An SR-22 certificate is required by the Washington and Oregon DMV to provide proof of financial responsibility. This certificate is an endorsement to an Auto Insurance or Broad Form policy. Depending on your violation some drivers are required to have an SR-22 to reinstate their driver’s license or to be permitted to drive.
An SR-22 certificate (or commonly called SR-22 Insurance or Financial Responsibility Certificate) is a certificate provided by your insurance carrier that verifies with the state that you have a current insurance policy. It ensures that you are meeting the state minimum requirements for insurance.
When you apply for insurance with a carrier that allows SR22 filings the insurer places a surcharge in the rating of the policy due to the need of an SR-22. The carrier will then charge a filing fee on the policy to provide the requiring state the certificate of the SR-22.
The “SR” in SR-22 stands for Safety Responsibility. The person who carries an SR-22 is providing a certificate of Safety Responsibility to the state to show they are being a responsible driver by meeting the safety and insurance requirements of the state.
An SR22 is a certificate filed by the insurance carrier and submitted to the state requiring it to verify that the driver has a valid insurance policy. An SR-22 is system used by the Department of Licensing to verify the insured is carrying an active Insurance policy.
Non owner SR-22 is a certificate filed with the state that is associated with a Named Non Owner insurance policy. This is a specific policy that provides coverage for an individual that does not have any owned interest in a vehicle but is choosing to insure their license.
An SR-22 is usually ordered by the court at your hearing for a ticket. You are most likely required to have an SR-22 certificate if you have been cited for driving without insurance, DUI, or have multiple of citations and/or accidents on your driving record.
The SR-22 certificate itself is not expensive; usually around $25 to file, depending on the carrier. The cost for the policy will depend on your driving record, coverages, and insurance history.
The average term for an SR-22 is 3-5 years; however it does vary depending on why the SR22 was ordered by the Department of Licensing.
If the SR-22 is canceled prior to the probation period assigned by the State. There will be an SR-26 (notice of cancellation) sent directly from the insurance carrier (done on an automatic basis) to the State that required the SR-22 Filing. In most cases the State requiring the SR-22 will suspend the license of the insured that is in need of the SR-22 filing.