Best Alabama SR-22 Insurance in 2024
Alabama SR-22 requirements
Do you need to file an SR-22 form in Alabama? You may be required by the state or court to file an SR22 form if you’ve committed certain driving violations, such as a DUI or driving without insurance. An SR-22 is a certificate of financial responsibility that proves to Alabama that you have the minimum liability coverage mandated by law. If your license was suspended or revoked, you may need to file an SR-22 before you can apply to get it reinstated.
SR-22 insurance in Alabama increases annual car insurance premiums by almost $72, compared to the standard rate. That is roughly 10% more than the average cost Alabama residents pay for car insurance. There's also a fee for your insurance company to file the necessary SR-22 documentation with the state.
While this form is often called SR-22 insurance, it’s not actually a different type of car insurance from your traditional car insurance policy. The reason it’s often referred to as SR22 insurance is that it affects your car insurance coverage and rates. If you need SR22 insurance, you’ll be considered a high-risk driver. On average, Alabama drivers who need SR22 insurance because of one DUI pay 55 percent more for car insurance than drivers with clean driving records.
If you’re required to have SR22 insurance, you’ll be required to maintain your SR22 insurance for a specified number of years in Alabama. Typically, SR-22 is required for three years at a minimum, although the length of SR-22 filing the form depends on the nature of the offense. You must maintain your SR22 insurance coverage continuously throughout your filing period without a lapse in coverage.
If your policy is cancelled for any reason, your insurance company is required to notify the state. You could face additional penalties if your SR-22 insurance policy lapses, such as an extended license suspension and having to restart the SR22 insurance filing period. If the SR-22 period resets, you're required to pay the SR-22 fees again.
If you maintain your SR22 insurance for your required filing period, keep a clean driving record and fulfill all other requirements, you most likely won’t need to file an SR-22 insurance form any longer after you’ve completed your requirement. Additionally, your car insurance rates may begin to decrease after your filing period is completed.
If the driver is required to carry SR-22 certificate, the form must indicate that the insurance policy covers any cars that are registered under the driver's name and all cars that the drivers usually operates.
Compare free insurance quotes from multiple companies with our comparison tool.
What are the SR-22 insurance limits in Alabama?
An Alabama SR22 insurance policy verifies to the state that you have at least the minimum requirements about liability insurance coverage required by law. In Alabama, there is a mandatory liability insurance law that requires all drivers to have liability insurance coverage. However, if you need to file an SR22 form, it means you’ve violated driving laws and need to submit proof to the state that you have coverage. If you’re required to have SR-22 insurance in Alabama, you’ll be required to have at least the following coverage:
- $25,000 for bodily injury per person
- $50,000 for bodily injury per accident
- $25,000 for property damage per accident
If you drive without the mandatory insurance coverage, your Alabama driver’s license will be suspended and there will be a penalty of $500 for the first offense.
Who needs SR22 insurance in Alabama?
There are many reasons you could need SR22 insurance in Alabama. SR22 insurance may be required of you if your license was suspended and you need to get it reinstated. It’s typically required after certain driving violations and could even be required after a series of small violations that occurred within a short span of time. You could need SR22 insurance in Alabama for the following reasons:
- Conviction for driving under the influence (DUI or DWI)
- Driving without car insurance
- Driving with a revoked or suspended license
- Having repeated traffic violations in a certain amount of time, including speeding tickets
- Numerous at-fault accidents
- A fatal at-fault accident or one that results in injuries
- Reckless driving or dangerous driving
- Assignment from a court order
- Failure to pay fines from tickets
- Refused consent to breathalyzer or blood alcohol test
How are Alabama SR-22 insurance rates calculated?
If you need SR22 insurance, you get placed into the high-risk or non-standard driver category, which affects your car insurance rates. High-risk drivers typically pay the highest car insurance rates. In addition to your driving record, there are many other things that help determine your SR22 car insurance rates, including the company you choose, your age, gender, location, credit score, vehicle type, marital status and so on.
One of the most common reasons drivers need SR-22 insurance is because of a DUI. On average, drivers with one DUI conviction in Alabama pay $1,919 per year for car insurance. That’s 55 percent more than car insurance for a driver with a clean driving record. However, the cost you pay differs significantly based on the company you buy car insurance from. In the table below, you can find average rates for Alabama drivers who have one DUI conviction from some of the largest companies in the state.
| Company | Car insurance rate |
|---|---|
| Travelers | $931 |
| USAA* | $1,1236 |
| Auto-Owners | $1,340 |
| Alfa | $1,373 |
| Nationwide | $1,404 |
| Progressive | $1,647 |
| Allstate | $1,782 |
| Geico | $1,880 |
| State Farm | $1,932 |
| Farmers | $2,634 |
| Safeco | $3,645 |
| Cincinnati Insurance Company | $4,390 |
*USAA is only available to active and former military members and their families.
*These rates are based on a 35-year-old single adult with one driver and one vehicle on a policy. The car used was a 2015 Toyota Highlander LEs. Full coverage was used with 100/300/50 limits and a $500 collision and comprehensive deductible. The driver had 1 DUI on their record. The rates displayed should only be used for comparative purposes as individual rates for high-risk insurance in Alabama will differ. Rate data is provided by Quadrant Information Services.
How to get SR-22 insurance in Alabama?
If you need to file an SR-22 insurance form in Alabama, you need to go through an insurance company. Only your insurance provider can file the SR-22 on your behalf.
