Financial Responsibility Insurance (SR-22) monitors the insurance of problem drivers and authorizes the Secretary of State’s office to suspend upon cancellation or expiration. Financial Responsibility Insurance is required in Illinois for individuals with safety responsibility suspensions, unsatisfied judgment suspensions, revocations, mandatory insurance supervisions and individuals who receive three or more convictions for mandatory insurance violations.

To obtain an SR-22, you must contact an insurance company authorized to write SR-22 policies for Illinois. The issuing agency also must have a power of attorney on file in Illinois. The SR-22 must be submitted on a Financial Responsibility Certificate from the home office of the insurance company. The SR-22 certificate is issued in one of the following forms:

• Operator’s Certificate – covers the motorist in the operation of any non-owned vehicle.
• Owner’s Certificate – covers vehicles owned by the driver. The type of vehicle must be listed on the SR-22 or may be issued for all owned vehicles.
• Operators-Owners Certificate – covers all vehicles owned or non-owned by the driver.

When payment is made to an insurance agency, the agent will submit a request for an SR-22 certificate to the central office. The SR-22 certificate is sent directly to the Secretary of State’s office and may take up to 30 days for processing. The individual will receive a copy of the SR-22 from the insurance company and a letter from the Secretary of State’s office. The insurance must be maintained for three years. If the SR-22 expires or is cancelled, the insurance company is required by law to notify the Safety and Financial Responsibility Section by a SR-26 Cancellation Certificate. Upon receipt, the driving record will be suspended. This suspension cannot be removed until the insurance filing has been reinstated.

SR-22 insurance must be renewed a minimum of 45 days in advance to avoid future insurance-related suspensions. If the insurance agency does not receive a renewal 15 days before the insurance expiration, they are required by law to notify the Secretary of State’s office.

As an alternative to SR-22 insurance, an individual may deposit $55,000 in cash or securities with the Illinois State Treasurer, file a surety bond, or file a real estate bond approved by a court of record. Out-of-state residents may request their proof of financial responsibility for Illinois be waived by completing an Affidavit. The affidavit applies only to Illinois’ insurance requirements. In the event you move back to Illinois within three years from acceptance of the insurance waiver, your SR-22 requirement for Illinois would be reinstated.

Source: Illinois Secretary of State, www.cyberdriveillinois.com website