SR22 Insurance Guidelines for the Texas DPS Office
How to Decide On the Best Texas SR-22 Policy for You
The Texas Department of Public Safety mandates SR-22 requirements for drivers in Texas. If you have certain violations that have occurred in Texas, you may be required to maintain SR22 insurance. If that is the case, WESSELL INSURANCE SERVICES can issue a policy to reinstate your driver's license.
Violations that trigger an SR22 requirement include, but are not limited to: DUI, driving without insurance, reckless driving, or acquiring too many points within a certain period of time. Normally, there will be a 2-year period that a filing must be held. The state will determine the amount of time, and a policy will need to be maintained until that date, or your license will be suspended. The insurance company and the DPS office will communicate to assure that the policy is kept in force. As long as the SR22 policy is maintained, the state will allow the license to remain valid on either a hardship or occupational status.
There are 2 options within the state of Texas to accomplish the SR22 requirement, and get your license reinstated or avoid license suspension. In either of the following scenarios, state minimum liability insurance limits must be maintained. First, you can insure your vehicle (car, truck, motorcycle, scooter) in a traditional manner, and obtain the SR22 as an attachment to the policy. This can be done with liability-only or full coverage, depending on the type and age of the vehicle. A second option is to obtain a non-owner policy with the liability limits applied to you, and with coverage for vehicles that you operate but do not own. This non-owner SR22 (or named-operator SR22) can also be used if you own a vehicle and already have coverage in place. This way you will not have to involve your existing insurance company, and you can still take care of the license problem. This scenario will also apply if you are not a resident of Texas, but have moving violations within the state from past occurrences. The non-owner SR22 is by far our most popular product, mainly for the discretion it provides.
Many of our clients in Texas have opted to insure a motorcycle or a scooter to get a much lower rate. At WESSELL INSURANCE SERVICES, we can satisfy the DPS with an SR22 policy written on any vehicle that can be operated legally on a public street. In most cases, a motorcycle policy will run $300/year for the first year, and then decrease to about $100/year for each successive year. You may want to consider applying for SR22 insurance on a motorcycle/scooter if you are younger or live in the Houston area or other areas in Texas that involve more expensive insurance. We have had tremendous success with our cycle programs, and the cost savings is tremendous.
No matter what the circumstance, you can obtain SR22 insurance within minutes from WESSELL INSURANCE SERVICES by calling one of our agents at 866-663-7561, Ext. 0, or by completing an online quote request form. Your information will be kept in confidence, and the filing will be emailed/faxed to you within 30 minutes for your signature.
Minimum mandatory insurance coverage for the State of Texas is:
■ $20,000 bodily injury for one person in one accident
■ $40,000 for two or more persons in one accident
■ $15,000 property damage incurred in one accident
For additional information regarding Texas financial responsibility SR-22 high-risk auto insurance contact:
Texas Department of Public Safety
P.O. Box 4087
Austin, TX 78773-001
Phone: 512-424-2000
