In Texas you have to obtain and carry a SR-22 for 2 years normally.

An SR-22 insurance policy is a certificate of insurance that shows the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) proof of insurance for the future, as required by law. SR-22 insurance is not necessarily "high risk" insurance. It is motor vehicle liability insurance which requires the insurance company to certify coverage to DPS, and the insurance company must notify DPS anytime the policy is cancelled, terminated or lapses.

According to the TX Department of Public Safety, the SR-22 is required for 2 years from the date of crash, date of conviction or date the judgment was rendered. You can look up the law regarding this under Texas Transportation Code 601.056.

You do not need to own a car to buy this kind of insurance. If you do not own a car, contact an insurance company of your choice and talk to them about a non-owner SR-22. You do need to however obtain the policy and SR22 form from an insurance agent who is authorized to write liability insurance for the State of Texas.

An insurance car or policy be itself is not acceptable proof of insurance when a SR22 is required. When proof of financial responsibility is required, form SR-22 must be filed to meet the compliance requirements.

If the Texas DPS receives notification from the insurance company that the policy associated with your SR22 is cancelled, terminated, or lapses while you are required to keep it in force then appropriate enforcement action may be taken against you. If the SR-22 is still required and there is not a valid SR-22 on file, your driving privilege and vehicle registration will be suspended.

The SR-22 certificate of financial responsibility can be required for a number of reasons in Texas. To name a few it is part of the driver’s license reinstatement process after an alcohol related suspension, drug offense suspension, driving while license is suspended/invalid suspension and driving without insurance suspension.

It is also required if your license was suspended due to the DPS finding that you cancelled insurance when proof is required to be filed with DPS, was in an uninsured crash and got your license suspended or received a suspension of your driver's license due to an unsatisfied judgment arising out of a traffic crash. As we mentioned earlier the DPS requires the SR-22 as part of the reinstatement process. The 2 years which it must be carried starts from either the date of your conviction, the date of the car crash or date which a judgment was rendered against you.

As you should be aware SB 502 authorized Texas minimum liability coverage amounts to be raised to $25,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person in one accident; $50,000 for bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in one accident; $25,000 for damage to or destruction of property of others in one accident as of 4-1-2008.Before April 1, 2008 the limits were $20,000/$40,000/$15,000.

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