There are many reasons that you may be required to carry insurance with an SR22 certificate, but regardless of the specifics, you are aware of this requirement because a judge has ordered it. If this is your first experience with SR22 insurance, there are a few things you need to know.
Technically, this is not insurance
Because of your past driving record and a court order, your state government will want a certification that you have insurance when you drive. This type of auto insurance policy is often called SR22 insurance. It is basically an insurance policy that is certified with a notice sent to the state government. In some states, the insurance company that sells you the policy will take care of the paperwork. Once you have the policy, you will be required to carry proof of insurance while you're driving. The SR22 officially notifies the government that you have insurance.
Shop around for the best price
Of course, because you are required to carry this type of insurance, it means you have had one or more serious traffic infractions. And this, in turn, makes the policy more expensive than the average person is paying for a policy with similar coverage. But this type of policy need not be prohibitively expensive. There are several companies that sell these high-risk policies, so there is a certain amount of competition among them. Make sure you get quotes from several companies that offer these policies to get the best price. Also, some companies offering SR22 may not allow payment plans, so you may need to pay for the entire policy up front.
The requirement will not last indefinitely
Although a judge will order an SR22 certificate, the duration of the requirement is determined by state law. Naturally, this varies from one state to the next, but it is usually measured in years, and is about the same amount of time it takes for the incident on your driving record to drop off. When the issue with your driving disappears, so will your SR22 requirement.
Usually you file an SR22 only once
Once you have an SR22 certificate filed with your state, you will not need to file it again. The two exceptions are if you move to another state or you let your insurance lapse. Letting your insurance lapse can lead to additional problems for you, such as a loss of your driver's license, so once you have a policy, you should never let it expire.
With the above information in mind, you should realize that an SR22 requirement for your next insurance policy is not as bad as it may have first sounded from a judge. Talk to an agent like those at Angel Auto Insurance for more information.
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