WHY WOULD I NEED TO GET A SR-22?

An SR-22 certificate is something that is confusing to many people. It is frequently confused with “bad driver” insurance, but a key point is that it’s NOT insurance. It is essentially a certificate that ensures that you have “financial responsibility” – that is, it’s a financial promise that you have the means to protect others from your own driving habits. An SR-22 certificate is a document that a driver must obtain before getting their license back, if it has been revoked due to certain traffic violations.

If that sounds scary, well, it can be. There are certain driving infractions or circumstances that have been deemed as high risk – meaning, drivers who are caught under these circumstances are drivers who have a higher risk of causing accidents that can harm individuals or property. We can cover other aspects of SR-22 certificates in other blogs, for example, what an SR-22 certificate covers, how to obtain a certificate, and so on, but for this blog, we just want to give you a list, based on state regulations and laws, that can make drivers obtain an SR-22 before they can drive again.

The most common violations that can necessitate an SR-22 form (in no particular order)

• If the courts deem you a “habitual offender” – Too many speeding tickets, failure to yields, moving violations, and a slew of other circumstances can mean you’re a habitual offender. Included with this is losing all points on your driving record.
• Driving without insurance. It’s a bad idea anyway, but not carrying insurance, or getting stopped without valid insurance can just compound your issues.
• DUI, OWI or any type of driving under the influence of any substance
• Reckless driving
• Driving after suspension or revocation

Again, this list is not comprehensive, and it’s usually up to the courts to decide if you need to obtain an SR-22 certificate. However, if you find yourself in need of and SR-22 certificate or counseling after you have committed one of the above violations, let Eric Johnson Insurance – the SR-22 experts – help you through the process!