Missouri drivers with a suspended license due to reckless driving or another serious traffic violation may need to legally file an SR-22 form with the state in order to reinstate their driving privileges.

An SR-22 form, sometimes referred to as SR-22 insurance, is a document your insurance company files with the state as evidence that you carry the state’s minimum liability requirements for auto insurance.

Here’s what drivers in the Show Me State need to know about SR-22 car insurance, including how to compare quotes and coverage options.

Cheapest companies for SR-22 insurance in Missouri

Missouri drivers charged with traffic violations like driving while intoxicated (commonly known as a DWI or DUI) or reckless driving may have to file an SR-22 form to maintain their driver’s licenses. If you need an SR-22 policy, you’ll likely pay higher insurance premiums than a driver with a standard car insurance policy. Insurers typically consider you a high-risk driver if you need an SR-22 filing.

Your insurance payments with an SR-22 will depend on several factors, including your car insurance company, ZIP code, marital status, age, and other demographic information, as well as the severity of the incident or incidents that led to your SR-22 requirement.

To find the cheapest car insurance companies in Missouri, consider starting your search with the following top insurance companies offering SR-22 insurance.

What is SR-22 insurance in Missouri?

Insurance companies may refer to it as a type of insurance product, but an SR-22 insurance filing in Missouri is actually a certificate of financial responsibility. The Missouri Department of Motor Vehicles may suspend your driver’s license if you have a serious driving violation on your record.

The SR-22 filing acts as legal proof that you have adequate insurance coverage from an auto insurance company to meet the minimum requirements set by Missouri state law.

You only need to file an SR-22 form if you had your license suspended because of a driving violation. If you have a clean record with no history of driving or insurance violations, you won’t need to file an SR-22 in Missouri.1

Difference between SR-22 and FR-44

FR-44 forms are another type of insurance certificate that offer proof of financial responsibility, but they differ from SR-22s in some important ways. Missouri doesn’t require FR-44 forms. The only two states that require drivers with suspended licenses to file FR-44 certificates are Florida and Virginia.

In Florida and Virginia, the FR-44 form is typically only for high-risk drivers who have committed serious traffic violations, such as driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license, or reckless driving that causes an accident with extensive property damage, serious injury, or death. Drivers who need to file an FR-44 legally need to carry more coverage than their state’s minimum auto insurance.

When you need SR-22 insurance

Missouri drivers only need to file an SR-22 form if the state suspends your license because of a driving or insurance violation. Missouri’s mandatory insurance law specifies the following reasons why a person may need SR-22 insurance:

• Motor vehicle accident judgment: You may lose your driver’s license if you receive a judgment in court for failing to pay for the damages you’re responsible for following a motor vehicle accident.

• Failure to file an accident report: If you were in a car accident with an uninsured driver, the Missouri DMV may require you to file an accident report. Failure to do so may result in a suspension of your license.

• Failure to pay for damages: This situation applies to drivers found at fault in an accident who fail to pay the other party for property damage or personal injury they caused.

• False insurance: Showing false insurance to a police officer or the Missouri Department of Revenue will result in license suspension.

• Failure to show proof of insurance: Not showing proof of insurance to the Department of Revenue when requested, whether because you don’t have insurance or simply neglecting to provide the requested proof, will result in a suspended license.

• Failure to maintain liability insurance: Allowing your required SR-22 insurance filing to lapse prior to the end of the three-year requirement will result in a resuspension of your license.

• Alcohol and drug-related offenses: Drivers who receive a DWI or who refuse to submit to an alcohol or drug test will lose their driving privileges.2 3

In all these cases, the driver must fulfill necessary reinstatement requirements with the Missouri Driver License Bureau, which includes providing proof of insurance. The most commonly used proof of insurance for reinstatement is an SR-22 filing.

How to get SR-22 insurance in Missouri

If you’re a Missouri driver with a suspended license because of a violation, your insurer will have to submit an SR-22 on your behalf to reinstate your driving privileges.

Here’s the step-by-step process in Missouri:

How long Missouri requires SR-22 insurance 

Missouri drivers need to maintain an SR-22 filing for two or three years, depending on the specific violations that led to the suspension. The state requires drivers suspended due to a motor vehicle accident judgment to maintain an SR-22 for two years, but drivers suspended because of false insurance or failure to show proof of insurance have to maintain the filing for three years.

How SR-22 insurance affects driving record and future rates in Missouri

Insurance companies will likely consider you a higher-risk driver if you have to file an SR-22, even after the SR-22 requirement expires. Because of this, having an SR-22 policy may increase your average premiums for the duration of your SR-22 period and beyond. After your SR-22 has expired, you’ll usually have to call your insurer and ask it to contact the state to remove the SR-22 from your record.

But even while you have an SR-22 on file, you can use several strategies to improve your driving record and potentially lower your insurance rates:

• Make sure you have the minimum insurance coverage. Missouri drivers must carry at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in bodily injury liability coverage and $25,000 in property damage coverage. Maintaining this minimum coverage without any lapses for the duration of your SR-22 requirement will help keep your premiums from increasing further.5

• Take a defensive driving course. Completing a defensive driving course can help you build safer driving habits, which may help improve your driving record and lower your future insurance costs.

• Ask your insurer for discounts. Many insurance companies will lower your premium rates through discounts. Contact an insurance agent for additional information about how you can get the lowest rate for your situation.