You need an SR-22 insurance policy to reinstate your suspended driver’s license following a Nevada DUI and certain other traffic violations. An SR-22 is a “certificate of financial responsibility” statement issued by your auto insurance company.
The time period you need to maintain SR-22 with the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles varies depending on the case. After a DUI, an SR22 is required for three (3) years following a license suspension.
All states have some form of SR22 requirement, and having an SR22 will usually cause your auto insurance policy rates to spike. But a skilled Nevada criminal defense attorney may be able to avoid a license suspension altogether by getting the traffic charges dismissed and winning a DMV hearing.
In this article, our Las Vegas DUI attorneys explain what an SR22 is in Nevada, when it is needed, and how to get it. Click on a topic to jump to that section:
- 1. What is SR-22 in Nevada?
- 2. Do I need SR-22 to get my license back after a DUI in Nevada?
- 3. When else is SR-22 necessary to keep my driver’s license in Nevada?
- 4. How do I get my SR-22?
- 5. How long is an SR-22 required in Nevada?
- 6. What happens if I lose my car insurance?
- 7. Can an SR-22 requirement be satisfied through a motorcycle insurance policy?
- 8. Do these rules apply to out-of-state drivers?
- 9. What happens if I move away?
- 10. Are there any alternatives?
- 11. How much does it cost?
1. What is SR-22 in Nevada?
A Nevada SR22 insurance document is issued by a car insurance provider that serves as “proof of financial responsibility” for high-risk drivers. It verifies that you currently have the minimum coverage of liability insurance legally required to maintain driving privileges in Nevada.
The minimum liability coverage allowed is:
- $25,000 for the bodily injury or fatality of one person,
- $50,000 for the bodily injury or fatality of two or more people, and
- $20,000 for property damage
If you have your driver’s license suspended by the Nevada DMV, you usually have to file an SR22 with the DMV before you can get reinstatement of the license.1 It is irrelevant whether or not you own a vehicle . . . non-owner SR-22 forms are available.
2. Do I need SR-22 to get my license back after a DUI in Nevada?
Yes. An SR-22 policy is necessary to reinstate a Nevada driver’s license once the DUI suspension period ends.2 The length of a driver’s license suspension depends on whether you had previous DUIs within the last seven (7) years:
- A first-time DUI carries a 185-day driver’s license suspension.
- A second-time DUI carries a one (1) year driver’s license suspension.
- A third-time DUI carries a three (3) year driver’s license suspension.3
And if you do not get an SR22 after driving under the influence, your driver’s license remains suspended indefinitely.
3. When else is SR-22 necessary to keep my driver’s license in Nevada?
You need an SR-22 certificate if you cause a car accident without insurance, or if you are caught driving with an insurance policy that has been expired for more than 90 days.4
See our related article on hit and run.
SR22 is necessary after causing a car accident without insurance.
4. How do I get my SR-22?
Contact your car insurance agent and request an SR22. There is usually a fee involved to file the SR-22. The insurer then notifies the Nevada DMV that you have an SR22.5
Note that car insurance companies tend to see drivers with SR22 as “high risk” and may charge you higher insurance rate premiums in the future. See our article on how DUIs affect car insurance.
5. How long is an SR-22 required in Nevada?
It depends on why your driver’s license was originally suspended. The insurance requirement for DUI cases is that you file an SR22 with the Nevada DMV for a three-year period from the date you reinstate your license.6
Note that the Nevada DMV does not notify you when your SR22 period is over. So you should contact the DMV if you are uncertain about when you no longer need an SR22.
6. What happens if I lose my car insurance?
If your car insurance lapses or gets canceled before your SR22 period ends, the insurance company will issue an SR-26 form to the DMV. An SR-26 indicates a discontinuation in auto insurance coverage.
At that point, the DMV will notify you by certified mail that they will suspend your driver’s vehicle registration in ten (10) days unless you can secure new insurance and another SR-22.
Unfortunately, a lapse or cancellation in insurance coverage “restarts the clock” for SR22 coverage. So if your insurance gets canceled two (2) years into a three (3) year SR22 period, you would need to get a new SR22 for another three (3) years.7
7. Can an SR-22 requirement be satisfied through a motorcycle insurance policy?
It depends on the case. If you had a DUI with a motorcycle, the SR22 can usually be satisfied through motorcycle insurance.
8. Do these rules apply to out-of-state drivers?
People with out-of-state licenses will usually have to follow similar SR22 rules in their home state.
9. What happens if I move away?
If you move out of state, you would still need to fulfill your SR22 filing period for the state of Nevada despite no longer living here.
10. Are there any alternatives?
The best way to try to avoid these requirements is to retain criminal defense counsel as soon as possible following the traffic citation or arrest. The lawyer can then request a DMV hearing to contest your driver’s license suspension. If the hearing is successful, you may no longer be required to get the SR22.
11. How much does it cost?
SR22 usually costs more than $100 a month, but it depends on the insurance carrier. Free quotes for both owner SR22 and non-owner SR22 insurance are available online.
Insurers that usually have the cheapest SR-22 rates are:
Call our Las Vegas criminal defense attorneys for a consultation.
Our Nevada DUI / DWI law firm serves clients throughout the state, including Las Vegas, NV, Henderson, North Las Vegas, Reno, Carson City, and more. We also practice personal injury law.
In California? Read our article on California SR22 laws.
Legal References:
- NRS 485.3091; see also Langston v. Department of Motor Vehicles, (1994) 110 Nev. 342, 871 P.2d 362.
- NRS 485.3075.
- NRS 483.460.
- See NRS 485.
- Same.
- NRS 485.3092.
- Same.