Cheapest Car Insurance Rates in 2023

No one wants to pay more than they have to for car insurance. However, some people have to pay more than others because they require a special kind of insurance verification. In most states, this is called an SR22 form. Insurance companies offer SR22 insurance that assumes the need for this special form. This article will help you understand everything you need to know about insurance, SR22, and related high-risk insurance options. Use this information to get the best possible deal on car insurance.

Understanding SR22 Insurance

SR22 insurance isn’t that different from regular car insurance. The key difference is that, with SR22 insurance, the insurance company files a special form with the state government. This form, an SR22 in most states, but also called an FR-44 and other names, verifies to the state that you have insurance that meets the requirements laid out by a court decision. Looking up your state court directory will help you find the contacts you need to get these required forms.

SR22 insurance works in a similar fashion to standard auto insurance. You pay a premium and have a deductible. Once you meet your deductible, the insurance company covers any costs from claims against you up to the limits in your policy. As a result, you’re protected from liability for accidents and other mishaps that could occur.

Who Needs SR22 Insurance?

There’s a wide range of people that require SR22 insurance. The most common type of person that needs and SR22 is someone convicted of a major moving violation. That could be reckless endangerment, DUI, OWI, excessive speeding, or something similar, according to the local laws in the state where you live.

These drivers are considered to be “high-risk” because they’ve had issues in the past that have or could have resulted in serious damage or injury. As a result, these drivers are under closer state supervision when it comes to meeting car insurance requirements.

Depending on your particular case and the laws where you live, a judge can require you to have more than the standard state minimum liability insurance. They’ll also require you to prove you have insurance before you can get your license back. That means getting the right insurance coverage is essential to getting on the road again.

Some of the most common reasons people need SR22 insurance include:

• DUI – driving under the influence is a serious offense. It’s also the most common reason that people need SR22 insurance. This goes for drugs as well as alcohol, as operating a vehicle while intoxicated increases the risk you’ll damage someone’s person or property.
• Multiple Offenses in a Short Period – Getting multiple offenses in a short period of time can also result in an SR22. That’s because multiple offenses in a short period of time tell the government that you don’t take driving according to the law seriously. This raises your risk for an accident and causing damage.
• Driving Without Insurance – It is a crime in almost every state to drive without insurance. That’s because cars are expensive and can cause lots of damage to people and property. Most people don’t have the money to cover damages caused by an accident on hand. That’s why most states require you to have insurance.
• Negligent or Reckless Driving – Driving recklessly causes you to be a high risk to people and property. Many states require negligent or reckless drivers to get SR22 insurance to make sure they’re covered for any damages they cause.
• Reinstating License after Suspension – The second-most common reason people need SR22 insurance is when they are getting their license back after a suspension or revocation. Some states require you to go through a probationary period where you’re required to get SR22 insurance to demonstrate that you’re driving responsibly and to ensure you’re covered for any damages you might cause.

Non-Owner SR22 Insurance

Just because someone doesn’t own a car doesn’t mean they can’t be a high-risk driver. People that want a driver’s license after they’ve been convicted of a major moving violation will need SR22 insurance. This is true even if they don’t own a car.

This is actually a fairly common scenario. Oftentimes a judge will require an SR22 after someone was in an accident that totaled their car, leaving them without one. In order to get your license back you’ll still need insurance even though you don’t own a car.

With situations like these, the best answer is non-owners SR22 insurance. This special type of insurance covers a driver no matter what car they’re using. Moreover, getting non-owner insurance may be the only way you can get your license back.

One thing that’s important to note is that not every company offers non-owner SR22 insurance. That means you might need to do a bit of shopping or focus on insurance companies that specialize in helping high-risk drivers.

Getting Your License Back

The exact process for getting your license back depends on the rules in the state where you live and the judge’s decision in your case that required you to get an SR22 in the first place. At the very least you can expect to pay a reinstatement fee and any other fines associated with your case. However, one of the benefits of SR22 insurance is that the SR22 form can be immediately sent to the appropriate state department. That means you won’t have to wait too long to get your license back.

Once you complete your probationary period, the amount of time you’re required to have SR22 insurance, your insurance company will file an SR26 form. They’ll also file this form if your coverage lapses. The form essentially says that the insurance company is no longer financially liable for claims made against you while driving. If this form is filed before your probationary period is over, then you might face additional penalties. It also puts your probationary period on pause, so you won’t be working any time off your sentence.

How Long Are People Required to Have an SR22?

There are a lot of different factors that go into how long someone has to have SR22 insurance. Your lawyer can help you understand your specific case, but the amount of time changes from state to state and from case to case. An SR22 for a DUI might last five years, but one for excessive or repeated speeding might only last two.

