California SR22 Insurance Filing Information

When a California resident's license gets suspended or cancelled by the DMV they will more than likely be required to file an SR22 insurance form with the California DMV before they will be able to reinstate their driver's license or be grant a restricted license during their suspension period. A few of the reasons why a person may be required to carry SR22 insurance in California include:

• An arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) or drugs (DUID)
• Wet Reckless
• Reckless driving or endangerment
• Accumulation of too many points on your license in a certain period of time
• Failure to pay child support
• Among others reasons...

How long will I have to carry my California SR22 Insurance?

If the California Department of Motor Vehicles has placed a requirement upon you to show proof of financial responsibility in the form of an SR22 insurance filing before they will reinstate your driver's license following your suspension period or before issuing you a restricted license, you will be required to maintain your SR22 filing with the DMV for a period of 3-years from the date of reinstatement or the date of being issued a restricted license.

The DMV does not waiver on the 3-year filing period. The 3-year filing period is the same whether you were arrested for DUI or failure to pay child support. It is important to note that if at any time during the 3-year filing period if there is a lapse in your California SR22 insurance coverage for any reason, even for a day, the DMV will cancel your driver's license and you will need to go through the reinstatement process all over again including paying an additional $125.00 license reinstatement fee.

How do I request a California administrative driver’s license hearing?

The first thing you need to do is review the Notice of Suspension that you received from the officer. This notice will inform you as to whether or not you are eligible to request a an administrative hearing regarding your license suspension. If you are eligible you only have ten days from the date the Notice of Suspension was issued in order to request a hearing to challenge your license suspension.

The purpose of the administrative hearing is for the hearing officer, who is actually just an employee of the DMV and not really an officer of the law, to hear and review the evidence against you presented by the arresting officer and yourself. The hearing officer has little to no training when it comes to how to properly conduct an administrative hearing and how to act impartial in the matter. The hearing officer also acts as the judge, jury and prosecution in the matter.

If your suspension is due to a more serious matter such as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, it is strongly advised that you speak with a qualified California DUI attorney immediately and to have your attorney represent you at your administrative hearing for the best possible out come in your hearing. An administrative hearing is a very serious matter and should not be taken lightly. No matter what the reason for the suspension of your license you have the right to be represented by an attorney at your hearing if you so choose.

Where are the California DMV offices located?

For a complete listing of all of the various office locations visit the California DMV office location page.

What happens if I fail to keep my California SR22 insurance policy current?

Failure to keep your California SR22 insurance policy in force and current will immediately result in the Department of Motor Vehicles canceling your driver's license. When you fail to maintain your SR22 insurance policy your insurance provider is obligated by law to immediately inform the DMV of your lapse in coverage, even if it is only for 1-day.

The reason your insurer will inform the DMV of the lapse is because the SR22 form that your insurer filed with the DMV is basically an agreement between the DMV and your insurer that states that your insurance insurance company will immediately inform the DMV if you fail to maintain your California SR22 insurance coverage.

How do I avoid a lapse in my California SR22 insurance coverage?

The easiest way to avoid a lapse in your California SR22 insurance coverage is to start by finding the lowest cost SR22 insurance policy you can within the state of California from the start. People are often shocked when they get a California SR22 insurance quote from us and see how much they can save over what they had been paying for their SR22 insurance policy. Do yourself a favor and get a quote now and see how much we can help you save on your SR22 insurance in California.