Do You Need To Get SR22 Insurance After Getting A Suspended License? Know The Basics

If you had your driver's license suspended, you will still have problems dealing with it even after your license is reinstated. You're ready to start driving again, but may quickly realize the difficulty in getting car insurance. It may even be required that you get SR22 insurance prior to being allowed to drive again. If you have never heard of SR22 insurance, here are the basics you should know about it.

What's SR22 Insurance?

SR22 insurance is essentially a special insurance policy you may need to get after your driver's license has been suspended. The name SR22 comes from the certificate name that needs to be given to your local DMV by your car insurance provider to get your license back. The certificate must be mailed directly to the DMV from your car insurance provider as well, which is done to avoid fraudulent certificates being given to the DMV.

How Can You Get SR22 Insurance?

Many auto insurance companies will offer an insurance policy that includes the SR22 certificate if you need it. Keep in mind that needing this certificate often means that you are viewed as a driver that has a higher risk of getting into an accident because of your license suspension. You can potentially have a higher insurance rate because of this, or difficulties obtaining insurance from a company that is willing to insure you. In exchange for getting a policy, you may be required to pay the entire car insurance premium before you obtain the policy and they send the SR22 certificate to the DMV.

Are There Ways To Lower The Cost of SR22 Car Insurance?

You may have sticker shock when you see the price of SR22 car insurance. Thankfully, there are ways you can reduce your car insurance premiums to make it more affordable for you. Consider dropping unnecessary coverage that is not the bare minimum needed, such as roadside assistance or even collision coverage. The latter puts more risk on you as a driver than the insurance company, so you could see a drastic rate reduction by going with the bare minimum.

Check with your insurance company about classes that you can take to lower your risk as a driver. This could include defensive driving classes that can help prove you're a better driver, which will lower your rate.

For more info about SR22 insurance, speak with your insurance agent about any questions you may have.