SR-22 Insurance: Complete Guide on Sr22 Insurance & FR44 Insurance12 min read
The SR-22 insurance is not an insurance policy that will cover your automobiles when life calamities hit you.
Rather SR-22 is seen as an official document which a driver can use to have coverage while driving. The SR-22 insurance policy is required to be filed by drivers who usually violated driving rules.
Moreover, as a driver you need to get SR-22 insurance if your state or court orders you to get it; this normally occurs when a driver has a lot of bad records in his driving record.
A driver whose driving license has been suspended for violating driving rules needs to file SR-22 insurance on his behalf by an insurer; probably an SR22 insurance company.
Unlike the auto insurance policy, SR-22 insurance is not for every driver; only those high-risk drivers with lots of violations are required to file an SR22 insurance policy.
When drivers are ordered to file an SR-22, it means that the insurance company assures the driver’s state vehicle that the insured driver is permitted to drive regardless of his violations.
🚀 Here is my guide on how to save money when purchasing your auto insurance policy.
What is sr-22 insurance? 🔎
SR-22 insurance also known as SR-22 car insurance is simply a certificate of financial responsibility or certificate of insurance which is required by most states Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in the U.S for high-risk drivers.
This SR-22 insurance is not an insurance policy but a document that your auto insurance company will file on your behalf as a driver to show that you have a complete car insurance policy.
Moreover, the SR22 insurance is simply the insurance policy you’ll get from your auto insurance company after they have filed the SR22 form for you.
Meanwhile, the SR-22 is just a name and in some states in the U.S, it is called FR-44. Such states are Virginia, Florida, etc. hence SR-22 is the same as FR-44; just a name change.
Drivers who are mandated to have SR-22 insurance are drivers that:
- Got involved in an at-fault accident when they don’t have any auto insurance policy
- Drivers driving under the influence of alcohol
- Drivers that have violated traffic offenses, etc.
Often when your state noticed that you’re a high-risk driver, they will intentionally suspend your driving license and you need to file SR22 insurance with your state or court to continue driving.
Who needs SR-22 insurance?
Since SR-22 insurance is not an insurance policy like a normal auto insurance policy, only some categories of drivers are ordered to file the SR22 insurance.
Moreover, SR-22 is for drivers that violate driving rules or those that have bad records in their driving history. Below are some reasons why drivers need to file SR22 insurance:
Drivers driving without any insurance coverage
When a driver is caught in an accident and it happens that the driver is not insured by any auto insurance company, the state government or court will require that such driver files an SR-22 form after the incident.
When a driver records lots of offenses within a short time
Drivers with multiple accident records, traffic violation, or who frequently violates driving rules will be mandated to file SR-22 insurance.
Drivers who are driving under the influence
In the United States, drivers who are caught driving under the influence of alcohol or drug in any form are being suspended from driving and they need to file SR-22 insurance for them to resume driving.
Other reasons why drivers need SR22 insurance include but are not limited to:
- When a driver’s license is being suspended
- Drivers who are not paying their compulsory court-orders for child support
- Reckless drivers
How SR-22 insurance works 🔥
As a driver when you have violated lots of driving rules and your state or court demands that you file SR-22 insurance, you as a driver needs to get the SR-22 from an auto insurance company.
During that period, the suspended driver (probably due to recklessness) is permitted to drive freely because he/she is covered by an auto insurance company that filed the SR-22 insurance for him/her.
To get the SR-22 insurance, follow the steps in the below section.
Steps on how to get SR-22 insurance
- The driver that was ordered to file SR-22 insurance has to accept that he is responsible for those offenses accrued to him. Such offenses are; DUI, at-fault accidents, neglecting traffic lights, driving with a suspended license, etc.
- The driver (the person that needs the SR-22 insurance) can either get the SR-22 from his current auto insurance company or he can shop around among other insurance companies for an SR-22 insurance quote.
- When the SR-22 insurance has been filed on behalf of the policyholder (the driver), what the state or court demands from him is for him to maintain it. Any driver with SR22 insurance has to be very careful to avoid violating more driving rules.
