Last updated: October 9, 2024
Guide to SR-22s in Virginia
Expect car insurance rates to increase about 40 percent if you need to file an SR-22 in Virginia.
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In the state of Virginia, drivers who have committed a serious driving offense—including driving out insurance, falsifying insurance coverage, or a DUI conviction—need to file an SR-22, which is proof of minimum coverage. When it comes to financial responsibility certifications, an SR-22 is different from an FR-44, which is proof of coverage twice the minimum. Let’s take a closer look at SR-22s in the Old Dominion State.
Editor’s note (last updated October 2024): This page has been updated with the most recent pricing data and updated driving laws for Virginia, including the state’s mandatory auto insurance requirement, effective July 1, 2024.
Average Cost of SR-22 Insurance in Virginia
Your car insurance in Virginia will increase by an average of 27 percent if you are required to get an SR-22, and 72 percent for FR-44s.
| Insurance Type (Minimum limits) | Average Monthly Cost | Average Annual Cost | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| SR-22 | $74 | $888 | 27% |
| FR-44 | $100 | $1,200 | 72% |
| Standard Policy (Clean record) | $58 | $699 | N/A |
Having an SR-22 or FR-44 signals to insurance companies that you are a high-risk driver, so they charge you a higher insurance premium in anticipation of future losses. In contrast, someone with no driving violations on their record will see lower rates for liability insurance and other coverages.
How to Find SR-22 or FR-44 Insurance in Virginia
- Determine which form you need—SR-22 for most violations, FR-44 for DUI/DWI offenses.
- Contact your current auto insurance provider to see if they offer SR-22 or FR-44 filing. If you don’t own a car, obtain a non-owner policy with the required SR-22 or FR-44 filing.
- Shop for a new insurer if your current insurer doesn’t offer SR-22s/FR-44s or quotes you an exorbitant rate.
- Purchase a policy that meets Virginia’s minimum liability requirements:
- SR-22: 30/60/20 coverage
- FR-44: 60/120/40 coverage
- Pay the filing fee, typically $15 to $25.
- Confirm that your insurance company files the SR-22 or FR-44 form electronically with the Virginia DMV on your behalf.
- Maintain continuous coverage for the required period, usually three years.
Budget for higher insurance premiums due to your high-risk status. Drive responsibly to avoid further violations and potentially reduce your insurance costs over time.
When Do You Need an SR-22 in Virginia?
Here are the convictions for which Virginia car insurance laws require you to get an SR-22:
- Unsatisfied judgments
- Failure to provide proof of insurance for insurance monitoring
- Falsifying a certification of insurance
- Suspension due to:
- Driving without insurance
- Voluntary or involuntary vehicular manslaughter
- Perjury regarding motor vehicle registration or a driver’s license application
- Motor vehicle felony
- A second conviction of operating, or permitting someone else to operate, a vehicle with passengers for rent or hire without a license
- Failure to stop and exchange information at the scene of an accident that resulted in injury or death to another person, also known as a hit-and-run
An FR-44 is usually required for:
- Maiming while under the influence
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI/DWI)
- Driving on a suspended license due to a DUI conviction
- Violation of similar federal, state or local laws related to DUI offenses
Your insurance company can file the SR-22 or FR-44 with the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) electronically by using this application: https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/webdoc/pdf/US532e.pdf. Once it is filled out, it can be submitted using the following methods.
- Email: useagreement@dmv.virginia.gov
- Fax: 804-367-2536
You’ll have to pay a $25 application fee and maintain your SR-22/FR-44 for three years following your license reinstatement date. The form will cover your car only, not any car you drive, as car insurance follows vehicles, not drivers.
How to Find Affordable Insurance
Being a high-risk driver in Virginia means higher insurance costs necessarily. But there are ways to keep your premiums as low as possible, even with an SR-22.
Take a Defensive Driving Class
Virginia will assign points to your license for various driving offenses, like involuntary manslaughter, driving under the influence, and speeding. Fortunately, the state gives you the opportunity, every two years, to have five points removed from your driving record by taking a defensive driving course.
The class could be court-ordered or optional for those 55 and older (senior drivers). The eight-hour class costs $100. Find a course at https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/drivers/#clinics.asp.
