Best Texas SR-22 Insurance in 2024
What are Texas SR-22 requirements?
If you need to file an SR-22 form in Texas, it means you’ve committed a driving violation and have been required by the state or court to file it with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). The SR22 form guarantees to the state that you have the minimum insurance requirements and it allows you to drive in the state.
Your insurance provider will need to file proof of insurance or file directly to the Texas DPS. They will file it electronically on your behalf for a small fee.
You’ve likely heard the term SR-22 insurance if you’re required to file an SR22 in Texas. While SR-22 insurance is not actually a different type of insurance from typical car insurance, the term is often used to describe car insurance coverage for those who need an SR-22 endorsement because an SR22 affects your car insurance coverage and cost. In Texas, SR-22 insurance after a DUI conviction costs an average of 46.5% more than car insurance for standard drivers.
Texas is a little unique compared to other states because it has a second financial responsibility form called the SR-22a. SR-22a insurance is required for the same traffic offenses as SR-22 insurance, but SR22a is for drivers who are repeat offenders of driving violations.
In Texas, SR22 insurance is required for two years. In the two-year period, you must maintain SR22 insurance continually without a policy lapse. Your car insurance rates will likely be higher throughout the duration of your SR-22 filing period. Additionally, you’ll be required to have certain coverage.
If you maintain your SR-22 coverage or SR-22a for your required filing period and keep a clean driving record, you won’t need to file the form any longer after your period is up. This could result in your coverage and car insurance rates returning to normal, depending on your violation. DUIs may stay on your record for much longer. If your SR-22 insurance policy is cancelled at any point, by you or your auto insurance company, or if you have a lapse in coverage during your filing period, you may need to start the SR-22 process over again.
Start comparison shopping for affordable auto insurance rates using our online tool. Just enter your ZIP code to get started.
What are the SR-22 insurance limits in Texas?
If you’re required to have an SR-22 certificate in Texas, you’ll be required to have at least the following coverage:
- $30,000 for bodily injury or death per person
- $60,000 for bodily injury or death per accident
- $25,000 for property damage coverage per accident
Failure to file an SR-22 form when required in Texas may result in license suspension and suspension of your vehicle registration, meaning you cannot legally drive in Texas. If you drive while your registration is suspended, the government in Texas may possess your vehicle.
Who needs SR22 in Texas?
In Texas, an SR-22 insurance certificate is required in a few scenarios in order for you to get your license reinstated. SR-22s are required after you’ve committed certain violations of the law. You may even be required to have an SR-22 if you’ve had a series of small violations within a short span of time. You could need SR22 insurance 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
In Texas, SR22 insurance is also required if you’re required to place a security deposit with the Texas Department of Public Safety if your license has been suspended after a car crash, also known as crash suspension.
How are Texas SR-22 insurance rates calculated?
If you need SR-22 insurance in Texas, your car insurance rates will likely increase significantly. When you’re required to have an SR22 in Texas, you get placed into the category of a high-risk or non-standard driver. High-risk drivers tend to pay the highest car insurance rates, but the cost of car insurance can vary by company and by state. There are many other factors that go into the cost of SR-22 insurance such as 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 conviction. On average, drivers with one DUI conviction in Texas pay $1,885 per year for car insurance, which is 46.5% more than car insurance for a driver with a clean driving record. However, the insurance cost you pay differs significantly based on the company you buy car insurance from. In the table below, you can find average rates for Texas drivers who have one DUI conviction from some of the largest companies in the state.
| Company | Car insurance rate |
|---|---|
| Geico | $1,447 |
| Progressive | $1,574 |
| USAA* | $1,580 |
| Nationwide | $2,058 |
| Allstate | $2,203 |
| State Farm | $2,376 |
| American Family | $2,491 |
*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 Texas will differ. Rate data is provided by Quadrant Information Services.
While SR-22 insurance policies are expensive, if you maintain your car insurance and SR-22 form for the duration needed all while keeping a clean driving record, your rates may go down over time.
This type of policy costs more than a standard auto insurance policy due to the violations that you caused. Each insurance company calculates SR-22 rates differently, so it's best to compare quotes from multiple insurers in order to get cheap SR-22 insurance rates. When getting the SR-22 insurance quote, make sure to ask about any discounts that the company offers. There are some discounts that you can only qualify for based on your vehicle or driving record, but there are also others such as defensive driver course discounts.
How to get SR22 insurance in Texas?
To get SR22 or SR22a insurance, you’ll need to contact your car insurance company. An SR-22 and SR-22a can only be obtained through an insurance carrier; you can’t complete it on your own. You can either have your insurer file it or send it to the Texas Department of Public Safety yourself. If your auto insurance company offers insurance coverage to drivers who need an SR-22, your company can file the form with your state and offer you car insurance coverage. If not, you’ll need to shop for a new insurance policy from a company that offers SR22 insurance coverage.
Even if your company does offer SR22 insurance, it may be a good idea for you to shop around for a new policy. Since SR-22 insurance significantly affects your rates in Texas and rates can vary by company, you may want to see if a different company can offer you a better rate.
Use the table at the top of this page to find all the car insurance companies that offer SR-22 insurance in Texas with at least 25 reviews. If you want to see which companies customers say are the best car insurance companies for SR22 insurance in Texas, 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.
If you no longer have a car but need an SR22 in Texas in order to get your license reinstated, you will need a non-owner SR-22 policy.
Are there any SR-22 fees in Texas?
When your insurance company files your SR-22 form with your state, you’ll be required to pay a small filing fee. You also have the option to file the SR-22 form yourself in Texas by mailing it or bringing it to the Texas DPS. However, you would still need to contact your insurance company to get the form because you can’t fill it out yourself.
Additionally, when your license is suspended in Texas, drivers are required to pay a reinstatement fees to the Texas DPS in order to get their license back. The fee is typically about $100 but can vary based on the violation you committed. You need to pay this fee in order to get your driving privileges in Texas back after a violation that suspended or revoked them.
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 misunderstanding 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 an 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 an 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
Guide to understanding car insurance
Whether you’re buying your insurance directly 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.