Even if you’re usually a good driver, you may be found guilty of a serious moving violation (i.e. a traffic violation) that led to your driver’s license being suspended or revoked.
In that case, you may be ordered by the court or the Georgia Department of Driver Services (the state’s equivalent to Georgia DMV) to carry SR-22 insurance before you can apply to have your driving privileges reinstated.
If you want to reinstate your driver’s license, the process can be tedious. There are multiple steps you need to take in the proper order to get your license reinstated. Although it’s lengthy, it’s luckily not complicated.
All you need to do is have a thorough understanding of the correct procedure and take the necessary steps. One of the first and most crucial steps to getting your driver’s license reinstated in Georgia is getting SR-22 insurance.
Before obtaining SR-22 insurance, you’ll need to pay any fines and penalties, do community service, complete a program, or serve jail time, depending on the court or the Georgia Department of Driver Services’ judgment.
In this article, we’ll go through everything you need to know about getting SR-22 insurance in Georgia.
As your insurance experts, we’re committed to helping you save money and time. To help you find the best car insurance companies for an SR-22, we’ve compared auto insurance quotes in these five Georgia counties:
- Fulton County.
- Gwinnett County.
- Cobb County.
- DeKalb County.
- Chatham County.
What Is SR-22 Insurance?
In many U.S. states, SR-22 is often referred to as “financial responsibility insurance”, but it’s sometimes called a Safety Responsibility Insurance Certificate in Georgia. In fact, the “SR” in SR-22 stands for Safety Responsibility.
You may see the terms SR-22 and Safety Responsibility Insurance used interchangeably throughout the process to reinstate your driver’s license, but they both refer to the same document.
SR-22 insurance isn’t actually a type of insurance. Instead, it’s an addition to your standard car insurance that proves you are meeting the Georgia minimum auto liability coverage requirements.
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Key Point: Minimum Auto Liability Coverage Auto liability coverage is a type of insurance policy that provides financial coverage for damage you cause to another person’s property or the death/injury of another person while driving. Some of the items an auto liability coverage policy may cover include:
Every state has different minimum requirements for auto liability, but these three aspects are always included:
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These are the minimum auto liability requirements in Georgia:
- Bodily injury: $25,000 per person.
- Bodily injury: $50,000 per accident.
- Property damage: $25,000 per accident.
While all Georgia drivers must be covered for the minimum insurance requirements outlined above, those with a clean driving record won’t need to apply for SR-22 insurance.
Only drivers who have been ordered to carry SR-22 insurance will need to obtain a form that proves they are meeting these requirements.
Who Needs SR-22 Insurance?
Anyone who has had their driver’s license suspended or revoked must get SR-22 insurance before they can reinstate their license with the Georgia Department of Driver Services.
Your driver’s license may be suspended or revoked if you’ve been found guilty of a major traffic violation, such as:
- A DUI conviction.
- A DWI conviction.
- Driving without auto insurance.
- Driving without the minimum auto liability coverage.
- Reckless driving.
- Speeding.
- Gaining an excessive amount of points on your driving record.
- Repeat offenders of any of the above violations.
If you received a DUI conviction, you might be liable for additional penalties, including:
- Fines between $100 to $3,000.
- A jail sentence ranging from 10 days to 12 months.
- A minimum of 40 hours of community service.
If you’ve received a DUI conviction, the process of obtaining SR-22 insurance in Georgia is the same as any other instance where a driver’s license has been revoked or suspended.
Once you’ve obtained SR-22 insurance, you will usually need to carry it for a minimum of three years, although this can be longer depending on your individual circumstances.
After receiving your SR-22, you will need to carry it at all times while driving. If you’re found to be driving without SR-22 insurance, you may be liable for the following:
- A driver’s license suspension for up to three months.
- A fine ranging from $500 to $1,000.
- Any court costs.
- A $60 to $160 fee to reinstate your driver’s license.
If you are caught driving without SR-22 insurance while your driver’s license is still suspended, you will have your driving privileges revoked for another six months.
How to Get an SR-22 in Georgia
After paying any fines and serving any related sentences, the most crucial step in getting your driver’s license reinstated is getting SR-22 insurance.
Not all car insurance companies offer SR-22 insurance due to the high-risk nature of the driver.
This step can become time-consuming if you need to contact multiple insurers before finding one that will provide SR-22 insurance.