Ask for Discounts
Depending on the insurance company, you may be able to get discounts for:
- Bundling home and auto insurance
- Having multiple vehicles on your policy
- Enrolling in paperless billing
- Paying your policy in full
Ask your insurance agent which discounts apply to you.
Get Minimum Coverage
As of July 1, 2024, all drivers must carry car insurance in Virginia (prior to that, the state allowed drivers to waive coverage if they paid a $500 uninsured motorist fee). Purchasing a policy with the minimum coverage and limits required by the state will be cheapest, though it may leave you financially vulnerable in the event of an accident.
Raise Your Deductible
If you have collision and comprehensive coverage, which apply to property damages from collisions, theft, vandalism, and other incidents, raise your deductible to lower your premium.
TIP:
Make sure the deductible is an amount you could afford to pay if you had property damages tomorrow. If you can’t pay your deductible, your insurance provider won’t contribute to your repair or replacement costs.
Try Non-Owner Insurance
What if the state requires you to carry an SR-22 but you don’t own a car? Do you still have to get insurance?
The answer is yes, but one cheap option is non-owner car insurance, which has an average cost of only $356 annually. That is much cheaper than the average annual cost of regular car insurance in Virginia ($928). However, prices will be higher if you choose more liability coverage, have a bad driving record, or live in or near a city like Richmond or the Washington, D.C., area.
Get Usage-Based Insurance
Virginia has the 9th-highest average commute time in the U.S. at 28 minutes, according to 2022 U.S. Census data. However, 35 percent of the state’s population work from home. Additionally, of the drivers who don’t work remotely, nearly a quarter have a commute less than 15 minutes long.1
If you work from home or have a short commute, consider pay-per-mile, or usage-based, insurance. Strictly pay-per-mile insurance plans will charge you based on your mileage, while some programs also track your driving habits. You can save money if you drive fewer miles than average or if you drive safely, avoiding hard braking, rapid acceleration, and distracted driving.
Does Virginia Require Car Insurance?
As of July 2024, Virginia requires car insurance for all drivers. An SR-22 is a form of proof that you hold an insurance policy with the following liability limits.2
| Effective dates of the policy | Bodily injury liability per person | Bodily injury liability per accident | Property damage liability per accident |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 1, 2022-Dec. 31, 2024 | $30,000 | $60,000 | $20,000 |
| On or after January 1, 2025 | $50,000 | $100,000 | $25,000 |
NOTE:
The minimum coverage would apply only to property damages and medical costs of people outside of your vehicle, not you or any of your passengers. We recommend getting more coverage, including medical payments, collision, comprehensive, and uninsured/underinsured motorist property damage/bodily injury coverage.
Conclusion
Want to learn more about when insurance is required in Virginia? Read our guide to FR-44s, which require higher liability limits compared to SR-22s. Or continue reading our frequently asked questions below to learn more about SR-22s in Virginia.
Frequently Asked Questions
A suspended license will stay on your record for at least three years, according to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
SR-22s and FR-44s are required for different types of convictions and have different liability limits. FR-44s are for more serious convictions and have double the liability limits of SR-22s.
| Specifics of insurance proof required in Virginia by type | SR-22 | FR-44 | SR-22 | FR-44 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Policy effective date | Jan. 1, 2022-Dec. 31, 2024 | Jan 1. 2022-Dec. 31, 2024 | On or after Jan. 1, 2025 | On or after Jan. 1, 2025 |
| Bodily injury per person | $30,000 | $60,000 | $50,000 | $100,000 |
| Bodily injury per accident | $60,000 | $120,000 | $100,000 | $200,000 |
| Property damage per accident | $20,000 | $40,000 | $25,000 | $50,000 |
Both SR-22 and FR-44 certificates in Virginia will raise your premium, as they designate you as a high-risk driver. You may have more difficulty finding coverage than someone with a clean driving record as a result.
Typically, you will have to have an FR-44 for three years in Virginia.
You cannot get an SR-22 removed in Virginia unless your conviction was overturned or you satisfied a judgment. Rather, you’ll have to wait until your license reinstatement date, typically three years from your conviction date.
Citations
Commuting Characteristics by Sex. United States Census. (2023).
https://data.census.gov/table?q=Commuting&g=010XX00US$0400000Code of Virginia § 46.2-472. Coverage of owner’s policy. Virginia Law. (2023).
https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter3/section46.2-472/
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