SR-22 and FR-44 After a DUI (2026): What They Are and Which States Use Them

The SR-22 is the step most likely to be missing from your paperwork. The court does not issue it, the licensing agency does not file it and it rarely appears in the sentencing documents, because it belongs to your insurance company. Yet in most states the license does not come back without it. This explainer covers what the filing is, which states use which form and how to keep it from quietly restarting your clock.

What an SR-22 actually is

An SR-22 is a certificate of financial responsibility. Your insurer files it with the state to certify that you carry the liability coverage the state requires. It is proof, not a policy: you buy or keep an ordinary auto policy and the insurer adds the filing, usually for a modest filing fee plus the higher premium that follows a DUI. How much that adds up to is its own question; the SR-22 cost page separates the small one-time filing fee from the premium. Once filed, the state treats continuous coverage as a condition of your license. The filing is the state's tripwire: if the policy lapses, the insurer must notify the state and the suspension can resume.

SR-22, FR-44 or neither: what your state uses

• Most states: the SR-22. Required after a DUI before reinstatement or a restricted license, almost always for 3 years.
• Florida and Virginia: the FR-44. The same mechanism with higher required liability limits than the state's ordinary minimums, which makes it the more expensive filing to carry.
• Seven states: no SR-22 at all. Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania run no SR-22 requirement. Several verify insurance their own way: Pennsylvania uses its DL-123 certificate, Minnesota an insurer-filed certificate of insurance. New Jersey and New Mexico lean on the interlock-license system instead.
• The in-between cases. Hawaii uses its own statutory certificate that insurers process like an SR-22. In Kentucky no SR-22-equivalent filing could be confirmed to exist at all. Your state page states which instrument, if any, applies.

How long it runs

Three years is the standard term where a filing is required. The confirmed outliers: Kansas at 1 year, Iowa, Missouri and Texas at 2 and Alaska at 5. Many licensing agencies never publish the duration on their own pages, which is why this is the single most common unconfirmed detail across the states in this library. Where a duration is not confirmed against a primary source, your state page says so and the safest confirmation is your insurer plus the agency itself.

Getting it filed without losing a week

The process is a phone call. You tell your insurer you need an SR-22 (or FR-44) filed with your state, the insurer files it electronically and the state records it. Two details matter. First, not every insurer files them, so a company that will not file may mean shopping for one that does. Second, record the effective date and the required end date, then guard the renewal dates in between, because a lapse notifies the state automatically. Continuous coverage for the whole term is the entire job.

Sort the filing tonight

This guide is educational information, not legal advice or insurance advice. Filing rules and durations change by state and case. Confirm the current requirement with your state and your insurer before you act.

SR-22 and FR-44 FAQ

What is an SR-22?

An SR-22 is not an insurance policy. It is a certificate your insurer files with the state proving you carry the required liability coverage. States commonly require it after a DUI before they will reinstate or issue a restricted license. You ask your insurer to file it; the insurer sends it to the state directly.

What is the difference between an SR-22 and an FR-44?

Both are insurer-filed proof of coverage. The FR-44, used by Florida and Virginia for DUI cases, requires higher liability limits than the state's ordinary minimums, so it usually costs more to carry. Every other state that requires a filing uses the SR-22.

How long do you have to keep an SR-22 after a DUI?

Three years in most states that require one. Confirmed shorter terms exist: 1 year in Kansas and 2 years in Iowa, Missouri and Texas. Alaska holds the confirmed long end at 5 years. If the filing lapses before the term ends, the insurer notifies the state and the license can be suspended again.

Which states do not require an SR-22 after a DUI?

Seven states use no SR-22 at all: Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Pennsylvania. Some of them verify insurance their own way, such as Pennsylvania's DL-123 certificate or Minnesota's insurer-filed certificate of insurance.

Do you need an SR-22 on top of your regular car insurance?

It is not a second policy. The SR-22 is a filing your insurer adds to a policy you already carry, certifying to the state that the coverage meets the required limits. You keep one ordinary auto policy and the insurer files the SR-22 against it, usually for a small filing fee plus the higher premium a DUI brings. Where a driver's current insurer will not file, the fix is switching to a company that does, not buying a separate SR-22 policy.

Can you get an SR-22 without owning a car?

Yes, through a non-owner SR-22. A driver who needs to file but does not own a vehicle buys a non-owner liability policy and has the insurer file the SR-22 against it. It satisfies the filing requirement for reinstatement and tends to cost less than an owner policy because there is no specific vehicle on it. Confirm your state accepts a non-owner filing with the licensing agency and your insurer.

Who needs an SR-22 after a DUI?

The state requires the filing from a driver reinstating a license the state suspended or revoked for a DUI, in the states that use the SR-22 (or the FR-44 in Florida and Virginia). It is the state's way of confirming that a driver it flagged as higher risk carries the required liability coverage before it restores driving privileges. Whether your state requires it and for how long is on your state page.