Cheap SR-22 Insurance in California (2024)
If you’re considered a high-risk driver in California, you might need an SR-22 insurance form. The form is inexpensive, but the fact that you need the form might increase your insurance costs.
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Written byTaylor Milam-Samuel
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8+ years writing for major outlets, including MarketWatch and Business Insider
Master’s in Education
Taylor Mlam-Samuel is a personal finance writer and credentialed educator. When she’s not helping readers better save and spend money, she can be found teaching.
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Edited byChris Schafer
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Reviewed byMark Friedlander
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Corporate communications director for Insurance Information Institute
20+ years in insurance and communications
As Director, Corporate Communications for Triple-I, Mark serves as the non-profit’s national spokesperson, sharing information and education on a wide array of insurance issues.
Updated October 30, 2024
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Table of contents
If you're convicted of a DUI or other serious motor vehicle violation, like driving without insurance, the state of California may require you to obtain an SR-22. It's a form that your insurance company must fill out for you and submit to the state DMV verifying that you have required car insurance.
An SR-22 isn't an insurance policy, but it can signify that your premium will be more expensive.
Quick Facts
The California Department of Motor Vehicles requires an SR-22 form as proof of insurance after convictions for driving under the influence, reckless driving and driving without insurance.
The fee for filing an SR-22 form is minimal, around $25, but your car insurance premiums could increase due to your high-risk status.
You usually need to file an SR-22 form for at least three years in California. Then, after you meet the requirements, you can contact your insurer to end the filing.
What is SR-22 insurance in California, and when do you need it?
An SR-22 is a form that serves as proof of coverage for high-risk drivers. The DMV requires SR-22s to ensure that high-risk drivers have adequate insurance coverage and meet state liability requirements.
You might need an SR-22 form due to the following situations in California:
Driving under the influence (DUI)
Driving without insurance
Reckless driving
Driving with a suspended license
If you’re required to have the form and don’t get it, you could lose your license or driving privileges.
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How can you get an SR-22 in California?
If you need an SR-22 form in California, a municipal court or the California DMV will notify you. The form is often necessary due to a driving conviction. Depending on the type, you might also deal with additional obstacles, like license suspension.
To get an SR-22 form, you need coverage from an insurance company. You should confirm your insurer is well-versed on the form, what it means, and how to file it. After you set up a policy, you usually need to request that your insurer submit the form on your behalf.
Some insurers have a specific department that handles this paperwork, which can streamline the experience. Once your insurer is ready, it will submit the form to the DMV on your behalf as proof of insurance coverage.
How long is an SR-22 required in California?
The timeline for how long you need to maintain an SR-22 in California depends on the type of violation or conviction. If you need the form due to a DUI, you typically must file it with the DMV for three years. But you might need it for four years for an accident or property damage without insurance.
The timeline depends on various factors, including your personal circumstances, so check with the DMV about the specific requirements of your situation.
How much is SR-22 insurance in California?
It usually costs about $25 to file an SR-22 form in California. The cost can depend on your company, though. Most insurers add the cost of the filing to your insurance premium, so you don’t usually have to pay a separate bill.
Olivier Wagner, a CPA with a background in insurance and the founder of 1040 Abroad, explains, “A rise in insurance costs is possible for drivers who have been found guilty of a traffic infraction. Because of their heightened risk and propensity for [incidents], insurance companies perceive drivers with convictions as being more dangerous.”
It’s a good idea to talk with a potential insurer about the cost to file an SR-22 and about the specifics of the process. Even though the price can vary, an SR-22 filing shouldn’t be a monthly fee or a significant expense.
Cheapest companies for SR-22 insurance in California
If you’re shopping for auto insurance and must file an SR-22, the insurance price can be a significant consideration.
Here are some low-cost insurance companies you might want to consider, along with their average monthly rates for full coverage and liability-only car insurance.
The below rates are estimated rates current as of: Sunday, September 1 at 12:00 PM PDT.
Insurance Company ▲▼ | Liability Only ▲▼ | Full Coverage ▲▼ |
|---|---|---|
| Mile Auto | $69 | $130 |
| Sun Coast | $109 | $252 |
| Mercury | $113 | $213 |
| Anchor | $125 | $326 |
| USAA | $143 | $287 |
| National General | $153 | $379 |
| Direct Auto | $184 | $431 |
| GEICO | $191 | $382 |
| Allstate | $198 | $394 |
| Farmers | $204 | $406 |
| State Farm | $221 | $439 |
| Travelers | $231 | $461 |
| 21st Century | $252 | $503 |
| Bristol West | $288 | $490 |
| Nationwide | $311 | $620 |
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Cheapest insurance companies in California with SR-22 by city
The price of car insurance for drivers who need to file an SR-22 can vary drastically from insurer to insurer. But your location can affect the cost of your auto insurance premium too.[1]
This table can give you an idea of the monthly cost of SR-22 insurance based on where you live in California.
City ▲▼ | Insurance Company ▲▼ | Average Monthly Quote ▲▼ |
|---|---|---|
| Fresno | Bristol West | $160 |
| Fresno | National General | $161 |
| Bakersfield | National General | $168 |
| San Diego | Anchor | $169 |
| San Diego | National General | $175 |
| Los Angeles | Anchor | $181 |
| Sacramento | National General | $229 |
| San Diego | Bristol West | $287 |
| Bakersfield | Bristol West | $294 |
| Sacramento | Mercury | $297 |
| Los Angeles | Workmen’s | $298 |
| Los Angeles | Kemper | $302 |
| Palmdale | Bristol West | $311 |
| San Jose | Mercury | $312 |
| Los Angeles | Mercury | $315 |
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Our editorial team spent more than 350 hours developing the Insurify Quality (IQ) Score and scoring insurance companies. The IQ Score objectively analyzes and calculates a score for insurers using more than 15 crucial criteria. The team weighted criteria by importance to the consumer — factors such as customer reviews and affordability influence the score more than availability and third-party ratings.
