Losing focus or making a mistake when you’re driving can lead to serious consequences. One of the potential outcomes drivers might face for a traffic violation is having their driver’s license revoked or suspended by the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (Nevada DMV).
Getting your driving privileges reinstated after a license suspension isn’t a complicated process. Unfortunately, it can become costly if you aren’t sure which steps to take to cut down on the associated costs.
We’ve put together this helpful step-by-step guide to help Nevada drivers find the best deals on insurance so they can get their licenses reinstated and get back on the road.
Before beginning the process, make sure you’ve paid any associated fines or penalties, and have complied with any court orders.
This could mean doing community service, completing a court-ordered alcohol program, or finishing a jail sentence.
If you have unpaid child support payments, you will also need to pay child support.
If you attempt to start the process while you still have outstanding fines or court orders, the process will be frozen.
You’ll have to start from the beginning—and you won’t be issued refunds for admin or filing fees.
Once you’ve addressed any outstanding issues, the next step to getting your driving privileges reinstated is obtaining SR-22 insurance.
While this is straightforward, it’s also usually the most expensive part of the process. This is due to the fact that your car insurance company is likely to raise your insurance rates because you will be considered a high risk to cover.
| Key Point: High-Risk Drivers ‘High risk’ is a term that insurance carriers use to refer to drivers who have a high likelihood of claiming from their car insurance policy. Several factors can cause you to be flagged as a high-risk driver, including:
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We’ll take you through everything you need to know about getting SR-22 insurance in Nevada in this article.
To help you find the best rate on SR-22 insurance, we’ve compared quotes from car insurance providers in these five Nevada counties:
- Clark County.
- Washoe County.
- Lyon County.
- Carson County.
- Elko County.
What Is SR-22 Insurance?
Despite being called insurance, SR-22 insurance isn’t a stand-alone insurance coverage.
Instead, it’s added to your regular car insurance coverage in order to prove that you’re meeting the state’s minimum liability requirements.
| Key Point: Minimum Liability Requirements Liability insurance protects you from financial loss due to money you might owe a third party. In the case of auto liability, this means you will have insurance coverage that pays out for medical bills, replacement, or repair if you cause death/injury to a third party or damage their property while driving. Every state in the U.S. has its own minimum liability insurance requirements, but these three aspects are always included in the coverage:
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Nevada’s minimum auto liability requirements are:
- $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person in any one accident.
- $50,000 for bodily injury or death of two or more persons in any one accident.
- $20,000 for injury to or destruction of property of others in any one accident.
That means all Nevada drivers—even those who have a clean driving record—need to have a minimum total of $95,000 in auto liability coverage.
Getting SR-22 insurance doesn’t increase this amount. An SR-22 certificate simply proves that you are meeting these minimums and are able to meet the future financial responsibility requirements if you cause:
- Death.
- Bodily injury.
- Damage to property.
Who Needs SR-22 Insurance?
If you have had your driver’s license revoked or suspended and want to get your license reinstated, you will first need to obtain SR-22 insurance coverage before you can begin the reinstatement process.
Often, the following violations require you to get SR-22 insurance:
- An at-fault accident.
- Driving without insurance.
- A DWI or DUI conviction.
- Driving with an expired insurance policy.
- Hit and run.
- Reckless driving.
- Speeding.
- Receiving too many points on your driving record.
If you were convicted of a DUI offense, your driver’s license will be suspended for the following lengths of time:
- First offense: 185-day driver’s license suspension.
- Second offense: One year’s driver’s license suspension.
- Third offense: Three years’ driver’s license suspension.
If you have had your license suspended due to a DUI conviction, you will first need to wait for the suspension period to end before you can apply for SR-22 insurance.
If you don’t obtain SR-22 insurance after a DUI conviction, the suspension period will continue indefinitely.
Types of SR-22 Insurance in Nevada
There are three different types of SR-22 insurance in Nevada, each with different restrictions. These are:
Non-owner SR-22 insurance
Non-owner insurance is for people who:
- Do not own a car.
- Aren’t planning to purchase a car.
- Do not share a house with someone who owns a car.
- Want to drive infrequently (e.g. a rental or using a friend’s car).
Owner SR-22 insurance
Owner insurance is for people who:
- Already are car owners.
- Want to purchase a car.
- Live in a house with someone who owns a car.
Owner/operator SR-22 insurance
Owner/operator insurance is for people who:
- Own multiple cars.
- Frequently drive cars that they do not own (e.g. for work).
