SR-22 Rules in Every State (2026)
When each state requires an SR-22 or similar filing and how long you must keep it.
| State | SR-22 filing |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Alabama's driver manual lists failure to maintain SR-22 insurance, when it is required, as a ground for suspension or revocation of a driver license. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's Safety Responsibility Unit handles financial-responsibility matters after crashes: if a crash causes injury, death, or $500 or more in damage and the at-fault party was uninsured, the driver involved must send a written report (Form SR-31) to the Safety Responsibility Unit within 30 days. ALEA, Alabama Driver Manual (Nov. 2024) |
| Alaska | A person whose license is suspended for failing to prove insurance after a crash must file proof of financial responsibility for the future (an SR-22, obtained from an insurer and filed with the DMV) before full or limited driving privileges are restored, and must keep that filing for three years after the suspension ends. Reinstatement fees must also be paid. Alaska Stat. § 28.22.061; Alaska Division of Insurance, Consumer Guide to Automobile Insurance |
| Arizona | Proof of future financial responsibility (an insurer's certificate, commonly called an SR-22, or a State Treasurer certificate for a $40,000 cash or certificate-of-deposit deposit) is required to reinstate a license, registration and plates after a suspension for driving uninsured. MVD may waive the proof requirement any time after three years from the date proof was required, or on the person's death or permanent incapacity, or if the person surrenders license and registration (in which case proof must be re-established for the rest of the three years if the person applies again). An insurer that has certified a policy cannot cancel it until at least 10 days after filing a cancellation notice with MVD. Ariz. Rev. Stat. §§ 28-4141, 28-4076, 28-4084, 28-4088, 28-4081 |
| Arkansas | Arkansas's Office of Driver Services uses a safety responsibility system after crashes: an SR-1 accident report must be filed within 30 days when property damage to any one person exceeds $1,000 or anyone is injured or killed, regardless of fault. A driver must then show financial responsibility — proof of liability insurance meeting state requirements, a deposit of security set by the Department, a signed release, a court finding of non-liability, a notarized covenant not to sue, an accepted installment agreement, proof the other party was reimbursed, or a bankruptcy petition listing the parties. A driver may request a hearing within 20 days of receiving a notice of security requirement or suspension. Arkansas DFA, Office of Driver Services, Safety Responsibility |
| California | A driver whose license is suspended for being in a collision without proper insurance can get the license back during the last three years of the up-to-four-year suspension by filing a California Insurance Proof Certificate (SR 22/SR 1P) and keeping it in effect for that three-year period. The DMV may also ask for an SR 22 as evidence of financial responsibility. California Driver's Handbook, Section 10; California DMV, Insurance Requirements |
| Colorado | A person convicted of driving uninsured must file and maintain proof of financial responsibility for the future (commonly an SR-22 filing from an insurer) for three years from the date of conviction. The Department of Revenue sends notice; if proof is not provided within 20 days, or if it later lapses or becomes invalid, the director suspends the driver's license until proof is provided. Proof may be given by a liability policy, a bond, a deposit of money, or securities, and generally must be kept for three years from the date last required (time when the person was not licensed counts toward the three years). Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 42-4-1410, 42-7-408 |
| Connecticut | When a driver's record on file justifies it, the DMV Commissioner can require proof of financial responsibility (at least $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident and $25,000 property damage) before issuing or keeping a license or registration; if it is not provided, the license or registration is suspended or revoked until it is. Proof can be an insurer's certificate (an SR-22-type filing) that cannot be canceled without 10 days' written notice to the Commissioner (insurers may charge up to $10 for the filing), a surety bond, or a deposit of money or collateral with the State Treasurer. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-112 |
| Delaware | Under Delaware's Financial Responsibility Law, a person whose license is suspended for an unpaid motor-vehicle accident judgment stays suspended until the judgment is satisfied (as the law provides) and the person gives proof of financial responsibility for the future. The DMV may also require certified evidence of insurance at hearings, after point accumulation, or when driving privileges are reinstated. 21 Del. C. § 2943 (Financial Responsibility Law, Proof of Future Responsibility); § 2118(u) |
