Reader question:

I hear that getting an SR22 in Texas takes around thirty days. Is this true?

Casey

Good question, Casey.

If you file with a car insurance company and they, in turn, either file online or through the mail, it could take you up to thirty days to get your SR22 in Texas. However, you don’t have to go that route, thanks to DPS Express, which allows you to file your SR22 in Texas immediately with no problems. There are also several other services that they offer.

• Driving record.

If you want to see if you have any speeding tickets or anything else on your driving record, you can order it through DPS Express and they’ll mail it the same day. A perusal of your driving record can give you a good idea in advance of whether or not you will be paying a lot of SR22 in Texas.

• SR22 in Texas.

Instead of filling out a paper form and then mailing it to the department of public safety, you can fill it out online and start driving right away.

• License reinstatement.

Before you get your SR22 in Texas, it is first necessary for you to reinstate your license. The method of doing this isn’t exactly clear, so if you need some help navigating the paperwork, you can sign up for DPS Express. It costs twenty five dollars in most cases to reinstate your license before you get your SR22 in Texas.

• Accident reports.

Whenever you’re filing a car insurance claim, it can be handy to have the accident report on hand as documentation to prove your side of the story. You can order an official copy for fifteen bucks from DPS Express and get it faxed or emailed to you right away.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Reader question:

I have an expensive car, so I have to keep comprehensive coverage on it. How do I get a cheap SR22 auto insurance quote for comprehensive coverage?

Karen

Great question, Karen.

Did you know that ten percent of the people in the United States have lost a vehicle to theft? That puts you at a pretty good chance of being a theft victim, so if you have an expensive car it is important to have comprehensive coverage on it, even if it means a higher SR22 auto insurance quote. However, there are ways that you can protect your car and thus keep your SR22 auto insurance quote relatively low. Follow these steps to keep your vehicle safe.

• Cover your tracks.

Whenever you leave your car, make sure it is secured behind you. Put your keys in your pocket, double check that they are there; turn off your headlights to ring less attention to it; press the locks down on your car doors; make sure the windows are rolled all the way up.

• Be sneaky.

Leave clues that this car belongs to you. You can do this by etching the VIN number in weird places, or in leaving other evidence of your identity in hard to find places that a chop shop might be unable to find.

• Be strategic.

Whenever you park against a curb, position your wheels toward it and flip on the emergency brakes. If you do this, then you are less likely to be towed.

• Hide.

Never leave something valuable clearly visible. If you have a CD player, an iPod, a video camera, or anything else, such as a wallet, that might be stolen, either hide it under your seat or under a coat, or take it with you.

• Be prepared.

Instead of just relying on your own savvy, get an anti theft device. This can get you a discount SR22 auto insurance quote, and it will also protect your car against thieves.

• Park close.

If you park close to the store, your house, or wherever it is you are going, then your car is less likely to be stolen. There will be more vehicles and more light and more people closer in, which will discourage thieves.

Most of all, you should ask your car insurance companies what types of discounts will affect the comprehensive part of your SR22 auto insurance quote. They can give you a list of the sorts of anti theft devices that are accepted and that qualify you for discounts, among other things.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Reader question:

Is it true that my credit score will have an impact on my SR22 quote for car insurance?

Malcolm

Thanks for asking, Malcolm.

It’s not so much your credit score that will impact your SR22 quote as it is your entire credit report. The majority of car insurance companies, and even other types of insurance companies, use the credit report to create an insurance risk score, which they then use as one of the major factors in your final SR22 quote. This insurance risk score is determined in a different way than is credit score. Instead of putting emphasis on the balance that you owe on a credit card or car, it will pay more attention to whether or not you are paying your bill consistently and on time.

Your insurance risk score can be the main reason that you have a high SR22 quote, even after you’ve done everything else that you can to lower that SR22 quote. The reason that companies use these scores to determine what the person’s car insurance rates will be is because studies have been done showing that people with poor credit history are more likely to file a car insurance claim. The problem that many people have with this system is that it affects people who are low income or part of a minority more often than it does other groups, and so it can be seen as discriminatory. Most states have ruled that it is not, though.