How to Get an SR-22 in Nevada
The most difficult part of getting SR-22 insurance coverage is finding an insurer who will cover you. Many car insurance companies in Nevada do not provide coverage for high-risk drivers.
If you already have a car insurance policy, your insurer may elect to cancel your policy if they decide you are too high-risk to cover.
The first step you need to take is finding out whether your current insurance company will issue you an SR-22. Even if they do, it doesn’t always mean you should stick with them. The price of SR-22 insurance can vary greatly from one insurer to another, so you should always compare quotes to find the best rates and save money.
If you’re unable to find an insurer who can offer SR-22 insurance, you can contact the Nevada Automobile Insurance Plan and they will match you to an insurer that can provide coverage for you.
| Key Point: Nevada Automobile Insurance Plan The Nevada Automobile Insurance Plan is the last resort for high-risk drivers who cannot get insurance through regular car insurance companies. It’s usually much more expensive than traditional car insurance because it reflects the fact that you’re a very high-risk driver to insure. |
If you find a car insurance company that is able to offer you SR-22 insurance, this is the process that will follow:
- Your insurance agent will file your SR-22 with the Nevada DMV.
- Your SR-22 will be ready within 30 days.
- You will receive an SR-22 certificate by mail.
- Once received, you can begin the process of reinstating your driver’s license.
If you drive before receiving your SR-22 certificate and are in a car accident, you won’t be covered for auto liability insurance.
This means that if you need to pay a third party’s medical bills or for their property to be replaced or repaired, you will personally be held financially responsible.
If you are ordered to carry SR-22 insurance after receiving a DUI conviction, you may need to pay additional fines and complete court-ordered programs, including:
- Significantly higher car insurance rates.
- Jail time between two days and six months.
- Community service.
- Fines ranging from $400 to $1,000.
- DUI School.
- Substance abuse treatment.
- Chemical test fee of $60.
You will need to carry your SR-22 certificate with you every time you drive for a minimum of three years. If you keep a clean driving record and drive safely, you won’t have to continue carrying SR-22 insurance after this period.
If you commit further traffic violations during this period, your SR-22 will be extended and your auto insurance rates may increase further.
How Much Does SR-22 Insurance Cost in Nevada?
Here are some of the costs you can expect to pay when applying for your SR-22 certificate:
- More costly car insurance rates.
- A once-off filing fee between $25 and $50 to your insurer.
- A once-off filing fee between $15 and $35 to the Nevada DMV.
- Paying fines and fees for the traffic violation.
- A driver’s license reinstatement fee of $75.
| Key Point: Auto Insurance Rates Your auto insurance rate is the amount you agree to pay an insurer in exchange for coverage. Your auto insurance rates can be affected by these factors:
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When you apply for SR-22 insurance, you can expect your auto insurance rates to rise. The SR-22 certificate doesn’t make your insurance more expensive, but the factors that led to having to carry an SR-22 might.
When your insurer files your SR-22 with the Nevada DMV, they will have access to your driving history and will be able to see the kind of incident that led to your license being revoked or suspended.
The severity of the infringement is what will dictate how much they raise your auto insurance rates by.
It’s a good idea to compare quotes from different insurers to make sure you’re getting affordable insurance.
We’ve looked at the rates offered by Nevada insurance companies in these counties to help you find the cheapest rate on your SR-22 insurance:
- Clark County.
- Washoe County.
- Lyon County.
- Carson County.
- Elko County.
The cheapest SR-22 insurance provider in Nevada is Mercury with average rates of $259.40. The second cheapest option is Dairyland with average monthly rates of $436.20.
| Provider | Clark County | Washoe County | Lyon County | Carson City | Elko County | Average |
| Mercury | $467.00 | $258.00 | $203.00 | $187.00 | $182.00 | $259.40 |
| Dairyland | $836.00 | $396.00 | $318.00 | $315.00 | $316.00 | $436.20 |
| Bristol West | $1,275 | $443.00 | $341.00 | $341.00 | $332.00 | $546.40 |
| Geico | $886.00 | $548.00 | $608.00 | $500.00 | $528.00 | $614.00 |
How Does an SR-22 Impact Your Insurance in Nevada?
In order to illustrate how much your auto insurance rates will increase after obtaining an SR-22, we compared the rates insurers offer to drivers with a clean driving record versus those who have a history of traffic infringements.
