SR-22 Insurance Guide

Insurance companies will charge a fee of around $15 to $25 to file an SR-22 with the DMV. SR-22 insurance costs $742 to $1,465 per year, on average, depending on the insurer and the offense that led to the SR-22 requirement.

“SR-22” refers to a form that your insurer will file with the state to prove you have enough coverage to drive legally. Because an SR-22 flags you as a high-risk driver, your insurer will charge you more than the average policyholder.

SR-22 Insurance Cost by Company

Factors That Affect SR-22 Insurance Cost

Premiums vary based on infraction, company, state, and individual driver. How much coverage you buy also makes a difference in cost. For instance, if you only buy the minimum amount of insurance required by your state, you can fulfill your SR-22 requirement for a lower price than if you purchased a full coverage policy. And since you only need to have an SR-22 for 1-5 years, depending on the state, your premium will eventually go back down.

To learn more, check out WalletHub's complete guide to SR-22 insurance.

The best insurance company for drivers who need an SR-22 is Geico because it offers the cheapest SR-22 premiums and provides coverage to drivers nationwide. An SR-22 insurance policy from Geico costs an average of $556 per year, according to WalletHub data. Grange, Progressive, and Mercury are also affordable choices for drivers who need an SR-22, though it's important to note that prices vary by individual driver.

Best SR-22 Insurance Companies by Average Premium

• Geico: $556 per year
• Grange: $615 per year
• Progressive: $669 per year
• Mercury: $700 per year
• USAA: $713 per year
• Travelers: $740 per year

An SR-22 is a form that a driver's insurance company files with the state to prove they have enough car insurance coverage to drive legally. Drivers who need an SR-22 will pay more for insurance on average, since states only require high-risk drivers to file an SR-22. 

Like with any other insurance policy, the best way to find cheap coverage with an SR-22 is to shop around. Using this list as a starting point, compare quotes from at least three companies to find the best rate for your specific circumstances.

To learn more, check out WalletHub's complete guide to SR-22 insurance.

SR-22 insurance covers bodily injury liability and property damage liability up to the minimum limits required by state law. If the court or state tells you that you need SR-22 insurance certification, your minimum coverage requirements are still the same as for any other resident.

SR-22 is actually the name of the form the court or state requires from drivers convicted of certain violations, such as DUI/DWIs, reckless driving, and driving without a license or insurance. The SR-22 must be filled in by your insurance company and certifies that you have the legally required coverage.

What SR-22 Insurance Covers Depending on State

Many states only require liability insurance. In these states, SR-22 insurance covers the costs of the other driver's injuries or property damage if you're at fault in an accident. Some states, like Florida and Michigan, also require Personal Injury Protection, which pays medical expenses for you and your passengers. States such as New Jersey and New York mandate uninsured or underinsured motorist protection, as well. This kind of insurance pays for your losses if another driver is at fault and either has no/low liability insurance or is a hit-and-run driver.

SR-22 Insurance Limits

Like all insurance, SR-22 insurance policies are written with limits. These limits are the maximum amounts the insurance company will pay out for losses. The coverage limits for your SR-22 insurance policy will follow the requirements of the state in which you were convicted or now live, whichever are higher.

Even though it's minimal, SR-22 coverage can be expensive. The violation you committed will put you into the insurance company's high-risk pool of drivers. This can raise your insurance costs 25% or more.

To find out if you still need an SR-22, contact your local DMV office and ask if your SR-22 form has been filed for the required period of time. If it has, you can then contact your car insurance company and request that they remove your SR-22 filing with the state. Each state has its own requirements, but you usually only need an SR-22 for about three years.

You should never cancel your SR-22 filing if the DMV says you still need it. Doing so would result in penalties such as driver's license suspension, vehicle registration suspension, and hefty fees. In addition, you would likely need to start the SR-22 filing period all over again.

Yes, SR-22 insurance covers any car that you drive, as long as you file for an owner-operator SR-22 certificate. An owner-operator certificate, which is available in most states, is a type of SR-22 form that covers you when you drive any vehicle, regardless of who owns it.

There are two other SR-22 options that cover you in fewer situations. An owner certificate only covers cars that you own, and a non-owner certificate covers you when you're required to file an SR-22 but you don't own a car.

Non-owner SR-22 insurance is the cheapest option since you're less likely to file a claim, but it's important to note that you'll have to change your policy if you purchase a car later on. Your insurance company will help you decide which certificate is best for you before they file the SR-22 with the state on your behalf.

