wait until policy renewal after the five-year anniversary, and only if you or your agent request a re-evaluation.
Some carriers re-rate proactively at renewal after five years. Most do not. State Farm, Geico, and Progressive typically require you to contact them directly or work through an agent to trigger the re-rating process. If you do nothing, the surcharge persists until the next manual underwriting review, which may not happen for years.
Your carrier will not notify you when the five-year mark passes. The elevated premium stays in place until you request re-rating or switch carriers.
What Drops and When
At three years from conviction, your SR-22 filing period ends. Colorado DMV no longer requires proof of continuous coverage. Your carrier stops filing SR-22 forms on your behalf. Your premium does not drop. The conviction remains visible on your Motor Vehicle Record and your carrier's underwriting system continues applying the surcharge.
At five years from conviction, most Colorado carriers treat the DUI as outside their major violation rating window. Your carrier's system may still see the conviction on your MVR, but underwriting guidelines typically stop applying the surcharge after five years. You must contact your carrier or agent and request a policy re-rate to trigger the review. If you switched carriers during the five-year period, the new carrier re-underwrites you at application and applies current guidelines, which may result in a lower premium if the five-year window has closed.
Related Articles
How Much Premiums Actually Drop
Colorado drivers with a single DUI conviction typically see premiums drop 40–60% when the surcharge is removed after five years, assuming no additional violations during that period. A driver paying $240/month at year four may see rates fall to $95–$145/month after re-rating at year five, depending on carrier, county, age, and coverage limits.
The drop is not uniform across carriers. Geico and Progressive tend to apply steeper surcharges during the five-year window but offer more significant relief after re-rating. State Farm applies moderate surcharges and delivers smaller percentage drops at the five-year mark. Allstate and Farmers typically fall between these patterns. Drivers who added a second violation during the five-year period see minimal or no premium relief, as the new violation resets the rating clock.
If you financed your SR-22 policy through a non-standard carrier like The General, Bristol West, or Dairyland during the suspension period and have not re-shopped since reinstatement, you are likely overpaying significantly. Standard carriers re-admit drivers after the five-year mark at substantially lower rates than non-standard programs charge. Re-shopping at year five is not optional if you want the actual market rate.
Typical Premium Drop at 5 Years
40–60%
Colorado drivers with a single DUI and no additional violations during the five-year period typically see premiums fall 40–60% after re-rating, measured against the elevated rate paid during years three through five. Actual reduction varies by carrier, county, age, and coverage selections.
When to Re-Shop vs Request Re-Rating
If you stayed with the same carrier through the full five-year period, contact your agent or carrier directly 30–60 days after the five-year anniversary of your conviction date and request a policy re-rate. Provide the conviction date and ask the underwriter to confirm the surcharge has been removed. Most carriers process the re-rate within one billing cycle and apply the new premium at the next renewal.
If you switched to a non-standard carrier during suspension and have not re-shopped since reinstatement, obtain quotes from at least three standard carriers once you pass the five-year mark. Standard carriers re-admit drivers after five years at rates 30–50% lower than non-standard programs. Geico, State Farm, and Progressive all write post-DUI policies in Colorado after the five-year window closes, assuming no additional violations.
Request the Re-Rate Before Your Renewal
Contact your carrier or agent 30–60 days before your policy renews after the five-year anniversary. Confirm the conviction date on file matches your court records. Request the underwriter remove the surcharge and re-rate the policy effective at renewal. If your carrier will not process the re-rate, obtain quotes from competitors before your current policy renews to avoid a coverage gap.
If you're unsure of your exact conviction date, request a copy of your Colorado driving record from the DMV. The MVR lists all convictions with dates. Use the conviction date, not the arrest date or SR-22 filing date, when requesting re-rating. Carriers anchor their five-year window to the conviction date reported on your MVR.