What is SR-22 insurance in Texas and how long do I need it?
An SR-22 is a form your insurance company files with the state, not a type of insurance. What sets it off in Texas, and how long it stays.
- An SR-22 is a form your insurance company files with the state to prove you carry at least the liability coverage Texas requires.
- In Texas it stays on file for two years, counted from the date of the conviction, not from the day you bought the policy.
- If the policy lapses while the SR-22 is active, the state is told and your driver license and vehicle registration are suspended.
An SR-22 is not a type of insurance. It is a form your insurance company files with the state to prove you carry at least the liability coverage Texas requires. In Texas the form stays on file for two years.
Liability is the part of a car policy that pays other people for the damage you cause.
What triggers it
- A DWI conviction, which means driving while intoxicated.
- Driving without insurance, above all a second time.
- A crash while you had no insurance.
- Certain license suspensions, and getting a license back after one.
- Too many violations in a short period.
The court or the Department of Public Safety tells you the filing is required. You then tell your insurance company, and the company sends the form to the state for you. See what else happens when you are caught without insurance.
How long you need an SR-22 in Texas
Two years, counted from the date of the conviction that required it, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. If the filing follows a court judgment from a crash, the two years run from the date of that judgment.
The clock is tied to the conviction date, not to the day you bought the policy.
The mistake that restarts everything
A lapse means the coverage stopped, usually because a payment was missed. If your policy lapses while the SR-22 is active, the insurer tells the state on its own. Your driver license and your vehicle registration are then suspended.
Getting them back usually means new fees, and in some cases a fresh filing period. Set the premium, the bill for the coverage, to draft automatically, and do not let it miss.
What it costs
The filing fee itself is small. The expense is the policy under it, because the event that brought on the SR-22 also moved you into a higher rate class. A rate class is the group a company puts you in when it prices a policy.
A DWI conviction affects your rate for three to five years.
How to keep the cost down
- Shop it. Companies differ a lot in how they price a DWI.
- Keep the coverage going with no gaps.
- Take any course the court orders promptly, and keep the certificate.
- Think about raising the deductible, the amount you pay yourself on a claim, rather than cutting your liability limits.
- Shop the policy again every year, because the surcharge, the extra amount added for the violation, drops as the conviction ages. See other ways to bring the premium down.
If you do not own a car
You can buy a non owner policy with the SR-22 filing on it. A non owner policy gives you liability coverage when you drive a car that is not yours. It usually costs less than a policy on a car you own, and it satisfies the filing requirement, which is one step in getting a license back.
We handle these regularly
Have the paperwork from the court or from DPS in front of you, because the date on it starts the two years. Call our McAllen office at (956) 687 3334, or use the ZIP form on this page, and we will set up the policy and the filing. Se habla español.
Common follow-up questions
How fast can the filing be made?
Usually the same day the policy is issued. Most companies send the filing to the state by computer, and the state has it within a day or two.
Does the SR-22 follow me if I move out of Texas?
The requirement generally does. An insurer in your new state has to make a filing back to Texas, and not every company will do that.
When can I drop it?
When the state says the period is complete. Ask for that in writing before you cancel anything, because dropping it early sets off a suspension.
Need a quote?
Enter your ZIP code to get started. Ten questions, about two minutes.
Or call (956) 687 3334, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM.
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Gerino Alejos
Licensed insurance agent · License 3128710 · NPN 18243381
Owner of McAllen Insurance Group, an independent agency on North 10th Street in McAllen. Works with clients across Hidalgo, Cameron and Starr counties on Medicare, Marketplace health, life and auto coverage. Se habla español.