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Key Point: High-Risk Drivers This is a term used by auto insurance providers to describe drivers who are likely to submit a claim. Car insurers make their best business from policyholders who claim less or not at all, so they increase the cost of coverage for high-risk drivers to make up for the increased likelihood of a claim. Some of the infringements that lead to being classified as a high-risk driver include:
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Once you’ve found a car insurance company willing to give you SR-22 coverage, you should be prepared for your insurance rate to increase significantly because you are considered a high-risk driver.
If you can’t find an insurer willing to provide coverage with SR-22, you can still get coverage through the Georgia Automobile Insurance Plan.
Georgia mandates that all drivers need to have insurance, and this is an expensive last-resort option for drivers who can’t get coverage elsewhere.
If you can find a standard car insurance company that offers SR-22 insurance at a monthly rate you can afford, you can ask them to file your SR-22 insurance with the Georgia Department of Driver Services on your behalf.
You won’t be able to file your SR-22 insurance yourself.
The SR-22 documentation will be sent to you within 30 days. Once you have received your SR-22, you can apply to have your driver’s license reinstated.
Types of SR-22 Insurance in Georgia
When you apply for SR-22 insurance, your auto insurance provider will ask you what type of SR-22 insurance you need.
This is because there are three different types of SR-22 insurance, each of which places different limitations on the driver.
These are the three different types of SR-22 insurance available in Georgia:
Non-owner SR-22 insurance
Even if you don’t own a car and don’t plan to buy one, you may still need non-owner SR-22 insurance. This type of SR-22 insurance applies to people who:
- Don’t currently own a car.
- Don’t plan to buy a car.
- Want to drive irregularly (e.g., borrowing a friend or parent’s car).
If you live under the same roof as someone who does own a car, you will not be eligible for non-owner SR-22 insurance.
This is because it provides you with easy access to a vehicle, so you will need to get owner SR-22 insurance.
Owner SR-22 insurance
If you want to reinstate your driver’s license because you already own a car or plan to buy one, you will need to obtain owner SR-22 insurance. This applies to people who:
- Already own or want to buy a car.
- Live under the same roof as someone who does own a car.
- Want to reinstate a suspended or revoked driver’s license.
Owner/operator SR-22 insurance
If you own more than one car or often operate vehicles you don’t own (for example, as part of your job), you will need to obtain an SR-22 owner/operator’s certificate.
What Is SR-22A Insurance?
If you violate the terms of your SR-22 insurance, you may be ordered to carry SR-22A insurance.
Say, for example, you’ve been ordered to carry SR-22 insurance after a DUI conviction. A short time later, you’re convicted of another DUI while still carrying SR-22 insurance.
In this instance, the Georgia Department of Driver Services or court may require you to get SR-22A insurance.
There are only three states in the U.S. that require SR-22A insurance. These states are:
- Georgia.
- Missouri.
- Texas.
The process of obtaining SR-22A insurance in Georgia is identical to getting SR-22 insurance, but it’s much more costly.
Here are some of the additional penalties that will come with SR-22A insurance:
- A $15 – $35 filing fee.
- Higher auto insurance rates.
- You will need to pay six months of auto insurance upfront.
- You will need to carry SR-22A insurance for three to six years.
How Much Does SR-22 Insurance Cost in Georgia?
Some of the costs you can expect in the process of obtaining SR-22 insurance include:
- Increased car insurance rates.
- Becoming ineligible for good driver discounts.
- An admin fee to your insurer of between $25 and $50.
- Paying all related fines and fees for the traffic violation.
- A $60 driver’s license reinstatement fee to the Georgia Department of Driver Services for a first offense.
- For a second or subsequent offense, you’ll need to pay a $160 reinstatement fee to the Georgia Department of Driver Services.
SR-22 insurance itself doesn’t increase your car insurance rates. Instead, it signals to auto insurance companies that you’re a high-risk driver, and they will raise the cost of your auto insurance rates accordingly.
Upon notifying your insurance carrier that you need SR-22 coverage, they will be able to access your complete driving history with the Georgia Department of Driver Services.
Once they are able to see what driving violation you were convicted of, they will raise your auto insurance rates accordingly.
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Key Point: Auto Insurance Rates This is the amount you pay monthly to your insurance carrier in exchange for coverage. The price of your auto insurance is decided upon by considering these key factors:
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If you already have a standard car insurance policy, you should ask your current insurance company whether they offer SR-22 insurance.
