If you’ve been told you need an SR-22 and you’re looking at a company like Loya Insurance Company to help you get back on the road, you’re probably not dealing with a routine insurance purchase.

Most drivers only hear the term “SR-22” after something serious happens: a DUI, a major ticket, an at-fault accident without insurance, or a license suspension. The process can feel confusing and intimidating, especially if your license is already suspended and the court or DMV is threatening more penalties if you don’t comply.

The good news is that Loya Insurance can help you through the process. An SR-22 itself is not complicated once you understand what it is, how it works with a company like Loya, and what you need to do to keep your record clean long enough to get out of the high-risk category.

What Exactly Is SR-22 Insurance?

The first thing to understand is that SR-22 is not a special type of insurance policy. It’s a certificate—sometimes called a financial responsibility filing—that your insurance company sends to the state to prove you’re carrying at least the minimum amount of liability coverage required by law.

When you buy a policy from a company like Loya and ask for an SR-22, you’re really doing two things at once:

• You’re purchasing an auto insurance policy (liability-only or full coverage).
• You’re asking the insurer to file an SR-22 form with the DMV or state agency on your behalf.

The state usually doesn’t care which company you use, as long as that company is licensed in your state and is willing to handle SR-22 filings. Once the SR-22 is on file, the state knows you’re insured. If that policy ever cancels or lapses, the insurer is required to notify the state, and that’s where many drivers get into trouble.

Why Do Drivers Need an SR-22?

States use SR-22 filings to monitor drivers they consider higher risk. You might be required to carry an SR-22 if you:

• Were convicted of a DUI or DWI.
• Were caught driving without insurance, especially if an accident was involved.
• Had your license suspended or revoked for serious traffic violations.
• Received a citation for reckless driving or multiple major tickets in a short period of time.
• Left the scene of an accident or committed certain criminal traffic offenses.

The SR-22 requirement is the state’s way of saying: “We’re going to keep an eye on your insurance status for a while. If you drop coverage or get canceled, we want to know immediately.”

How Long Does an SR-22 Requirement Last?

The exact length varies by state and by offense, but in many cases, you’ll see three-year SR-22 requirements. Some states may require only two years; in more serious cases or for repeat offenses, it might stretch beyond three.

During this time, the most important concept is continuous coverage. The clock only runs while you maintain an active policy with no gaps. If your policy with a company like Loya cancels because you missed a payment, switched insurers without filing a new SR-22, or let coverage lapse, the insurer sends the state what’s called an SR-26—essentially a cancellation notice. The state then assumes you’re uninsured again and can suspend your license or restart your SR-22 period.

That’s why staying insured, even if money is tight, is critical once you’ve been flagged as needing an SR-22.

How SR-22 Insurance Works With a Company Like Loya

When you contact an insurer that handles SR-22 filings, the process usually follows a predictable path. For a company like Loya, it typically looks like this:

1. Explain your SR-22 requirement. You start by telling the agent that you’ve been ordered to file an SR-22 and you need a policy that can satisfy that requirement.
2. Provide your personal and driving details. The agent will ask basic questions: your name, date of birth, driver’s license number (even if currently suspended), where you live, vehicle details, and information about your driving history.
3. Review your violations and past coverage. Expect questions about DUIs, accidents, prior lapses in coverage, and other major violations—these all affect your premium.
4. Choose your coverage type. Most high-risk drivers choose liability-only coverage with state minimum limits to get legal again at the lowest possible cost. If your car has value or you still owe money on it, you may decide to carry full coverage with collision and comprehensive. The SR-22 filing can attach to either type of policy.
5. Get your rate and pay the filing fee. High-risk drivers pay more than drivers with clean records; there’s no way around that. In addition to the higher premium, there is usually a one-time SR-22 filing fee, typically modest compared to the overall cost of the policy.
6. Have the SR-22 filed with the state. After you accept the quote and make the initial payment, the insurer issues your policy and files the SR-22 electronically with your state. In most cases, this happens quickly, and you’ll receive either a copy of the filing or some form of confirmation you can present to the DMV or court if needed.

From that point on, your job is to keep the policy active and avoid new violations.

What Exactly Do You Need – Owner, Non-Owner, or SR-22?

Not every driver who needs an SR-22 actually owns a vehicle. This is especially common after a DUI or a serious accident when the vehicle is totaled, sold, or repossessed. In these situations, you may still be required to carry insurance—even if you don’t currently drive a car in your name.

That’s where non-owner SR-22 policies come in. Instead of insuring a specific vehicle, a non-owner policy insures you when you occasionally drive vehicles that you don’t own, like rentals or borrowed cars. It provides liability coverage and satisfies the SR-22 requirement without the expense of a full traditional auto policy on a car that doesn’t exist.

If you do own a car, you’ll need a standard owner’s policy with the SR-22 filing attached. Some drivers who occasionally use multiple cars may fall into an “owner-operator” type situation, but the key idea is that the insurer needs to know whether you own a vehicle and how you’re using it so they can issue the correct policy type.

How Much Does Loya SR-22 Insurance Cost?

There are two main components to SR-22 insurance cost: the filing fee and the ongoing premium.

The filing fee is usually relatively small, often in the range of a few tens of dollars. It’s a one-time charge that covers the administrative work of issuing and sending the SR-22 to the state.

The bigger issue is the premium itself. If you’re in SR-22 territory, your driving record already flags you as a higher-risk driver. That risk is what pushes the premium up. The exact price depends on a combination of:

• Your age and driving history.
• The type and severity of the violation that triggered the SR-22 requirement.
• The state and city where you live.
• The vehicle you drive and how much coverage you select.
• Any prior claims or accidents on your record.

