What to Do in the First 7 Days After a DUI in Indiana

Request a copy of your arrest report, chemical test results, and the BMV suspension notice. Indiana operates an implied consent law — if you refused breath or blood testing, you face a separate license suspension (typically 1 year for first refusal, 2 years for second) that runs concurrent with your DUI suspension. These documents establish which suspensions apply to you and what your total suspension period will be. Contact a DUI attorney before your arraignment. Indiana categorizes DUI by offense count and aggravating factors. A first-offense Class C misdemeanor carries a 180-day to 2-year suspension. A first offense with a BAC of 0.15% or higher, or with a minor in the vehicle, becomes a Class A misdemeanor with harsher penalties. A second offense within 7 years is a Level 6 felony. Your conviction class determines your SR-22 filing period: minimum 3 years for misdemeanor DUI, minimum 5 years for felony DUI. Your attorney's primary job is to negotiate sentencing terms that let you maintain employment. Indiana courts can order restricted driving privileges (hardship license) after serving part of your suspension, but only if you meet eligibility requirements and complete all compliance steps in the correct order.

Call your current carrier and report the DUI arrest. You are contractually required to disclose material changes in risk. Most major carriers — State Farm, Geico, Allstate, Progressive — will maintain your current policy through the term if you're an existing customer, but they will non-renew at expiration. They will file SR-22 for you if you request it, but expect your rate to increase 70–130% at renewal. If you do not currently have auto insurance, or if your carrier cancels your policy mid-term after the DUI, you will need to enter the non-standard insurance market to obtain SR-22. Non-standard carriers who write DUI policies in Indiana include Bristol West, Dairyland, GAINSCO, The General, and Safe Auto. Monthly premiums for SR-22 policies after DUI in Indiana typically range from $140 to $280 depending on conviction class, age, county, and vehicle type. Do not let your current policy lapse before securing SR-22 coverage. A coverage gap — even one day — triggers a separate BMV suspension and resets your SR-22 filing period to zero. If you cannot afford full coverage on your vehicle, non-owner SR-22 insurance satisfies Indiana's financial responsibility requirement if you no longer own or regularly drive a vehicle.

Attend your initial court appearance and obtain a copy of your sentencing order. Indiana courts typically require DUI education (Victim Impact Panel), substance abuse evaluation, and possible treatment as conditions of sentencing. If your BAC was 0.15% or higher, or if this is a second offense, the court will order installation of an ignition interlock device (IID) before you can drive legally again. Your reinstatement sequence must follow this exact order: (1) complete court-ordered sentencing requirements, (2) serve mandatory suspension period or qualify for hardship license, (3) pay BMV reinstatement fee ($250 for first DUI, $500 for second), (4) install IID if required, (5) file SR-22 with the BMV, (6) reinstate license. You cannot skip steps or complete them out of order. Filing SR-22 before completing sentencing requirements does not move your reinstatement date forward. Schedule your substance abuse evaluation within the first 7 days. Indiana-certified providers have waitlists that can extend 3–6 weeks. Completing this evaluation early keeps your total compliance timeline as short as possible. If the evaluation recommends treatment, you must complete that treatment before the BMV will reinstate your license, regardless of when you file SR-22.

Indiana law requires SR-22 filing within 180 days of your DUI conviction. If you miss that deadline, your license remains suspended indefinitely until you file, and your total suspension period starts over from the date you eventually file. The BMV does not send reminder notices. Most drivers miss the deadline because they confuse conviction date with arrest date or sentencing date. Your 180-day clock starts the day the court enters your guilty plea or jury verdict, not the day you were arrested or the day you complete sentencing. If your case involves a plea agreement, your conviction date is the day the court accepts the plea, even if sentencing is delayed. If you are approaching day 180 and have not yet completed all sentencing requirements, file SR-22 anyway to preserve your reinstatement eligibility. You can file SR-22 before you're eligible to reinstate — you just cannot reinstate until every other compliance step is complete. The SR-22 filing itself has no prerequisites other than an active auto insurance policy that meets Indiana's minimum liability limits: $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage.

Indiana requires 3 years of continuous SR-22 filing for a first-offense misdemeanor DUI, measured from your reinstatement date, not your conviction date. If you are convicted of a felony DUI (second offense within 7 years, or DUI causing serious bodily injury), Indiana requires 5 years of SR-22 filing. Your SR-22 filing period resets to zero if your insurance lapses for any reason. Indiana carriers must notify the BMV immediately if your policy cancels, lapses, or is terminated. The BMV suspends your license the same day they receive the lapse notice, and you must refile SR-22 and pay a new reinstatement fee to restore driving privileges. Most lapses occur because drivers switch carriers without confirming the new carrier filed SR-22 before the old policy cancelled. You cannot remove SR-22 early, even if you maintain a clean driving record. The BMV tracks your filing period electronically and will mail a notice when your requirement ends. If you cancel SR-22 even one day before your filing period expires, your license suspends automatically and you start the 3-year or 5-year clock over from zero.