SR-22 Insurance Guide

SR-22 insurance covers the minimum protection 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

No, SR-22 insurance is not full coverage. SR-22 insurance simply means that a high-risk driver's insurance company has filed an SR-22 certificate, which is a state-issued form verifying that someone has the minimum amount of car insurance required by law. While drivers can carry full coverage insurance with an SR-22, they are only required to have their state's minimum coverage limits.

SR-22 insurance with state-minimum coverage already increases annual rates by an average of 70%, and full coverage always costs more than the state minimum, so full coverage SR-22 insurance would be especially pricey. Fortunately, after 3-5 years, you will no longer need the SR-22, and your rates can go back down.

Non-owner SR-22 insurance costs at least $15 - $25, due to the fee insurers charge for filing an SR-22 form with the DMV. Non-owner SR-22 insurance also costs roughly 3% more than a standard non-owner car insurance policy, on average, given the high-risk surcharge that insurers apply to the premiums of drivers who need an SR-22.

The exact cost of a non-owner SR-22 policy depends on where the driver lives and how much car insurance they're required to have. But because non-owner SR-22 insurance applies only to drivers, and not their cars too, it generally costs less than regular SR-22 coverage.

How Non-Owner SR-22 Insurance Works

Non-owner SR-22 insurance is coverage for drivers who do not own a car but are required by their state to file an SR-22 as verification of insurance. Most states require drivers to file an SR-22 after they are convicted of a major moving violation, such as DUI or reckless driving. This applies even if you don't own a car, which is where non-owner SR-22 insurance comes in handy.

You will not be eligible for non-owner SR-22 insurance if anyone in your household owns a car. If you purchase a non-owner SR-22 policy, you will only need it for 3-5 years, depending on your state. Those who do not plan on driving in the future can drop their coverage once they are no longer required to have an SR-22 on file.

SR-22 insurance costs $2,336 per year, on average, nationwide. Because an SR-22 flags you as a high-risk driver, your insurance company will charge you a higher premium than the average driver. But the cost of SR-22 insurance changes dramatically based on where you live.

Michigan drivers pay the most for SR-22 insurance, with rates averaging $7,472 annually. On the other hand, Maine has the cheapest SR-22 insurance, with drivers only paying an average of $1,051 per year. How much coverage you buy also makes a difference in cost. If you only buy the minimum amount of insurance required by your state, you can fulfill your SR-22 requirements while keeping your rates as low as possible under the circumstances.

It should be noted that the SR-22 form itself doesn't cause your rates to go up. In fact, your insurance company will only charge you a one-time filing fee of around $25. Instead, your premium will go up based on the infraction that caused you to need an SR-22 in the first place. SR-22s are usually required after serious traffic offenses like DUI, reckless driving, or driving with a suspended license. So, even if your state didn't require you to have an SR-22, your insurance company would still charge you a higher rate based on your risk as a driver.

Since you only need to have an SR-22 for 3-5 years, your premium will eventually go back down. In the meantime, switching to an insurer with lower rates is the best way to save money on SR-22 insurance. As long as your coverage doesn't lapse, it won't affect how long you need the SR-22.

An FR-44 is a form required in Florida and Virginia to verify that drivers convicted of a DUI have sufficient car insurance coverage. FR-44s require drivers to have additional coverage beyond the minimum amount required by state law, unlike SR-22 forms.

When an FR-44 Is Required

Drivers are often required to file an FR-44 in order to reinstate a suspended license after a DUI. To get an FR-44, you need to contact your car insurance company and ask them to file one with the state on your behalf. If you don't already have enough coverage to meet the state's FR-44 requirements, then you will need to purchase additional insurance.

Cost of an FR-44

You should expect your insurance company to charge an FR-44 filing fee between $15 and $25. Since an FR-44 classifies you as high-risk and means that you have to purchase additional coverage, it will raise your rate by an average of 66%. But the good news is that an FR-44 only lasts for three years. Once you no longer need an FR-44, your premium will start to decrease if you practice good driving habits and maintain continuous coverage.

