South Carolina SR-22 Insurance: The Form, What It Costs, How Long You Need It and How to File With the SCDMV

In South Carolina, an SR-22 is a certificate or electronic notice that an authorized insurance company files with the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) to prove you have the required liability policy. It isn't a separate insurance policy. The SCDMV may require one after certain suspensions or uninsured-driving violations, and how long you keep it depends on your suspension record. If you were convicted of driving an uninsured vehicle you own, you pay the $700 uninsured motorist fee and keep an SR-22 on file for three years from the suspension date, according to the SCDMV (opens in a new tab). The policy behind it has to stay active the whole time.

What does an SR-22 mean in South Carolina?

South Carolina lets a driver prove financial responsibility in one of three ways: a certificate of insurance, a bond, or a certificate of deposit of money or securities, under S.C. Code § 56-9-540 (opens in a new tab). The SR-22 is the certificate of insurance. Under S.C. Code § 56-9-550 (opens in a new tab), an insurance carrier authorized to do business in South Carolina files a written certificate, or an electronic notice, with the SCDMV certifying that a motor vehicle liability policy is in effect for the person who has to prove financial responsibility.

People often call it "SR-22 insurance," but what you buy is an ordinary auto liability policy. The SR-22 is the insurer's statement to the state that the policy exists. If the policy ends, the proof ends with it.

Do you need an SR-22?

Your suspension notice and your SCDMV record decide that. The SCDMV may require proof of financial responsibility in connection with certain suspensions, convictions, judgments or uninsured-driving records. The clearest published case is an uninsured-driving conviction in a vehicle you own: the SCDMV requires the $700 uninsured motorist fee and an SR-22 filed by your insurance company for three years, starting with the date of suspension, according to its Facts About Driving Uninsured page (opens in a new tab).

DUI, DUAC, crash judgments and other suspensions carry their own conditions. For violations dated May 19, 2024, or later, clearing a DUI, DUAC or felony DUI suspension also requires installing an ignition interlock device, according to the SCDMV's license reinstatement page (opens in a new tab). Read your notice for the exact requirement, start date and end date, and call the SCDMV at 803-896-5000 if any of them is unclear. Our guide to driving without insurance in South Carolina covers the uninsured-driving penalties in more detail.

What the SR-22 proves and how it's filed

The SCDMV calls the document a Certificate of Insurance, Form SR-22. Your insurance company files it, not you. Insurers licensed in South Carolina can file an SR-22 electronically through the SCDMV's Automobile Liability Insurance Reporting (ALIR) system, according to the SCDMV's page for insurance companies (opens in a new tab). ALIR also collects the liability insurance information the SCDMV uses to spot registered vehicles without the required coverage.

The certificate has to give the date of the policy, which must match the certificate's effective date, and it has to describe every vehicle covered, unless the policy is issued to someone who doesn't own a vehicle, under S.C. Code § 56-9-550 (opens in a new tab). Ask your agent whether the filing will go in electronically and how you'll know when the SCDMV has accepted it.

What coverage limits does the policy need?

The policy behind the SR-22 has to meet South Carolina's minimums. The South Carolina Department of Insurance (opens in a new tab) (SCDOI) lists them as $25,000 for bodily injury per person, $50,000 for bodily injury per accident and $25,000 for property damage per accident. South Carolina also requires uninsured motorist coverage at the same 25/50/25 amounts. Underinsured motorist coverage must be offered to you but isn't required, according to the SCDOI auto insurance FAQ (opens in a new tab).

Those figures are the legal floor. Your agent can quote higher limits side by side with the minimum, and our guide to South Carolina uninsured motorist coverage explains the UM part of the policy.

How much does an SR-22 cost in South Carolina?

The cost comes in separate pieces, and it helps to list them before you call anyone.

The SCDMV charges a $100 reinstatement fee for each suspension unless another amount is required, according to its reinstatement fee page (opens in a new tab). For an uninsured-driving conviction in a vehicle you own, the SCDMV requires the $700 uninsured motorist fee. If you were convicted of driving an uninsured vehicle you don't own, your license is suspended for 30 days and you pay a $100 reinstatement fee, according to the SCDMV (opens in a new tab).

Then there's the insurance itself. Each insurer uses its own rating system, and factors such as your driving record, territory, age, marital status, prior insurance, vehicle use, the vehicle and prior claims can all affect what you pay, according to the SCDOI (opens in a new tab). Ask the agent or insurer whether it charges anything to submit the certificate, and get the premium and any filing charge in writing as separate lines.

If you owe more than $200 in reinstatement fees, you may be eligible for the SCDMV Payment Plan, according to the SCDMV (opens in a new tab). You can pay reinstatement fees at any branch office or by mail.

How long do you need an SR-22?

The period depends on the suspension or violation on your record. For the owned-vehicle uninsured-driving conviction, the SCDMV sets it at three years from the suspension date. Other suspensions can carry different periods, so take the end date from your SCDMV record rather than from a general rule.

The statute adds two timing rules of its own. The policy behind the certificate must be written for a minimum term of six months, and the certificate stays in force for at least 90 days unless the insurer cancels it for a reason other than nonpayment of premium, under S.C. Code § 56-9-550 (opens in a new tab). Neither rule shortens the filing period the SCDMV sets for you.

What happens if the policy is canceled or lapses?

