Have you been told by the DMV that you need an SR-22? If so, your first question was probably, \u201cJust what is an SR-22?\u201d You may have heard the term before, but until you need it, an SR22 is something you\u2019ve probably never thought about.<\/p>\n
There are a number of reasons you might be required to have an SR-22. Also known as a Certificate of Financial Responsibility (CFR), it\u2019s needed to show that you have the ability to pay for damages if you\u2019re ever in an accident and found to be at fault, which for most of us would be done with liability insurance coverage. You\u2019re required to have proof of this ability anyway, so an SR-22 is only required for certain higher-risk drivers when one of the following applies: While it\u2019s often referred to as \u201cSR-22 insurance,\u201d it isn\u2019t actually insurance. Rather, it\u2019s a certificate that shows the DMV that you have the required coverage. SR-22 filing is done by your insurance company, but be aware that not all insurance companies will do this. Some companies will not cover high-risk drivers, so be prepared to shop for a new policy. Be sure to mention to the companies you\u2019re considering that you need an SR-22. Quotes will be higher because of this, again because you are in a higher risk category.<\/p>\n The SR-22 cost itself isn\u2019t much \u2013 usually around $15-$25 to file \u2013 though your insurance rates will almost certainly go up. This is a time to shop around; relatively cheap SR22 insurance exists, though it\u2019s much more important to be sure that you\u2019re working with a reliable company.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t own a car yourself, but you\u2019ll be driving someone else\u2019s car, you might think you\u2019re off the hook. It\u2019s going to depend on the state you live in, but you might be required to get a non-owner SR-22 insurance policy. This type of policy provides liability coverage when you\u2019re driving someone else\u2019s car. If you\u2019re required to have an ignition interlock device (IID) installed, though, you will probably not be able to get non-owner coverage.<\/p>\n Being required to have an SR-22 is certainly inconvenient. Once it\u2019s filed, though, the only thing left to do is to make sure you don\u2019t miss payments. Doing so would result in your insurance company reporting to the DMV, who will probably suspend your license immediately, which just compounds the inconvenience (not to mention the cost). It\u2019s unfortunate to have to go through this, but hopefully you\u2019ll never have to do it again.<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 You were at-fault in an accident and had no insurance
\n\u2022 You were convicted of a DUI or DWI
\n\u2022 You\u2019ve had your license suspended or revoked
\n\u2022 You\u2019ve had too many tickets or traffic offenses over a short time
\nBecause drivers for whom one of the above conditions apply are considered high-risk, auto insurance companies<\/a> could cancel their policies, if they did have coverage in place. The DMV wants additional assurance that these drivers indeed do have the proper liability coverage, and that they\u2019ll keep it for a specified amount of time (usually 3 years).<\/p>\nWhat is an SR-22?<\/h2>\n
Is an SR-22 Expensive?<\/h2>\n
What if I don’t own a car?<\/h2>\n