A young driver with a recent DUI who drives a newer car will usually pay much more than a middle-aged driver with a single lapse in insurance and an older, low-value vehicle. But regardless of your profile, the pattern is the same: the more risk you present, the more you’ll pay.

If you’re comparing options, it can help to look at the bigger picture—not just the monthly payment, but how long you’ll be in SR-22 status and how different coverage levels affect your risk. Get a quote and compare SR-22 insurance rates from Loya today based on your unique situation.

Getting Loya SR-22 Coverage When You Don’t Own a Car

A common point of confusion is what to do if the court or DMV orders SR-22 coverage but you don’t own a car. Many drivers assume they can ignore the requirement because they won’t be driving. Unfortunately, the state usually doesn’t see it that way. The SR-22 requirement is about proof of financial responsibility, not about whether you currently have a vehicle.

In this situation, a non-owner SR-22 policy is often the solution. You purchase a non-owner liability policy through an SR-22-friendly insurer and have them file the SR-22 with the state. Even if you never drive during that time, you’re still considered compliant, and the clock continues to run.

Later, if you buy a car, you can convert that policy to an owner’s policy without interrupting your SR-22 period—as long as you handle the switch correctly and do not allow any gaps in coverage.

Common Mistakes That Can Result in Extended SR-22 Requirements

The fastest way to get out of SR-22 status is to serve your required time without incident. The drivers who stay stuck in the high-risk category for years are usually the ones who make avoidable mistakes:

• Letting the policy cancel for non-payment and losing coverage.
• Switching insurers without making sure the new company files a replacement SR-22.
• Getting another major ticket, DUI, or at-fault accident while still in the SR-22 period.
• Ignoring renewal notices or address changes and missing key communications from the insurer or DMV.

Any time your policy cancels or the state receives an SR-26 (cancellation notice), it can trigger a license suspension and often restarts the SR-22 clock. That’s why it’s crucial to budget for your insurance bill before anything else. During this period, paying your premium is essentially part of the penalty for the violation that caused the SR-22 requirement in the first place.

How to Get Cheaper Loya SR-22 Insurance

Even though SR-22 drivers pay more, there are still ways to keep costs under control. Many drivers in this category choose state-minimum liability limits to get legal at the lowest price possible. They drive older, paid-off vehicles that don’t require full coverage and avoid unnecessary add-ons during the high-risk period.

Beyond coverage decisions, your best tools for lowering costs over time are:

• Staying ticket-free and accident-free.
• Avoiding small claims you could reasonably pay out-of-pocket.
• Maintaining continuous insurance without lapses.
• Driving a vehicle that’s inexpensive to insure—no luxury SUVs or sports cars if you’re trying to keep premiums down.

As the SR-22 period passes and your record begins to age, the surcharges tied to your violations usually start to drop off. The combination of a cleaner record and the expiration of your SR-22 requirement can significantly reduce your premium later.

What Happens When Your SR-22 Period Ends?

At the end of your required SR-22 period, you generally have two choices:

• Stay with your current insurer. You can ask them to remove the SR-22 filing from your policy, turning it back into a normal auto insurance policy. Your coverage stays in place; the only thing that disappears is the state monitoring.
• Shop around for new quotes. You can see whether another insurer offers a better rate now that your SR-22 requirement is over. If you do switch, be careful about timing so there’s no gap in coverage.

Even after SR-22, a continuous insurance history is one of the strongest signals that you’re a responsible, lower-risk driver.

Either way, the SR-22 period is not supposed to be permanent. It’s a temporary condition intended to keep you insured and monitored while you prove you can drive without further serious incidents.

The Final Word on Loya SR-22 Insurance

Needing an SR-22 from a company like Loya doesn’t mean you’re doomed as a driver, and it doesn’t mean you’ll pay sky-high rates forever. What it does mean is that, for a few years, the state is going to keep close tabs on your insurance status. Your job is to:

• Get an SR-22-compatible policy in place quickly.
• Keep that policy active with no lapses.
• Drive as if every ticket or accident will reset the clock—because in many cases, it can.

Approach the SR-22 period as a structured, temporary step. Doing so will make it much easier to get through, and eventually your rates can return closer to normal. Compare SR-22 insurance rates online and see how much you could save with direct quotes from Loya.

SR-22 Insurance FAQs

Does SR-22 insurance automatically fall off my record?

No. When your SR-22 period ends, your insurer usually needs confirmation from the state that the requirement is over. At that point, you can ask them to remove the SR-22 filing. If you do nothing, they may keep filing it and you might keep paying higher rates longer than necessary.

Can I change insurance companies while I still need an SR-22?

Yes, but you must be very careful. Make sure your new insurer is willing to file the SR-22 and that the new policy starts before the old one ends. Any gap in coverage can trigger a license suspension and may restart your SR-22 requirement.

Do I always need full coverage if I have an SR-22?

No. Many drivers in SR-22 status choose state-minimum liability coverage to keep costs as low as possible, especially if they drive older cars. However, if your vehicle has significant value or you still have a loan, your lender may require full coverage.

Can I get an SR-22 if I don’t own a car?

Yes. A non-owner SR-22 policy is designed for drivers who must prove financial responsibility but do not own a vehicle. It typically provides liability coverage when you occasionally drive cars you don’t own and keeps your SR-22 requirement in good standing.