SR-22 Insurance in Indiana Explained

Whether you’re heading to Bloomington to get your dose of that quaint college town feeling, Indianapolis to get a taste of the city life, or Porter to enjoy the dunes of Lake Michigan, drivers in The Hoosier State must always carry the legal amount of car insurance, or risk filing for an SR-22.

An SR-22 in Indiana, and most other states, isn’t an insurance policy but rather a certificate proving you have the minimum required insurance in the state. Drivers who need an SR-22 have previously committed a traffic violation serious enough to have their license revoked, like driving without insurance, while intoxicated, or recklessly.

While the minimum requirements for insurance in Indiana are low compared to other states, it’s easy to make a poor choice if you’re uninformed, resulting in an SR-22. Let’s take a look at what an SR-22 is, how it works in The Hoosier State, and where to find the best one to add to your Indiana car insurance policy should you need it.

First and foremost, it’s essential to know that an SR-22 isn’t an insurance policy; it’s just a certificate that goes along with your insurance policy. This form is often required for a driver who has made poor choices on the road, causing the state to revoke their driver’s license. Poor choices that may result in license suspension or revocation include driving recklessly, driving uninsured, or driving while intoxicated. 

An SR-22 proves that a driver with a colored history or poor choices has adequate insurance under Indiana state law and can pay for any damages or injuries in the event of an accident. This certificate is used to prove that a high-risk driver is financially responsible for any damage they cause.

Indiana’s minimum legal car insurance requirements are $25,000 in bodily injury liability per person, $50,000 in bodily injury liability per accident, and $25,000 of property damage liability per accident, often appearing on your policy as 25/50/25 liability coverage. Insurers are legally required to offer every policyholder the same 25/50/25 limit of uninsured motorist coverage (UM). 

If you lease or finance a vehicle, your lender or leaser will likely require you to have collision and comprehensive coverage on your policy. These requirements are worked into your legally binding lease or financing agreement, so you may face legal consequences if you don’t have these coverages.

While these are the minimum coverages in The Hoosier State, drivers who’ve previously violated traffic laws may consider upgrading to a full coverage policy with more coverage. Adding coverages like medical payments, UM, collision, and comprehensive coverage help to ensure you’re adequately protected in any scenario on the road.

If you fail to maintain at least the minimum amount of coverage required by your SR-22, your license may be suspended again. Thus, making you liable to even more penalties and fines, such as registration suspension or vehicle impoundment.

An SR-22 is a certificate your insurer will file with the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) on your behalf to prove that you meet the state’s legal requirements for car insurance. Only drivers who’ve committed traffic violations serious enough to have their licenses revoked are required to file an SR-22. Drivers who’ve had their licenses revoked and need an SR-22 can only reinstate them once they file for this certificate and prove they have an adequate, current auto insurance policy.

The duration of SR-22 filing for Indiana will depend on the severity of the offense. More severe cases may require drivers to carry this certificate for up to five years.

If you’re required to have an SR-22 in The Hoosier State but don’t own a car, you will still need to maintain adequate coverage on an insurance policy. Those who need an SR-22 but don’t have a vehicle can buy a non-owner SR-22 policy, just like you can purchase a standard, non-owner car insurance policy.

A non-owner SR-22 in Indiana typically has a lower premium than a typical SR-22 policy because it provides less coverage. A standard non-owner SR-22 will likely only offer the minimum liability coverage required in the state (25/50/25 liability), which can only be used to cover another party’s expenses if you’re at fault in an accident, after you reach your deductible. 

Indiana is a tort state, or an at-fault state, which means at least one driver must be deemed at fault in an accident, thus liable for the victim’s expenses. If you only have a minimum coverage policy, any repairs to the vehicle you’re driving or any medical expenses you may incur in an accident you cause must come out of your pocket. 

Cheap SR-22 insurance in Indiana isn’t tough to find, as the certificate itself only costs about $15 to $50 to file. The expense lies in the car insurance policy, as your premiums will likely increase upon filing an SR-22. 

Insurers determine your premiums based on the risk they take by insuring you. If you prove yourself to be a higher risk to insure, as those with SR-22s do, that increased risk is reflected in higher premiums. Insurers also use unique facts about you, such as your age, gender, ZIP code, and the type of car you drive, and several other factors to determine your risk and your premiums. Insurers may also use the duration you require an SR-22 to decide your rates.

On average, those with an SR-22 or a poor driving record can expect to pay at least twice the average rate of $1,210 annually for a full coverage policy in Indiana, possibly even three times that cost. The severity of your case will impact your rate, too. 

Different insurers will offer you different rates, so it’s important to shop around for quotes from multiple insurers before binding a policy. Many of the top insurers in the state offer low base rates to high-risk drivers or offer several discounts you can add to your policy to lower your premiums even further.

You can find the cheapest SR-22 insurance in Indiana by using a few different techniques. First, you must decide what you value more: cost or coverage. If you value coverage over cost, you can narrow your search to insurers that offer low base rates for high-risk drivers and several additional coverage options you can add to your policy. If you value cost over coverage, you can narrow your search to insurers that offer low rates for minimum coverage policies and have several opportunities for stackable discounts.

Another way to find low-cost SR-22 car insurance in Indiana is by searching for an insurer specializing in high-risk insurance. Companies that bind many high-risk policies may offer more competitive rates than your standard insurer. 

The best way to ensure you get the best and cheapest policy in The Hoosier State is to search for Indiana SR-22 insurance quotes. Getting and comparing quotes from top insurers in the state allows you to essentially make a virtual pros and cons list to make the most informed decision about a policy that meets your needs.

Luckily, we have a free quoting tool right here at Clovered that you can use to get quotes in minutes. We also have a very knowledgeable team of agents who are eager to answer any questions you may have about SR-22 insurance in Indiana, whom you can chat with by calling 833-255-4117 or emailing [email protected].