When a certificate is canceled, the insurer must notify the SCDMV right away and say whether the cancellation was for nonpayment of premium, under S.C. Code § 56-9-550 (opens in a new tab). A lapse during your filing period can bring a new suspension and new reinstatement requirements, and the SCDMV can refuse a later certificate for someone whose earlier certificate was canceled for nonpayment unless the new policy is certified noncancellable for nonpayment for one year.

Keep the policy active through the end date on your SCDMV record. Set up automatic payments or calendar alerts for each renewal, and confirm with the SCDMV that the requirement has ended before you cancel or switch. If you do change insurers, line up the new filing before the old policy ends, as our guide to switching car insurance explains.

How do you get an SR-22 filed?

Contact an insurance company authorized to do business in South Carolina, or a licensed agent, and ask for the filing your SCDMV record requires. The insurer then submits the certificate or electronic notice to the SCDMV.

If you don't own a car, South Carolina law still recognizes a certificate for a policy issued to a person who isn't the owner of a motor vehicle, under S.C. Code § 56-9-550 (opens in a new tab). Confirm the exact policy type and filing with the insurer and the SCDMV before you rely on it. If you do own a vehicle, no vehicle may stay registered in the name of a person required to file proof unless that vehicle is listed on the certificate, under the same section, so make sure every car you register appears on the filing.

Spanish-language help is worth asking for directly. Ask the SCDMV at 803-896-5000 or at a branch whether Spanish-language assistance or translated reinstatement instructions are available. Ask the insurer or agent whether someone can explain the filing to you in Spanish.

How do you reinstate your license or registration?

Reinstatement works best as a checklist you finish in order:

1. Read your suspension notice and list every outstanding condition.
2. Have an authorized insurer file the SR-22 if the SCDMV requires one.
3. Pay the reinstatement fee for each suspension.
4. Pay the $700 uninsured motorist fee if your case requires it.
5. Clear any insurance verification, registration, judgment, DUI or ignition-interlock condition.
6. Confirm with the SCDMV that you're reinstated before you drive.
7. Keep the SR-22 policy active for the full required period.

The SCDMV handles questions about specific suspensions at 803-896-5000 and at its branch offices, according to its license reinstatement page (opens in a new tab).

What if you move out of South Carolina?

If you've moved to another state and are applying for a license there, you can ask for an out-of-state waiver of the SR-22 requirement on SCDMV Form DL-222 (opens in a new tab). You complete the first section, an official of your new state's motor vehicle agency verifies the second, and an SCDMV employee completes the waiver section.

The waiver has a condition. The form warns that you may have to meet the SR-22 requirement again if you become a South Carolina resident, apply for a South Carolina license or beginner's permit, and do so within the first three years after the South Carolina suspension ending date. Letting the filing lapse before the SCDMV end date without a waiver can lead to cancellation reporting and a renewed suspension.

How do you check an agent or file a complaint?

Before you share your license number or pay a premium, look up the agent and insurer in the South Carolina insurance license lookup (opens in a new tab). Verify that both are licensed to do business in South Carolina, and read the policy carefully, as the SCDOI (opens in a new tab) advises.

For a problem with an insurance company, broker, agent or adjuster, contact the SCDOI Office of Consumer Services at 803-737-6180 or toll free at 1-800-768-3467, according to the SCDOI (opens in a new tab). For license, registration or SR-22 filing-status questions, contact the SCDMV at 803-896-5000 or visit a branch.

Questions to ask your agent

• Do you file SR-22 certificates electronically with the SCDMV?
• What name, driver's license number and effective date will appear on the filing?
• Is this an owner filing or a non-owner filing, and does every car I register appear on it?
• What liability limits and uninsured motorist coverage will satisfy the SCDMV?
• Do you charge anything to submit the certificate?
• When will you submit it, and how can I confirm the SCDMV accepted it?
• What notice will I get if the policy is canceled or not renewed?
• What can I set up to keep the policy from lapsing?
• What end date does my SCDMV record show for the filing?
• Does my case also involve DUI, DUAC, judgment, registration or ignition-interlock requirements?

Riskado's directory lists insurance agencies in South Carolina by city and by category, so you can find a local agency to make the filing. For comparison, Connecticut SR-22 insurance shows how another state handles the same filing.

Frequently asked questions

These questions come up once you know a filing is required.

Is an SR-22 the same as proof of insurance?

It's a specific kind of proof. Your insurer files the SR-22 with the SCDMV to show that a liability policy meeting state requirements is in effect for you, under S.C. Code § 56-9-550 (opens in a new tab). An insurance card in your glove box doesn't replace that filing.

When does the three-year SR-22 period start?

For an uninsured-driving conviction in a vehicle you own, the three years start on the date of suspension, according to the SCDMV (opens in a new tab). Your SCDMV record shows the dates for your case.

Can I pay my reinstatement fees over time?

If you owe more than $200 in reinstatement fees, you may qualify for the SCDMV Payment Plan, according to the SCDMV (opens in a new tab). Check your eligibility with the SCDMV before you assume the full amount is due at once.

Does underinsured motorist coverage have to be on my SR-22 policy?

No. South Carolina requires liability and uninsured motorist coverage at 25/50/25, and underinsured motorist coverage must be offered but isn't required, according to the SCDOI auto insurance FAQ (opens in a new tab).

Keep the filing in place until the SCDMV says it's done

Start with your suspension notice, get the SR-22 filed through a licensed agent or authorized insurer, pay every fee on the notice, and confirm reinstatement with the SCDMV before you drive. Then keep the policy paid through the end date on your record. The South Carolina car insurance requirements guide covers what a South Carolina policy must carry once the filing period ends.