If you're facing a court date due to a traffic violation, one outcome of your case could be that you have to get SR-22 insurance. An SR-22 filing informs the state that you have adequate insurance coverage, and it informs the state if you let your coverage lapse. Here's when you might need SR-22 insurance and how you get it.

When SR-22 Insurance Could Be Required

The laws concerning SR-22 requirements and filings vary by state and the requirements may even vary in your state according to the offense. It's possible that you'll be required to get this kind of insurance after getting arrested for a DUI, getting caught driving without insurance, or receiving several traffic violations. An SR-22 in itself is not actual insurance. It is just a notification filed by your insurance company with your state that verifies you have insurance coverage. You may need to maintain this filing for a few years, and if you let your insurance lapse, the insurance company will inform the state and you may be required to start the SR-22 process all over again.

How To Buy SR-22 Insurance

Not all insurance companies want to bother with SR-22 filings. If you currently have insurance, the company may drop you. In order to start the clock ticking on the mandated length of your SR-22 filing, you have to purchase insurance. The only charge for an SR-22 is the filing fee, which should be an affordable cost. However, if you've had a traffic violation that results in the need for an SR-22, your insurance rates will probably soar.

The purpose of obtaining an SR-22 is so the state knows that you have at least the minimum amount of insurance when you drive and are able to be financially responsible for an accident you cause. Driving without insurance or without an SR-22 when you're required to have one could result in even more severe punishment from the court.

Finding SR-22 insurance is just like looking for any other type of car insurance. Find a company that will file your SR-22 with the state and then talk to an agent about how to get insurance at an affordable price. You might need to get a nonowners policy and drive a family member's car occasionally rather than have your own car. You might need to downgrade your new vehicle to an old car to get the best insurance rate.

As long as you keep your driving record clean, you'll be free from the SR-22 requirement in a few years and your traffic violation will have aged, and this might help you get more affordable insurance again.

For more information on SR-22 insurance, contact an insurance company.