Yes, you can get SR-22 insurance without a car if you purchase a non-owner policy and ask the insurance company to file an SR-22 on your behalf with the state DMV. Non-owner SR-22 insurance verifies that high-risk drivers who do not own a vehicle have the minimum amount of car insurance required by their state.

Non-owner SR-22 insurance is not available if you have access to a vehicle owned by someone in your household. Additionally, if you are required to have an ignition interlock breathalyzer device installed in any car you drive after a DUI, you will not be able to purchase non-owner SR-22 coverage.

The cost of non-owner SR-22 insurance varies by state. Since this coverage applies to people who are less likely to drive regularly, it generally costs less than regular SR-22 coverage.

You would need an SR-22 after being convicted of a serious moving violation, such as reckless driving or DUI. An SR-22 is a form that allows you to keep or reinstate your license after serious driving offenses and proves to the state that you have at least the minimum amount of car insurance required by law. It's also referred to as a “Certificate of Financial Responsibility.”  

Why You Would Need an SR-22

• You are convicted of DUI, DWI, hit and run, reckless driving, or other serious offenses
• You accumulate too many moving violations in a short period of time (four speeding tickets in 12 months, for example)
• You are caught driving without the required amount of insurance
• You need to get a suspended license reinstated

Drivers who need their insurance company to file an SR-22 with the state on their behalf are considered high-risk and often pay above-average rates. The amount of time you're required to have an SR-22 on your insurance varies by state but is generally around three years. If you practice safe driving, you will begin to see your insurance premiums decrease after that.

To learn more, check out WalletHub's guide to SR-22 insurance.

To get an SR-22 removed, a driver needs to contact their insurance company once they are no longer required to have the SR-22 on file with their state DMV. While each state has its own rules for how long drivers must maintain an SR-22, it can usually be removed after 3-5 years. Since individual drivers do not handle SR-22 forms themselves, the insurance company will take care of the cancellation.

You can contact your state's DMV to find out exactly when your SR-22 filing period ends. Once you confirm that you no longer need an SR-22, you can call your insurance company and let them know. Your insurer will then notify the DMV that they have cancelled the SR-22 filing.

You should never try to remove your SR-22 before the state-mandated period ends. If the DMV finds out that you cancelled your SR-22 insurance early, you could face serious consequences that include a driver's license suspension, vehicle registration suspension, and hefty fees. In addition, you will likely have to start the SR-22 filing period all over again.  

Finally, if you cancel your SR-22 insurance because you are switching insurance companies, you should cancel the old policy a few days after the new one begins. It can take some time for your state DMV to receive the new filing, and having the policies overlap by a few days helps you avoid a lapse in SR-22 coverage.

You need an SR-22 for 1-5 years after a DUI, though most states require you to have it for three years. You must be continuously insured during this timeframe, since any lapse in coverage will cause the SR-22 clock to reset.

Once you've maintained your SR-22 insurance for the required period of time after a DUI, you can contact your insurance company and ask them to cancel the SR-22 filing. However, keep in mind that your insurance company will have to contact the state DMV to remove the form. If you attempt to cancel the SR-22 early, you will face repercussions including hefty fines and a driver's license suspension. 

Since a DUI conviction and an SR-22 classify you as a high-risk driver, you should expect your insurance rates to go up by about 80%, though the exact amount will depend on your state. The good news is that insurance companies only look back 3-5 years on your driving record when calculating your premium, so your rates will eventually go back down.

The minimum SR-22 car insurance requirements in Michigan are $50,000 in bodily injury liability insurance per person ($100,000 per accident), plus $10,000 in property damage liability insurance. Drivers also need at least $250,000 in personal injury protection coverage (with some exceptions for drivers with Medicaid or Medicare) as well as $1,000,000 in property protection insurance. Drivers in Michigan will need to maintain the SR-22 coverage for 3 years. For context, an SR-22 is a form that the driver's insurance company will file with the state to prove that the driver has enough coverage to drive legally.

Minimum SR-22 Insurance Requirements in Michigan

• Bodily injury liability coverage: $50,000 per person / $100,000 accident
• Property damage liability coverage: $10,000
• Personal injury protection: $250,000 for most drivers
• Property protection insurance: $1,000,000

Even though you can meet Michigan's SR-22 requirements with the minimum insurance required by law, you might want to opt for higher coverage limits. The more insurance you buy, the more protection you have for your finances and property.

Consider supplemental policy options such as collision or comprehensive coverage, too. Collision coverage pays for damage to your car from a crash, while comprehensive coverage handles any other damage to your car, such as from theft, vandalism, or inclement weather.

Just keep in mind that insurance is more expensive for drivers with an SR-22, since they are classified as high-risk.