| Florida | An SR-22 is an insurer filing certifying bodily injury and property damage liability coverage to meet Florida's Financial Responsibility Law. If an at-fault driver charged with a moving violation in a crash with injuries did not have bodily injury liability ($10,000/$20,000), $10,000 PDL and $10,000 PIP, FLHSMV requires the driver to buy and keep at least 10/20/10 coverage with an SR-22 filing for three years from the suspension date, obtain releases or post a security deposit, and pay a $15 reinstatement fee if applicable. Unpaid crash judgments lead to suspension of license and registrations for 20 years or until the judgment is satisfied. FLHSMV, Involved in a Crash?; Florida Insurance Requirements |
| Hawaii | Hawaii requires drivers to furnish and maintain proof of financial responsibility (an SR-22-type filing) before relicensing after suspensions or revocations for certain offenses, including OVUII (impaired driving) and related offenses, reckless driving, driving while suspended, and at-fault moving violations in crashes causing injury, death or more than $3,000 in property damage. A first conviction within five years for driving without insurance does not trigger this requirement, and a license suspension under the no-insurance penalty statute does not require proof of financial responsibility. Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 287-20, 431:10C-117(a)(3) |
| Illinois | A person convicted a third or subsequent time of driving uninsured must file proof of financial responsibility (as defined in 625 ILCS 5/7-315) with the Secretary of State and maintain it for at least 3 years after it is first filed; the Secretary suspends the license of anyone who does not provide adequate proof. 625 ILCS 5/3-707(d) |
| Indiana | When driving privileges are suspended for an insurance violation or certain court convictions, the insurer must electronically file an SR22 (proof of future financial responsibility) to stay the suspension and restore privileges. For no-insurance suspensions, the SR22 requirement is satisfied after 180 consecutive days of SR22 coverage. If the insurer files an SR26 cancellation or no SR22 is on file during the required period, privileges are suspended again. The BMV also refers to 3-year and 5-year SR22 requirements for some suspensions, which out-of-state residents may waive with an Out of State Residency Affidavit. Indiana BMV, Proof of Financial Responsibility; Driver's Manual, Chapter 5 |
| Iowa | When the Iowa DOT requires proof of financial responsibility after a suspension or revocation, it is required from the first day of the suspension or revocation and must be maintained for two years. It can be provided by an Iowa-authorized insurer filing an SR-22, by filing a surety bond, cash or securities totaling $55,000, by an employer's fleet insurer filing an SR-23 (employer vehicles only), or by driving a vehicle of a self-insured certificate holder or Motor Carrier Services permit holder with written authorization. Only vehicles listed on the SR-22 may be driven and registered. Failing to show or maintain the proof results in suspension of the license and registrations. Iowa DOT, Proof of Insurance After a Suspension (SR-22) |
| Kansas | For violations listed in K.S.A. 8-285, the Division of Vehicles director may require the person to carry insurance with the insurer keeping evidence of it on file with the Division for one year. The insurer must immediately notify the Division if the policy ends, and that notice is treated as evidence that the person has no financial security. A registration or license suspended for lack of insurance stays suspended until this proof of insurance is filed and the reinstatement fee is paid. K.S.A. 40-3118(d), (f) |
| Louisiana | Anyone required under Louisiana's motor vehicle safety responsibility law to give proof of financial responsibility must keep that proof on file for three years. The Office of Motor Vehicles requires proof of financial responsibility (SR-22 insurance) for 3 years from the date of conviction to reinstate after a DWI or underage DWI suspension, and for 3 years from the date of arrest after a chemical-test refusal suspension, in addition to reinstatement fees. La. R.S. 32:909; Louisiana OMV, Suspensions |
| Maine | The Bureau of Motor Vehicles may require an SR-22 filing, a certification from an insurer that the driver is covered, usually after an accident without insurance or a conviction for a serious violation; Maine accepts an SR-22 only from an insurer licensed in Maine. After a conviction or adjudication and reinstatement, the person must maintain proof of financial responsibility for at least 3 years, and the Secretary of State may waive the requirement after 3 years from the date of demand. A repeat OUI conviction within 10 years also requires proof before reinstatement. 29-A M.R.S. §1603(2)-(5); Maine Bureau of Insurance, Auto Insurance FAQs |
| Minnesota | Before a driver's license or vehicle registration revoked for driving without insurance can be reinstated, the person must file with the Commissioner of Public Safety a written certificate from an insurer authorized in Minnesota stating that the required insurance has been provided. Minn. Stat. §169.797, subd. 4(f) |
