An SR-22 is a document that your insurance company files with your state as proof that you carry an active policy meeting minimum liability requirements. In other words, it’s your official proof of insurance to legally get back on the road after a serious driving violation. SR-22’s aren’t permanent, but you can save money while you have one by comparing multiple car insurance quotes.
SR-22 isn’t insurance, it’s a form filed with the DMV
An SR-22 is a form your car insurance company files with the DMV. It’s usually required after a serious driving violation. An SR-22 proves you have an insurance policy that meets your state’s legal minimum liability car insurance requirements, that way you can keep your driver’s license active or get it back after it’s revoked.
Serious driving violations require an SR-22
The traffic court where you appeared for your traffic violation or your state DMV will let you know by mail if you need to file for SR-22. Depending on your state’s laws, you could be required to file an SR-22 if you:
Are convicted of a DUI or DWI.
Are ticketed for driving without insurance.
Are involved in an accident that causes an injury.
Accumulate a lot of points on your driving record.
Have a suspended or revoked driver’s license.
Any of these marks on your record can result in your state considering you a risk, at which point filing for an SR-22 can help reinstate your license.
Filing an SR-22 costs $15 to $50
Filing SR-22 forms costs around $15 to $50 bucks, depending on your state. But, the real cost of filing an SR-22 is the impact of a serious driving violation on your driving record. How much more you’ll pay for insurance comes down to which type of violation you have on your record, what insurer you’re with and the state where you reside.
We pulled sample rates for a 30-year-old living in California, selecting state minimum coverage with either a clean driving record or one violation on their driving record requiring an SR-22. A person with a DUI can see a rate increase as high as over 200%, while someone caught driving without insurance may see rates increase as much as 56%.
Company
Clean driving record
A DUI
Driving with a suspended license
Driving without insurance
Geico
$39.12
$91.91
$67.10
$61.29
Progressive
$49.73
$90.48
$71.16
$71.16
Allstate
$76.00
$277.00
$277.00
$80.00
The General
$83.39
$126.43
$126.43
$93.51
5 steps to file an SR-22
Find an insurer. Ask your insurer if it’s authorized to issue SR-22s in your state. If not, find an insurer that is.
Pay the SR-22 fee. Your insurer will charge you a processing fee to file the SR-22, typically around $15 to $50.
Verify minimum liability coverage. The minimum limits vary by state. Your insurance provider can help you with this.
Submit your SR-22. In most states, your insurance provider will electronically file the SR-22 on your behalf. Always verify that it’s been sent.
Get confirmation. Ask for confirmation from your provider that your SR-22 has been accepted.
SR-22s aren’t permanent
Depending on your state and your circumstances, you might only need an SR-22 for two to five years — assuming you maintain a clean record. Your SR-22 can stay valid for up to three years, depending on which state you live in.
If your SR-22 certificate expires, you’ll need to contact your insurance company to issue a new one. After you’ve met your requirement, simply request that your insurer remove the SR-22 requirement from your policy.
Insurance companies don’t consider these violations as permanent, either. Most companies only look back five years on your driving record to determine how risky you are to insure. So if you don’t rack up any more driving violations, you can lower how risky you are to insure within five years.
Your insurer can drop you after an SR-22
If you’re required to file an SR-22 because you got into trouble behind the wheel, your existing car insurer might consider you too high risk to insure and cancel your policy. And depending on your policy, you might get until the end of your policy term, or you might be dropped effective immediately.
If your insurer does cancel your insurance, don’t panic. You’ll receive written notice before your policy ends to give you enough time to find a new insurer. Plenty of insurance companies specialize in high-risk insurance, including well-known companies like The General and Geico.
Even if your insurer doesn’t drop you, it may not offer the lowest rates for high-risk drivers. Having a change in your driving record is a perfect time to shop around.
Compare SR-22 insurance companies
Compare quotes from companies that cater to high-risk drivers and people with an SR-22.
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5 tips to get the cheapest SR-22 insurance
Watch our short video for five tips to get the cheapest rate possible on your SR-22 insurance.
