Are you struggling to find an affordable non-owner SR22 insurance policy? We help you find and compare SR22 insurance quotes in this guide.
No one wants to pay extra for SR22 insurance.
However, putting off the quoting process will only make things worse. SR22s are temporary. The sooner you get your new policy started, the sooner you can get back to paying regular rates.
Are you worried about how to get accurate quotes? Let us help! We've put together this short guide about obtaining reasonable SR22 insurance quotes.
What is SR22 coverage, and how can you pay the least for a new policy? Read on to find out.
What Are SR22 Insurance Quotes?
What does it mean to need SR22 insurance quotes? SR22 insurance is a type of liability coverage. The state usually requires coverage, and it's considered a type of high-risk insurance policy.
Bear in mind that an SR22 certificate isn't an actual insurance policy. Instead, the certificate is a type of filing or add-on.
The SR22 certificate adds to an existing automobile insurance policy. In some situations, your insurance company may refuse to let you add an SR22. If your provider doesn't allow coverage for SR22 holders, you'll have to start shopping around for new insurance.
However, you'll need to narrow down your insurance search. You'll only want to look for insurance providers willing to work with SR22 carriers.
Meeting the State's Requirements
So now you know that an SR22 certificate is something you add to your insurance policy. But what exactly does this liability document do for you?
SR22 is something that the state usually requires following some type of driving incident, like a DUI. Other situations where you might need an SR22 include falling behind on child support or violating some other type of driving law.
Legally Required Liability
You could think of the SR22 as a type of financial responsibility. The SR stands for safety responsibility. It's a way of verifying that you have adequate automobile insurance.
The state wants to guarantee that you'll have enough coverage to pay for the other person's damages if an accident occurs. Since the SR22 certificate works as liability coverage, the focus is on reparation. After obtaining your SR22, you might be able to use the liability certificate to reinstate your driver's license.
Adding Insurance Quotes SR22 to a Policy
Now that you understand what SR22 certificates do, how do you get one? The first step you should take is to call your current car insurance provider. Ask your current provider if they can help you apply for an SR22.
If your insurance provider is willing to work with SR22 certificate holders, you'll be able to speed things up. Instead of having to shop around for a new car insurance policy, you'll be able to do everything in one place.
Often insurance providers who work with SR22 certificates will file for you. You'll simply have to pay a small filing fee and then wait to confirm that everything went through.
If your insurance provider is willing to let you have an SR22 but won't apply, that's not a problem. You can easily apply online, and it only takes a few minutes.
When you apply for the certificate, expect to pay a filing fee. Typically the filing fee is less than $50.
Get a New Car Insurance Policy
You call your current car insurance provider, and they inform you they won't file for an SR22. Furthermore, the insurance agent lets you know that the company will no longer provide coverage. What should you do?
Now's the time to start calling car insurance companies for SR22 insurance quotes. You can directly call a car insurance company or decide to go with a broker.
Going directly with the company means you'll only have access to their insurance products. If you go to an insurance broker, they'll be able to shop around your policy with multiple providers. They can even look for SR22 nonowner insurance quotes.
Insurance brokers are usually the best option since they're going to be able to provide you with the most choices. Instead of being accountable for the most expensive policy, you'll be able to look for the lowest rates.
Budgeting for Coverages
Now for the big question on everyone's mind, how much is SR22 insurance going to cost you? The answer is going to depend on your exact situation. Currently, $1,771 is the average annual car insurance price in the United States.
For instance, let's say that you have to get an SR22 insurance certificate because of excessive speeding. While speeding is a serious driving offense, it's not considered risky as driving under the influence.
An insurance company might be able to provide you with adequate coverage for under $500 a month. That $500 could easily include the SR22 certificate and reasonable deductibles.
DUI Premiums
DUIs are a lot more common than you might think. About 22.5% of drivers above 21 confess to driving under the influence at least once during 2021.
Unfortunately, insurance companies will see you as a more significant risk if you have to get an SR22 because of a DUI offense. Whether you were involved in DUI alone or caused a crash, you'll find that your premiums will be closer to $1,000. It's possible to get the insurance premium under $1,000, but there's no guarantee.
The good news? You don't have to carry an expensive SR22 insurance policy forever. Typically you'll only have to maintain the liability certificate for 3 years.
In some cases, you can get rid of your SR22 in less than 3 years! While your SR22 liability certificate is still active, you'll want to do everything you can to keep your premiums low.
How to Lower High Insurance Premiums
What should you do if every quote is higher than you expected? If you find that insurance providers cannot offer you a reasonable premium, you still have options.
For one, you can start looking for insurance providers who are willing to work with you on some type of particular payment plan. The insurance company might be able to break up a hefty premium into more digestible payments.
If you have enough money in your savings, you could also consider a full payment discount. In certain situations, insurance providers will offer you significant savings if you're willing to pay in full.
Typically paying in full means paying for 6 months of car coverage at once. However, there are insurance providers who work on an annual basis. You can also look into autopay discounts. You'll need to set up a bank account or already have an active account to qualify.
Setting your car insurance policy to automatically deduct can save you $10 or more a month. It's also a great way of avoiding a lapse in coverage.
Never Let Your Coverage Lapse
The golden rule of car insurance is to never let your policy lapse. It doesn't matter if you carry an SR22 certificate or have a standard policy. A lapse in insurance coverage will always cost you.
What exactly is a lapse? If you fail to make a payment and your insurance policy is canceled, you'll have a coverage gap. That coverage gap is considered a lapse.
Insurance companies see lapses in coverage as a warning sign. In the insurance companies' minds, being irresponsible with payments translates to being reckless on the road.
The solution is to always make your payments on time and communicate if you're not going to be able to. If at any point in time you think you're going to miss an SR22 insurance payment, reach out and let your insurance provider know. Often insurance companies will be able to offer a payment grace period to avoid cancellation.
Always request the maximum late grace period available. Typically, insurance providers don't charge late fees.
If they're willing to extend your payment due date by 5-10 days, choosing 10 days is wiser. You'll be giving yourself a bigger time cushion, and it won't cost you anything.
Look For Reward Programs
Earlier, we mentioned that going with an insurance broker means being able to shop around. As you start exploring different companies, ask your agent to seek incentive opportunities.
Incentive or rewards programs can be a great way to lower premium costs. Sometimes insurance companies will offer special cash or bonuses for safe driving habits. Other rewards programs will provide incentives for making timely payments.
Any reward or incentive will help give you the edge you need to be financially secure. Since you'll have to carry your SR22 for a few years, every dollar towards lowering the cost can be a big help.
Find Affordable Coverages
Stop dreading calling the insurance company, and get the coverages you need now. SR22 Savings is dedicated to helping drivers like you find affordable coverage. We make it easy to find the coverages you need at the lowest price.
Since we can shop with multiple insurance providers, you'll be able to get the best rate in a matter of minutes! Whether you need standard SR22 insurance quotes or SR22 nonowner insurance quotes, we want to help.
Contact one of our agents today for a free quote. You'll be glad you did.