New Hampshire SR-22: Who Needs One, How Long You Keep It, and How to File
Riskado
An SR-22 in New Hampshire is a certificate your insurance company files with the Division of Motor Vehicles. It certifies that you carry the state's minimum liability coverage, according to the DMV's Saf-C 7500 rules (opens in a new tab). The DMV can require one after events such as an uninsured accident, an unpaid judgment, certain convictions, an administrative action or habitual-offender status. The filing generally stays in place for three years, but the start date depends on the event, and a later qualifying event can extend it. If your policy is cancelled, the insurer files an SR-26, and your license and registration can be suspended.
Key takeaways
- What it isA certificate your insurance company files with the Division of Motor Vehicles, certifying that you carry the state's minimum liability coverage.
- Who needs oneDrivers with events such as an uninsured accident, an unpaid judgment, certain convictions, an administrative action or habitual-offender status.
- How longGenerally three years, with a start date that depends on the event; a later qualifying event can extend it.
- If the policy is cancelledThe insurer files an SR-26, and your license and registration can be suspended.
The practical job in front of you is short: find out exactly what your DMV notice requires, get a policy that can carry that SR-22, confirm the insurer has filed it with New Hampshire, and keep it active without a gap until the department releases you.
What an SR-22 is, and who files it
An SR-22 is not a separate insurance policy. Under the Saf-C 7500 rules (opens in a new tab), it is a uniform document filed by an insurance company under RSA 264:21 (opens in a new tab) that certifies the policyholder is insured for New Hampshire's minimum liability requirements. The insurer, not you, sends it to the department.
The certificate has to show the insured's name and address, the insurer, the policy number, the effective date and the type of coverage. It also has to say whether the filing is owner coverage or non-owner coverage, which matters if you don't have a car of your own.
Who has to file an SR-22 in New Hampshire?
The requirement comes from a specific event on your record, so start with the notice you received from the DMV or the court. The Saf-C 7500 rules (opens in a new tab) tie SR-22 requirements to events including:
- Involvement in an uninsured accident
- An unsatisfied judgment from an uninsured motor-vehicle accident
- Certain administrative actions after a hearing
- Certification as a habitual offender
- Other actions under RSA 264:2 and RSA 264:3 (opens in a new tab)
- A second or subsequent DWI conviction
- Failing to stop and report an accident
- Four or more speeding convictions in the same calendar year
- A second reckless-driving conviction within five years
The exact requirement and its timing depend on your conviction, hearing outcome or other event, so match your situation to the wording on your notice rather than assuming a standard period. If anything on the notice is unclear, call the DMV and ask which rule applies to you and what date your filing period runs from.
How long do you need an SR-22 in New Hampshire?
The general period is three years from the event date, according to Saf-C 7504.12 (opens in a new tab). For most events, that date is the date of accident involvement, the date of final conviction or the date of the administrative action that required proof.
A second or subsequent DWI conviction works differently. The three years run from the date you become eligible for restoration, not from the arrest or the conviction. That date can fall well after the conviction itself.
The clock can also start over. A later uninsured accident, qualifying conviction, administrative action, unsatisfied judgment, habitual-offender certification or other qualifying action extends the filing period for three years from the date of that later event. Keeping a clean record during the filing period is the most direct way to reach the end date on schedule.
When the filing is no longer required, the department or a hearings examiner notifies both you and your insurer. Wait for that notice before you drop the SR-22 or switch to a policy that doesn't carry it.
What liability limits does the SR-22 certify?
The SR-22 certifies that your policy meets New Hampshire's minimum financial-responsibility amounts under RSA 264:20 (opens in a new tab):
Hover or tap a row to highlight it.
| Coverage | Statutory minimum |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury or death, one person | $25,000 |
| Bodily injury or death, two or more people in one accident | $50,000 |
| Injury to or destruction of property, one accident | $25,000 |
These are the legal minimums the filing has to show. They are not a measure of how much coverage protects you after a serious accident, so ask your agent what higher limits would cost alongside the minimum quote.
