Key Takeaways
The Safety Responsibility (SR) form is proof of financial responsibility. This is submitted to the government by the insurance provider, indicating that their client meets the state's mandated liability obligation guidelines. Even though the state-required liabilities vary with each state, the state will require you to fill an SR-22 generally under the following circumstances.
Here, we specifically look at the SR-22 insurance in Texas. The cost of SR-22 insurance in the state, the cheapest companies for the coverage, hacks to save money on this insurance which is mandatory after a violation.
Texas is not different when it comes to SR-22 insurance. After specific driving infractions, the state DMV requires the driver to file SR-22 insurance to drive legally in the state. This is in addition to the state-mandated insurance requirements.
The minimum car insurance requirements in Texas are as follows.
In case a driver has been involved in a driving infraction like DWI or DUI, you will have a license suspended. To get it reinstated, you will require SR-22 insurance. This is possible only with the SR-22 form, which is the certificate of financial responsibility. The following will arise an SR-22 requirement in Texas.
Despite this, having an SR-22 in the state of Texas proves that you are financially stable to handle another event of an accident or a claim. Texas requires proof of insurance to drive around. Therefore, another driving infraction that will require filing an SR-22 is driving without insurance.
Other insurance forms required in Texas
Based on the different kinds of infractions, Texas DMV puts forward two types of SR-22 forms.
Form | Circumstance |
---|---|
SR-22 | Car accident, civil judgment, driving without insurance twice. |
SR-22 a | Repeating the offenses mentioned above. An advance payment of 6 months premium is required to obtain this form. |
Insurance premiums are calculated based on both driving and non-driving factors. When it comes to driving factors, having a clean driving record is essential to keeping your insurance premiums under control. However, risks on the road and sometimes our negligence can end up in driving infractions which might even result in the suspension of your license.
In Texas, such violations can remain on your record for at least two years. Therefore, your insurance premiums, which are calculated based on your record, can rise. Thus, the cost of an SR-22 is an affordable amount of $25, but the insurance premiums after filing an SR-22 will be higher than the average insurance premium rates.
Along with these expenses, the Texas Department of Public Safety also requires a payment of $100 for the license reinstatement.
Once you are in need of SR-22 insurance, you are categorized as a high-risk driver. Not all insurance providers cater to high-risk drivers or file an SR-22 insurance claim. Therefore, you need to research and shortlist the companies that provide this.
Once you finalize your provider, you have to be prompt in your insurance payments. In case of a failure in payment, it can lead to the cancellation of your insurance which will result in the suspension of your license.
The number of insurance companies that offer SR-22 insurance might be limited. The average annual insurance rate for full coverage in Texas is $1944. If you face an infraction, your insurance premiums can increase by at least 75%.
Here is a list of companies that offer affordable SR-22 insurance. Apart from USAA, which offers insurance for active military members and veterans, Esurance and AAA are two of the insurance companies that offer cheap SR-22 insurance in Texas.
Insurance Company | Annual Average Insurance Rate with SR-22 |
---|---|
USAA | $848 |
State Farm | $1211 |
Allstate | $3201 |
Esurance | $661 |
AAA | $885 |
The sole purpose of an SR-22 is to acknowledge the Texas Department of Public Safety (Texas DPS) that a driver is eligible to drive in the state of Texas after facing a driving infraction or after having their license suspended.
However, one can only file for an SR-22 with the Texas DPS through an insurance provider. It is the insurance company whom you associate with for your SR-22 filing, which notifies the Texas DPS and the DMV that you are abiding by the insurance laws of the state after the infraction charges.
You must retain SR-22 insurance for two years from the day you have your driving privileges revoked or your license reinstated. If you are driving around without filing SR-22, then you will have to pay more for insurance.
With an SR-22 in your record, finding insurance becomes tougher. With fewer quotes to compare and higher prices, getting affordable rates can be difficult. If you don't keep an SR-22 for two years without an insurance lapse, you could face more enforcement actions or further reinstatement fees.
This is for drivers who need to file an SR-22 but do not own a car. In such cases, the non-owner SR-22 insurance will meet the insurance requirements of the state. This comes in handy for those drivers who regularly rent or borrow cars.
Interestingly, non-owner SR-22 insurance is cheaper than normal car insurance rates. The average non-owner car insurance rate in Texas per year is $640. This is for a driver who has purchased state-mandated minimum liability insurance.
USAA and State Farm offer the cheapest non-owner SR-22 insurance in Texas.
Insurance Company | Average Annual Rate |
---|---|
USAA | $381 |
State Farm | $365 |
Nationwide | $974 |
Reducing the insurance rates might be tougher with an infraction on the record. Even though the options are limited, shopping around for insurance quotes should give you a head start on the average rates. This can help in figuring out an affordable option.
Make use of the online quotes that insurance companies now provide. Choosing the one that suits your needs is best possible through this research. Way.com is the quickest and easiest way to compare quotes in Texas.
Having a good to excellent credit score can reduce the premium rates. If your offense is not repeated, a good credit score will come to your rescue.
Always look for discounts when you are purchasing insurance. Insurance companies will offer multipolicy discounts, telematics discounts, and bundling discounts. This can make a huge difference in the rates.
When a Texas driver is convicted of a major traffic violation, leading to a suspended license, the auto insurance company must submit the SR-22 form. This will certify that the driver meets Texas state's minimum requirements for insurance.
However, your insurance premiums can be higher after filing an SR-22 as the record will have driving infractions which will automatically increase the premium rates.
In Texas, we observe that State Farm offers the cheapest SR-22 insurance as well as non-owner SR-22 insurance rates.
SR-22 Needed After | Serious traffic offense and/or suspension of the license |
Required For | 2 years |
Average Rate Increase | $60 |
Minimum Bodily Injury Liability Coverage | $50,000 per person / $100,000 per accident |
Minimum Property Damage Liability Coverage | $10,000 |
Additional coverage required | Personal injury protection - $60,000 |
Property protection insurance - $25000 |
The auto insurance rates published in this guide are based on the results of research completed by Way.com’s data team. Using a mix of public and internal data, we analyzed millions of rate averages across U.S. ZIP codes.
Quotes are typically based on a full coverage policy average unless otherwise noted within the content.
These rates were publicly sourced from insurer filings and should be used for comparative purposes only — your own quotes will differ. Given this, it’s important to go through our insurance steps form to find how much you can save with way.com
Way.com’s Insurance Broker Quote Data
If you are a Texas driver found guilty of a major traffic violation, leading to a suspended license or driving with a suspended license, then your auto insurance company needs to file an SR-22 insurance form with the Texas DPS.
You can obtain an SR-22 from an authorized insurance agency, then hold onto the document for two years.
SR-22 insurance is costlier than the average car insurance rates in Texas. The average insurance rate after a DUI in Texas spikes to $1986.
USAA and State Farm offer the cheapest SR-22 insurance in Texas.
You must retain SR-22 insurance for two years from the day you have your driving privileges revoked or your license reinstated. If you are driving around without filing SR-22, then you will have to pay more for insurance.
If you face a driving infraction, but you don't own a car, then you have to opt for non-owner SR-22 insurance in Texas. This will keep your insurance premium lower than the average insurance rates if you regularly rent a car and have a violation on your record.
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