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Mandy Sleight has over 15 years of insurance knowledge and expertise in auto, home, life, health, pet, supplemental benefits, and other insurance products. She’s a sought-after insurance expert, appearing in Bankrate.com, Moneygeek.com, U.S. News & World Report, Reviews.com, CNET, and other publications, and she's been writing for Compare.com since 2023.
Mandy uses her background and experience working for well-known insurance companies like State Farm and Nationwide Insurance to create engaging and easy-to-understand content that helps readers make smarter insurance choices that have a positive effect on their budgets and finances.
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Matthew Gross is an editor at Compare.com. With a background in editing and SEO, he’s passionate about creating content that helps readers get the information they need to make more informed decisions. Prior to Compare.com, Matthew brought his user-centered approach to his work with global brands like Apple and Adobe.
Matthew graduated from Illinois State University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Journalism.
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An SR-22, or certificate of financial responsibility, is a form your insurance company files with your state’s department of motor vehicles (DMV) to prove you meet the minimum car insurance requirements. If you have serious traffic violations on your record, a driving under the influence (DUI) conviction, or if the state has suspended your driver's license, you may need an SR-22.
Most drivers need to keep an SR-22 form on file for one to three years, depending on the state and the nature of the offense. You’ll also typically pay higher rates for auto insurance, as insurers consider you a high-risk driver.
Here’s everything you need to know about how to get SR-22 insurance. Plus, we’ll tell you which companies offer the cheapest car insurance for drivers with an SR-22.
An SR-22 is a state-required form that proves you meet the minimum coverage requirements after a serious driving offense or court order.
You typically need SR-22 insurance for three years, but the time frame can vary by state and violation.
Some insurance companies, like Progressive, Dairyland, and GEICO, offer cheap rates for high-risk drivers.
SR-22 insurance isn’t a special kind of car insurance. It’s a form your insurer files with the DMV to prove you have at least the minimum liability limits your state requires. Think of it as a certificate of insurance that shows you comply with your state’s financial responsibility laws.
You might need an SR-22 form if you have too many driving violations, a DUI conviction, or if the authorities caught you driving without insurance. It’s the state’s way of making sure you have the right coverage in place before it reinstates your driving privileges.
In Florida and Virginia, drivers file an FR-44 instead, which is similar to an SR-22 but requires higher liability limits.[1] [2] Unlike regular auto insurance, you face automatic license suspension if your policy lapses or your insurer cancels it during the mandated period. You’ll need to get a new policy and pay a reinstatement fee to drive legally again.
Get the coverage you need to stay legal on the road.
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High-risk drivers often need an SR-22 as proof that they have state-minimum car insurance. Here are common reasons you might need an SR-22 and how long you usually need to have it.
You might need to file an SR-22 form after serious driving issues or legal trouble. It could be a court-ordered requirement following a conviction or a state DMV requirement to reinstate your license.
Common reasons you might need an SR-22 include:
Driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated conviction
Multiple or serious traffic violations
Driving without insurance
Falsifying proof of insurance
Driving with a suspended or revoked license
Driver’s license suspension due to a conviction
Getting a judgment against you in a car crash
How long you need to keep an SR-22 form on file varies by state and offense, but you typically need it for three years. Some states may have shorter or longer periods depending on the severity of the violation, whether it’s a subsequent offense, and your driving record.
An SR-22 requirement can be costly. Although the filing fee usually costs around $25, reinstating your driver’s license or vehicle registration can range from $100 to $300. Still, your most significant cost will be higher car insurance rates.
Insurers consider you a high-risk driver after the types of incidents that trigger an SR-22 requirement, like a DUI conviction or repeated driving violations. Insurers charge more for coverage to help offset that extra risk, if they’ll cover you at all.
How much more you’ll pay depends on your driving history, location, and the offense that led to the SR-22. Check out the table below to see how an SR-22 affects average car insurance premiums, according to Compare.com data.
Driver  | Average Liability Only Rate | Average Full Coverage Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Driver with SR-22 | $149 | $257 |
| Driver without SR-22 | $101 | $175 |
While SR-22 insurance typically comes with higher premiums, rates vary by company. Some insurers specialize in high-risk drivers and offer affordable rates to people with less-than-perfect records.
Shopping around and comparing insurance quotes is the best way to find a policy that fits your budget. Your age, driving history, location, and the reason for the SR-22 all affect your rate.
Below are the cheapest car insurance companies for drivers with an SR-22 requirement, according to Compare.com data.
