How long does an accident stay on your driving record?
A car accident will typically stay on your driving record for three to five years. The length of time depends on your state. For example, in California, a collision stays on your record for three years. New York drivers in a collision will have it on their records until the end of the year the accident occurs, plus three years.[2] [3] But in Florida, violations remain on your record for three to five years or longer, depending on the severity.[4]
Find Car Insurance After an Accident
How much will your car insurance rates increase after an accident?
When you get into a car accident, your insurance company considers you a riskier driver. As such, your car insurance premium will typically increase.
The average cost of full-coverage car insurance for someone with a clean driving record is $259, according to Insurify data. If you’re involved in an at-fault accident, the average cost of full-coverage car insurance increases 27%, to $331.
How much your auto insurance premium increases depends on your insurance company. For example, if your insurer is National General, your insurance costs could go up an average of 6% if you’re involved in an at-fault accident. But if your insurer is Erie, your insurance costs could go up 35%, on average.
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
No-fault vs. at-fault accidents
An at-fault accident is when you’re primarily responsible for the collision. A no-fault accident is when you’re not responsible for a collision. If you’re responsible for an accident, your insurance rates will typically go up. If you’re not responsible, you might or might not see a rate increase on your car insurance. It depends on your individual driving record and insurer.
A dozen states are no-fault states, in which drivers’ insurance companies pay the cost of the damages and injuries incurred in an accident regardless of who was responsible.
The current no-fault states are:[5]
Florida
Hawaii
Kansas
Kentucky
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
New Jersey
New York
North Dakota
Pennsylvania
Utah
In addition to liability requirements, these states may also require bodily injury and property damage liability, personal injury protection (PIP) coverage, and uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.