We rate each company on a 1 to 10 scale based on five categories: financial ratings, customer satisfaction, affordability, customer support and transparency, and availability. Insurify updates ratings once a year or as more recent information becomes available.
- Third-party financial ratings: Insurify uses data from AM Best, S&P, Moody’s, and more to compare insurance companies’ credit and ability to pay out future claims.
- Customer satisfaction: To calculate this score, Insurify analyzed more than 28,000 customer reviews across 155 car insurance companies. We also consider third-party ratings from J.D. Power, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and Trustpilot.
- Affordability: Our data scientists analyzed more than 90 million real-time auto insurance rates from our partners across the U.S., as well as available discounts, to calculate an affordability score.
- Customer support and transparency: This measures coverage options, ease of claims filing, and the insurer's transparency surrounding discounts, coverages, and claims process.
- Availability and reach: Insurify scores availability and reach by identifying the number of states in which insurers offer coverage and company size by market share.
Cheapest recent rates in California for drivers with an SR-22
Drivers using Insurify have found quotes as cheap as $53/mo for liability only and $69/mo for full coverage in California.
*Quotes generated for Insurify users within the last 10 days. Last updated on October 30, 2024
Rates shown are real-time Insurify user quotes from 100+ insurance companies and Quadrant Information Services data. Insurify’s algorithm excludes anomalous quotes and anonymizes personal details, then displays refined quotes by price, date, and insurer popularity up to 10 days ago from October 30, 2024. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer’s unique driver profile.
*Quotes generated for Insurify users within the last 10 days. Last updated on October 30, 2024
Rates shown are real-time Insurify user quotes from 100+ insurance companies and Quadrant Information Services data. Insurify’s algorithm excludes anomalous quotes and anonymizes personal details, then displays refined quotes by price, date, and insurer popularity up to 10 days ago from October 30, 2024. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer’s unique driver profile.
How SR-22 insurance affects driving record and future rates in California
Once you have to file an SR-22 insurance form, you typically need to keep one on file for three or four years, depending on the severity of the infraction. But that doesn’t mean that the driving conviction will disappear from your record once you no longer need to submit the form.
Depending on the type, a conviction can stay on your record for up to 10 years, particularly if you're convicted of a DUI. This is important because your driving record affects the price of your insurance premiums, and the presence of the incident on your record means you might deal with increased costs long after you’re done filing an SR-22.
Fortunately, you can take some steps to improve your driving record and lower your insurance rates while still under an SR-22 requirement:
Ask your insurer about discounts. You won’t qualify for a California good driver discount while you need an SR-22, but other discounts might help lower your rate. Make sure to ask your insurance company about what’s available. For example, you might be able to bundle your auto and home insurance policies or pay your premium in full to receive a discount.[2]
Maintain a clean driving record. You can’t change the past, but you can focus on maintaining a clean current and future driving record. Make sure that you stay up to date on your monthly insurance payments and obey all traffic laws.
Keep the SR-22 form on file. The timeline for how long you need to file the SR-22 form varies. But make sure you do as instructed. If you violate the SR-22 requirements, the timeline can start over again. Stay in contact with your insurance company, and check that the form is up to date and filed as it should be.
California SR-22 insurance FAQs
The SR-22 form and process in California can be confusing. Here’s some additional information that might help as you navigate it.
How long do you have to hold an SR-22 in California?
The timeline varies depending on your circumstances and the driving conviction type. But you must generally file an SR-22 form for three or four years in California.
How do you get rid of an SR-22 in California?
You can’t do anything to eliminate an SR-22 form in California except wait for the allocated time to pass and file it each year as instructed. Once you’ve completed the process, notify your insurance company and ask it to remove the SR-22 status from your policy.
What happens to your SR-22 in California if you move?
Contact the California DMV and your insurer if you move. You’ll receive instructions about the steps you need to take. You’ll typically need to file an SR-22 in your new state.
Do you need an SR-22 in California if you don’t have a car?
If you don’t own a car, you need a named nonowner coverage endorsement with an SR-22. The policy meets the requirement for an SR-22. Plus, it provides insurance coverage for you whenever you drive.
Sources
- Insurance Information Institute. "What determines the price of an auto insurance policy?."
- Insurance Information Institute. "Nine ways to lower your auto insurance costs."
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Taylor Milam-Samuel
Taylor Milam-Samuel is a writer and credentialed educator who is fascinated by how people earn, save, and spend their money. When she's not researching financial terms and conditions, she can be found in the classroom teaching.
15+ years in content creation
7+ years in business and financial services content
Chris is a seasoned writer/editor with past experience across myriad industries, including insurance, SAS, finance, Medicare, logistics, marketing/advertising, and many more.
Featured in
Corporate communications director for Insurance Information Institute
20+ years in insurance and communications
As Director, Corporate Communications for Triple-I, Mark serves as the non-profit’s national spokesperson, sharing information and education on a wide array of insurance issues.