You may need to get SR-22 insurance in Tennessee if the state suspends your driver’s license.
Or, rather, your insurance provider may need to file an SR-22 form with the state for you to prove you carry enough liability coverage after you lose your license.
Keep reading to find out when and why you have to file an SR-22 form in this state, plus:
- How to get SR-22 insurance
- How much SR-22 insurance costs in Tennessee
- How long you need to file an SR-22 here
Where Can I Get SR-22 Insurance in Tennessee?
You can get SR-22 insurance in Tennessee from most of the insurance companies that serve the state.
You don’t buy an actual SR-22 policy or SR-22 coverage. What you buy is a standard car insurance policy. Then the company that sold it to you files an SR-22 form, also called a “certificate of financial responsibility,” with the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles on your behalf.
An SR-22 form proves you have the liability car insurance coverage your state requires. As a result, officials there can rest assured you'll be able to pay for any damage you cause while on the road.
Like Tennessee, most states require you to file an SR-22 form – and prove you have enough liability coverage – if they suspend your driver’s license for:
- Driving under the influence (DUI or DWI)
- Getting too many speeding tickets or other traffic citations
- Driving recklessly or being cited for another major moving violation
- Driving without car insurance
How Much Does SR-22 Insurance Cost in Tennessee?
It’s impossible to say exactly what you’ll pay for SR-22 insurance in Tennessee, but what can be said is you’ll pay more than you would if you didn’t need to file an SR-22.
One reason for that is most car insurance companies will charge you a fee of between $15 and $50 for filling an SR-22 form with your state DMV. Thankfully, most only charge this fee once, rather than every time they file a form for you.
Another reason is most companies will increase your car insurance rates because of whatever prompted your state to require the SR-22. For example, having a DUI on your driving record can raise your rates by three to five times what they would be without a DUI.
So, what can you do to get cheap SR-22 insurance in Tennessee? Or what can you do to get the cheapest SR-22 insurance in this state? Shop around and compare car insurance rates from multiple companies.
How Long Do I Need to File an SR-22 in Tennessee?
Tennessee might require you to file an SR-22 for a total of five years after it suspends your driver’s license, according to the state’s Department of Safety and Homeland Security.
That said, if you or your insurance company file this form for three out of five years, the state may remove your SR-22 requirement – as long as it’s not required for another suspension.
Just make sure you don’t let your SR-22 car insurance lapse during this period. If you do, or if your policy is canceled in that time, your insurance company will tell the state about it. And then the state will require you to start the five-year SR-22 filing process all over again.
Successfully file these forms for the needed three to five years, though, and you could be rewarded with more than the removal of your SR-22 requirement. In many cases, your car insurance rates will drop at this point, too. They probably won’t drop as low as they were before the state suspended your driver’s license, but they should be a lot more affordable than they’ve been since then.
Do I Need to File an SR-22 in Tennessee if I Don’t Have a Car?
If the state or a court says you need to file an SR-22, you need to file it even if you don’t have a car--assuming you want your driver’s license reinstated.
You have to meet other Tennessee SR-22 requirements, too. For example, you need to carry at least the state minimum amount of auto liability coverage. Here, that means:
- $25,000 of bodily injury liability insurance per person
- $50,000 of bodily injury liability insurance per accident
- $15,000 of property damage liability per accident
One way to achieve this is to buy a non-owners policy.
Non-owner car insurance only covers the person who buys it. You can't add other drivers to it like you can with most other auto policies. Also, it usually provides just bodily injury and property damage liability coverage. It doesn’t provide collision or comprehensive coverage.
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