Do you need an SR-22?

An SR-22 is a certificate of financial responsibility developed by the insurance industry and the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV or Department of Motor Vehicles) of each state.

The SR-22 is used to verify with the DMV that a person has current auto insurance.

Who needs an SR-22?

The vehicle department of each state is the one that indicates who should obtain an SR-22. In most states, each driver must have at least the minimum insurance coverage. This requirement is basic in terms of law, which states that drivers must be able to respond financially with liability insurance.

Typically, the DMV takes orally the fact that a car owner has the required insurance. However, in certain cases, the word is not enough and the DMV will compel a vehicle owner to prove that they have insurance through proof or evidence. You may need an SR-22 coverage if you have one of the following driving violations (your state might also require them for reasons not listed below):

• DUI or DWI
• Reckless driving
• At-fault accidents
• Driving without insurance coverage
• Driving with a suspended license

If you have a collection of smalls incidents pile up over time, you might also need an SR-22.

On the other side, good drivers who don’t have any traffic violations don’t have to get an SR-22 to be legal on the road.

When is the SR-22 used?

This document is used when someone needs to show that they require insurance, or when they want to keep or get their license back, commonly for the following reasons:

• A conviction of a felony, such as DUI or negligent driving.
• A conviction for not having auto insurance.
• A conviction for drinking alcoholic beverages as a minor.
• Failure to pay for damages caused by an accident of which one is at fault.

How do I request this document?

We can process this document for you and have it ready even on the same day.

What do I need to do to get an SR-22?

Getting an SR-22 is simple, you just need to indicate you’re a driver in need of an SR-22 when purchasing your auto insurance policy. We can take it from there. You’ll need to provide your driver’s license number or another identification number for us to file with your state. The additional information varies by state.

Is there any cost to get an SR-22?

When purchasing car insurance with Online Insurance General, we can file an SR-22 without an extra charge. Please check with your agent to consult if there are any fees involved for this document in a different case.

What is the validity of the SR-22 certificate?

If your auto insurance remains current, it is not canceled for lack of payment or for any other reason, the SR-22 document remains current until it is no longer required by the DMV. As we mentioned before, this varies by state, however, most states require drivers to have SR-22 coverage along with an insurance policy for about three years. Make sure to check your state’s requirements and with your insurance carrier for more information.

The insurance company is responsible for informing the state DMV if the insurance policy has been canceled.

If you do not obtain an SR-22 document when required to do so, your driver’s license will be canceled.

In turn, if an SR22 is no longer needed, an SR-26 form is also filed to remove the SR22 requirement.

What types of SR 22 certificates are there?

There are three types of SR22 insurance:

• Operator: An Operator’s Certificate is designed for drivers who borrow or rent a car, but don’t own a car. This is sometimes used with a non-owner car insurance policy.
• Owner: An Owner’s Form is for those who own and drive their own car.
• Operator/Owner: An Operator/Owner Form is a combination form that applies to those who own their own car, but also borrows or rents to drive occasionally.

Does my state require an SR 22?

Each state has its own SR-22 coverage requirements for drivers, which are subject to change. If you’re not sure of these requirements, we recommend contacting your state’s Department of Insurance.

There are several states that do not use the SR-22 certificate: Delaware, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania. These states use their own forms and are governed by their own regulations.

What is the difference between the SR-22 and FR-44?

An FR-44 is a financial responsibility document that is in effect in the states of Florida and Virginia. It is intended to prove that you have auto insurance after committing a serious offense, such as a DUI or driving with your license suspended.

The main difference between the two certificates is that with the FR-44 you must have much greater liability coverage than the minimums required by the state for the next three years. By law, an FR 44 policy can’t be canceled.