- If the driver with the SR22 insurance continues violating driving rules, the auto insurance company that filed the SR-22 for him will notify the state DMV or BMV and his driving license will be revoked, suspended, or banned until he agrees with SR-22 terms and conditions.
What is a Form SR-22? đź’ˇ
An SR-22 form is a certificate of financial responsibility that is needed for some category of drivers (especially those with a bad driving record) by their state or court order.
The SR-22 form is not an insurance policy but a form that a driver files either by his state or law court.
The major purpose of Form SR-22 is to serve as proof that a driver meets the minimum liability coverage that is required by his state.
What does an SR-22 cover?
An SR-22 will surely cover any property that a driver damaged or other liability that is damaged by the driver which can arise from an accident that a driver was involved in.
In the United States, SR-22 is seen as “financial responsibility” insurance since it covers driver’s liability which may arise from an accident or other reckless incidents.
What is a Texas SR-22?
In Texas an SR-22 which is a Financial Responsibility Insurance Certificate is demanded by the Texas Transportation Code Chapter 601; this is to prove that a driver is keeping the necessary actions for motor vehicle liability insurance.
In Texas and other regions of the U.S, an SR-22 can be given by a majority of auto insurance companies and the goal is to confirm that a driver has met the minimum liability insurance that is required by the state or by law.
How much is an SR-22 in Ohio?
SR22 insurance in Ohio can cost about $400 to $500 annually depending on the insurance company that issued it to you.
Moreover, filing the SR-22 form in Ohio costs $15 to $25; all these price ranges lie on the auto insurance company that filed the form for you.
How long does an SR-22 last in Texas?
If you reside in Texas, your SR-22 insurance will be valid for only two years from the day it was issued to you.
When a driver does not maintain the SR-22 form that was given to him, it may attract other fees for being a reckless driver.
How much does it cost to get an SR-22 in Texas?
In Texas, SR-22 insurance costs an average of $800 to about $850 annually. Meanwhile filing an SR-22 form in Texas can cost you like $15 to about $25; it all depends on the auto insurance company that you shop from.
FR-44 Insurance (FR44 car insurance) 🍏
The FR-44 which is also known as FR44 is simply a certificate that proves that a driver has minimum liability insurance.
The full meaning of the “FR” in FR-44 insurance is “Financial Responsibility”.
Moreover, the requirements for getting the FR-44 certificate are stricter than what it takes to get SR22 insurance.
Like SR-22 insurance, the FR-44 insurance is not a car insurance policy, but it serves as evidence that a driver is covered.
The FR-44 is not meant for every state in the U.S; so only those that violate driving rules and also they reside in Florida, as well as Virginia, are ordered to file FR-44 insurance.
The FR-44 insurance is being given to drivers with DUI, drivers whose licenses are suspended, drivers driving without auto insurance coverage, drivers that violated traffic rules, reckless drivers, etc.
States that demands FR-44 insurance
In the U.S, the states that FR-44 insurance is being demanded are Virginia and Florida. In other states with the U.S, SR-22 insurance is being used in place of FR-44 insurance.
How to get FR-44 car insurance without a car
The FR-44 car insurance is mainly for those that own a car but in a case where the driver doesn’t own a car, the best option in this scenario is to vie for non-owners car insurance.
The term non-owner car insurance is self-explanatory; as it simply means the insurance for drivers that don’t have their vehicle but need insurance.
Meanwhile, when they borrow a friend’s car and they mistakenly get involved in an accident, they are already covered.
When such drivers in this category borrow or rent a vehicle, they are already covered from any calamity or uncertainty.
Best sr-22 insurance companies
There are a lot of insurance companies that offer SR-22 insurance. Below are some insurance companies we included in our list:
- Geico 🚀
- USAA
- State Farm
- The General
- Diaryland
- Farmers
- Progressive
- Nationwide
- Allstate etc.
