If your license has been suspended, you may have received a notice from your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to file an SR-22 to have your license reinstated. SR-22 is not an auto insurance policy. Instead, it is a certificate submitted by your auto insurance company on your behalf showing that you meet your state’s minimum auto insurance requirements. However, not all auto insurance companies offer the SR-22 form. This guide details what an SR-22 form is and how to purchase and file an SR-22 form.
What is SR-22?
SR-22 insurance is not a type of auto insurance. The SR-22 is a form filed by your insurance company stating that you have the minimum required amount of auto insurance in your state. Also known as a certificate of financial responsibility.
If you commit a serious traffic violation, your state’s Department of Transportation may notify you that you need to file an SR-22 with the DMV. Only your auto insurance company can file an SR-22, but not all insurance companies offer this service. Depending on your state and the specific crime involved, the SR-22 requirement may be removed after a few years, or it may remain in place for a long time. In some states, the form name and required level of insurance may vary depending on the crime. For example, in Florida and Virginia, if you are convicted of a high-risk driving offense, an FR-44 may be required with liability limits that are significantly higher than the minimum liability required by the state. there is.
When is the SR-22 needed?
Adding an SR-22 component to an existing policy is typically not done voluntarily. Instead, the state may require this document to prove that you currently meet the state’s minimum insurance requirements after a serious driving accident or conviction.
An SR-22 may be required for your driver in the following situations:
- The driver was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or alcohol.
- The driver was charged with reckless or negligent driving.
- The driver was charged with multiple traffic violations within a short period of time.
- The driver was arrested for driving without insurance.
- The driver caused an accident while driving without insurance.
- My registered vehicle was stopped for not having auto insurance.
- Drivers must return their licenses after their licenses are suspended.
If you’re facing an SR-22 requirement, the good news is that it may not last forever. Most states require you to carry an SR-22 for one to five years, as long as you continue to maintain adequate insurance during that time. Once the coverage period has expired, the clock may be restarted or the license revoked if necessary.
How to obtain SR-22
If you already have an insurance policy that meets your state’s legal minimum requirements, the process of obtaining an SR-22 is usually relatively simple. If your company offers an SR-22 filing, you may be able to simply call your insurance agent to notify them of the change or add it directly to your existing policy online. From there, your auto insurance company will contact the Department of Land Transportation. You may pay for additional services, but your provider is responsible for submitting the required documentation to the state.
If your company does not give you the option of filing an SR-22 form (or the corresponding form required in your state), you may need to purchase new insurance so that you can obtain the form and coverage through your high-risk provider. You may need to purchase one. .
Note that even if you cannot own your own car at this time, you may still need to meet the requirements of SR-22. In that case, we recommend purchasing non-owner insurance. This can help with liability coverage when using someone else’s car and keep you up to date with insurance requirements related to SR-22.
Companies filing SR-22
Obtaining insurance that meets the requirements of SR-22 may not be as easy as obtaining standard auto insurance. It is risky for insurance companies to cover drivers with a history of serious traffic violations. Therefore, not all insurance companies offer SR-22. Here are some companies that are likely to extend coverage to high-risk drivers.
How much does SR-22 cost?
Having someone file an SR-22 form on your behalf is probably not a huge expense. Most car insurance companies will allow you to add this component to your policy for a small fee. Although the exact cost may vary by state and provider, you can generally expect to pay around $25 to $50 to meet this requirement. However, obtaining an SR-22 filing may require you to change carriers, and rate increases associated with dangerous driving can be costly.
read more: Cheap car insurance for high-risk drivers
Is SR-22 a one-time fee?
Some auto insurance companies may charge a one-time application fee, but this usually isn’t the case. If your insurance company charges an SR-22 filing fee, it will typically be between $25 and $50 when you first file and at the beginning of each renewal until the end of the filing period.
Will my insurance premium go up if I purchase an SR-22?
If you have to purchase an SR-22, it could ultimately affect your insurance premiums. But your violation, the event that caused you to need SR-22 insurance in the first place, could label you as a high-risk driver and cause your premiums to increase. In some cases, such as a DUI conviction, the rate can change dramatically. However, the amount may be lower if you have other charges, such as driving without insurance.
The best thing you can do to ensure you get an affordable rate is to research and compare quotes. Even high-risk insurance companies offer different rates depending on your situation.
What states require an SR-22?
Most states use the SR-22 filing to ensure coverage, but not all states follow this method. Eight states do not, including Delaware, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. However, most still require all drivers to have a certain minimum liability coverage amount based on their active insurance. Most states require drivers to submit proof of insurance to the DMV before registering a vehicle.
In Florida or Virginia, you may be required to file an FR-44 form with the state instead of an SR-22 form, depending on the severity of the violation. In most cases, this form is very similar to the SR-22, except that you must carry insurance above the normal minimum coverage in those states.
It is important to note that even if you move out of state while under this restriction, the SR-22 requirements of the state where your driving accident occurred will still apply. Even if your new state does not require such coverage, you should maintain your SR-22 filing for as long as it is required. In this case, it may be best to work with a national insurance company that offers out-of-state SR-22 options.
