When Do I Need SR-22 Insurance?

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An SR-22 is a form certifying that you have the minimum amount of car insurance required by your state. You may be ordered to obtain an SR-22 when you commit a serious traffic violation or multiple minor violations within a short period of time.

Keep reading to learn when you need SR-22 insurance and how it could affect your auto insurance rates.

Key Takeaways

  • An SR-22 is not a type of insurance, but instead a form proving that you are meeting your state’s minimum car insurance requirements.
  • A court or state DMV may order you to submit an SR-22 to have your license reinstated if you commit a serious traffic violation, commit multiple minor traffic violations or fail to perform some other court-ordered duty.
  • SR-22s generally remain on file for about three years but the exact timeline varies from state to state.
  • The District of Columbia and 42 states have SR-22 requirements, with Virginia and Florida having additional FR-44 requirements.
  • Filing an SR-22 usually only costs about $25, but you will likely have to pay higher car insurance rates due to being labeled a high-risk driver.

What Is an SR-22?

Also known as a certificate of financial responsibility, an SR-22 is a form that your insurance company can send to your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles to prove that you are meeting your state’s car insurance requirements. Although it is often referred to as SR-22 insurance, it does not actually provide coverage itself. Instead, an SR-22 is merely a document that shows that you have auto insurance.

Even if you don’t own a car, you may still be required to purchase a car insurance policy with an attached SR-22 so that you can be covered in case you ever need to drive someone else’s car.

There are three main types of SR-22s, which are based on the status of the vehicles you drive.

Policy Type

Explanation

Owner

Covers you if you get into an accident while driving a vehicle that you own and that is insured under your name

Non-Owner

Covers you if you get into an accident while driving a vehicle that you don’t own

Owner/Operator

Covers you if you get into an accident regardless of whether you own the vehicle

When Is an SR-22 Required?

You are only required to get an SR-22 if you have been ordered to do so by a judge or your state’s DMV. Specifically, filling out an SR-22 is generally a requirement if you want to get your license reinstated after it has been suspended or revoked because you committed a traffic violation or failed to perform some other court-mandated duty.

Specific actions that could result in you needing to file an SR-22 include:

In general, your state government will want to see an SR-22 form if you are a high-risk driver who is likely to be responsible for an accident that could endanger someone else. An insurance company is not required to submit an SR-22 form on your behalf and many companies may turn you down if they deem you too risky to insure. As a result, you may have to buy a policy from an insurance provider that specializes in non-standard insurance if you are ordered to submit an SR-22.

Which States Require SR-22s?

The District of Columbia requires high-risk drivers to have SR-22 insurance, as do the following states:

  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oregon
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming

Note that, although Virginia and New Hampshire don’t ordinarily require car insurance, they have minimum requirements for those who do purchase car insurance, including high-risk drivers who are ordered to purchase SR-22 insurance.[1][2]

Meanwhile, you do not need an SR-22 if you are a driver in Delaware, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma or Pennsylvania.[3] However, these states still generally require you to show proof of insurance by some other method to get your license reinstated.

Which States Require SR-22s?

What if I Move to a Different State?

If you file an SR-22 form in any state, you must maintain that state’s minimum coverage requirements for the entire time your SR-22 is on file, even if you move to a state without SR-22 requirements.

For example, if you file an SR-22 in Texas, you will need a policy that provides at least $30,000 in bodily injury liability coverage for one person injured in an accident, $60,000 to split among all the people injured in an accident and $25,000 in property damage liability coverage (also known as a 30/60/25 policy). However, you will still have to maintain that amount of coverage if you move to Pennsylvania even though it sets its liability insurance requirements at a much lower 15/30/5.[4]

What Is the Difference Between an SR-22 and an FR-44?

An FR-44 is a form documenting proof of insurance that is used exclusively in Virginia and Florida for drivers who are convicted of a DUI, DWI or similar offense, while SR-22s are reserved for other major traffic violations in those states. FR-44 insurance also requires a more expensive policy with higher coverage limits than SR-22 insurance.

Virginians with an FR-44 must purchase an auto insurance policy with 60/120/40 liability coverage limits, which is twice as much as the required limits for a standard car insurance policy in that state.[5] Meanwhile, Floridians with an FR-44 need a policy with either 100/300/50 limits or a combined single limit of $350,000 for every event covered by liability insurance.[6]

How Much Does SR-22 Insurance Cost?

Filing an SR-22 generally costs about $25, with the exact cost depending on your state.[7] Your insurance company may expect you to pay this fee upfront or it may be incorporated into your regular insurance payments.

While the SR-22 filing fee is not particularly expensive, maintaining insurance coverage as a high-risk driver may be. Drivers who have caused multiple accidents and filed multiple insurance claims in the past will generally pay higher car insurance premiums because insurance carriers consider them more likely to file another claim in the future.

According to Nick Schrader, an insurance agent with Texas General Insurance, the moving violation related to the SR-22 filing could more than triple your premium. “A 30-year-old driver with a clean driving record could be paying as little as $130 every six months,” he told SmartFinancial via email. “But after an event incurring an SR-22? You could see that rate jump into the thousands.

As a result, it can be helpful to shop around to find the insurance company that will provide you with the best rate if you need non-standard insurance. You should tell potential insurers upfront that you need an SR-22 since not all of them will necessarily be willing to file one for you.

How Long Do You Need To Have an SR-22?

An SR-22 will generally remain on file for three years, although SR-22 requirements differ based on the state you live in.[8] For example, an SR-22 is only required for six months in Indiana but may last up to five years in Tennessee.[9][10]

After the end of your SR-22 filing period, your insurance company can file an SR-26 to inform your state’s DMV that you no longer have an SR-22 auto insurance policy. Your auto insurance rates may go down at that point, although it is not guaranteed.

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FAQs

Is an SR-22 required if I don’t own a car?

If you are required to get an SR-22 but don’t own a car, you will need to purchase a non-owner SR-22 policy so that you can receive coverage in case you cause an accident while driving someone else’s car.

Can I buy an SR-22 insurance policy online?

Several companies can provide SR-22 auto insurance quotes online, although some may require you to purchase SR-22 non-owner car insurance over the phone.

What happens if an SR-22 is canceled?

Your insurance company is required to notify your state’s DMV if your SR-22 insurance lapses. If this happens, your license will likely be revoked again, you may face additional fines and your SR-22 filing period may start over.

Sources

  1. New Hampshire Insurance Department. “2022 Automobile Insurance Consumer Frequently Asked Questions.” Accessed March 17, 2023.
  2. Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. “Insurance Requirements.” Accessed March 17, 2023.
  3. SR22 Insurance. “States That Do Not Require SR22.” Accessed March 17, 2023.
  4. Minimum limits were obtained from individual state Departments of Insurance, Motor Vehicles, etc.
  5. Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. “Financial Responsibility Certifications.” Accessed March 17, 2023.
  6. Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. “DUI Frequently Asked Questions.” Accessed March 17, 2023.
  7. The General. “SR22 Insurance.” Accessed March 20, 2023.
  8. Allstate. “What Is SR-22 Insurance and What Does It Do?” Accessed March 20, 2023.
  9. Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. “Licenses, Permits, & IDs: Proof of Financial Responsibility.” Accessed March 20, 2023.
  10. Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. “Financial Responsibility Affidavits.” Accessed March 20, 2023.

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