SR-22 Insurance Cost and What Drives It

“How much is SR-22 insurance?” has two answers. The filing itself is cheap, usually a one-time fee of $15 to $50. The policy behind it is what costs money, and its price depends mostly on why you needed the filing in the first place.

The numbers

Situation	Average cost	Source
SR-22 filing fee (one-time)	$15–$50, typically about $25	Insure.com, May 2026
Policy with one DUI conviction	$4,174 a year ($348 a month)	Insure.com, May 2026
Premium increase from filing an SR-22	about 9% on average (range 1%–33%)	Insure.com, May 2026
Non-owner SR-22 policy	$574 a year	CarInsurance.com, July 2026
Non-owner SR-22 policy with a DUI	$1,040 a year	CarInsurance.com, July 2026

Sources: Insure.com, “Average SR-22 insurance cost,” published May 11, 2026; CarInsurance.com, “Non-owner SR-22 insurance,” updated July 17, 2026 (40-year-old driver profiles). Averages only; your quote will differ.

The most useful line is the third. Filing an SR-22 raised premiums by only about 9% on average in that analysis. The big increases come from the violation on your record — a DUI, driving uninsured, a string of tickets — which insurers would price in with or without the form.

What drives the price

The reason for the filing. A lapse in cover or driving uninsured usually costs much less to recover from than a DUI or a serious at-fault accident. Several offenses on one record cost more than one.

Where you live. State rules, local accident and theft rates, repair costs and how often claims end up in court all feed into the base rate before any surcharge is added. Premiums for clean-record drivers already differ by more than $2,600 a year between the cheapest and most expensive states.

FR-44 states. Florida and Virginia require much higher liability limits on an FR-44 than other states do on an SR-22, and higher limits cost more. See SR-22 after a DUI.

Age and experience. Younger and newly licensed drivers pay more at every level of risk, and a major violation widens that gap.

The car and the cover. Insuring an expensive or powerful car with collision and comprehensive costs far more than liability on an older car. A lender or lease company may require full cover.

The insurer. Companies price high-risk drivers very differently. Some specialize in them; others avoid them or don't file SR-22s at all. For drivers with a violation, the spread between quotes is typically much wider than for clean-record drivers.

Other personal factors, where the law allows them: credit-based insurance scores (banned in auto pricing in a few states), marital status, and annual mileage.

Ways to pay less

Get several quotes. This makes the biggest difference. Include companies that specialize in high-risk drivers, as well as the large national insurers.
Choose the right type. If you don't own a car, a non-owner policy costs a fraction of an owner's policy.
Match cover to the car. On an older, paid-off car, dropping collision and comprehensive can cut the premium substantially. Keep liability at least at the level the state requires, and think carefully before going down to the bare minimum: you are personally responsible for anything above the limits.
Pay in full, or automatically. Paying the term up front often avoids instalment fees, and automatic payments protect you from an accidental lapse, which is the costliest mistake an SR-22 driver can make.
Ask about discounts you still qualify for: multi-policy, defensive driving courses where the state recognizes them, anti-theft and safety equipment, paperless billing. See the full list of car insurance discounts.
Drive less, if you can. Lower annual mileage lowers the risk insurers price for, and some offer usage-based programs.
Keep your record clean for the rest of the filing period. A new violation while the SR-22 is active is priced very heavily.
Re-shop when the filing ends, and again as the original violation ages off your record.

What not to do

Don't let the policy lapse to save a month's premium. The insurer must report it, your license is suspended, you pay the reinstatement fee again, and in many states the filing period restarts. And don't leave out drivers or violations on the application: misrepresentation can void the policy exactly when you need it.

Ready to compare? The quote form asks whether you need an SR-22, so insurers can quote you correctly the first time.

More on SR-22

SR-22 insurance explained — what it is, who needs one and how long it lasts
Non-owner SR-22 insurance — for drivers who don't own a car
SR-22 after a DUI — filing periods, FR-44 states and costs