I was recently sent this video by Tom DeMasters, a local insurance provider, in which he explains what an SR-22 is and what happens when an SR-22 is required. I don’t know Mr. DeMasters and am not endorsing his insurance company. I would encourage folks to do their own research on that. All I know is that he has been providing insurance in the greater Kansas City area for a long time and this video is informative. I am linking to this video because I get asked a lot of questions about the SR-22 requirements by clients and this video gives some good information about the SR-22.
An SR-22 is a form submitted by an insurance company which proves that a driver has automobile insurance. An SR-22 is usually required by the Kansas Department of Revenue after a person’s driver’s license has been suspended. Before the Dept. of Revenue will reinstate the license, they will often require an SR-22 be on file. If you get your driver’s license suspended for a DUI in Kansas, you will be required to submit an SR-22 at the end of the suspension in order to get your driving privileges back.
A lot of people I talk to about Kansas DUI cases are very worried about the insurance ramifications of a Kansas DUI conviction or suspension. A Kansas DUI diversion does not require the submission of an SR-22. That is because there is no driver’s license suspension as a result of a diversion since diversion does not result in a conviction on one’s criminal record. However, a first-time Kansas DUI offender can still have his or her license suspended as a result of the administrative driver’s license procedure despite being placed on diversion. The driver’s license also will get suspended as a result of a Kansas DUI conviction. If your driver’s license gets suspended, no one will notify your insurance company of that. But, at the end of the suspension, the Kansas Department of Revenue will require that you do certain things in order to get your driving privileges reinstated. Those requirements include paying a reinstatement fee and submitting an SR-22. To get the SR-22, you have to contact your insurance company and request that it be sent to the Dept. of Revenue on your behalf. This will alert the insurance company that there has been a suspension and they will likely pull your driving record to determine the reason. If you were suspended as a result of a Kansas DUI, the insurance company may then take action to raise your rates or cancel your policy completely.
If your driver’s license gets suspended as a result of a Kansas DUI conviction or the administrative procedure, you can count on having to submit an SR-22 for the Kansas DUI to get your license back. In addition to having a permanent criminal record, going to jail, doing house arrest, getting mandatory alcohol treatment, and losing your license, and many other collateral consequences of a Kansas DUI conviction, the SR-22 requirement is another reason to fight your Kansas DUI because the ramifications are serious.