In Nevada, you must keep SR-22 insurance for three (3) years as a condition of reinstating your driver’s license. Then if you let your car insurance lapse before the three years are up, the three-year requirement begins all over again.
SR 22 insurance must be maintained for three years.
What is SR-22 insurance?
An SR-22 is a “proof of financial responsibility” issued by your car insurance company. An SR-22 verifies that you carry no less than the minimum liability coverage that is required to own a car in Nevada.
Currently, the minimum required car liability coverage in Nevada is “25/50/20,” which stands for:
- $25,000 for the injury or death of one person,
- $50,000 for the injury or death of two or more people, and
- $20,000 for property damage in an accident.
The Nevada DMV typically requires everyone with suspended or revoked driver’s licenses to obtain SR-22 as a condition of getting their license back.1
Do I need SR-22 after a DUI?
If you get a DUI in Nevada, you need to obtain an SR-22 to reinstate your driver’s license after the revocation period is over. The revocation periods are:
Note that if you refuse to take a breath test or blood test following your DUI arrest, the DMV will revoke your license for a year. This is true even if your DUI charge gets dropped.2
People who pick up a DUI in Nevada need SR-22 insurance to reinstate their driver’s license.
When else do I need SR-22?
If you go for more than 90 days without car insurance, you will be required to get an SR-22 in Nevada. You will also need SR-22 if you cause a car accident and have no insurance.3
How do I get it?
Your car insurance company can provide SR-22 upon request and payment of a fee. Note that if you need to get SR-22 insurance, you will likely have to pay higher car insurance rates because you are deemed “high risk.”
How much does it cost?
It varies, but the price of SR-22 can run from around $1,640 to more than $3,000 annually. Plus there is a one-time filing fee that can run up to $50.
See our related article on how DUIs affect car insurance in Nevada.
The costs of maintaining SR-22 insurance can be $3,000 or higher each year.
Additional Resources
Our Las Vegas criminal defense lawyers suggest you refer to the following:
- How Much Do Car Insurance Rates Go Up After A DUI? – General discussion by Forbes.
- Cheapest car insurance after a DUI – Compilation of insurance choices by USA Today.
- What is the best car insurance in Nevada for drivers with a DUI? – State-specific options for getting liability insurance following a drunk driving case by wallethub.com.
- State Law: DUI Look-Back Periods – Overview by Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility.
- License Reinstatement – Instructions by the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles.
- Alcohol Impaired Driving – General information by the Governors Highway Safety Association.
- Alcohol and Drugs – Discussion by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Legal References
- NRS 485.3075 – Proof required before reinstatement of license or registrations suspended for failure to maintain proof; duration; penalty (“A person whose license or registrations are suspended for failure to maintain proof of financial responsibility as required pursuant to this title must provide proof of financial responsibility pursuant to NRS 485.307 before the person’s license or registrations will be reinstated. The person must maintain proof of financial responsibility for 3 years after the date of the reinstatement of his or her license pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. If the person fails to do so, the Department shall suspend his or her license and registrations.”). NRS 485.185. See also Langston v. Dept. of Motor Vehicles (1994) .
- NRS 483.460. NRS 484C.210.
- Insurance, Nevada DMV. Vehicle Registration Insurance Information Guide, Nevada DMV. NRS 485.
