How Long Does an Accident Stay on Your Insurance?

An accident generally stays on your auto insurance record for about three to five years. This is when insurance companies typically consider past accidents when setting rates. After roughly three to five years have passed without additional incidents, most insurers stop factoring the accident into your premium. The exact length can vary by state law and insurer, but the industry standard is that an accident’s impact usually “falls off” after 3–5 years.

• Typical retention: Insurers commonly review only the last 3–5 years of driving history, so older accidents generally no longer affect your rate.
• Fault matters: At-fault accidents tend to raise rates significantly more than not-at-fault crashes.
• Accident forgiveness: Many companies offer “accident forgiveness” programs that prevent a first accident from increasing your premium.
• Lowering costs: You can offset accident surcharges by shopping for lower quotes, raising deductibles, bundling coverage, and using discounts.

Below we explain how accidents appear on your driving and insurance records, how they affect premiums, and what you can do to limit their impact.

Driving Records vs. Insurance Claims Records

When you’re involved in a collision, the details of the accident often appear on two different records: your state driving record (DMV record) and your insurance claims record. Your DMV driving record lists traffic violations, accidents, DUI convictions, and other incidents for many years. Insurance companies typically use a claims history database (often called a CLUE report) to see any claims filed. Importantly, these two records are not the same thing:

• Driving record: Controlled by state DMVs, this can show accidents and violations for many years. For example, New York keeps accidents on record 4 years and California 3–10 years, depending on severity. Severe offenses like DUI can stay on some state records for 7 years or even permanently.
• Insurance claims record (CLUE): Maintained by insurers, it shows accidents and other claims you filed in recent years. Most insurers generally only consider about the last 3–5 years of claims when calculating rates. Even if an old accident remains on your DMV record, insurers often ignore it after 5 years.

In other words, just because a wreck is still on your DMV report doesn’t mean it’s raising your premium. Experian notes that “many insurance companies only consider the last three to five years of your driving record” when setting rates. After that, insurers typically stop penalizing you for the accident.

How Accidents Affect Your Insurance Rates

Insurance companies use your accident history to assess risk. If you’ve had an accident, you’re viewed as more likely to file future claims, so premiums go up. How much they go up depends on several factors:

• At-fault vs. not-at-fault: At-fault accidents raise premiums the most. In fact, one analysis found that an at-fault accident increases average premiums by about 48% (roughly $348/year). By contrast, a not-at-fault accident still has a cost but a much smaller effect – only about a 12% increase on average. In dollar terms, Policygenius reports an at-fault accident adds about +$901 per year, whereas a not-at-fault accident adds around +$128. The reason is that an at-fault driver is statistically more likely to have future claims, so insurers charge more.
• Severity and circumstances: Serious accidents (especially those involving injury or DUI) tend to keep rates high longer. Minor fender-benders will usually cause a smaller rate hike than a major collision. Also, if multiple accidents or violations pile up, they have a compounding effect. Experian explains that insurers look at the overall driving picture: “Accidents and citations can stack on top of each other to increase your premium”.
• Number of accidents: A single accident bumps up your rates, but multiple accidents have a much larger effect. Insurers often reward drivers who maintain a clean record after an accident. In practice, your premium will gradually drop over time if you avoid any additional accidents or tickets. One key finding is that although your rates spike after an accident, they can eventually return to normal if you drive clean for a while. Policygenius notes that even though an accident might remain on file longer, insurers “usually only look at the last three to five years of your record” to set rates.

As a result, your insurance immediately goes up after an accident (especially if it was your fault), but the hike is temporary. On average, insurance premiums rise about 55% after an at-fault accident. These elevated rates usually last for a few years and then gradually decline, assuming you stay accident-free.

Some states even limit how long insurers can penalize you for an accident. In most states, insurers legally can only consider accidents in the past 3–5 years when setting premiums. So even if a crash is still visible on your DMV record, it likely won’t affect your price beyond that time frame.