If you don’t own a car, you may still need to file an SR-22
Depending on your state, you may still need to file an SR-22 even if you don’t have a car or plan to use your driver’s license much.
You can usually get nonowner’s car insurance and satisfy the requirements to file an SR-22. Keeping insurance even when you’re not planning to drive your own car can help prevent your rates from spiking even more from a lapse in coverage, too.
Get your SR-22 removed after you meet the requirements
After you’ve satisfied your SR-22 requirement, there are a few important steps to take.
Send SR-22 removal request to your insurance company. Confirm with your state’s motor vehicles department that you’ve met the time requirement for holding your SR-22. Then, get the proof in writing, and forward it along to your insurance company.
Your insurance company removes the SR-22. Your insurer notifies the DMV that it canceled the SR-22 filing.
Shop around for new coverage because you’ll likely qualify for much lower rates now that you’re no longer required to keep an SR-22.
States that don’t require SR-22 insurance
These states don’t require SR-22 insurance if you’re a current resident, but you might need to keep your SR-22 insurance if you move to these states from a state that does require it.
Delaware
Kentucky
Maryland
Michigan
Mississippi
Montana
New Hampshire
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
South Dakota
West Virginia
Wyoming
Bottom line
Depending on where you live you might need this certificate to prove your policy meets your state’s minimum car insurance requirements after particular auto incidents. The effects of your SR-22 come down to the reason for having one. However, compare state requirements and quotes to find the best value for you.
Your best bet is to compare your options and find the best deal for your situation.
How we got our rates
Our minimum coverage rates are based on a single 30-year-old driver with either a clean driving record or one driving violation on their driving record living in California. California is one of seven states that don’t use gender to determine car insurance costs. We chose full coverage car insurance with liability limits that exceed the California state minimum requirements, which include:
Bodily injury liability coverage per person: $15,000/$30,000 per accident minimum
Property damage liability: $5,000
Uninsured motorist bodily injury: $15,000 per person/$30,000 per accident minimum
Uninsured motorist property damage: $3,500
Comprehensive: $0
Collision: $0
Medical payments: $0
Your rates may be different based on details like your ZIP code, location, job and annual mileage.
Roslyn McKenna Ayers is insurance manager at ValuePenguin and a former publisher at Finder, specializing in home and auto coverage. Her expertise and analysis has been featured on Bankrate, MSN and Reader's Digest. She holds a BA in writing and communications from Maryville College.
I just found out that I needed a SR-22 . Until I get the SR-22 my license is sependent till I get one. I lived in Oregon an now living in Utah. How can I get a Utah SR-22? I need the SR-22 now so I can get a Utah License.
If you have been convicted of a violation in another state, you have to continue paying your SR22 insurance premiums for the duration of your requirement. Otherwise, if your policy lapses, you’ll encounter problems in your new state of residence.
If you have existing car insurance in Oregon, you need to contact your insurer before moving to another state. You will then have to get standard insurance in your new state. You can compare car insurance in Utah to help you find a cover that’s suitable for you.
Your new insurer will then need to be able to perform a cross-state SR22 filing in your previous state. You may have to verify with the DMV and your new insurer if your existing SR22 coverage is sufficient in Utah.
Hope this helps! For any other inquiries, feel free to send us a message anytime.
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I just found out that I needed a SR-22 . Until I get the SR-22 my license is sependent till I get one. I lived in Oregon an now living in Utah. How can I get a Utah SR-22? I need the SR-22 now so I can get a Utah License.
Hi James,
Thanks for reaching out to us.
If you have been convicted of a violation in another state, you have to continue paying your SR22 insurance premiums for the duration of your requirement. Otherwise, if your policy lapses, you’ll encounter problems in your new state of residence.
If you have existing car insurance in Oregon, you need to contact your insurer before moving to another state. You will then have to get standard insurance in your new state. You can compare car insurance in Utah to help you find a cover that’s suitable for you.
Your new insurer will then need to be able to perform a cross-state SR22 filing in your previous state. You may have to verify with the DMV and your new insurer if your existing SR22 coverage is sufficient in Utah.
Hope this helps! For any other inquiries, feel free to send us a message anytime.
Kind regards,
Nikki