Home / SR-22 insurance
SR-22 insurance after a DUI: the filing that gets your license back
Your state may want an SR-22 before it gives your license back after a DUI. It is a form your insurer files to prove you carry liability cover, and it stays on file for a set time.
Someone answers 24/7, reviews your case free, and connects you with a DUI lawyer for your state.
What SR-22 insurance is
An SR-22 is proof of insurance that your insurer sends to the state for you. Texas DPS calls it a Financial Responsibility Insurance Certificate and lists it among the papers you need for an occupational license after a DWI suspension (Texas DPS).
You do not buy an SR-22 on its own. You buy liability insurance, and the company files the form. If the policy ends, the insurer tells the state, and the license can be suspended again.
SR-22 after a DUI, state by state
The table covers one case: an adult with a first DUI. It shows the filing the state names and, where the state sets one, how long you keep it. Louisiana, Mississippi, South Dakota and Virginiause a different form, shown by its own name. A cell that says not found means we did not locate an official source for it.
How long you keep the SR-22
In many states the period counts from when the license comes back, not from the arrest. Keep the policy paid for the whole period, because the insurer reports a lapse to the state.
Before the SR-22: the license hearing
The SR-22 is one of the last steps. Before it, the license case has its own hearing deadline, counted in days from the arrest or the notice. A lawyer who wins or shortens the suspension also shortens the time you drive on a restricted license. The DMV hearing page has every state’s deadline.
People also ask
Do I need SR-22 insurance after a DUI?
In many states, yes, before the license comes back. We found an official source naming the filing for 16 of the 51 states and DC in the table. Where a cell says not found, ask the driver agency.
How long do I need an SR-22 after a DUI?
Where the state sets it, the table shows the length: Alaska 5 years, California 3 years, Idaho 3 years and Iowa 2 years. Let it lapse and the state can suspend the license again.
Is an SR-22 an insurance policy?
No. It is a form your insurer files with the state to prove you carry the required liability cover. You buy the policy; the insurer files the SR-22 for it.
What if I do not own a car?
Insurers sell non-owner policies for people who need the filing but have no car. Ask the insurer for an SR-22 on a non-owner policy.
Read next: Hardship license · DUI fines by state · The DMV hearing
Save your license before the deadline
A DUI arrest starts two cases, one in court and one for your license. The license case moves first, on a deadline counted in days. Call tonight, and a DUI defense lawyer for your state can file your hearing request before that deadline passes.
Review my DUI case (877) 317-9931
Someone answers 24/7, reviews your case free, and connects you with a DUI lawyer for your state.
Send your case details
Send your state, the date of your arrest and the date on your license notice. Those dates set your deadline, so the lawyer who calls you starts there.