| Mississippi | After a first-offense DUI conviction, the Driver Service Bureau requires completion of the Mississippi Alcohol Safety Education Program along with proof of insurance for three years before driving privileges are restored. Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Driver Service Bureau Frequently Asked Questions (Aug. 2025) |
| Missouri | To reinstate after a suspension for failing to maintain insurance, the driver must file proof of liability insurance, most commonly an SR-22 filing, and keep it on file with the Department of Revenue for three years from the date the person is eligible to reinstate. If the proof lapses, the license and/or plates are suspended again for the rest of the three years unless proof is refiled and a $20 reinstatement fee is paid. If an accident is involved, an SR-22 filing is required; an insurance ID card is not acceptable. Missouri Department of Revenue, Insurance Information |
| Nebraska | After a suspension or revocation from a court conviction, point accumulation or other administrative action, the Nebraska DMV requires an SR-22 filing proving all vehicles you own are insured (or a non-owner policy if you own none); it is the only proof accepted and cannot be faxed or photocopied. After a no-proof-of-insurance conviction, the SR-22 must stay on file for three years from the date of the citation, regardless of where you live, and a lapse leads to suspension. Nebraska DMV, SR-22 For Revocations/Suspensions; No Proof of Insurance Conviction |
| Nevada | An SR-22 is a certificate of financial responsibility that the insurer files with the DMV; the insurer must notify the DMV immediately if coverage is dropped. Under the DMV's lapse penalty schedule, an SR-22 must be carried for 3 years after longer lapses (91 days or more for a first or second offense, and any lapse for a third offense within five years). A person whose license is suspended for driving uninsured must keep proof of financial responsibility for 3 years after reinstatement, or the license is suspended again. Nevada DMV, Insurance (SR-22 Insurance; Penalties & Fines); NRS 485.187 |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire requires future proof of financial responsibility (an insurer's certificate filed with the DMV) after an accident without insurance, and the director may require it, by suspending the license and registrations until it is filed, after convictions for driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident, vehicular homicide or assault, a second excessive speeding or reckless driving offense, and other violations the director designates. The continuous certificate must remain in effect at least 20 days after the director is notified of cancellation. RSA 264:2; RSA 264:3; RSA 264:21 |
| New Mexico | New Mexico may require persons convicted of certain motor vehicle offenses, or who have failed to pay accident judgments or settlements, to file evidence of financial responsibility with the MVD, by filing evidence of an insurance policy, a surety bond, or a certificate of a cash deposit. The MVD may waive the filing requirement after one year of providing satisfactory evidence, unless an accident claim is pending or a judgment is unpaid. NMSA 1978, §§66-5-205(D), 66-5-218, 66-5-229(A)-(B) |
| North Carolina | North Carolina's certificate of insurance is Form FS-1, which the insurance company submits electronically to NCDMV to show liability coverage; an FS-1 showing continuous coverage clears a recorded lapse. NCDMV, Vehicle Insurance Requirements |
| North Dakota | After a conviction for driving uninsured, a person must keep a certificate of insurance on file with the Department of Transportation for one year. More generally, people convicted of certain motor vehicle offenses or who fail to pay crash judgments must file proof of financial responsibility for the future (certificate of insurance, bond, or deposit). The insurer must notify the department within 10 days after a certified policy is canceled or terminated, and the department suspends the license if other proof is not filed. The requirement can be lifted after one year if no disqualifying conviction is recorded during that year. N.D. Cent. Code §§ 39-08-20(5), 39-16.1-08, 39-16.1-12, 39-16.1-18, 39-16.1-19 |
| Ohio | When proof of financial responsibility is required after a suspension (for example, for driving uninsured), it may be filed as a certificate of insurance, a financial responsibility identification card, a bond, a deposit, or self-insurance, and must be filed and maintained for one year from the date the suspension was imposed. Proof filed during a suspension cannot be shown by phone. Ohio Rev. Code § 4509.45 |
| Oklahoma | After a conviction or bond forfeiture for driving uninsured or not carrying an insurance verification form, the Department of Public Safety suspends the driving privilege until fees are paid and proof of security is furnished. For this purpose proof must be an owner's or operator's policy, not a binder. If the person shows coverage was in effect at the time, the suspension is vacated and no certificate of insurance is required. 47 Okla. Stat. § 7-605 |
