What Is SR-22 Insurance?

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Quick Answer

An SR-22 is a form that proves that you have car insurance. You may be legally required to file an SR-22 form for violating certain laws, primarily driving-related.

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An SR-22 is a form which verifies that you have sufficient auto insurance coverage to meet your state's minimum requirements. You may need to file one if you violate certain laws, and having one can make coverage more expensive and difficult to obtain.

Here's what you need to know about SR-22s, including how the process works, when you need to file one and how it can impact your car insurance options and rates.

What Is an SR-22?

An SR-22 is a court-ordered form you'll need to file with your state to indicate that you have enough insurance coverage to meet your state's minimum requirements. Depending on where you live, an SR-22 may also be referred to as a certificate of financial responsibility or an SR-22 bond.

There are three types of SR-22 forms, and your situation will dictate which one you'll need:

  • Owner certificate: Covers you when driving the vehicle you own
  • Operator certificate: Covers you when driving a vehicle you don't own; also known as a non-owners certificate
  • Owner-operator certificate: Covers you when driving any vehicle

That said, not all states require an SR-22 for high-risk drivers. Read on to learn more about state requirements.

Do I Need an SR-22?

You only need to file an SR-22 if you've been ordered to by a court for violating certain laws. Examples include:

  • Driving without sufficient insurance coverage
  • Driving without a license
  • Conviction for driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while intoxicated (DWI)
  • Excessive violations or at-fault accidents
  • Repeated violations within a short period of time
  • Reckless driving
  • Not paying court-ordered child support

If you've had your license suspended or revoked, your state's department of motor vehicles (DMV) may issue a hardship or restricted license for certain needs, such as driving to work or school. However, an SR-22 is typically a stipulation for getting one.

FR-44 vs. SR-22

An FR-44 is similar to an SR-22, but it's only required in Florida and Virginia. What's more, an FR-44 form is typically only used for more serious offenses, such as a DUI with a high blood alcohol level or repeated offenses.

Also, while an SR-22 stipulates that the driver must maintain the state's minimum liability coverage amounts, an FR-44 often requires the driver to purchase much more than the minimum requirement.

In Virginia, for instance, the standard minimum liability coverage is $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident for bodily injury liability coverage, plus $40,000 of property damage liability coverage. With an FR-44, however, the minimum is $60,000/$120,000/$40,000.

Learn more: Hidden Costs of Minimum Coverage Car Insurance

How Much Does an SR-22 Cost?

Filing and maintaining insurance with an SR-22 can be costly, both in terms of filing fees and higher insurance rates.

Each time you renew your policy, you'll need to file a new SR-22. While the filing fee can vary by state, it's typically $25. If you're required to file an SR-22 for three years, then you may be required to pay $25 between three and six times, depending on how long your policy periods last.

Because an SR-22 indicates that you're a high-risk driver, you can also expect insurance providers to charge higher premiums—both for the certificate and for the incident that caused you to need the form. Exactly how much your rates will go up will depend on several factors, such as where you live, your driving record, your claims history and the violation itself.

Learn more: Why Did My Car Insurance Go Up?

How Long Is an SR-22 Required?

In most states, an SR-22 will be in effect for three years from the date of the offense. However, some states may have longer or shorter requirements, so check with your local DMV to get details for your situation.

SR22/FR44 Insurance Requirements by State

You generally need an SR-22 for three years.

For most offenses, you'll need to maintain an SR-22 for three years from the date your driving privileges have been restored. For DUI and refusal convictions, however, the term ranges from five to 20 years, or possibly even for life, depending on the number of offenses.

You'll typically need an SR-22 for three years from the date of your suspension, though it can be different in some cases.

For most offenses, the duration of the SR-22 requirement is three years. With DUIs, however, it can last up to 10 years for repeat offenses.

You'll typically need an SR-22 for three years.

You can expect to need an SR-22 for three years.

You'll typically need to maintain SR-22 insurance for three to five years, depending on the severity of the offense.

The state of Delaware does not require SR-22 insurance.

You'll typically need to maintain an SR-22 for three years.

For certain violations, you may need an SR-22 form for three years. However, more serious offenses, such as a DUI, may require an FR-44, which also lasts for three years.

Also called an SR-22A, you must maintain your coverage for three years from the conviction date.

You'll need to maintain SR-22 insurance for three years from your conviction date.

You may need to file an SR-22 form for just one year for your first offense, but that increases to three years with each subsequent offense.

You'll need to maintain an SR-22 for three years.

For violations before December 31, 2021, the SR-22 period is three or five years, depending on your offense. For violations after that date, the SR-22 period is just six months.

