How long does an accident affect my insurance rate?

An at-fault accident typically affects your rate for 3-5 years, depending on the state and carrier. The first renewal after the accident usually shows the largest increase; subsequent renewals decrease as the accident ages.

To recover faster:

• Shop at each renewal. Different carriers weight at-fault accidents differently — some are more forgiving than others.
• Consider accident forgiveness if you don’t have it yet. It won’t apply retroactively to this accident, but it’ll protect against future ones.
• Maintain a clean record otherwise. Carriers look at the totality of your record, not just one incident.
• Improve other risk factors: build credit, complete defensive driving courses (some carriers offer discounts), reduce annual mileage if possible.

Not-at-fault accidents typically don’t affect your rate, though the claim itself stays on your CLUE (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) report and is visible to other insurers.