Company | Average Monthly Premium |
|---|---|
| COUNTRY Financial | $50 |
| Auto-Owners | $58 |
| USAA | $66 |
| State Farm | $70 |
| NJM | $78 |
| Mile Auto | $86 |
| Allstate | $93 |
| Erie | $99 |
| American Family | $100 |
| Commonwealth Casualty | $110 |
| Safeco | $110 |
| GEICO | $114 |
| Root | $114 |
| Dairyland | $116 |
| The General | $116 |
| Mercury | $119 |
| Nationwide | $120 |
| Direct Auto | $120 |
| National General | $123 |
| Travelers | $125 |
| Bristol West | $128 |
| GAINSCO | $130 |
| Farmers | $139 |
| Anchor | $140 |
| Elephant | $149 |
| Chubb | $150 |
| CSAA | $159 |
| AssuranceAmerica | $164 |
| 21st Century | $165 |
| Clearcover | $175 |
| Shelter | $184 |
| State Auto | $187 |
| Liberty Mutual | $198 |
| The Hartford | $200 |
| Amica | $358 |
The process to get SR-22 insurance is similar to regular auto insurance. But not all insurers offer it, so you may need to shop around for one that does. Once you find the right insurance company, the insurer will handle the SR-22 filing with the DMV on your behalf.
Here are some steps to get you started:
Look for coverage. Find an insurer that offers SR-22 filings.
Get a quote. Get an insurance quote for a policy that meets your state’s liability limits.
Purchase a policy. Buy the policy and pay the filing fee.
File your SR-22. Your insurer files the SR-22 form with the DMV.
Maintain your car insurance. Keep your policy active for the required policy term, usually three years.
Most, but not all, states require an SR-22 to prove you’re financially responsible after certain driving violations. The following states typically don’t require SR-22 filings:
It’s important to note that if a court in another state orders an SR-22 requirement, you may still need to maintain it even if you don’t live there or if you move to another state.[3]
Two states require an FR-44, which has higher liability limit requirements than an SR-22. Let’s take a look at the differences.
Most states that require you to prove financial responsibility use an SR-22 form. But two states — Florida and Virginia — require an FR-44. Once your mandated SR-22 or FR-44 period ends, your insurer will file an SR-26 to remove the requirement.
Form | What It Does |
|---|---|
| SR-22 | Filed by your insurance company after a serious driving offense to prove you have at least the state’s minimum liability coverage |
| FR-44 | Proves you meet higher liability limits than an SR-22, typically after a DUI or similar conviction |
| SR-26 | Notifies the DMV that you have satisfied the proof of insurance requirement and you no longer need to have an SR-22 or FR-444 |
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Not every insurance company offers SR-22 filings, especially if you’re a high-risk driver. Some standard insurers avoid the SR-22 altogether, while others offer them only in certain states. Luckily, there are both traditional and non-standard insurers that specialize in high-risk insurance and can help you get back on the road.
Some companies that commonly file SR-22s include:
Get quotes from 100+ top insurers and save money today.
Below, we answered some common questions from drivers about getting SR-22 insurance.
No. An SR-22 certificate isn’t an insurance policy. It’s a certificate your insurer files with your state’s DMV to prove you meet the minimum car insurance requirements.
It depends. Most states require you to maintain SR-22 insurance for a period of one to three years. But the exact length of time varies depending on the violation and state laws. Check with the DMV to confirm how long you need to maintain an SR-22.
No. An SR-22 doesn’t affect your credit score or show up on your credit report. But insurers may use your credit history to determine your rates, and you’ll likely pay higher premiums due to the violation that led to the SR-22 requirement.
Yes. You can get non-owner car insurance to satisfy SR-22 requirements if you don’t own a car. Non-owner insurance provides liability coverage if you don’t have your own vehicle and drive someone else’s car.
Your insurer will automatically notify the DMV if your SR-22 coverage lapses. A lapsed SR-22 could result in a license suspension or a reset of your SR-22 term.
Data scientists at Compare.com analyzed more than 50 million real-time auto insurance quotes from more than 75 partner insurers in order to compile the rates and statistics seen in this article. Compare.com’s auto insurance data includes coverage analysis and details on drivers’ vehicles, driving records, insurance histories, and demographic information.
All the rates listed in this article have been collected from a combination of real Compare.com quotes and external insurance rate data gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. Compare.com uses these observations to provide readers with insights into how auto insurance companies determine their premiums.
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Mandy Sleight has over 15 years of insurance knowledge and expertise in auto, home, life, health, pet, supplemental benefits, and other insurance products. She’s a sought-after insurance expert, appearing in Bankrate.com, Moneygeek.com, U.S. News & World Report, Reviews.com, CNET, and other publications, and she's been writing for Compare.com since 2023.
Mandy uses her background and experience working for well-known insurance companies like State Farm and Nationwide Insurance to create engaging and easy-to-understand content that helps readers make smarter insurance choices that have a positive effect on their budgets and finances.
Matthew Gross is an editor at Compare.com. With a background in editing and SEO, he’s passionate about creating content that helps readers get the information they need to make more informed decisions. Prior to Compare.com, Matthew brought his user-centered approach to his work with global brands like Apple and Adobe.
Matthew graduated from Illinois State University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Journalism.
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