This is how much drivers in Nevada with a clean driving record pay for car insurance:
| Provider | Clark County | Washoe County | Lyon County | Carson City | Elko County | Average |
| Travelers | $303.00 | $169.00 | $150.00 | $145.00 | $146.00 | $182.60 |
| Dairyland | $426.00 | $199.00 | $170.00 | $170.00 | $157.00 | $224.40 |
| Liberty Mutual | $427.00 | $143.00 | $149.00 | $115.00 | $113.00 | $189.40 |
| Bristol West | $433.00 | $299.00 | $219.00 | $216.00 | – | $291.75 |
| Mercury | $171.84 | – | $127.00 | $118.00 | $114.00 | $132.71 |
Here’s how much drivers in Nevada pay if they are considered a high-risk driver:
| Clark County | Washoe County | Lyon County | Carson City | Elko County | Average | |
| Dairyland | $320.00 | $153.00 | $132.00 | $132.00 | $123.00 | $172.00 |
| Bristol West | $626.00 | $435.00 | $318.00 | $314.00 | $281.00 | $394.80 |
| Mercury | $668.91 | $436.92 | $370.26 | $340.56 | $341.55 | $431.64 |
| Progressive | $208.61 | $117.67 | $151.00 | $159.52 | $154.63 | $158.29 |
Alternatives to SR-22 Insurance in Nevada
SR-21 insurance
SR-21 insurance is a certificate your insurer will issue to you in order to prove that you were insured at the time of an accident.
SR-22A insurance
If you violate the terms of your SR-22 insurance or let it lapse, you may be required to carry SR-22A insurance. This document shows insurers that you’re a very high-risk driver, and they will raise your premiums significantly.
There are only three states in the U.S. that may require you to carry SR-22A insurance:
- Georgia.
- Missouri.
- Texas.
FR-44 insurance
Some U.S. states issue FR-44 insurance instead of SR-22 insurance if you were convicted of a DUI or DWI.
These are the only two states in the U.S. to issue FR-44 insurance:
- Florida.
- Virginia.
SR-50 insurance
SR-50 is the Indiana equivalent to SR-22 insurance and is not available in Nevada.
If you move from Nevada to Indiana while you’re still carrying SR-22 insurance, you will need to inform your Indiana insurer so they can convert your SR-22 into SR-50 insurance.
FAQs about SR-22 Insurance in Nevada
Does Nevada have SR-22 insurance?
Yes. You may need to carry SR-22 insurance in Nevada if your driver’s license has been suspended or revoked after being found guilty of one of the following traffic violations:
- An at-fault accident.
- Driving without insurance.
- A DWI or DUI conviction.
- Driving with an expired insurance policy.
- Hit and run.
- Reckless driving.
- Speeding.
- Receiving too many points on your driving record.
How long is an SR-22 required in Nevada?
You will have to keep your SR-22 insurance for three years. If you violate the terms of your SR-22 insurance or allow it to lapse, you will need to carry it for a longer period.
Why do I need an SR-22 in Nevada?
SR-22 insurance proves you are meeting the state’s minimum liability insurance requirements. In Nevada, these are:
- $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person in any one accident.
- $50,000 for bodily injury or death of two or more persons in any one accident.
- $20,000 for injury to or destruction of property of others in any one accident.
All Nevada drivers—even those that have a clean driving record—need to have a minimum total of $95,000 in auto liability coverage.
SR-22 insurance shows that you are able to meet the future financial responsibility requirements if you cause injury, death, or damage to a third party or their property.
How do I get SR-22 insurance in Nevada?
Here’s how to get SR-22 insurance in Nevada:
- Pay any fines or fees related to your traffic violation.
- Complete any court-ordered programs.
- Tell your car insurer that you need SR-22 insurance.
- Your insurance agent will file your SR-22 with the Nevada DMV.
- Your SR-22 will be ready within 30 days.
- You will receive an SR-22 certificate by mail.
- Once received, you can begin the process of reinstating your driver’s license.
If you drive before receiving your SR-22 certificate and are in a car accident, you won’t be covered for auto liability insurance.
What is the cheapest SR-22 insurance in Nevada?
The cheapest SR-22 insurance provider in Nevada is Mercury with average rates of $259.40. The second cheapest option is Dairyland with average monthly rates of $436.20.
Can I drive someone else’s car in Nevada?
If you have owner or operator SR-22 insurance, you can drive someone else’s car. If you have non-owner SR-22 insurance, you can drive someone else’s car as long as they do not live in the same household as you.
If you don’t have SR-22 insurance, you cannot legally drive another person’s car in Nevada.
