What is SR-22 insurance?
If you’ve been told you need SR-22 insurance, you might have assumed you need a whole new type of car insurance policy. But that’s not exactly true.
Here’s what to know about what an SR-22 is, who typically needs one, and what it can mean for your insurance costs.
What SR-22 insurance means (and how it works)
An SR-22 — also known as a Financial Responsibility Insurance Certificate — is a form that you submit to the state to verify you have car insurance coverage. A court or state agency might require you to get an SR-22 if you’ve had a serious driving violation (like a DUI or DWI) or been caught driving without insurance.
Your insurance company will typically file the document on your behalf with the DMV. It will also notify the state if your insurance lapses during the time you’re required to have an SR-22 on file. You’ll typically need to maintain an SR-22 for at least two to three years, depending on your state and specific situation.
Is SR-22 insurance actually insurance?
An SR-22 is not actually a type of insurance. It’s a certificate that’s attached to your existing insurance policy, which proves to the state that you have minimum coverage.
This means you likely don’t need to shop around for a special policy if you already have car insurance. You can simply ask your insurer to file an SR-22 for you — assuming the company provides this service (some don’t).
Find out: How much car insurance you really need
Who needs SR-22 insurance?
You might be required to file an SR-22 if you’ve had a traffic violation that labels you as high-risk. Some examples include:
- DUI or DWI convictions
- Driving without insurance
- Reckless driving
- License suspension or revocation
- Multiple serious traffic violations in a short period
- At-fault accidents while uninsured
How to get SR-22 insurance
If you need an SR-22, follow these four steps:
1. Contact your current insurance company
Your current car insurance company might offer SR-22 filings, so it’s best to start there. You can call up customer service and ask if they’ll submit an SR-22 on your behalf.
If they can do it, making this one phone call could be all you need to do. But if your current provider doesn’t handle SR-22 forms — because not all of them do — then you’ll need to shop around and switch to a provider that does.
2. Request SR-22 filing
Once you tell your insurance provider that you need SR-22 insurance, they’ll handle everything for you. This will typically involve adding an SR-22 endorsement to your current policy and submitting the relevant paperwork to the appropriate state department.
3. Pay the filing fee
You’ll need to pay an SR-22 filing fee, which can range anywhere from $15 to $50, depending on the company and state. You could also see your car insurance premiums rise due to the driving violation that triggered the SR-22 requirement in the first place.
4. Maintain required coverage
Once your SR-22 is active, the most important thing to do is maintain continuous coverage. If you let your insurance lapse or be canceled, your insurance company will typically notify the state. This could trigger a suspension of your license or a reset of your SR-22 requirement period.
How much does SR-22 insurance cost?
The SR-22 filing itself is usually a one-time fee ranging from $15 to $50, depending on the company and state. But you can also expect your car insurance premiums to go up as a result of being labeled a high-risk driver.
How long do you need SR-22 insurance?
You’ll typically have to carry SR-22 insurance for two to three years, although the exact timeframe will depend on:
- Your state
- The type of violation
- Whether it was a repeat offense
- Court requirements
What happens if your SR-22 lapses?
If your insurance policy lapses (or gets canceled) or you miss payments while you're still under an SR-22 requirement, your insurance company will generally notify the state. From there, consequences could include:
- License suspension
- Registration suspension
- Additional fees
- Restarting your SR-22 requirement period
SR-22 vs. regular car insurance
An SR-22 is simply a filing attached to a regular car insurance policy you already have. Here’s a quick side-by-side comparison to help you think about it:
| Feature | SR-22 | Standard car insurance |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Filing or certificate | Insurance policy |
| Required for | Certain high-risk drivers | Almost all drivers (not required in all states) |
| Filed with state | Yes | No (though states will verify coverage in some situations, such as during traffic stops and car registration) |
| Purpose | Proves you carry required coverage | Provides coverage for accidents and other incidents (depending on the type of coverage you have) |
Do all states require SR-22?
Some states don't require SR-22 forms, including:
- Delaware
- Kentucky
- Minnesota
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
What’s the difference between SR-22 and FR-44?
SR-22 and FR-44 forms both prove to the state that you carry the required insurance coverage. However, FR-44 forms are primarily used in Florida and Virginia, often after more serious violations like maiming someone while under the influence. They also usually require higher liability limits than SR-22 filings.
How SR-22 affects your insurance rates
The SR-22 form itself isn’t usually what raises your rates; it’s what triggered the SR-22 in the first place.
Violations like DUIs, reckless driving, license suspensions, or driving without insurance signal to insurance providers that you’re high risk. And higher risk usually translates into higher car insurance premiums for you as a driver.
How to lower your insurance costs after an SR-22
If you have an SR-22, there’s no quickfire way to lower your car insurance costs. However, over time, these habits can help things move in your favor:
- Shop around and compare quotes. There are a handful of insurance providers — such as Progressive, The General, and Liberty Mutual — that work with high-risk drivers. Get quotes with all of them to see which one offers the most affordable rates for the coverage you need.
- Keep continuous coverage. Gaps in coverage can lead to having your license suspended or your SR-22 requirement period being reset.
- Keep your driving record as clean as possible. Generally speaking, the farther you get from accidents, tickets, or other violations on your driving record, the better. Although you can’t change the past, you can make sure new violations don’t get added to the pile.
- Ask about discounts. Even if you’re a high-risk driver, there could be auto insurance discounts you qualify for. Don’t forget to look into bundling discounts, autopay discounts, multi-car discounts, or even a discount for taking a defensive driving course.
Smart ways to manage SR-22 requirements
If you’re carrying an SR-22, your primary goal should be to limit any new problems that could pop up during your requirement period.
Here are some strategies that could help:
- Set up autopay to avoid missed payments.
- Turn on renewal reminders.
- Keep proof of insurance handy.
- Double-check DMV notices and deadlines.
- Confirm exactly when your SR-22 requirement ends.
- Drive safely to avoid future violations.
SR-22 insurance FAQs
The actual SR-22 filing is usually around $15 to $50. But the biggest hit could come from the increased car insurance premiums that follow, as you’ll be considered a high-risk driver.
Many states require SR-22 filings for about two or three years. The exact timeline generally depends on your state and the type of violation you had.
Yes. If you don’t own a vehicle, you can look into purchasing a non-owner car insurance policy with an SR-22 endorsement attached to it.
No. The SR-22 itself doesn’t provide any type of car insurance coverage. Your underlying policy is what actually protects you if you’re in an accident.
SR-22s and FR-44s are both used to show the state that you have required coverage. However, FR-44 filings are used only in Florida and Virginia and typically require higher liability coverage limits than SR-22s.
