Virginia SR-22 and FR-44 Insurance Requirements

Do you need an SR-22 or an FR-44 in Virginia?

If the DMV told you to file proof of insurance, you need one of two forms. Which one depends on why you were suspended.

• FR-44: a DUI or a similar alcohol or drug offense, including one from another state. It needs liability limits that are double the normal minimum.
• SR-22: most other cases. Common ones are driving without insurance, an unpaid court judgment from a crash, or leaving the scene of an injury crash.

Neither form is a type of insurance. It is a certificate your insurer sends to the DMV saying you have a policy. You do not file it yourself.

A DMV letter about this looks scary, but it is usually fixable. Buy a qualifying policy, have the insurer file, and keep it active. For the basics behind the form, see SR-22 insurance explained and FR-44 insurance explained.

What are the FR-44 limits in Virginia?

On a policy that starts in 2025 or later, the FR-44 needs 100/200/50. That is $100,000 for one person’s injuries, $200,000 for all injuries in a crash, and $50,000 for property damage. An SR-22 uses the standard limits on our Virginia minimum coverage page.

Be careful with other websites here. Several still say 60/120/40. That doubled the old 30/60/20 minimum, which applied to policies that started before 2025. We worked the figure out from state law, which says “double” the current minimum, and one site agrees. The DMV’s own form page was not readable for us, so ask your insurer to confirm the limits it will file.

How long do you keep it, and when does the clock start?

Three years is the figure everyone repeats. The detail that matters is the start date. For the main list of offenses, the law counts three years from the day you would otherwise qualify for a license. A year of suspension therefore does not eat into it.

Other starting points apply in other cases. Per a DMV summary we saw, an unpaid judgment case counts from the date the judgment is satisfied. If you were suspended for an uninsured vehicle, the DMV may relieve you after three years from the suspension date.

Some sites count from conviction, and two say a lapse restarts the clock. We found no such restart rule in state law. Get your end date from the DMV in writing and keep it.

How do you file an SR-22 or FR-44 in Virginia?

1. Find out which form you need. Check the DMV notice or court order. It should say SR-22 or FR-44.
2. Ask insurers if they file in Virginia. Not all do. Some standard companies decline high-risk drivers, so also try non-standard carriers.
3. Choose limits that match the form. Ask the agent for 100/200/50 if it is an FR-44.
4. Pay for the policy. Insurers usually file after the first payment.
5. Let the insurer file the form. Ask for a copy of the filing confirmation.
6. Check with the DMV a few days later. Make sure the record shows the filing before you drive.

You may also have other options. Virginia also accepts a bond or a cash deposit instead of a policy certificate. These tie up a lot of money, so most people use insurance.

Can you file without owning a car?

Usually yes. A non-owner policy covers you when you drive cars you do not own, and several insurance websites we read say it can carry the filing. State law recognizes a “driver’s policy” for vehicles you do not own.

We could not read the DMV’s own page on non-owner filings. Ask your insurer to confirm it will file on a non-owner policy in Virginia.

Our non-owner SR-22 guide explains the product.

Virginia quirk: someone else’s proof can cover you

If you drive a car owned by a household member or your employer, the DMV must accept the owner’s proof of insurance instead of yours for that vehicle. Your license is then marked with a restriction. This can matter if a spouse or parent keeps a qualifying policy, but you cannot drive any other car.

What does it cost?

Three separate costs apply.

• The filing fee. Most sites we read say $15 to $25. One says $77. We found no state-set amount, so ask your insurer what it charges.
• The DMV reinstatement fee. It adds up a base fee, an extra charge after a DUI, a small surcharge and a trauma fund fee. The state budget sets that last fee higher than the Code does. That makes about $145 normally and $175 after a DUI. Check the DMV’s current fee page before you pay.
• Higher premiums. One analysis puts the average increase far higher for an FR-44 than for an SR-22. An October 2026 study finds Virginia FR-44 policies at $1,200 to $2,400 a year for a 40-year-old with full coverage, including a filing fee. Your profile will differ.

What happens if your policy lapses?

The insurer must tell the DMV within 15 days of cancelling a filed policy. The DMV then asks for replacement proof. Until you supply it, your license, registrations and plates are suspended, and the DMV can take them back.

Say your insurer cancels after a missed payment. A few weeks later the DMV notice arrives. You buy a new policy and the new insurer files an FR-44, which fixes the paperwork. You may still owe a reinstatement fee, and the new policy usually costs more than the old one. This is an invented example.

One site says the notice goes out within a day. State law gives insurers 15 days. Do not rely on a grace period either way.

Driving uninsured is a separate problem. It is a misdemeanor with a fine, and the DMV can charge a $600 noncompliance fee. See driving without insurance in Virginia.

How long will it affect your rates?

Insurers set their own look-back periods, and Virginia law does not fix one. One site says a DUI can stay on your driving record for years. See Virginia car insurance after a DUI. The filing itself ends sooner, but rates often stay elevated longer.

If you are shopping, our high-risk car insurance guide explains what to compare.

Common mistakes

• Cancelling when the filing period ends. Confirm the DMV released you first.
• Switching insurers without a new filing. Have the new company file before the old policy ends.
• Buying standard limits for an FR-44. The filing will not go through below the doubled limits.
• Moving out of state. A nonresident may file through a home-state insurer, but the limits still need to match Virginia’s.

What to do next

1. Read the DMV notice or court order and write down the form name, due date and end date.
2. Call at least three insurers and ask which file an SR-22 or FR-44 in Virginia and at what limits.
3. Ask each one to itemize the filing fee, and whether they file non-owner policies.
4. Set the policy to autopay. Do not let it lapse for even a day.
5. Confirm with the DMV that your filing shows on your record and when it ends.
6. Pay any reinstatement fee, and keep receipts.

Bottom line

If your violation was a DUI, shop for an FR-44 at 100/200/50. For most other cases, an SR-22 at 50/100/25 is enough. Either way, keep the policy continuous and get your end date from the DMV. This page is not legal advice, so confirm details with the Virginia DMV.