SR22 Insurance

What is SR22 Insurance?

SR22 insurance is not a type of insurance, even though it is often referred to as insurance. It is actually a certificate or form that an insurance company provides to the MVD on a monthly basis to prove you have insurance that meets Arizona’s minimum insurance requirements.

An insurance policy with an SR-22 certificate is often categorized as high-risk insurance. This is because an SR22 certificate is required after certain types of traffic violations. A driver who commits these types of traffic violations is then considered to be “high risk” by the insurance companies.

When do you need an SR22 certificate?

Ticket for not having insurance

If you are found responsible for not having insurance, you will be required to obtain an SR-22 certificate for 3 years. After you are found responsible, the court will tell the MVD. The MVD will then require you to obtain the certificate for 36 months. If at any time during those 36 months you don’t have an SR22 certificate, the MVD will suspend your driving privileges.

DUI Conviction

If you are convicted of a DUI, you may need an SR22 certificate. You will only need the certificate if your driving privileges are suspended as the result of a DUI conviction. In a DUI case, the suspension can either happen on the front end as a result of the admin per se affidavit, or on the back end after a conviction. If the suspension occurs on the front end due to the admin per se affidavit, that suspension is not due to a DUI conviction. When the suspension occurs on the front end, there is often no additional suspension following a conviction, and therefore no SR-22 requirement.

If you are suspended due to a DUI conviction, then you will be required to get an SR-22 certificate for 36 months. If at any time during those 36 months you fail to maintain the SR-22, the MVD will suspend your driving privileges.

Implied Consent Suspension

If you are investigated for a DUI, the police will ask you to submit to a breath test or a blood test. If you refuse to submit to a test, the police will get a warrant and draw your blood anyway. You will also be served with what is called an implied consent affidavit. The affidavit will state that your driving privileges will be suspended for 1 year for refusing to consent to a blood or breath test. When you go reinstate your license, you will be required to obtain an SR22 certificate. Even if you are never convicted of a DUI, you’ll still need the SR22 to drive.

How much does an SR22 Certificate cost?

The actual certificate is not expensive. The real cost comes from increased premiums as a result of the underlying traffic violation that created the SR22 requirement. For example, a DUI conviction is 8 points in Arizona, and is going to cause a substantial increase in premiums. A driver could see a 50% or more increase in premiums following a DUI. The actual increase is going to depend on a variety of factors, such as the insurance company, the driver’s age, marital status, driving history, the insurance company, and more.

Out-Of-State Residents Can Get An SR22 Requirement Waived

If you have an SR-22 requirement in Arizona, but don’t live in Arizona, you may be able to get the SR22 requirement waived. You will need two things to apply for the waiver:

1. 1. A state-issued ID from your home state issued prior to the SR22 requirement, and
   2. A lease or utility statement showing your residential address is somewhere outside of Arizona.

Sometimes, Arizona applies the waiver automatically. Other times, you may need to visit an MVD office to get it squared away, which is super convenient for out-of-state residents :-/