Duration on Records and Premiums

How long the accident stays on your record: The accident itself will appear on your driving record (DMV record) according to state law. For example, New York typically keeps an accident on file for 4 years, and California keeps it for at least 3 years (and up to 10 for serious crashes).

However, for insurance pricing purposes, insurers focus on a much shorter window. Experian confirms that “insurance carriers will look at the last three to five years of your driving record when calculating your rates”. Once you clear that window, insurers generally stop charging you more for that accident.

• Industry standard (3–5 years): In practice, most insurers treat an accident as a factor for roughly three to five years. For example, Progressive states it will count an accident in your record for the first three years after it occurs; after that, the accident no longer affects your premium. Nationwide similarly keeps track of an accident for five years, although it may not use it for rate-setting beyond the industry standard window. In short, across the country, 3–5 years is a common standard (with 5 years being typical for many large insurers).
• What happens after 5 years: After five years without new accidents, most carriers essentially treat the crash as “gone.” For instance, Progressive notes that after 5 years it “no longer keeps a record of that accident”. Even if you still see the collision on your DMV record, it should not increase your premium after about 5 years. Experian agrees that an accident’s impact on rates isn’t permanent: insurers usually ignore crashes beyond the 3–5 year look-back.
• At-fault vs. not-at-fault: Both types of accidents appear on records, but at-fault crashes are more costly to insure. Not-at-fault accidents do show up in claims history, and while they tend to cause smaller premium hikes, they can still raise your insurance cost slightly. One analysis found not-at-fault accidents raised premiums by about 12% on average, whereas at-fault accidents raised them ~48%. So if you were not at fault, expect some impact but far less than if you caused the crash.

In summary, the accident itself stays on your file, but insurers usually only penalize it for 3–5 years. After that, your rates will generally return to what they were before the crash (assuming you stay clean going forward).

Accident Forgiveness and Discounts

Modern insurance policies offer various ways to blunt the effect of an accident:

• Accident Forgiveness: Many insurers provide accident forgiveness for long-time or safe drivers. Accident forgiveness means your first accident won’t trigger a premium increase (so long as you qualify). For example, Progressive offers “Small Accident Forgiveness”, meaning your rates won’t go up for your first minor accident (claim under $500). After meeting certain criteria (like a policy tenure and driving history), insurers simply ignore one accident. GEICO, State Farm and others offer similar forgiveness programs. This benefit keeps a first crash from penalizing you at all.
• Safe-Driver Discounts: Some discounts reward good driving behavior. If you maintain an accident-free record for a period of years, insurers may apply discounts or goodwill. In essence, the longer you drive without incidents after an accident, the more likely you can regain the lowest rates. Policygenius notes that insurers tend to look only at recent history, so a clean span of 3+ years can help your premium slide back down.
• Shopping Around: Different companies weigh accident history differently. If one insurer penalizes you heavily for an accident, another might be more lenient. Switching to a new provider after a year or two could yield savings. Indeed, experts recommend comparing quotes after an accident. As one source advises, if premiums spike with your current insurer, shop around – “some insurers assess driving history differently, and switching to a new provider may result in lower insurance expenses”.
• Other Discounts: Ask about any accident-related discounts you still qualify for. Bundling your auto policy with home or renters insurance, maintaining a higher deductible, and taking a defensive-driving course can all help reduce rates. For example, bundling multiple policies often yields lower overall premiums. Lowering coverage or raising the deductible will also cut costs (though at the expense of more out-of-pocket risk). Defensive driving or driver-improvement courses sometimes unlock additional discounts or one-time credits. These steps won’t remove the accident from your history, but they can mitigate the cost.

Overall, by combining accident forgiveness and savvy shopping with standard discounts, you can often minimize the financial impact of an accident. Even if your current insurer raised your rate, other carriers might offer a better deal, and over time your premium will decrease as the accident ages out of the look-back window.

