When Irish eyes are smiling, they probably shouldn’t be behind the wheel of an automobile. Drunk driving is responsible for a great majority of vehicular fatalities. If you get caught driving drunk, there are some severe consequences that will radically change your life. One such change involves getting SR-22 auto insurance.

SR-22 car insurance isn’t really a special kind of insurance plan; it’s actually a form that you submit to your insurance provider. This is a rider to an insurance policy, in which the insurance company guarantees you will keep insurance in effect for a certain period of time. The details and regulations surrounding SR-22 car insurance vary from state to state, but there are some general guidelines that are the same everywhere.

SR-22 auto insurance is typically needed for a driver to reinstate his driving privileges after an offense such as a DUI conviction or uninsured auto accident. Drivers who do not own a vehicle but still wish to reinstate their driving privileges may need to provide a non-owner SR-22 auto insurance policy.

Obtaining supplemental SR-22 car insurance is really quite easy. When you purchase liability insurance, the insurance agent can provide the SR-22 form. When the liability insurance with the SR-22 rider is purchased, the form is filed with the division of motor vehicles. Most people have their insurance agent help them fill out the paperwork over the phone since driving is out of the question at that point, but you may deliver the form in person at your local DMV.

A driver who has had his license suspended must carry a current and up-to-date SR-22 car-insurance policy for as long as mandated by law, which varies for multiple offenders. Failure to do so could result in further suspension of a driver’s license.

If you decide to change insurance companies, you must get a new SR-22 car insurance form filed before the old one expires. Once an SR-22 expires or is cancelled, the insurance company will issue an SR-26 certifying the cancelation of the policy.

—AJ Register