-
How to Reinstate Your License With an SR22 Bond
Whenever your driver’s license is revoked or suspended, many states require SR22 Bonds be issued by an automobile insurance company before they will allow the restoration of your driver’s license and driving privileges. If you are convicted of serious driving offenses such as: driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, driving while intoxicated or reckless driving, you will probably be required to file proof of financial responsibility in the form of a SR22. So, here is a step-by-step guide on how to get a SR22 Bond or proof of financial responsibility.
Contact an Insurance Company
If your state requires a SR22 Bond filing, you will need to find insurance companies that are licensed to provide SR22 bonds in your state. A particular insurance company’s willingness to provide you with an SR22 proof of financial responsibility document will usually depend on your personal driving record as well as the insurance company’s assessment of risk in providing you the document. So, you may find that there are some insurance companies not willing to provide a SR22 in all cases. However, you can search for companies that provide SR22 filings on the Internet by simply typing in terms like “shop for SR 22” and clicking the search button. By using this method, you will find that there are even websites that specialize in helping drivers get SR22 bonds. Alternatively, you could use the yellow pages of your local telephone directory to try to find insurance companies that offer SR22 filings.
Request Quotes
Just like with any other auto insurance policy, you should compare quotes from as many companies as possible. The only real difference between applying for a regular car insurance policy and a SR22 Bond is that the cost of a SR22 will be significantly higher than a regular car insurance policy. Getting quotes from as many companies as possible will be essential in trying to save some money.
Select a Company and Pay the Premium
Once you have found a company that is willing to issue a SR22 Bond for you (and one that you want to use), you should go ahead and pay the premium to the company so that the insurance company can begin processing your SR22 Bond document. You also need to make sure you have a minimum liability policy in force. Using the same company that issues your SR22 Bond to provide your liability automobile insurance policy is usually the best idea.
Visit Your State’s Department of Motor Vehicles
After the insurance company has accepted your request for a SR22 Bond, and you have paid the premium, you should receive the SR22 document in the mail within a few days. Once you receive the document, take it with you to your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles office nearest to you. Once you present the SR22 Bond to the DMV, you’ll be able to apply to have your driver’s license and driving privileges restored. Depending upon the state you live in, driving privileges may be restored immediately or you may be required to wait while the documents are processed. If you are required to wait for processing, you will usually be allowed to return within 30 – 90 days to pick up your new driver’s license.
Many states allow for you to have a suspended or revoked driver’s license reinstated if you provide proof of financial responsibility in the form of an SR22 Bond. In some cases, the court or your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) may waive significant periods of time for a suspension if you provide an SR22 bond to the DMV. Generally speaking, this may allow you to have your driving privileges restored much sooner than was originally mandated by the court that ordered your driver’s license be revoked or suspended.
In addition to helping reduce the time of a driver’s license suspension in some cases, an SR22 Bond may be the only way that your state’s DMV will consider reinstating a revoked driver’s license. The revocation of a driver’s license can be for a lifetime, but sometimes the state may reconsider. If you are allowed to attend a hearing regarding the reconsideration of your driver’s license revocation, most states will require that you file an SR22 Bond for a specified period of time. Though costly, it can help get your revoked driver’s license reinstated.
Although an SR22 Bond can help restore your driving privileges in the state you live in, SR22 bonds are not without some disadvantages. If you’re required to attain an SR22 bond, you will find that companies that make these bonds available only do so in return for a very high premium price. In fact, it is not uncommon for SR22 Bond filings to cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
In addition to the high cost of SR22 bonds, you may be required to maintain an SR22 Bond for very long periods of time. While you’ll generally only be required to pay for an SR22 Bond once, you’ll also need to make sure that you maintain the legal minimum amount of liability car insurance required in your state. If your state has DMV approves the restoration of your driver’s license based on an SR22 filing, you’ll be required to maintain automobile insurance for the entire period as subscribed by the court order or your state’s DMV.
Once your driver’s license is restored based on an SR22 document, you’ll need to always make sure that your mobile insurance is never cancelled or lapses. If it does, the insurance company is required by law to contact your state’s DMV. If this happens, most states DMVs will immediately issue an order again suspending your driver’s license and driving privileges. In some cases, you may be required to begin the whole process over again, to again have your driver’s license reinstated.
