Frequently asked SR-22 insurance questions

An SR-22 is a document your insurance provider fills out to notify the state that you’ve got the minimum coverage required by law. It is not a type of insurance in itself—rather, think of an SR-22 as an additional form the state requires your insurer to fill out with your policy.

The first thing to note is that “DUI insurance” or “SR-22 insurance” are both misnomers. The real story is that these are simply high-risk policies that include an SR-22, which an insurance company fills out as proof you have insurance and are financially responsible for any damages caused on the road.

SR-22 is the exact title of the form, also known as a “Certificate of Financial Responsibility” or an “SR-22 Certificate.” Specifically, the initials stand for “Safety Responsibility.”

In most cases, the cost of an SR-22 form is about $25, with some states charging additional fees.

Not every driver is required to get SR-22 coverage. Although each state has its own requirements, typically, SR-22 insurance is required if you’ve been driving without valid car insurance or driver’s license or get a DUI. Check your state laws to find other instances where you might need one.

After a traffic violation in which the driver’s license is revoked or suspended, the only way to get back on the road quickly is to apply for a restricted license. To have the vehicle covered while operating under a restricted license, the driver must have their insurance company file an SR-22, SR-22A, or FR-44 form with their state’s department.

The purpose of the SR-22 insurance policy is to cover any liabilities or property damages resulting from an accident in which the insured driver is involved. In other words, it covers the driver’s obligation if he or she caused the accident.

SR-22 insurance is expensive — on average, it costs over $2,700 per year, around twice as much as regular insurance. The costliest SR-22 rate is in Michigan at $8,324 per year, while the least expensive SR-22 insurance is in Maine at $1,331.

If you’re worried about not being able to afford your SR-22 car insurance payments as required by the court or state DMV, the best thing you can do is to contact your insurance provider. They might be able to work with you and develop a payment plan to get you on track without your insurance lapsing.

Not all auto insurance companies offer SR-22 quotes. If you work through an agent, they will provide options for you, but if you are looking on your own, do your research and contact insurance companies to find out their coverage options.

You will need to check with your insurance company who already has your policy. Since not all companies offer an SR-22 policy, you can ask your agent if he or she knows of a company that offers this coverage.

When you have an SR-22, you can have the same coverages you would have on a typical insurance policy. You’ll need to choose your liability limits, and if you need comprehensive and collision coverage, that’s available as well.

As you can see, getting the wrong type of coverage that doesn’t meet the courts’ requirements or DMV could be quite costly. That’s why it is important to communicate your SR-22 requirements upfront to your insurance company so they can help you stay on the road responsibly.

The insurance company will fill the SR-22 form out and send it to the DMV, who will then move forward with reinstating your license. The form guarantees to the DMV that you have the minimum requirements for insurance. It also sets the precedent that the insurer will notify them if you lapse in your coverage.

In general, you can expect an SR-22 to be required for three years. This may be longer depending on the seriousness of the offense you’ve been convicted of. Repeated offenses also translate to longer SR-22 requirements.

In general, the cost of your SR-22 insurance will vary by how risky the insurer determines you to be as a policyholder. Having a serious traffic offense on your record is a big determining factor in this regard, and having multiple offenses is even more so.

If you don’t own a car and have been ordered to obtain an SR-22, you can research non-owner car insurance. At some point, you might have to drive and will need to fulfill your state’s requirements for financial responsibility.

When you miss a payment on your SR-22 or cannot maintain the coverage, you’ll get penalized. If this happens, your insurance agent has to report it to the DMV. This situation could lead to your license getting suspended or revoked.

Your obligation to carry an SR-22 certificate doesn’t disappear when you move out of the state. You will still need to file the SR-22 with the first state to prove adequate insurance coverage according to the first state’s minimum requirements—even if your new state has lower minimum coverage limits.

To remove an SR-22 from your insurance policy, the policyholder must contact their auto insurance company. Then, the policyholder must tell the carrier that they no longer need an SR-22 on file. The insurance carrier must then remove the SR-22 and submit an SR-26 cancellation form to the appropriate parties.

Federal law says that you must have car insurance. There are also state laws mandating the minimum amount of coverage you must have and the penalties associated with not meeting the requirements. If you’ve been told you need an SR-22, it is even more important to have the required amount of insurance. Without it, you may never drive again.