An SR-22 is basically a form which must be filed by the insurance company to show the state or court that a person has auto insurance liability in effect so if you cancel your auto insurance that your SR-22 (filing of financial responsibility) was tied to then no, your SR22 would not be in effect.

The SR-22 is a form or certificate that your insurance company files with the state proving to the state that you are carrying at least the minimum auto insurance coverages that the state has mandated you to obtain and maintain for a certain period of time. If you are not longer carrying those coverages then your SR-22 is not in effect.

The certificate of financial responsibility, SR-22, is only good when your car insurance policy connected to it is in effect. If you cancel your insurance coverage then your SR-22 is also canceled since the filing is to verify you have insurance in place as you are being required to carry. Once you cancel the insurance then the insurer should inform the state that you have dropped the coverage and thus the SR-22 is no longer valid.

In many states the insurance company is required to send the state a SR-26 form when you cancel or terminate your insurance coverage that was tied to your SR-22. This SR-26 is a form showing the cancellation of SR-22 financial responsibility certificate insurance.

If you no longer have a car to insurer you should have changed over your SR-22 filing from the insurance policy you canceled, due to the total loss of your vehicle, to a non-owners policy. If after a period of time you purchase a new car to drive and insure then your insurance and SR-22 should be changed back from a non-owners to a regular, owner's policy.

Insurance companies are typically allowed to charge a nominal fee for filing the financial responsibility form (certificate) to the state. State laws differ however the SR-22 form filing fee is typically only $15 to $25.

The car insurance coverage purchased that is associated with the SR-22 form will be rated according to all the factors that normally go into rating a policy, regardless of the SR-22 form filing. The rates are not different if you are getting an SR-22 or not.

So the money that you paid for the SR-22 filing should have been a combination of the SR-22 filing fee (which is what paid your insurer to file your SR-22 with the state) and the rest was your actual insurance policy. If you canceled before your policy's end date then you would have to speak to your insurance provider about any refund due you.

How much it will cost you to get a non-owner's insurance policy with a SR-22 filing will vary depending upon the rating system of the insurance company you are going to buy your policy through. You can check rates for California car insurance here.

We would advise you to check with the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to find out if your driver's license has been suspended due to the cancellation of your insurance proof certificate (SR 22). In CA the DMV should be notified by your previous insurer that you canceled your insurance policy and thus normally should contact you and inform you that unless you file another SR-22 with them your license will be suspended.