You'll need to maintain an SR-22 for two years from the date of your suspension or revocation.

The state requires violators to maintain SR-22 coverage for one full year.

The state of Kentucky doesn't require an SR-22.

You'll typically need to maintain SR-22 insurance for three years.

You'll generally need an SR-22 for three years.

The state of Maryland doesn't require an SR-22 form.

The state of Maryland doesn't require an SR-22 form.

The general timeline is three years, but it may vary depending on your violation.

The state of Minnesota doesn't require an SR-22 form.

You'll need to maintain SR-22 insurance for a minimum of three years.

You may need to maintain an SR-22 form for two or three years, depending on your violation.

You'll need to pay for SR-22 insurance for three years.

You'll need to maintain an SR-22 form for three years.

You'll need to maintain an SR-22 form for three years.

The state requires SR-22 insurance for a minimum of three years.

The state of New Jersey doesn't require an SR-22 form.

The state of New Mexico doesn't require an SR-22 form.

The state of New York doesn't require an SR-22 form.

The state of North Carolina does not require SR-22 insurance.

You'll need to maintain SR-22 insurance for just one year.

First-time offenders must maintain an SR-22 form for three years, but that increases to five years for subsequent offenses.

The state of Oklahoma does not require SR-22 insurance.

You'll typically need to maintain SR-22 insurance for three years.

The state of Pennsylvania does not require SR-22 insurance.

The state of Rhode Island does not require SR-22 insurance.

You'll need to maintain SR-22 insurance for three years.

You must have an SR-22 form for three years.

Your SR-22 insurance must be in place for the duration of your suspension or revocation period.

The state requires an SR-22 for two years from the conviction or judgment date.

You'll be required to maintain SR-22 coverage for three years.

The state requires an SR-22 filing for three years from the suspension date or other event that caused it.

For both SR-22 and FR-44 forms, the requirement remains in place for three years from the date of suspension.

In most cases, you'll need to maintain SR-22 insurance for three years from the date you're eligible to reinstate your license.

The state of West Virginia does not require an SR-22 form.

You must maintain your SR-22 filing for three years from the date you're eligible to reinstate your driving privileges.

You'll need to maintain SR-22 insurance for three years from the date of your suspension.

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How to Get SR-22 Insurance

Depending on your situation, getting coverage with an SR-22 can be challenging because some insurers don't offer coverage to drivers with one due to the added risk. That said, here are some steps you can take to get the coverage you need while minimizing your costs:

  1. Check with your current insurer. If you already have an insurance policy, contact your insurer and ask if it offers SR-22 form filing. If so, you can provide the letter mandating an SR-22 and discuss your coverage options, then the insurer will handle the filing.
  2. Shop around. If you don't have insurance coverage, your insurance provider dropped you or you simply want to see if you can get a better deal elsewhere, take some time to obtain quotes from multiple insurers to compare your options. Be sure to share your situation upfront, so you can make apples-to-apples comparisons. With Experian's free auto insurance comparison tool, you can compare SR-22 quotes from multiple carriers in one place.
  3. Provide the order. Once you choose an insurance provider, you may need to share a copy of the letter or mandate you received from the DMV requiring an SR-22.
  4. Follow up with the DMV. Once you purchase a policy, the insurer will file the SR-22 form with your state's DMV. Contact the DMV to confirm that the filing was completed.

Frequently Asked Questions

The insurers that offer SR-22 insurance coverage may vary depending on where you live. However, some of the more well-known insurance providers that offer it include GEICO, Progressive and State Farm.

You'll typically need to file a new SR-22 form with your state each time you renew your auto insurance policy. In most cases, insurers renew policies every six or 12 months.

You'll need to maintain an SR-22 filing for as long as your state requires.

Some insurers may offer non-owner SR-22 insurance coverage, which you can buy even if you don't own a vehicle.

You don't necessarily need to complete a defensive driving course to obtain an SR-22 certificate. However, a court may determine that you need to attend such a course for the violation that resulted in the SR-22 requirement.

The Bottom Line

An SR-22 is just one of many consequences for risky driving, but in many cases, it's among the most expensive. While it's best to avoid the infractions that could result in an SR-22 in the first place, there are still things you can do to save money on SR-22 insurance if that ship has already sailed.

Whatever you do, it's crucial that you follow the court order promptly and maintain sufficient coverage for the duration of your SR-22 period.

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About the author

Ben Luthi has worked in financial planning, banking and auto finance, and writes about all aspects of money. His work has appeared in Time, Success, USA Today, Credit Karma, NerdWallet, Wirecutter and more.

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