SR22 Insurance Information By State

Find out What Your State's SR22 Coverage Requirements Are

An SR22 form is a document from an insurance provider that states the policyholder has purchased an SR22 Insurance policy that satisfies the minimum liability coverage required by the state regarding a conviction's requirements, set forth by the court that he or she currently lives in, and that the insured will carry this insurance policy for the length of the term that will properly fulfill that documents probationary period.

How SR22 Insurance Works

Once an insurance company has issued the SR22 Insurance policy, the policyholder is provided with documents that will be required by them to be taken to the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicle) to reinstate that individuals drivers license.

Who May Be Required to Carry SR22 Insurance (High-risk Insurance)

Most Insurance companies currently use many of the following circumstances and facts to classify drivers in need of an SR22 insurance policy:

• A conviction of DUI/DWI, involving drugs and/or alcohol
• Multiple speeding violations, and/or accidents even if they are not your fault
• Multiple convictions of moving violations
• Having "gaps" (periods of time with no coverage) in your auto insurance coverage
• Reckless driving, and a vehicular negligent injury
• Teenagers purchasing car insurance for the first time
• The elderly over a certain age
• First time drivers regardless of age
• Gender. Males are considered more of a risk than women
• Your location (where you live) is a determining factor. Urban areas with a high stolen car crime rate verses rural areas with a small stolen car crime rate
• The type of vehicle you drive. For example a sports car verses a mini-van
• Your credit rating also has an impact on your auto insurance. Insurance companies have collected research that shows those individuals with a poor credit rating are more likely to file a claim than those with a higher credit rating

This is not a complete list of facts and convictions that an insurance company may use to classify a driver high risk and subsequently required them to purchase a SR22 insurance policy.

Important Please Read

With SR22 Insurance you will be required to carry this insurance typically for a minimum of three years with no lapse in coverage. Failure to keep continuous coverage during your SR22 filing period might and probably will result in your license being suspended or revoked. Meaning that if there is a lapse in your insurance coverage your insurance provider is required by law to immediately notify the DMV that there has been a lapse in your SR22 Insurance coverage and therefore the DMV will suspend or revoke your license again.

Also failure to keep the minimum liability limits on your SR22 no matter what state you live in will result in your license being suspended or revoked. For example, if you have an SR22 policy in Texas where the minimum mandatory insurance coverage is 25k/50k/25k and you move to California with lower SR22 minimum liability limits, 15k/30k/15k. You will be required to carry the mandatory coverage limits set forth by Texas on your new SR22 policy in California until your Texas SR22 filing periods ends.

"High-risk" auto insurance does not mean "high-rate" auto insurance, so here are some tips of what you can do to find cheaper auto insurance for someone who has been assigned a high-risk driver status.

• Don't waste your time by calling every insurance company in your city the easiest way to obtain multiple high-risk insurance quotes is from an online resource. This is to your advantage, so take advantage of it, and get as many quotes as you can before deciding on which insurance policy to accept.
• Learn the basic high-risk insurance lingo and the amount of coverage you need. This will make it easier for you to understand what insurance companies are talking about and help you make better coverage decisions that are right for you.
• Boost your credit rating by paying your bills on time. If your credit rating is in desperate need of fixing, consider calling a credit counselor to help assist you in improving your credit rating. Every little bit can help get you out of the high-risk category faster to lower your insurance policy premium.
• If you have been convicted of a DUI, have multiple speeding tickets, or moving violations consider contacting an attorney to inquire if there is a way to plea-bargain the charges to a lesser crime. Doing this might get you out of the high-risk driver category, which could lower your insurance premium significantly. You never know until you ask, so ask an attorney sooner than later.
• Do not "gap" your insurance coverage. Meaning if you don't have a vehicle consider getting a non-owner insurance policy, this insurance coverage is limited but it could be a way to avoid the "gap" in insurance coverage saving you money in the long run. Be sure to confirm this with an insurance provider, as many states are different in their classification of a high-risk driver.
• Buy a different vehicle if you can. A sports car makes any insurance policy premium higher compared to a mini-van.

There are some factors that are hard to escape from, such as needing insurance for the first time no matter what your age, being a first time teen driver needing insurance, your gender, where you live (urban vs. rural), and if you just seem to find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time.

If we can give you just one piece of advice it would be that most people do not have to carry a high-risk driver insurance policy forever. Be vigilant while you carry this insurance and look for programs to reduce your high-risk insurance policy premium every chance you get. Don't give up it will get better.