How Bad is a DWI on Your Record?
April 3, 2026
Having a DWI on your record can create real challenges, even if it’s only your first DWI. The impact of a prior alcohol-related guilty plea or conviction varies based on your age, career, and whether you’re a repeat DWI offender.
Potential or current employers in transportation, education, healthcare, and government will scrutinize driving‑related convictions more closely; and background checks that show a DWI could be used as justification for not hiring someone.
Additionally, a DWI often results in higher insurance rates. In Missouri, if you’re license is suspended for having a BAC or revoked following a breathalyzer refusal, then you’ll be required to purchase more expensive SR-22 Insurance coverage.
In court, a prior DWI can be used to enhance the charge of any later DWIs. Your record will impact whether a second DWI is filed as a class A misdemeanor; or if a third DWI is filed as a felony.
Even with these potential difficulties, many people can limit the damage of having a DWI on their record by complying with all court terms and conditions, maintaining a clean record afterward, and after 10 years requesting an expungement of their DWI record.