| Oregon | Oregon calls these "future responsibility filings": a certificate of insurance (or DMV self-insurance certificate) filed with DMV. After a conviction for driving uninsured, the filing must be kept for one year. After a DUII conviction, the filing must show at least $50,000/$100,000 bodily injury and $10,000 property damage and be kept for three years from when the first filing is required. DMV ends the requirement after one year for filings required after a crash or a prior-violator conviction, or after three years otherwise; failing to maintain a required filing leads to suspension. Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 806.010(4), 806.075, 806.230, 806.240, 806.245 |
| Rhode Island | After an uninsured-driving suspension, reinstatement requires filing and maintaining proof of financial security. Proof can be a certificate of proof of financial responsibility, a bond, a certificate of deposit of money or securities, or a self-insurance certificate. Rhode Island also has a separate chapter on proof of financial responsibility for the future (R.I. Gen. Laws chapter 31-32) that applies in certain circumstances such as unpaid crash judgments. R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 31-47-9(c), 31-47-12(c) |
| South Carolina | An owner convicted of driving their own uninsured vehicle must have an insurer file a Certificate of Insurance (SR-22) for three years starting from the date of suspension. SCDMV, Facts About Driving Uninsured |
| South Dakota | A person convicted of driving without financial responsibility (and certain other offenses), or who fails to pay a crash judgment, must file proof of financial responsibility for the future (for example, an insurer's certificate) covering at least 25/50/25. The license and registrations stay suspended until the person gives and then maintains this proof. An insurer that certified a policy must notify the Department of Public Safety within 15 days after it is canceled or terminated. S.D. Codified Laws §§ 32-35-2, 32-35-43, 32-35-47, 32-35-80 |
| Tennessee | Tennessee requires SR-22 insurance for violations such as DUI, accident claims, unsatisfied judgments, accumulation of points, implied consent refusal, hit and run, vehicular assault or homicide, racing, and two reckless driving violations in 12 months. The SR-22 must be maintained for the length of the suspension or revocation period, either with a restricted license or after reinstatement. If the SR-22 policy or bond is canceled before the requirement ends, driving privileges can be suspended for failure to maintain future proof of financial responsibility, and the driver must refile, pay reinstatement fees and reapply. Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Do I need SR-22 Insurance? (citing Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-12-126) |
| Texas | After a second conviction for driving uninsured, a person must file and maintain evidence of financial responsibility (commonly an SR-22 certificate) with the Department of Public Safety until the second anniversary of the conviction, or the license is suspended. To release a vehicle impounded after a second conviction, the owner must show financial responsibility covering the two-year period that follows. Tex. Transp. Code §§ 601.231, 601.262 |
| Utah | After a conviction for driving uninsured, proof of insurance (such as an SR-22-type certificate of insurance, bond or deposit) must be filed and kept with the department for three years. Generally, anyone required to give proof must maintain it for three years from the date the filing was last requested; if it lapses or is canceled, the license or registration can be refused until proof is re-established. Utah Code §§ 41-12a-302(8), 41-12a-411 |
| Vermont | The Commissioner requires proof of financial responsibility (at least 25/50/10) from people convicted of certain offenses, such as DUI, fatal careless or reckless driving, leaving the scene of a crash, or driving with a suspended license. The obligation generally ends one year after the crash, conviction or judgment (or one year after the reinstatement eligibility date if the license was suspended), but lasts three years for fatal careless or reckless driving or a second or later DUI. 23 V.S.A. §§ 801, 809 |
| Virginia | After a conviction for driving uninsured (or a suspension for not verifying insurance), the owner must furnish proof of financial responsibility for the future (such as an SR-22 certificate) before the license and registrations are reinstated. The Commissioner may lift the requirement once three years have passed from the date of suspension. Va. Code §§ 46.2-706(B), 46.2-707 |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin requires proof of financial responsibility for the future (a certification of insurance such as an SR-22, a bond, or a deposit of money or securities) in situations set out in chapter 344, at 25/50/10 limits. The Department of Transportation consents to canceling the proof once the required period has expired, or if the person dies, becomes permanently unable to drive, or surrenders the license. Wis. Stat. §§ 344.01(2)(d), 344.30-344.41 |
| Wyoming | After a conviction for driving uninsured, the Department of Transportation requires the person to file and maintain proof of financial responsibility (such as an SR-22 certificate) for three years; failing to provide it within 30 days after notice results in suspension of the driver's license. Wyo. Stat. § 31-4-103(c) |
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.