Minimizing and Managing the Impact

While you can’t magically erase a past crash from your record, you can manage its long-term effects:

• Maintain a Clean Record: After the accident, the best thing you can do is drive safely. Each additional violation or claim can keep your premium elevated longer. Insurance companies see a pattern: “an at-fault accident usually falls off of your record after 3–5 years,” and if you avoid further incidents, your premiums will eventually ease.
• Review Your DMV Report: It’s wise to periodically check your official driving record. In most states you can order your motor vehicle record (MVR) for a small fee. This lets you confirm how long an accident will appear on your record. If there are any errors (e.g. an accident incorrectly listed), you can work to correct them. Clearing up mistakes might speed up the process of getting back to pre-accident premiums.
• Legal Assistance (if needed): In some cases, disputing who was at fault (if fault is misassigned) can help. While lawyers can’t directly remove accidents from records, they can sometimes negotiate claim settlements that avoid adding an at-fault accident to your record. (For example, if fault is unclear, a private settlement with the other driver might prevent any insurance claim.) This is more of a niche strategy, but worth noting if an accident was wrongly attributed to you.
• Wait it Out: Patience is also a strategy. If you hold onto the policy and keep premiums paid, over a few years your rate will naturally drop. Insurance regulators in many states cap how long insurers can increase rates for a given accident. So after a 3–5 year waiting period, even without changing insurers, your premium should shrink as the accident is no longer considered.

By understanding how long accidents stay on record and taking proactive steps (like shopping for new quotes and using discounts), you can ensure you’re not overpaying in the long run. Remember that after about five years, most drivers see rates return to near pre-accident levels, provided they avoid new claims.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How long does an accident stay on my insurance record?
  Typically 3–5 years. Most insurers only consider the last three to five years of claims when calculating your premium. After this window, the accident usually no longer affects your rates. (For example, Progressive keeps an accident on record 3–5 years, Nationwide for 5 years.)
• Will an accident always make my insurance go up?
  Not necessarily. It depends on the circumstances. If you were at fault in the crash, your premium is likely to increase. However, a minor or not-at-fault accident might not raise your rate much, if at all. Some policies include accident forgiveness, which can prevent a premium hike after your first accident. In short, at-fault crashes almost always lead to higher rates, but a not-at-fault accident or a covered accident forgiveness benefit can mitigate that effect.
• How much can my insurance go up after one accident?
  On average, a single at-fault accident raises car insurance rates significantly. One analysis found an average increase of about 48% (around $350 per year) after a first at-fault accident. By contrast, if you weren’t at fault, the average increase was only about 12%. The exact hike varies by insurer and state, but figures around 40–50% for an at-fault accident are common.
• Does a not-at-fault accident affect my insurance rates?
  It can, but usually much less. Even if you didn’t cause the crash, your insurer still notes that an accident occurred. On average, not-at-fault accidents raise rates only modestly (~12%). In some states (or under some policies), not-at-fault accidents might not raise your premium at all. But be aware that if you file a claim (for example, using uninsured motorist coverage), the insurer may still increase your premium slightly because a claim was paid. Overall, not-at-fault crashes have a milder impact than at-fault ones, but they may still influence your rate for a couple of years.
• How can I lower my insurance rates after an accident?
  There are several strategies:
  1. Shop Around: Get quotes from multiple insurers. Different companies weight accident history differently. You may find another provider offers a lower rate despite the accident.
  2. Raise Deductibles: A higher deductible reduces your premium. If you can afford a bigger out-of-pocket expense in a future claim, this can significantly lower your rate.
  3. Bundle Policies: Insurers often offer discounts if you combine auto insurance with home, renters, or other coverage. Bundling can offset some of the accident-related increase.
  4. Defensive Driving Course: Taking an approved safety or defensive driving course can earn you a discount with many insurers. This also shows you’re proactive about safe driving.
  5. Maintain a Clean Record: Avoid any new accidents or violations. Over time, an accident’s impact fades. After about 3–5 years of safe driving, you’ll likely qualify for the best rates.