Non-owner SR-22 insurance

An SR-22 is a form the state uses to confirm you carry at least the required minimum liability coverage. The form itself is not a policy. After serious violations, like a DUI, driving uninsured, or driving without a valid license, a court or the state will request one.

You cannot put it on a regular car policy if you do not own a vehicle. A non-owner policy works: it insures you as the driver, and the insurer adds the SR-22 to it. The same process is described by Progressive on their page about non-owner SR-22s.

1. Check the letter or court order. The letter tells you if an SR-22 is required and the time you must hold it. A DUI in Florida or Virginia means you need an FR-44 instead.
2. Request a non-owner policy that comes with an SR-22. Before you buy, confirm the insurer files an SR-22 for non-owner policies, because some do not.
3. Get the policy, then have your insurer file the form. Your state’s motor vehicle agency generally receives the filing over the internet, but in some states it arrives by mail.
4. Do not let the policy lapse until the state tells you the requirement is over.

Generally, the filing charge alone is about $25, and it differs depending on your state and insurer. The larger part of the cost is the policy: in the US, non-owner insurance averages about $42 monthly, or $506 yearly. Adding an SR-22 can raise your price, and after the requirement ends the rate may go back down.

The cost by state and age page gives the price for your state.

Most states want it on file for at least 3 years, and some want longer. Texas counts two years from the date of the conviction or judgment. If your coverage lapses, you must file the SR-22 again and the clock starts over.

When you change insurers, let the new policy start before the old one ends, so the new SR-22 reaches the state first.

Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, and West Virginia do not use the SR-22; look at each state page to learn what alternative proof they require. After a DUI, Florida and Virginia require an FR-44, which demands higher liability limits than an SR-22.

If you have a suspended license, the SR-22 is typically part of the process for getting it back. The steps for reinstatement are in the suspended license guide.