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Texas insurance glossary

SR-22

An SR-22 is a certificate a Texas insurer files with the Department of Public Safety to prove a driver carries at least the minimum liability coverage Chapter 601 requires.

Sources checked

It is a filing, not a policy and not a kind of insurance. The driver buys an auto policy; the certificate rides on it and tells the state the coverage is in force. Texas Transportation Code ch. 601 is where the requirement lives, and § 601.083 is the section that recognizes the certificate itself.

Four events put a driver under one: a suspension following a crash, a second or subsequent conviction for driving without liability insurance, a civil judgment, and a security deposit placed with the Department. A DWI reaches the requirement through the suspension it causes, and an occupational driver license petition needs a filing independently.

This entry defines the word. What a filing takes, how long it stays on file, and what it costs are the SR-22 page’s material rather than the glossary’s.

Sources: Texas DPS — Financial Responsibility Insurance Certificate (SR-22); Texas DPS — SR-22 proof of financial responsibility FAQ (section 9); Tex. Transp. Code ch. 601 — Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Act. Verified .

A definition, not legal advice and not a quote. Rules and figures change; confirm your own situation against the source named above, or with us, before you act on it. Last checked .

See also

  • SR-26 An SR-26 is the notice a carrier files with the Department of Public Safety when a certified SR-22 policy is cancelled, terminated or allowed to lapse.
  • SR-22A An SR-22A is the Texas-only version of the certificate, ordered by a court, which additionally requires six months of premium to be paid in advance before the filing is made.
  • Non-owner SR-22 A non-owner SR-22 is the same certificate riding on a non-owner liability policy, written for a driver who owes proof of financial responsibility but has no vehicle of their own.
  • Financial responsibility Financial responsibility is the Texas requirement that a person be able to answer for the damage they cause with a vehicle, most commonly satisfied by a liability policy.

Where this is handled

A definition does not file anything. When the suspension date is closer than the research, one independent agency on FM 1959 can transmit the SR-22 to the DPS and tell you what the state wants before you pay anyone anything.

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