Updated April 2026
What Is Non-Standard Auto Insurance Insurance?
Non-standard auto insurance covers the same risks as standard policies—liability for injuries and property damage you cause, collision damage to your vehicle, comprehensive coverage for theft or weather damage, and uninsured motorist protection. The difference isn't what's covered, but who qualifies and what they pay. Carriers in the non-standard market specialize in insuring drivers with points, violations, accidents, DUIs, lapses in coverage, or poor credit scores—profiles that standard insurers decline or price out. You're buying the same legal protections and coverages, just through a different tier of the insurance market with adjusted pricing models.
- You receive a speeding ticket for going 20 mph over the limit, adding 4 points to your license in a state where 12 points triggers suspension. At renewal, your standard carrier non-renews your policy or raises your rate from $140/month to $310/month. You shop around and find a non-standard insurer offering the same liability limits (100/300/100) and full coverage for $220/month. Over the next three years, as the ticket ages, you can re-shop standard carriers and expect your rate to drop back toward $160-180/month once the points fall off.
- You cause a rear-end collision resulting in $18,000 in property damage and $9,000 in medical bills to the other driver. Your liability insurance pays the full $27,000 in claims, but you receive 3-4 points depending on your state. Your current insurer raises your premium from $125/month to $280/month at renewal. You're now in the non-standard market. You maintain full coverage with a $1,000 deductible through a non-standard carrier at $245/month. After 3 years with no additional incidents, the accident surcharge drops off and you can re-qualify for standard market rates around $145-165/month.
- Over 18 months, you accumulate two speeding tickets and one failure-to-yield violation, totaling 7 points. Standard insurers either decline to quote or offer rates above $350/month for state-minimum liability coverage. A non-standard carrier offers 50/100/50 liability limits for $190/month with no collision or comprehensive. You accept liability-only, knowing you're not financially protected if you damage your own $8,000 vehicle. As each violation ages past the 3-year mark, points begin falling off and you regain access to standard market pricing and can afford to add full coverage back.
Who Needs Non-Standard Auto Insurance Insurance?
You need non-standard auto insurance if standard carriers have declined to insure you, non-renewed your policy, or quoted rates so high they're effectively denying coverage. This happens most commonly after accumulating multiple violations within 3 years, causing an at-fault accident with significant claims, receiving a DUI or reckless driving charge, or experiencing a lapse in coverage longer than 30 days. Non-standard coverage is not optional in these situations—it's the only legal way to maintain required liability insurance and keep your license.
Shop both markets every renewal period until you re-qualify for standard rates—non-standard is a temporary classification, not a permanent status. Compare the cost of liability-only versus full coverage at non-standard rates: if full coverage costs more than 10% of your vehicle's value annually, consider dropping collision and comprehensive until you return to standard pricing. Track when each violation will fall off your record (typically 3 years from the conviction date) and aggressively re-shop 60-90 days before that date—this is when you'll see the largest rate drops.
How Much Does Non-Standard Auto Insurance Insurance Cost?
Non-standard auto insurance typically costs between $150 and $400 per month ($1,800 to $4,800 annually), compared to $100 to $200/month for standard policies.
- Number and severity of points on your driving record—DUIs and reckless driving carry the highest surcharges, often doubling base premiums.
- How recently violations occurred—a ticket from 6 months ago costs significantly more than one from 30 months ago, even if both are still on your record.
- Your state's point system and lookback period—some states assess points for 3 years, others for 5, directly affecting how long you pay elevated rates.
- Coverage level you choose—liability-only non-standard policies may cost $150-250/month, while full coverage with collision and comprehensive can exceed $400/month.
- Credit score in states where it's allowed—poor credit combined with violations can push you to the highest-cost tier of the non-standard market.
- Whether you've had a lapse in coverage—gaps longer than 30 days signal higher risk to non-standard insurers and increase rates by 20-40%.