States vary in regards to the SR-22. In some the court is the one to mandate it, in others it is the licensing authority (Department of Motor Vehicles) and in some other states it may be mandated by the courts and/or the DMV. So while the court may not have required it as part of your DUI charge and penalty your state's DMV could mandate that you obtain a SR-22 in order to reinstate your license.

In many states if you have been convicted of a DUI you lose your license and as part of the reinstatement process you must obtain and maintain a SR22. By definition, a SR-22 is a form which must be filed by the insurance company stating that auto Liability insurance is in effect for a particular individual. It is typically required when insurance is provided to an individual who was in an accident or was convicted of a traffic offense and was unable to show financial responsibility at that time.

If you failed to show financial responsibility at the time you received your DUI then you could be required to get a SR-22 due to this reason or it could be due to the DUI itself. In some states such as Florida and Virginia if you have been convicted of a DUI you can be required to carry a FR-44 which is like a SR-22 financial responsibility filing except with higher limits. So to see if you will need to obtain a SR-22 filing you will need to contact your state's Department of Motor Vehicles.

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