What happens if your SR-22 coverage lapses or is cancelled?
When an insurer cancels the policy behind your SR-22, it files an SR-26, which cancels the SR-22 for that policy number, according to Saf-C 7504.06 (opens in a new tab). If a required SR-22 is no longer on file, the DMV can suspend your license, your registration certificate and your plates.
Getting a new SR-22 on file afterward does not by itself put you back on the road. You still have to meet the restoration requirements, and under RSA 263:42 (opens in a new tab) the general license restoration fee after a suspension or revocation is $100. A $50 fee applies to a suspension under RSA 263:14, and a limited-privilege license under RSA 263:57-b carries a $50 fee.
These steps help keep the filing continuous:
- Keep premium payments current, and ask your insurer what notice it sends before cancelling for nonpayment.
- Don't cancel an existing policy until the replacement insurer confirms its new SR-22 has been filed.
- Ask how and when an SR-26 would be reported if the policy ends.
- Check your status with the DMV before you drive after any change in coverage.
Hover or tap a row to highlight it.
| Item | Figure or rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| General SR-22 period | Three years from the event date | Saf-C 7504.12 (opens in a new tab) |
| Later qualifying event | Filing period extended three years from that event | Saf-C 7504.12 (opens in a new tab) |
| General license restoration fee | $100 | RSA 263:42 (opens in a new tab) |
| Restoration after an RSA 263:14 suspension | $50 | RSA 263:42 (opens in a new tab) |
| Limited-privilege license | $50 | RSA 263:42 (opens in a new tab) |
| Automobile Insurance Plan lookback | Tried and failed to get coverage within the past 60 days | New Hampshire Automobile Insurance Plan (opens in a new tab) |
Can you get an SR-22 without owning a car?
Yes, New Hampshire recognizes non-owner SR-22 coverage. Under Saf-C 7504.06 (opens in a new tab), owner coverage applies to vehicles the insured owns, and non-owner coverage applies to vehicles the insured doesn't own. The certificate has to state which one it is.
If you don't have a vehicle, ask the insurer whether it can issue a non-owner policy that satisfies the exact requirement on your DMV notice. Also ask how the coverage works when you borrow a friend's car or rent one, so you know what the policy actually covers while the filing is active. If you later buy a car, tell the insurer right away, because the filing type and the vehicles on the policy need to match the DMV requirement.
What if you move to or from New Hampshire?
Moving does not by itself end a New Hampshire SR-22 requirement. Before you change policies or states, ask the New Hampshire DMV whether your filing is still required, ask the new state what it requires for a license there, and ask your insurer whether it can keep the New Hampshire filing in place or replace it. Get those answers in writing from both states.
Records from other states can also affect your New Hampshire privileges. Under RSA 263:56-g (opens in a new tab), the New Hampshire DMV can act when it receives official notice that your license or operating privilege was suspended or revoked in another jurisdiction. You can apply for New Hampshire reinstatement after the other jurisdiction restores your license or privilege.
What if insurers turn you down?
Don't assume every insurer or policy form files New Hampshire SR-22 certificates. Ask directly whether the company can issue the owner or non-owner filing you need and submit it to the DMV.
If you can't find coverage in the regular market, the New Hampshire Automobile Insurance Plan (opens in a new tab), administered by AIPSO, exists for drivers who can't get auto liability coverage voluntarily. To apply, you must certify that within the past 60 days you tried and failed to get coverage from an admitted carrier at rates no higher than the Plan's rates. Applications go through a certified New Hampshire property and casualty producer, so an agency is your entry point. The risk-sharing plans themselves rest on RSA chapter 404-C (opens in a new tab).
How much does an SR-22 cost in New Hampshire?
The cost has three separate parts, and it helps to keep them apart when you compare quotes.
The DMV restoration fee is set by law: generally $100 after a suspension or revocation under RSA 263:42 (opens in a new tab), or $50 for a suspension under RSA 263:14.