To find the best SR22 insurance in Alabama at the cheapest rate, you’ll need to shop around. Not all car insurance companies offer SR-22 insurance. You can start by contacting your current auto insurance company to see if it offers SR22 insurance. Even if it does, you may want to shop around by getting quotes from multiple SR-22 insurance companies to try to find the best price.
Use the table at the top of this page to find all the car insurance companies that offer SR-22 insurance in Alabama with a minimum of 25 reviews. If you want to see which companies customers say are the best car insurance companies for SR22 insurance in Alabama, sort the table by highest rated. You can sort through companies and find the ones you want to get quotes from. To get quotes, click on the orange “Click for quote” button next to the company, call the number available, or visit the company’s website.
If you want to read customer reviews of the company, click the company name in the table, and you will be directed to the company’s profile page containing information about the company and reviews.
Are there any SR-22 fees in Alabama?
You may need to pay a fee to your insurance company to file the SR-22 form on your behalf. The filing cost for SR-22 certificate is usually between $25 and $50. The SR-22 cost depends on your company and your violation.
You may need to pay additional fees in Alabama depending on your violation. A DUI, for example, can be a costly offense. If you were driving without car insurance coverage, you may have to pay a $500 fee for your first offense or $1,000 for second or subsequent offenses. Any time your driver’s license is suspended in Alabama you’ll be required to pay a reinstatement fee in order to get it back. The reinstatement fee after a suspension for driving without insurance is $200 for your first offense and $400 for second or subsequent offenses. There are also other penalties you could face for violating Alabama’s mandatory liability insurance law.
How are car insurance rates calculated?
When searching and comparing car insurance quotes, it can be frustrating trying to understand how your insurance rates are calculated. While there is no exact formula that each car insurance company uses when providing you a quote, there are many factors that do contribute to the price you pay for your insurance. Among the factors that car insurers consider are:
- Your driving record
- How much you drive
- Location
- Age
- Marital status
- Gender
- Your car’s make, model and year
- Your credit history (in some states)
- Amount of car insurance coverage (required coverage and optional add- ons, such as collision and comprehensive)
One of the biggest misunderstandings when it comes to insurance rates is that the history of drivers in your area also contributes to how much you pay. For instance, even if you go two years without a motor vehicle accident, if there were a lot of accidents near you recently, your rates might still go up. Why is that the case?
Insurance companies disperse risk across all policyholders so that when it comes time to pay a claim, they have enough money to pay out. But imagine a scenario where they only raised rates for drivers with an accident. For drivers who had an expensive claim, the drivers simply wouldn't be able to afford the raised rates that are based off how much their insurer had to pay after a motor vehicle accident. So instead, insurance companies slightly increase rates across the board to offset the costs, though of course the at-fault driver may see a larger increase.
How much car insurance do I need?
You certainly don’t want to be underinsured or uninsured while staring at a claim after a car accident or other damage to your car. But at the same time, there’s no sense in paying for more coverage than you need, right? So it begs the question: How much car insurance coverage do you actually need?
The answer, as frustrating as it may be, is it depends. For example, someone insuring a brand-new, leased car is likely required to purchase collision and comprehensive coverage, but for someone driving an older car that doesn’t have much value, it may not make sense to purchase optional coverage. Plus, states have different car insurance requirements. There are 12 no-fault states that require its drivers to purchase personal injury protection (PIP).
So when it comes to determining what car insurance coverage and limits you should purchase, it’s important to do your research. Talk with an insurance agent or your insurance company to determine what makes the most sense for your situation.
How to save money on your car insurance?
At the end of the day, we’d all like to have the best coverage at a cheap, affordable price. While you never want to sacrifice quality to save a couple of dollars, there are some different ways you can lower your car insurance premium.
Here are six ways you may be able to lower your car insurance rates:
- Bundle your car insurance with other policies
- Consider raising your deductibles
- Pay your car insurance policy in full
- Try usage-based car insurance
- Monitor price changes to your policy
- Shop for better insurance rates
How do we rank car insurance companies?
Wondering how Clearsurance determines scores for insurance companies? Our algorithm analyzes a range of inputs from our community of unbiased insurance customers, including:
- Cost
- Customer Service
- Overall Experience
- Claim service
- Purchasing experience
- Likelihood to recommend
Car Insurance Guide
Whether you’re buying your insurance direct or going through an agent, understanding the different car insurance coverage options is a must. Do you know what is covered by comprehensive coverage? Are you familiar with uninsured motorist coverage? Do you know how a deductible works?
We want to make sure you’re equipped with a proper knowledge of car insurance, so check out our practical guide to understanding car insurance.
Looking for more educational information about car insurance? Check out our blog for more information and topics related to car insurance.
| Company | Rank | Bundling Discount | A.M. Best | Best For | Jump to Pros/Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
#1 | 25% | A+ | Affordable Rates | Erie |
 |
#2 | 13% | A++ | Reliable Coverage | Travelers |
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#3 | 25% | A++ | Low Rates | Geico |
 |
#4 | 17% | B | Strong Reputation | State Farm |
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#5 | 25% | A+ | Comprehensive Options | Allstate |
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#6 | 20% | A | Tailored Services | Farmers |
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#7 | 25% | A | Family-Oriented Focus | American Family |
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#8 | 20% | A+ | Broad Availability | Nationwide |
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#9 | 10% | A+ | Innovative Discounts | Progressive |
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#10 | 5% | A+ | Senior-Friendly Plans | The Hartford |