If you get into an accident when you’re behind the wheel and you don’t have enough insurance to pay for the damage caused by the accident, you could be on the hook to pay for it all yourself. That’s a recipe for bankruptcy.
That’s why every driver in Illinois is required to be covered by a certain amount of insurance in the event they get into an accident.
In Illinois, the law requires drivers to carry enough insurance to cover at least $25,000 worth of bodily damage to one person, $50,000 worth of bodily damage to two people, and $20,000 worth of property damage per accident. It’s sometimes referred to as 25/50/20 insurance as a shorthand.
You can have insurance that covers more than the minimum, because legal bills add up fast, especially if the person dies or is disabled and unable to work, in which case you have to pay them and their dependents for the loss of their livelihood. If that happens and you don’t have the insurance to cover it, you could be on the hook for hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars. It makes paying for auto insurance look like a bargain.
While all drivers are required to carry the minimum amount of insurance before they get behind the wheel, certain drivers who are considered “high-risk drivers” are required to file an SR-22 certificate.
What Is SR-22 Insurance?
Although it’s commonly referred to as “SR-22 insurance,” it isn’t insurance at all. It’s a certificate your car insurance company files with your state to prove you are covered by the minimum amount of auto insurance required by state law.
Do I Need SR-22 Insurance?
You need SR-22 insurance if you have been ordered by a court to file an SR-22 certificate to prove you have an auto insurance policy that meets the legal requirement for auto insurance in your state.
Some reasons you might be ordered to file an SR-22 certificate include:
- You were convicted of driving without a license
- You were convicted of driving under the influence or while intoxicated
- You were convicted of serious traffic offenses, or of multiple traffic offenses
- You were in an accident without insurance and it was determined you were at fault for the accident
How Long Do I Need SR-22 Insurance?
The requirements for SR-22 insurance vary by state. In Illinois, you’re required to have an SR-22 certificate filed with the state for at least three years.
To be clear, this does not mean you don’t need auto insurance after your three years of auto insurance with an SR-22 certificate. It just means you no longer need a certificate actively proving to the state you currently have the minimum amount of auto insurance coverage required by law. After three years, the state assumes you will continue to maintain at least the minimum amount of auto insurance coverage required by law.
If you cancel your auto insurance policy or allow it to lapse before the end of your required three years to carry an SR-22 certificate, the state could suspend your driver’s license.
How to Get SR-22 Insurance
Your auto insurance provider will need to file your SR-22 certificate with the state for you.
That means you need an auto insurance company that has a power of attorney with your state and is licensed to file SR-22 certificates in your state.
If you’re in need of an SR-22 certificate, look no further than Accurate Auto Insurance!
SR-22 vs SR-50 Insurance
While most states (including both Illinois and Indiana) have SR-22 certificates, Indiana is the only state that requires its residents to file an SR-50 certificate.
It’s like an SR-22 certificate in that it’s a certificate filed by the auto insurance company to prove the driver has the minimum amount of auto insurance coverage required by state law.
The requirements for an SR-50 certificate are similar to those for an SR-22 certificate, but they’re not quite the same.
In Indiana, a driver is required to file an SR-50 certificate when they have:
- Been in an auto accident for which the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) has received an accident report
- Received a moving violation within one year of having received two other moving violations
- Been the cause of a serious accident and been charged with a serious misdemeanor or a felony
- Received a moving violation after having had their license already suspended for failing to provide proof of financial responsibility (a.k.a. an SR-22 certificate)
If at any time a driver has experienced or received any of the above and they did not have at least enough auto insurance to meet the legally required minimum, the state of Indiana can require them to file an SR-50 certificate in addition to their SR-22 certificate.
Will Having an SR-22 Increase My Auto Insurance Costs?
Yes, having an SR-22 certificate is likely to raise the cost of your auto insurance.
First of all, though it’s the auto insurance company that files the SR-22 certificate, the company will charge you for the filing fee, which is usually around $25. That’s not the expensive part.
The expensive part is providing insurance for a high-risk driver.
If the state is so worried about your driving that they require you to prove you have insurance to cover any property or bodily damage you might cause while behind the wheel, the auto insurance company won’t feel confident you’re a safe bet, which means they’ll charge you more for auto insurance coverage.
Fortunately, you Accurate Auto Insurance is here to provide cheap, reliable coverage for all your auto insurance needs.
