Reinstating Your Driver's License After A Suspension: What You Need To Know About SR-22S
Posted on: 7 October 2015
Even if you have a flawless driving record, you can end up with a suspended license for several reasons. While it is common to have a licensed revoked for driving while drunk or another serious traffic infraction, some states also terminate your license for matters unrelated to driving such as missing child support payments.
In order to get your license back, you may have to prove that you have purchased the minimum required insurance by obtaining a certificate called an SR-22. While it is fairly easy to get an SR-22, there are a few requirements you must heed in order to make sure the certificate remains valid.
Obtaining an SR-22 and Moving to Another State
You file for an SR-22 via auto insurance companies. Firms approved to issue SR-22s can offer you the certificate along with regular car insurance coverage. They submit your filing to the state for you. You cannot file for an SR-22 on your own or obtain the certificate without buying car insurance.
The cost of an SR-22 is separate from your insurance policy. Keep in mind that your insurance coverage will cost more than usual and have higher coverage limits since you are now considered a high risk driver due to the suspension and infractions on your driving record.
If you move to another state, including those that do not require SR-22s, you may still be required to comply with the SR-22 requirements in the state where your license was suspended. Make sure that your car insurance company can do business in your new locale in order to keep your SR-22 valid. Since states use a national database of driving records, the department of motor vehicles in your new home will know that you have an SR-22 requirement on your driving record when you apply for a new license.
Even if you do not own a car, you still might be required to purchase SR-22 coverage in order get your license reinstated after a suspension. Some car insurance providers offer non-owner SR-22 policies.
SR-22 Cancellation
As long as you keep your car insurance paid up, your SR-22 will remain valid. If you let your coverage lapse, you automatically nullify your SR-22 and are in violation of the terms of your license reinstatement. Furthermore, if you have an SR-22 listed on your driving record, your insurance company is obligated to inform the state if your coverage has been cancelled.
If for some reason you need to switch insurance companies, make sure that your new provider files an SR-22 along with your new policy.
SR-22 Time Limits
Each state sets its own terms for how long you must carry an SR-22. The timeframe depends on the severity of the violation that caused your to have your license revoked. It can be as little as three years for a traffic violation or a decade or more if you were driving under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs. In some states if you are a repeat offender of serious crimes like DUIs, you may be required to have an SR-22 on file for the rest of your life.
If you live in Florida or Virginia and are convicted of a DUI, you will have to file a similar form called a FR-44 in order to get your license reinstated along with obtaining liability insurance coverage with limits that are much higher than those required with an SR-22.
Costs
Getting your driving privileges back can be an expensive endeavor when you factor in the fees you must pay to your state to settle judgments against you and to reinstate your license. Then you must add in the cost of higher auto insurance and the SR-22 filing. However, if you are on a tight budget, look for insurance providers that offer free quotes and payment plans so you can make a low down payment or split the SR-22 fee into affordable monthly installments.
Look at this web-site for more information.
Share