Guide
How Long an Accident Affects Your Car Insurance
The three- and five-year lookback periods, how surcharges step down, when the accident drops off your record, and how state rules differ.
By Olivia Grant · Editor
Published · Updated
Answer in brief
Most insurers surcharge an at-fault accident for three years, some for five; a few states cap the period by law. The surcharge is largest in the first renewal year and steps down afterwards. The accident stays on your claims history report for seven years and on your driving record for a state-specific period (often 3–5 years), but insurers rate only within their lookback. Shopping after year one and again when the accident ages out usually captures most of the recovery.
| Renewal | Typical surcharge (3-year insurer) | Typical surcharge (5-year insurer) |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 40% | 40% |
| Year 2 | 30% | 35% |
| Year 3 | 20% | 30% |
| Year 4 | 0% | 20% |
| Year 5 | 0% | 10% |
| Year 6 | 0% | 0% |
Three records, three clocks
- Insurer's lookback—3 or 5 years; determines your surcharge.
- Claims history report—7 years; visible to any insurer you quote with.
- State driving record—varies; determines points and licence status.
Using the clocks
The accident date, not the claim-close date, usually starts the lookback. Note the date three years out and shop a month before that renewal; a new insurer with a three-year lookback will not see it at all.
Questions & answers
How long does an at-fault accident stay on my insurance?
Surcharged for three to five years, depending on the insurer; visible on claims reports for seven.
Does the rate go back down automatically?
The surcharge tapers and ends with your current insurer, but your base rate may have drifted—compare at that point.
Does the lookback start at the accident or the claim payment?
Usually the accident date.
Terms used in this guide
- Lookback period
- How far back an insurer considers accidents—usually three or five years.
- Claims history report
- An industry database record of claims on you and your vehicles, usually covering seven years.
- Surcharge
- A rate increase applied for an accident or violation, largest in year one and tapering.
Sources and references
Legal figures on this page (minimum limits, filing periods, statutory benefits) are checked against the primary law or the state insurance regulator listed below. Links and figures last verified Nov 2026.
- Facts + Statistics: Highway safety — Insurance Information InstituteStatistical dataCrash, injury and fatality trends used to explain why liability and injury coverages cost what they do.
- What determines the price of an auto insurance policy? — Insurance Information InstituteConsumer guidanceRating factors: driving record, mileage, location, age, gender, vehicle, credit-based insurance score, coverage choices. Notes ZIP-code rating is prohibited in California and Michigan and gender rating is prohibited in seven states.
- Consumer insurance information — National Association of Insurance CommissionersConsumer guidancePlain-language guides from the body of state insurance regulators; links to every state's insurance department and complaint process.
- How to file an auto insurance claim — Insurance Information InstituteConsumer guidanceSteps after a crash: document the scene, notify the insurer promptly, understand the adjuster's role.
- Understanding your insurance deductibles — Insurance Information InstituteConsumer guidanceHow deductibles apply to collision and comprehensive and how raising them lowers premium.
Practical guidance on this page is original editorial work. Cited sources support factual statements and do not endorse this site. Dollar ranges described as typical or illustrative are editorial estimates, not figures from these sources.
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