Geico SR-22 insurance covers drivers classified as “high-risk” by their state's department of motor vehicles. Although high-risk insurance is often called SR-22 insurance, SR-22 is actually a form required by the court or state, verifying that a driver has auto insurance liability coverage. Geico will file the SR-22 on behalf of its policyholders. The filing fee is $25 in most states.

Regulations vary from state to state, but an SR-22 is usually required for a driver to regain his or her license after driving-related violations, such as:

• DUI convictions
• Reckless driving
• Accident caused by an uninsured driver
• Driving without a license or insurance

Geico has a history of working with high-risk drivers to help them keep their insurance and driving privileges. The biggest cost of SR-22 insurance comes in the form of higher premiums. Premiums can rise 25% or more after a driving violation, depending on the type of violation as well as the driver's age and location.

Time and a clean record will bring premiums down in the long run. Meanwhile, Geico discounts—such as those for air bags (25%-40% off personal injury protection), anti-theft systems (25% off comprehensive coverage), or anti-lock brakes (5% off collision coverage)—may partially offset increases. The best way to get an accurate, personalized SR-22 insurance quote is through Geico's website.

Progressive offers SR-22 insurance to drivers classified as “high-risk” by their state. High-risk insurance is often called SR-22 insurance, but SR-22 is actually not a type of coverage, it's a form verifying that you have met the state's minimum requirements for car insurance coverage.

In most states, Progressive will electronically file your SR-22 document with the department of motor vehicles immediately after you purchase your policy unless they are required by state law to file by mail. The filing fee is usually around $25.

When You Might Need Progressive SR-22 Insurance

Most drivers do not need an SR-22. It's most commonly required if you were driving without insurance or a license, or if you were convicted of a DUI/DWI. In states like Florida or Virginia, you might need an FR-44, which is similar but requires more coverage than an SR-22.

If you do need SR-22 insurance from Progressive, call 866-749-7436 to speak with a Progressive representative. Progressive rates only increase by about 5% nationwide for SR-22 drivers, so it tends to be an affordable option for high-risk insurance compared to other large companies.

You can get non-owner SR-22 insurance by calling insurance companies that offer it, such as Geico, Progressive, Esurance, State Farm, The General and Dairyland, and then buying a policy. Non-owner SR-22 insurance is for people who do not have regular access to a car but need to file an SR-22 with their state to prove they have insurance. An SR-22 is not actually a type of insurance, but a form that the insurance company will send to the DMV.

It's important to note that many insurers won't provide non-owner policies to people with a car in their household, even if the vehicle is registered under a different name. So if you live with a spouse, family member, or even a roommate who owns a car, you might not be eligible. In addition, if you have a non-owner policy and fail to switch to an owner policy when you buy a car, the insurer will likely deny any claims that you file.

How Non-Owner SR-22 Insurance Works

Non-owner insurance includes liability coverage by default, although some companies allow drivers to add more coverage as well. Non-owner policies are also secondary coverage, which means that if you crash a borrowed car, the owner's insurance will pay first. Then, your non-owner policy will kick in to cover any leftover balance. 

Standard non-owner insurance policies are generally cheaper than insurance with a car, particularly since non-owners drive much less frequently. However, drivers who need an SR-22 usually pay more than drivers who don't need one, since an SR-22 indicates increased risk for the insurer.

Where to Get Non-Owner SR-22 Insurance

Like any other insurance policy, you should always compare quotes when looking for non-owner SR-22 insurance. Insurers usually offer quotes for non-owner policies over the phone, so be prepared to call several companies. By getting multiple quotes, you can ensure that you have sufficient coverage for your needs at the lowest price.

If you can't find a non-owner policy through a regular insurer, nonstandard insurance companies that specialize in high-risk drivers could be a good option.