While remaining with your current carrier may seem like the easiest way to get SR-22 insurance, the cost of your SR-22 insurance policy can vary significantly from one auto insurer to another.
This is why it’s always a good idea to compare quotes.
To help you begin the process, we’ve looked at the average SR-22 insurance rates of various auto insurers to help you find the lowest premium costs.
We compared insurers in the following counties:
- Fulton County.
- Gwinnett County.
- Cobb County.
- DeKalb County.
- Chatham County.
The cheapest average monthly rate is $267 with AssuranceAmerica. The most expensive monthly rate is $812 with Freedom National.
| Provider | Fulton County | Gwinnett County | Cobb County | DeKalb County | Chatham County | Average |
| Bristol West | $469.00 | $333.00 | $316.00 | $474.00 | $263.00 | $371.00 |
| The General | $668.00 | $440.00 | $409.00 | $635.00 | $487.00 | $527.80 |
| Freedom National | $880.00 | $653.00 | $663.00 | $1,014.00 | $851.00 | $812.20 |
| AssuranceAmerica | – | $212.00 | $207.00 | $359.00 | $290.00 | $267.00 |
FAQs about SR-22 Insurance in Georgia
Does Georgia have SR-22 insurance?
Yes. You may need to carry SR-22 insurance in Georgia if your driver’s license has been suspended or revoked after being charged with one of the following traffic violations:
- A DUI conviction.
- A DWI conviction.
- Driving without auto insurance.
- Driving without the minimum auto liability coverage.
- Reckless driving.
- Speeding.
- Gaining an excessive amount of points on your driving record.
- Repeat offenders of any of the above violations.
How long is an SR-22 required in Georgia?
Generally, drivers in Georgia need to carry SR-22 insurance for three years. If your violation was severe, the Georgia Department of Driver Services might require you to carry an SR-22 certificate for a longer period of time.
Why do I need an SR-22 in Georgia?
SR-22 insurance is evidence that you are meeting the minimum auto insurance requirements that Georgia mandates.
Auto liability is a type of insurance policy that provides financial coverage if you damage another person’s property or cause injury/death to another person while driving.
The minimum auto liability requirements in Georgia are:
- Bodily injury: $25,000 per person.
- Bodily injury: $50,000 per accident.
- Property damage: $25,000 per accident.
Every driver in Georgia needs to meet the minimum liability insurance requirements above.
Only drivers who have been convicted of a major traffic violation and have had their driver’s license revoked or suspended need to carry SR-22 insurance.
How do I get SR-22 insurance in Georgia?
SR-22 insurance must be filed by your car insurance company, so you will need to find a car insurance company that is able to provide SR-22 coverage at a rate you can afford.
Once you have found a car insurance company, you will need to disclose that you require SR-22 insurance.
They will file this with the Georgia Department of Driver Services, and you will receive your SR-22 certificate within 30 days.
What is the cheapest SR-22 insurance in Georgia?
We looked at the average SR-22 insurance rates of various auto insurers in five Georgia counties to help you find the lowest premium costs. We compared insurers in these counties:
- Fulton County.
- Gwinnett County.
- Cobb County.
- DeKalb County.
- Chatham County.
The cheapest average monthly rate is $267 with AssuranceAmerica. The most expensive monthly rate is $812 with Freedom National.
What is SR-22A insurance?
If you violate the terms of your SR-22 insurance, you may be ordered to carry SR-22A insurance.
There are only three states in the U.S. that require SR-22A insurance. These states are:
- Georgia.
- Missouri.
- Texas.
The process of obtaining SR-22A insurance in Georgia is identical to obtaining SR-22 insurance, but it’s much more costly. Here are some of the additional penalties that will come with SR-22A insurance:
- A $15 – $35 filing fee.
- Higher auto insurance rates.
- You will need to pay six months of auto insurance upfront.
- You will need to carry SR-22A insurance for three to six years.
Can I drive someone else’s car in Georgia?
You can only drive someone else’s car if you have obtained one of the three types of SR-22 insurance:
- Non-owner SR-22 insurance.
- Owner SR-22 insurance.
- Owner/operator SR-22 insurance.
At the very least, you will need non-owner SR-22 insurance if you plan to drive a car belonging to another person.
If you don’t have SR-22 insurance, you cannot legally drive someone else’s car.
