SR-22 Insurance

Strictly speaking, an SR‑22 isn’t car insurance: It’s a certificate of financial responsibility verifying the driver carries the minimum amount of liability insurance the state requires. It’s usually needed if a driver is convicted of violating certain traffic laws. In most cases, SR‑22 insurance is required for 3 years but may vary based upon the severity of the offense and repeat violations.

That said, not all states require SR‑22 forms. You will be notified by your state Department of Motor Vehicles if you are required to carry SR‑22 insurance.

Your car insurance company may be able to file an SR‑22 form for you. The General specializes in providing coverage for high-risk drivers and we can take care of any SR‑22 auto insurance filing requirements within the state our customers live in. Keep in mind that if you cancel your policy, the insurance company must notify the state that you are no longer insured.

People with certain driving violations on their record need SR‑22 car insurance if the state requires it. These violations include:

• Multiple traffic violations
• Serious traffic offense
• Driving while the license or registration is revoked or suspended
• Driving under the influence conviction
• An at-fault accident in which the driver lacks insurance

Either your state or the court will inform you that SR‑22 insurance is needed. If you don’t comply with filing an SR‑22 form, you could lose your license. Your insurance company will either file the SR‑22 form electronically or send it to the state through the mail.

Some people may think they just won’t drive for the 3-year period mandated by the state and won’t get SR‑22 insurance. This is not possible, because if they ever decide to get their license back, they’ll have to go through the mandatory SR‑22 filing first. Since state law varies, check with your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles for specification on SR‑22 requirements.

An SR‑22 form is a document verifying liability insurance coverage. It is not full insurance coverage, but you can buy full insurance coverage while needing to file an SR‑22. Full insurance coverage involves buying collision and comprehensive insurance along with liability insurance. Collision and comprehensive coverage pays to repair damage to your car if you are involved in an accident or the car is damaged by something other than a collision. Examples include hail, water, or a fallen tree.

The state may require you to buy a particular amount of liability insurance coverage. You must comply with this mandate if you want to drive, even if the amount of insurance is more than you usually purchase. However, it is unlikely the state will require full insurance coverage. If you lease your car or still owe payments on it, the lessor or lender will require you to carry collision and comprehensive coverage.

An SR‑22 certificate shows that you bought at least the minimum amount of liability insurance your state requires. Think of SR‑22 insurance as a monitoring system. Basically, the state is monitoring whether or not drivers convicted of certain traffic offenses are carrying liability insurance. That’s why your insurance company must notify the state right away if you cancel the policy. The state then knows the driver is no longer covered and will move to revoke the individual’s license.

The time in which SR‑22 insurance is required to become active depends on the state. In some states, the date upon which an SR‑22 form is needed starts as of the conviction. In other states, it’s the accident date or date of the driver’s license suspension. A driver may have to wait before filing an SR‑22 form if the state doesn’t require the filing until the license restoration date.

The SR‑22 form is not car insurance. It’s just part of your car insurance filing requirements if you committed a violation. You buy regular car insurance as usual, and the SR‑22 form is filed by your insurance company to the state on your behalf.

You must buy regular car insurance before filing the SR‑22 form. Only an insurance company can provide the SR‑22 form since it’s proof that you have coverage. Without meeting the SR‑22 requirement, you can’t get your license back and start driving again.

When you buy car insurance from The General, the SR‑22 insurance form is included with your policy documents after purchasing your auto insurance policy online. In just a few minutes, you’ll have auto insurance coverage and your SR‑22. Buy car insurance online using our award-winning mobile app. You’ll receive a free auto insurance quote in 2 minutes, and can apply for and buy your policy, complete with SR‑22 form, in about 12 minutes.

Expect to pay an annual filing fee of about $25 for your SR‑22 certificate. The General includes this fee in your insurance quote. When you need an SR‑22 certificate, it isn’t the filing fee that raises your rates—it’s whatever violation caused the SR‑22 filing requirement. On the bright side, when you no longer have that violation on your driving record, your insurance premiums should go down. Insurance companies such as The General will automatically continue with your policy once your SR‑22 car insurance filing requirement is done.

Depending on the offense and the state, quite a bit. Currently, a driver convicted of a DUI can expect to see their premium rise by as much as 375% in North Carolina, and as little as 48% in Indiana. In the majority of states, rates rise between 70 and 80%.

Look for a company providing SR‑22 forms to the state along with affordable car insurance coverage. If you need an SR‑22 filing, you’re considered a high-risk driver, so seek out an insurance company specializing in providing high-risk driver coverage, such as The General.

Because of traffic or proof of insurance violations, expect to pay higher premiums once you have to file an SR‑22 form. You can save money when you need SR‑22 insurance by buying and insuring a used car that doesn’t need collision and comprehensive coverage. However, if the car is not covered by collision and comprehensive coverage, just make sure you can afford to replace the car if an accident happens.

Other ways to save money on your premiums so you benefit from cheap SR‑22 insurance is by opting for a higher deductible. Your monthly rate is lower when you choose a high deductible, but you’ll have to pay more out-of-pocket if you are in an accident.