In order to get a cheaper SR22 quote, you should work on improving your credit. The most important thing to do if you are already in debt is to start paying back what you owe. You may have to do this little by little, but everything starts somewhere. Try to begin by paying off the debts that have the highest interest rates, and then move on to the ones with the lower rates.

Once you have your debt paid off, you can then rebuild your credit. It’s better not to overdo it by opening too many accounts, but you can do things such as get a gas card or buy a piece of furniture or a new laptop.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Reader question:

I have already done all of the filing of my SR22 insurance form that I need to do, but my rates are still high. Why is that?

Alex

Great question, Alex.

So, your license was suspended three years ago, you’ve paid your dues and filed your SR22 insurance form, and yet at the end of it all nothing much has changed? This is a pretty common experience, and you’re only confused about it because you don’t understand that penalties aren’t the end of a punishment.

Whenever you are convicted of drunk driving, while for a first offense you only have to file the SR22 insurance form for three years, the actual conviction will stay on your record for longer than that, usually for a period of five years. If it’s your second conviction for drunk driving, then you file your SR22 insurance form for five years, and the conviction stays on your record for ten years. As long as that conviction is on your record, your car insurance company can see it and can charge you for it and rate you as high risk because of it.

The best thing to do to get rid of the negative influence that your SR22 insurance form has had on your car insurance premium is to practice driver safety. You can take a driver’s education or a defensive driving course. This may prove effective in taking the conviction off your record, in which case your rates will lower. If it does not, then you can still get a discount so long as you take the defensive driving course from a place that your car insurance company recommend. You cannot, however, get both a clean record and a discount.

Aside from the defensive driving course, just drive safely. Stay within the speed limit, and build your record back from the ground up. Even if you still have the drunk driving conviction on your record, you can still get lower rates and a car insurance discount for staying accident free for several years and staying with the same company.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Reader question:

I’m required to have insurance, but it seems that know company will sell me a policy with an Ohio SR22 bond. What do I do?

Mark

Thanks for your question, Mark.

Being a high risk driver makes shopping for car insurance frustrating, and sometimes it seems like your options for car insurance companies that will sell you a policy with an Ohio SR22 bond are worse than limited–they are non existent. But since it is required by law for you to have an Ohio SR22 bond, it wouldn’t make sense if it were impossible for you to get this. Even if it is a little more difficult than usual, there is a way for you to get insured.

• High risk companies.

As a high risk driver, and especially a driver who needs an Ohio SR22 bond, you would think that no car insurance company likes you. However, there are thousands, if not millions, of people across the country in your same situation, and because of this, you are indeed a market. A car insurance company can pick and choose which markets it wants to insure, and a good deal of them don’t want the Ohio SR22 bond market. However, there are also many companies out there that specify in selling car insurance policies to people who are considered high risk.

The catch here is that you will pay a whole lot more than you normally would for an Ohio SR22 bond if you have to get insured through a high risk company. Before you get specific, try looking into other companies that insure all kinds of drivers. If you do need a high risk company, start with Progressive and get a quote from other high risk companies as well. Be sure to specify that you need an Ohio SR22 bond to be filed.

• Jump in the pool.

In some cases, your search might truly be fruitless. Even the high risk companies don’t want to take you and your Ohio SR22 bond in. However, for drivers like you, the state must provide a way, and it does.

If you absolutely cannot find insurance anywhere else, then you will have to join your state assigned risk pool in order to meet the requirements of your Ohio SR22 bond. This pool is made up of extremely high risk drivers, and assigns them to regular companies which then sell them car insurance policies at extremely high prices. All companies participate, so even if a company denied your policy before, you might end up with them after all. Assigned risk pools are very expensive.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Reader question:

Is it possible to get cheap SR22 auto insurance, or will your rates always go up?

Ashley

Thanks for asking, Ashley.