The insurer's charge for submitting the SR-22 is set by each company. Ask the agency to quote it as its own line item.
The policy premium is the largest piece and depends on your driving record, vehicle, location, coverage, insurer and underwriting rules. A conviction or uninsured accident on your record can affect that premium separately from the filing itself. Ask the agency to show you which part of the price is the filing charge and which part is the policy.
Questions to ask an insurance agency
Bring your DMV notice to the call, and ask:
- Can you file a New Hampshire SR-22 with the DMV?
- Will the certificate show owner or non-owner coverage?
- What policy number and effective date will appear on it?
- What liability limits will the filing certify?
- When will you submit it, and how will I get proof that you did?
- What notice will you send before cancelling for nonpayment?
- If the policy is cancelled, when will the SR-26 go to the DMV?
- Can you file a replacement SR-22 before my current policy ends?
- Can you keep the filing active if I move to another state?
- What filing charge applies, and what part of the quote is premium?
- If voluntary coverage isn't available, can you walk me through the New Hampshire Automobile Insurance Plan?
After the filing goes in, keep the policy number, effective date and filing confirmation together, and confirm with the DMV that it has the SR-22 on record.
Check what you know about a New Hampshire SR-22
Frequently asked questions
Does a first DWI in New Hampshire always require an SR-22?
The Saf-C 7500 rules (opens in a new tab) list a second or subsequent DWI conviction as a triggering event. For a first offense, your requirement depends on the specific conviction, hearing outcome or DMV action, so read your notice and confirm with the DMV.
When does the three-year clock start after a second DWI?
It starts on the date you become eligible for license restoration, under Saf-C 7504.12 (opens in a new tab). A new qualifying event during the period restarts a three-year count from that later date.
Can I switch insurers while I have an SR-22?
Yes, as long as the filing stays continuous. Have the new insurer file its SR-22 before the old policy ends, because the old insurer's SR-26 cancels the earlier filing and a gap can lead to suspension.
Will the DMV tell me when I no longer need the SR-22?
Yes. The department or a hearings examiner notifies the named insured and the insurer when the filing is no longer required, according to Saf-C 7504.12 (opens in a new tab).
Getting the filing in place
Start with the exact event and date on your DMV notice, since that sets your filing period. Then find an insurer or agency that can file the right type of SR-22, owner or non-owner, at the RSA 264:20 (opens in a new tab) limits, and get written confirmation that it reached the DMV. From there, the goal is simply continuous coverage with no SR-26 until the department notifies you that the requirement has ended.
Getting and keeping a New Hampshire SR-22
- Read your noticeIdentify the exact event and date on your DMV or court notice, since that sets your filing period.
- Get the right policyFind an insurer that can file an owner or non-owner SR-22 at the New Hampshire minimum limits.
- Confirm the filingGet the policy number, effective date and written confirmation that the SR-22 reached the DMV.
- Keep it continuousKeep premiums current, and do not cancel a policy until a replacement SR-22 is on file.
- Wait for the releaseKeep the filing until the department or a hearings examiner notifies you that it is no longer required.
Terms used in this guide
Tap a term to see what it means.
SR-22. A certificate an insurance company files with the New Hampshire DMV certifying that the policyholder carries the state's minimum liability coverage.
SR-26. The filing an insurer sends when it cancels the policy behind an SR-22, which cancels the SR-22 for that policy number.
Owner coverage. An SR-22 filing that applies to vehicles the insured owns.
Non-owner coverage. An SR-22 filing that applies to vehicles the insured does not own.
Financial responsibility. Proof that a driver can pay for an accident, at $25,000, $50,000 and $25,000 in New Hampshire.
Restoration. Getting a suspended or revoked license back after meeting the requirements and paying the fee.
New Hampshire Automobile Insurance Plan. The AIPSO-administered plan for drivers who cannot get auto liability coverage voluntarily.
