Washington State has a financial responsibility law in regards to a motorist needing auto insurance or another form of financial responsibility (FR).The WA Department of Licensing notes that when you drive in Washington State, you must have insurance or another authorized for of financial responsibility. If you drive a vehicle that is registered in Washington, or is required to be registered under Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 46.16, you must have one of the following:

An auto insurance policy with limits of at least:

• $25,000 of bodily injury or death of one person in any one accident.
• $50,000 of bodily injury or death of any two persons in any one accident.
• $10,000 of injury to or destruction of property of others in any one accident.
• Self insurance. If you or your company has 26 vehicles or more, you may qualify for self-insurance. For more information, contact us at:
• A certificate of deposit for at least $60,000. You can make a deposit of collateral with the State Treasurer’s office or in a bank account set up for the state of Washington.
• A liability bond for at least $60,000. The bond must be filed by a surety bond company authorized to do business in this state.

If you are speaking of a SR-22 certificate of insurance and proof of financial responsibility (FR) it is defined in RCW 46-29-260. Here it states:

The term "proof of financial responsibility for the future" as used in this chapter means: Proof of ability to respond in damages for liability, on account of accidents occurring subsequent to the effective date of said proof, arising out of the ownership, maintenance, or use of a vehicle of a type subject to registration under the laws of this state, in the amount of twenty-five thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident, and, subject to said limit for one person, in the amount of fifty thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in any one accident, and in the amount of ten thousand dollars because of injury to or destruction of property of others in any one accident. Wherever used in this chapter the terms "proof of financial responsibility" or "proof" shall be synonymous with the term "proof of financial responsibility for the future."

For more information on the rules for this type of proof of financial responsibility for the future in Washington State you can read Title 46 Chapter 29 of the Revised Code of Washington. This includes RCW 46.39.600 which is titled Duration of proof – When proof may be canceled or returned.

In WA if a driver is required to obtain an SR-22 then he or she must normally maintain it for 3 years. The reason that you are required to acquire the SR-22 may change the amount of time you are required to carry it though.

You can be mandated by the state to get a SR22 for a variety of reasons from a driver's license suspension reinstatement due to a DUI, accident without insurance or a second or subsequent offense of leaving a child unattended in a running vehicle, to name a few.

Typically in WA when you are eligible to reinstate your driver license, you must file future proof of financial responsibility, also known as an SR-22, for 3 years from the date you are eligible to reinstate your driver license for that incident.

If you want to read more about financial responsibility laws regarding having insurance or another method of security (financial responsibility) you can RCW 46.30 and RCW 46.16.You can also contact the Washington State Department of Licensing for more information for the rules regarding the need for financial responsibility by means of auto insurance (or other authorized form of FR) or regarding the rules for a SR-22 proof of financial responsibility. The phone line for SR22/26 insurance certificate information from the WA DOL is 360-570-7040.

To get discount auto insurance quotes for the State of Washington click here.