Updated June 2026
What Is SR-22 Insurance Insurance?
SR-22 is a state-mandated form your insurance carrier files electronically with Arizona MVD confirming you carry at least the minimum liability coverage — $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident, and $15,000 property damage. The form itself is not a policy or a type of coverage. Your carrier charges a one-time filing fee, typically $15 to $50, and must notify MVD within 10 days if your policy cancels or lapses. Arizona requires SR-22 after DUI, multiple violations within 12 months, driving without insurance, or at-fault accidents while uninsured.
- You complete Arizona DUI suspension requirements and need to reinstate. You own a car. You buy a standard auto liability policy meeting 25/50/15 minimums and request SR-22 filing at purchase. Your carrier files electronically with MVD within 24 hours. Arizona MVD clears the SR-22 requirement block and you pay the $10 reinstatement fee. You maintain the SR-22 filing for 3 years from the conviction date, not the filing date.
- Arizona suspended your license after a traffic stop revealed no insurance. You sold your car and don't plan to drive for six months. You buy a non-owner SR-22 policy for $35 to $60 per month. The policy provides liability coverage when you drive borrowed or rental cars and satisfies Arizona's SR-22 filing requirement without requiring vehicle ownership. Your license remains valid but you cannot drive your own vehicle under a non-owner policy.
- You miss a payment in month 18 of your 36-month SR-22 requirement. Your carrier cancels your policy and files SR-22 cancellation notice with Arizona MVD the same day. MVD suspends your license within 48 hours. To reinstate, you pay a $50 suspension fee, purchase new insurance with SR-22 filing, and restart the full 3-year SR-22 clock from the new filing date — not from where you left off.
Who Needs SR-22 Insurance Insurance?
You need SR-22 if Arizona MVD sent a notice requiring it for reinstatement or if a court ordered it as a condition of license restoration. Common triggers: DUI or extreme DUI conviction, reckless driving, accumulating 8 points in 12 months, driving uninsured, at-fault accident without insurance, or multiple license suspensions. If you don't own a car, non-owner SR-22 satisfies the requirement and costs half what standard coverage costs.
Check your Arizona MVD suspension or reinstatement letter — it will state explicitly whether SR-22 is required. If required, you cannot reinstate without it. If you own a vehicle, add SR-22 to your regular auto policy. If you don't own a vehicle or won't drive regularly, buy non-owner SR-22 coverage. Set a calendar reminder for your 3-year SR-22 end date so you can shop standard-rate policies the month it expires.
How Much Does SR-22 Insurance Insurance Cost?
SR-22 filing adds $15 to $50 one-time to your policy. The violation requiring SR-22 raises premiums $80 to $200 per month depending on offense severity.
- DUI raises Arizona rates 60% to 110% on average for three years regardless of SR-22 filing status
- Multiple moving violations requiring SR-22 typically add 40% to 70% to base premium
- Non-owner SR-22 policies cost $35 to $75 per month in Arizona, significantly less than standard policies
- Maintaining SR-22 for the full 3 years without lapse qualifies you for standard-rate policies again
- Carriers specializing in high-risk drivers often quote $50 to $100 less per month than standard carriers post-violation