Where you can get SR-22 insurance
Depending on your state, there are a lot of SR-22 insurance providers. The insurance company will take a copy of the SR-22 form and submit it to your state’s DMV or BMV on your behalf.
Moreover, some auto insurance companies do not offer SR22 insurance to their customers. Whereas some do not issue SR-22 insurance to drivers with lots of traffic violations.
We recommend that you shop around when you’re filed to get SR22 insurance.
How much does sr22 insurance cost?
Since SR-22 insurance is specifically for drivers that have been tracked as high-risk drivers, the cost of getting SR22 insurance is quite inexpensive as it is not for everybody.
Drivers that are required to file SR-22 form may likely pay less when they are still under the SR-22 coverage. When their ban or suspension or restriction is uplifted, they may likely pay more in auto insurance premiums.
What is non-owner sr-22 insurance?
Non-owners insurance is an insurance policy for drivers that needs insurance but they don’t have any vehicle. If such a driver needs SR22 insurance, all he needs is to request for non-owners auto insurance policy.
Moreover, such drivers can purchase non-owners insurance while he drives with their friend’s car or someone else’s car.
Meanwhile, when your auto insurance company files SR22 insurance for you, you still need to meet your state’s minimum liability requirements for DMV or BMV.
How to obtain SR-22 insurance
Getting your SR22 auto insurance in the U.S is not a big deal. First, you need to choose your favorite auto insurance company you wish to shop from.
Next, you have to fill the SR22 form which your auto insurance company will give to you. Moreover, you can fill the SR22 insurance form digitally since the majority of auto insurance companies allow their customers to fill this form online.
If you fill your SR22 form digitally, it will take effect immediately; at the same time, you submitted it.
How can I get an SR22 insurance quote?
Since a lot of auto insurance companies issues SR22 insurance, we recommend that you compare other auto insurance companies to know the one that will reduce cost for you while they issue you the same SR22 insurance that will get you covered.
How long should you have an SR22?
In the United States, what it takes to file SR22 differs from state. Moreover, regardless of your offense, you need to have SR22 insurance for at least two years. In some cases it may extend up to 5 years; this depends on your violation as well as your state DMV.
Meanwhile, when using the SR22 insurance to drive, you must comply with all the driving rules and regulations. If any driver using SR22 is caught violating any driving rule, his/her driving license will be suspended.
Also if your SR22 insurance expires, your auto insurance company will notify your state’s DMV and the action is that your driving license will be suspended until you renew your SR22.
SR22 insurance FAQs
What does SR-22 mean on insurance?
When it comes to insurance, SR-22 simply means a certificate of financial responsibility which is required by the driver’s state or court order.
Note: SR-22 is not an insurance policy but a form that covers restricted drivers. Its purpose is to serve as proof that a driver meets the minimum liability coverage needed by his state.
What is the difference between SR-22 and regular insurance?
The difference between SR-22 and regular insurance is quite simple. SR-22 is designed for high-risk drivers while regular insurance is the coverage given to drivers with a good record to ease the financial burden that may arise when they damage people’s properties or when they have an accident.
How long do you need SR22 insurance after a DUI?
Any driver that was filed to have SR-22 needs to hold an SR-22 form for 1-5 years depending on his state and the violations attached to his driving history.
Is an SR-22 the same as an FR-44?
The SR-22 is the same as FR-44 just that FR-44 is a name that is given to SR22 insurance in Virginia and Florida.
Other states within the U.S use SR22 insurance to cover drivers that have been suspended because of lots of violations.
Will SR22 affect my insurance cost?
Although the cost of filing SR22 is quite low, drivers who are mandated to get an SR22 form are likely going to pay more when purchasing or renewing their auto insurance policy.
The reason is that any driver with SR22 has been considered to be a high-risk driver and by default, he can as well cause more harm or damages even when he is using SR22 coverage.
Conclusion
We covered everything you need to know about SR22 insurance in this guide. You can use our table of content to navigate around the article to locate anything you want to know.
Share this amazing guide to your friends, online community, social media, etc. to enlighten others who needed to know what SR22 is all about.