It’s important to understand your requirements so you can ensure that you’re driving legally. That’s why it’s important to have continuous coverage. It’s also important to have continuous coverage because any lapse in your policy counts as a pause for your required SR22 time. That means if you don’t renew a policy and go a year without driving or without insurance, you’ll still have the same time requirement for an SR22 as you had when your policy expired.

Where Do You Get SR22 Insurance?

There are lots of options for people that are looking for SR22 or FR-44 car insurance. Most insurance companies will accommodate these kinds of customers. After all, all it takes from the insurance company is filing an extra form.

However, there are some car insurance companies, or even local branches of companies, that don’t cover SR22 drivers. You may need to shop around to find high-risk insurance. One of the best options in this case is to focus on insurance companies that specialize in insuring high-risk drivers. These insurance companies will have the knowhow to help you get the right insurance policy for the right price.

Understanding the Price of SR22 Insurance

One of the biggest concerns people have about SR22 insurance is the cost. This makes a lot of sense. After all, insurance is a risk-based industry. Being labeled as a high-risk driver by the state means the cost of your insurance will go up.

However, everyone’s case is different. Someone with three DUI’s will have a higher insurance rate than someone with one DUI, even if they both are required to have SR22 insurance. Since all of these cases are unique, there isn’t very good data about how much SR22 insurance costs on average.

One cost that is fairly consistent is the filing fee that SR22 drivers pay. This fee is charged by the insurance company for filing the SR22 form. The fee ranges between $17 and $45, depending on what state you live in.

One nice thing is that you should only have to pay the filing fee once. If your insurance automatically renews, then the company won’t charge you for an additional filing. However, if your coverage lapses, then you will be on the hook to pay the filing fee again as part of your proof of insurance for the state.

Lowering SR22 Insurance Costs

One of the biggest issues with an SR22 or a FR44 is that it labels you as a high-risk driver. That means insurance companies can and will charge higher rates to insure you. However, there are steps you can take to lower the cost of your insurance with an SR22.

The first step is easy – drive safely. The longer you go without an at-fault accident or ticket, the lower your insurance costs will be. That’s because you’re proving to the insurance company that you’re a lower risk, and thus deserve a lower price.

Another common way of lowering the cost of SR22 insurance is to take advantage of discounts provided by your insurance company. Every insurance company offers discounts for taking driver education or defensive driving courses. These courses can be a great way to relearn how to drive safely, which lowers the chance you’ll be in an accident. As a result, they’re also a great way to save money on your SR22 insurance.

Students required to get SR22 insurance can also see if their insurance company has a good grades discount. Many insurance companies offer these discounts because research tells them that people that are getting good grades are less likely to be in an accident or have a claim filed against them.

FR-44 – Similar to an SR22 But A Bit different

The main difference between an FR-44 and an SR22 is that an FR-44 is used only in Virginia and Florida. It mandates a new set of minimum liability coverage you must have in order to be considered compliant with the state liability requirements. This new limit will be higher than the standard state limit.

FR-44 insurance requirements are given to people that are convicted of a DUI and/or driving on a suspended license. Each case is different, so judges or the state let drivers know which form is needed. They also determine how long a driver needs to have FR-44 or SR22 insurance.

Drivers needing FR-44 insurance can expect a steep increase in their insurance costs. Florida serves as a good example. Normally, a driver needs to carry $10,000 in bodily injury and property damage liability coverage. An FR-44 driver will need to carry between $100,000 and $300,000 in liability coverage for bodily injury and $50,000 property damage. That means you need 5 to 30 more times insurance coverage. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be paying five to 30 times as much for insurance because of the way insurance scales, but it will still result in a substantial increase.

Another issue with FR-44 insurance is that some insurance companies require you to pay for the whole policy upfront. That’s because state law doesn’t allow these policies to be canceled partway through the term. Charging you upfront protects the insurance company from having to cover someone who isn’t paying their bill.

SR22 Insurance and You

As you can see, there’s a lot to know about SR22 car insurance. If you or someone you know needs SR22 insurance, don’t panic. It’s not the end of the world. You should expect the cost of car insurance to go up, but it shouldn’t go up so much that you can’t afford to drive anymore.

Additionally, SR22 insurance is only required for a limited period of time. That means if you drive safely and responsibly, you’ll eventually be done with your SR22 requirement. You can get SR22 insurance from most insurance companies, but some might require you to pay for the full term upfront. The important thing to keep in mind is that by driving safely and responsibly, you can move past your SR22 insurance requirement and earn cheaper car insurance.

FAQ

General SR22 Questions

This section covers general information you need to know about SR22 insurance.

SR22 Insurance in Specific States

We’ll answer common questions about SR22 insurance in different states in this section.

SR22 Insurance Prices

This section answers the most popular questions about SR22 insurance prices.

Other SR22 Questions

We’ll cover questions that don’t fit into our other categories here. Check here if you can’t find your question elsewhere.