It definitely is possible to get a cheap SR22 auto insurance policy, and even a cheap auto insurance policy if you are convicted for drunk driving. If you have a drunk driving conviction and you don’t have to file an SR22 form for it, then it’s possible that your car insurance company will never be the wiser. A fourth of traffic violations and convictions such as drunk driving don’t even make it to your record because of screw ups by the court and the department of motor vehicles.

Even if your drunk driving conviction does make it onto your driving record, it is also possible that your car insurance company won’t even look at it until the conviction is off. While most car insurance companies make it a habit to look at your driving record every time you renew your policy, many might not look at it for several years on end.

Not telling your car insurance company about your drunk driving conviction is very risky, though. You are required to divulge information about drunk driving convictions and other moving violations, and if they later find out about it and you did not disclose the information, your policy could be cancelled or not renewed.

Even if you do live in a state where you have to file the SR22 form, it is possible to get cheap SR22 auto insurance. Many people are convicted of driving drunk and never see their rates go up at all. Normally, there are two factors that lead to this conclusion.

• Preferred driver class.

The class of preferred drivers is the highest on the risk food chain that you can get. These people are considered extremely low risk and have the lowest car insurance rates around. If one of them has a drunk driving conviction, many car insurance companies will just laugh it off the first time around, and they can get cheap SR22 auto insurance without a single increase.

• Long time company history.

If you have been with a company for a long time, then you might get certain perks, such as a cheap SR22 auto insurance policy. They might do things such as forgive your first accident or your first drunk driving conviction, and you may be able to keep your good driver discount.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Reader question:

How do I get a cheap SR22 policy for a new car?

Graham

Thanks for your question, Graham.

I’m sorry to hear that you have to pay for an SR22 policy on a new car. SR22 car insurance is already very expensive, but if you add on the price for insuring a brand new vehicle, it’s even more. You also can’t cut your costs to a cheap SR22 insurance rate by cutting your coverage, since you are required to purchase comprehensive and collision coverage. What you can do is appease your car insurance company by making yourself less risky than you already are.

What car insurance companies like more than anything else is to see their customers protect themselves. This is not out of the kindness of their hearts, but simply out of the fact that a safe customer files fewer claims. So your first step to cheap SR22 payments is to make yourself less likely to file a car insurance claim.

You can do this by making your new car safer. There are several ways that you can do this. In many states, car insurance companies are required to give discounts for things such as air bags and seat belts, even though practically every car on the road has them. While these discounts are not huge, they certainly put you on the road towards a cheap SR22 car insurance premium. Other states do not require them, but encourage them, and most companies will offer them to be competitive.

Then there is the next tier of protection. Car insurance companies will give you a better price on your car insurance if you include more up to date safety features. One that most often gets you a cheap SR22 car insurance discount is the anti lock brake. This system works as a panic control, and keeps your vehicle from skidding or rolling over when you hit on the brakes or are driving on icy roads by pumping constant pressure into your wheels.

Anther type of safety feature that is often given a discount is the electronic stability control system. This is included on many new types of vehicles, and is much like the anti lock disc brakes but much more elaborate and works and many more situations.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Reader question:

If I have a policy for SR22 insurance for non owner drivers, how can I lower my rates?

Anson

Great question, Anson.

As someone who pays for SR22 insurance for non owner drivers, you are able to take advantage of many of the same discounts that other drivers do. If you ask your car insurance company about discounts, you can find out which ones you qualify for. Otherwise, think about doing the following things.

• Raise your deductible.

Like comprehensive and collision coverage, liability insurance, which is the only type of insurance coverage you can get with a SR22 insurance for non owner driver policy, you must pay a deductible before damages can be paid. However, if you have a higher deductible, then you will be able to pay a lower premium because you are assuming more risk. This is especially important when you are already a high risk SR22 driver.

Some people find it difficult to come up with the money for higher deductibles. I have a one thousand deductible, and I’ve had it for two years and haven’t had to pay it out yet. In the meantime, I have saved up much more than that by simply saving the money that I otherwise would have paid towards my car insurance premium. Anybody can do this, and it’s a good way to start a savings account.

