What is an SR22 Auto Insurance Policy?

SR22 Auto Insurance is a special type of policy through which your state’s division of motor vehicles gets a chance to monitor your auto insurance coverage. The policy actually gets its name from the form filled out in order to receive it, a form called the SR22, which is filed by the insurance company and sent to the division of motor vehicles (DVM). The main aim of submitting a SR22 form is to prove to the division of motor vehicles that the person in question has the minimum amount of insurance coverage that is required by the state.

SR22 is usually required for people who have had either a problematic driving history or a problematic auto insurance history. People who are convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) usually have their driving licenses suspended – and a SR22 auto insurance policy is usually one of the requirements before their driver’s licenses are reinstated. People who have been previously caught driving vehicles without car insurance are another group that might be required to have an SR22 auto insurance policy. People who have been involved in a previous auto accident – and found without enough insurance coverage to pay for the expenses related to the accident – are yet another group that is usually required to get an SR22 auto insurance policy.

By getting an SR22 auto insurance policy, the insurance company is not only required to inform the division of motor vehicles that you have adequate coverage under the state laws (through SR22), but also to notify the division of motor vehicles should you drop your auto insurance coverage for whatever reason. It is also important to take note that upon being informed of your SR22 lapse, the division of motor vehicles is bound to immediately suspended your driver's license.

When you get an SR22 auto insurance policy – which you will have to do in order to get your driver’s license restored – you will also need to keep in mind that this form of insurance is usually not a very short-term affair. Getting SR22 insurance will mean staying in the division of motor vehicle’s insurance coverage radar for up to 3 years – and should you run into an auto insurance lapse during that period, your driver’s license would be automatically suspended.

It is also important to note that you take SR22 auto insurance as a driver – rather than as a vehicle owner. In fact, SR22 insurance is also referred to as 'non-owner insurance' in some circles. What this means is that unlike other types of auto insurance coverage, you don’t actually need a vehicle to get an SR22 auto insurance policy. If, for example, you were involved in an accident where your car was written off and you were found to be without adequate insurance coverage (or driving under the influence) – and thus had your driver’s license suspended – you might get SR22 insurance in order to have your driver’s license reinstated, even as you go about the motions of replacing your car.

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