• Pay it all at once.

Car insurance companies will usually charge you a fee for paying your SR22 insurance for non owner premium in installments. This can be a large fee, such as thirty dollars extra each month, or a smaller one at just a couple dollars extra, depending on what car insurance company you are with. You can save this fee by paying for your car insurance policy upfront, and this will also save you from the worry of lapsing in your insurance coverage and having your license suspended again.

• Buy online.

Not only is it more convenient to buy your SR22 insurance for non owner online, but it is also often cheaper. Car insurance companies offer discounts for buying insurance online because it saves them money in employees and other resources. Most big car insurance companies have websites where you can check your policy, get quotes, purchase a policy, and pay your monthly premium online.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Reader question:

If I am required to file an Ohio SR22 car insurance form, but I move to a different state, do I still have to file it?

Barry

Thank you for your question, Barry.

According to Ohio SR22 car insurance law, if you are required to file an Ohio SR22 insurance form and you move out of state, then you will still be required to file that form until the end of the period in which you are mandated to file it, which is usually three years after the suspension of your license. You may or may not be required to file an SR22 car insurance form in your new state, and to find out you should call your new state department of motor vehicles.

In order to file an Ohio SR22 car insurance form, you must purchase your car insurance from a company which is licensed by the Ohio state department of insurance and is thus able to sell insurance policies in the state of Ohio. If you are living in another state and are purchasing your insurance through Ohio, then you will obviously be unable to be insured with companies that do not operate out of state, so you may be best off filing your Ohio SR22 form with one of the larger, national sized companies.

Even though you don’t live in Ohio, filing Ohio SR22 car insurance forms should be pretty easy because, unlike some states, you are not required to take the Ohio SR22 form to the department of motor vehicles office on behalf of your car insurance company. Instead, the car insurance company will do it for you. They often file the Ohio SR22 car insurance online, and it takes around three days, with five days being the most. You are usually given thirty days from the time your license is reinstated for your Ohio SR22 form to go through.

Since this time period is fairly small, you should make sure that you have all of the accurate information on your Ohio SR22 form. This includes making sure that the information on your driver’s license, Ohio SR22 form, car insurance policy, and vehicle registration all match. If the information is incorrect, then your Ohio SR22 bond could be denied, and it could become even more difficult for you.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

Reader question:

I am told that I have to buy non owner SR22 insurance. What is this, and how do I get it?

Angela

Thank you for asking, Angela.

SR22 insurance is required when you have received a conviction for drunk driving or have had your driver’s license suspended for some other reason. If you intend to have your driver’s license reinstated before three years is out, you will need to have a SR22 insurance form filed. However, for some people, it is necessary for them to reinstate their license even though they do not own a car. In these cases, they must buy non owner SR22.

Non owner SR22 car insurance is pretty limited. While with other types of insurance you may add all of the coverage you want, with non owner SR22 car insurance you are only able to purchase your state’s liability limit. This can leave you very unprotected, especially if you would like some kind of medical coverage. However, if the person whose car you are driving with your non owner SR22 policy has coverage such as medical payment coverage, collision coverage, and so on, then that will cover the car even if you are driving it.

You cannot get non owner SR22 as a catch all policy, as it only covers certain cars. It doesn’t cover a car that you own, for example. It doesn’t cover you when you are driving a car that is owned by someone in your household, which is defined as someone who lives with you and is related by blood, marriage, or adoption. It does not cover you if the car you are driving is not technically yours but you use it regularly. Non owner SR22 car insurance is for the occasional use of other people’s cars.

The trouble with non owner SR22 car insurance is that it often costs more than regular SR22 car insurance, since the car insurance company cannot use the type of car you are driving to determine what your car insurance rates will be.

It is pretty easy to buy a non owner SR22 insurance policy, and most companies sell them. When you will out your forms to purchase a policy, it is usually as simple as checking a box that states that you want to buy a non owner SR22 policy.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.