The SR-22 Does Not Set Your Coverage Amounts
You received notice that Georgia DDS requires SR-22 filing for your DUI conviction. The confusion starts when you try to figure out what coverage amounts the SR-22 requires. DMV paperwork says "SR-22 proof of insurance," carriers quote "SR-22 policies," and nothing explains whether the SR-22 itself demands higher limits than you carried before.
The structural reality: SR-22 is not a type of insurance policy and does not set coverage amounts. It is a filing — a one-page certificate your carrier submits to Georgia DDS proving you maintain at least the state's minimum liability coverage. The coverage amounts required are Georgia's standard minimums, identical to what any driver without an SR-22 must carry. The SR-22 filing proves you maintain them continuously for the full three-year filing period.
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Get Your Free QuoteGeorgia Minimum Liability Limits
$25,000/$50,000/$25,000
Bodily injury coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident, plus $25,000 property damage. These minimums apply to all Georgia drivers and are the amounts your SR-22 filing must prove you carry.
Georgia Department of Driver Services
What the SR-22 Filing Actually Proves
The SR-22 certificate your carrier files with DDS contains your policy number, effective dates, and a statement that your policy meets Georgia's minimum liability requirements. The certificate references the state minimums by statute but does not list dollar amounts — it simply confirms your policy complies.
When you buy liability coverage meeting Georgia's $25,000/$50,000/$25,000 minimums, your carrier electronically submits the SR-22 filing to DDS within 24 to 48 hours of policy binding. DDS receives the filing and updates your driver record to show compliant status. The filing remains active as long as your policy does not lapse.
If your policy cancels or lapses for any reason, the carrier is required to notify DDS immediately. DDS then re-suspends your license until you file a new SR-22 and maintain it for the remaining duration of your three-year requirement. The SR-22 filing itself does not expire — the three-year period starts from your conviction date and runs independently of how many policies or carriers you cycle through during that window.
The SR-22 filing proves continuous minimum coverage. A single lapse triggers automatic re-suspension even if you reinstate coverage the next day.
Minimum Liability vs Higher Limits
Georgia's $25,000 per person bodily injury limit is exhausted quickly in any accident involving serious injury. If you cause an accident where the injured party's medical bills exceed $25,000, you are personally liable for the difference. Most SR-22 carriers quote $50,000/$100,000/$50,000 or $100,000/$300,000/$100,000 limits at marginal premium increases over state minimums because the underwriting cost of your DUI conviction already puts you in a higher rate tier.
Compare quotes at multiple limit levels before selecting minimums. Carriers like Geico, Progressive, and State Farm write SR-22 policies in Georgia and often price $50,000/$100,000/$50,000 limits within $15 to $30 per month of minimums. The incremental cost is small relative to the liability protection gained if you cause another accident during your filing period.
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Collision and Comprehensive Are Optional
SR-22 filing requires only liability coverage. Collision coverage (damage to your vehicle in an accident) and comprehensive coverage (theft, vandalism, weather damage) are optional regardless of your SR-22 status. Georgia law does not require them, and your SR-22 certificate does not reference them.
If you finance or lease your vehicle, your lender requires physical damage coverage as a condition of the loan or lease agreement. That requirement comes from the lender, not the SR-22 filing. If you own your vehicle outright and decide collision and comprehensive are not worth the premium cost, you can drop them without affecting your SR-22 compliance as long as you maintain uninterrupted liability coverage at state minimums.
Non-owner SR-22 policies cover liability only and do not include collision or comprehensive because you do not own a vehicle to insure for physical damage. Non-owner SR-22 is a common option for Georgia drivers whose license was suspended for DUI but who sold their vehicle, lost it to repossession, or never owned one during the suspension period.
Georgia SR-22 Filing Period
3 years
Measured from the DUI conviction date, not the filing date. If you file SR-22 six months after conviction, you still carry the filing for the full three years from conviction — 2.5 years remain after filing.
Georgia Department of Driver Services SR-22 program rules
Higher Limits and Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Georgia does not require uninsured motorist (UM) or underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage, but carriers must offer it when you purchase liability coverage. You can reject it in writing. UM coverage protects you when an at-fault driver has no insurance or insufficient limits to cover your injuries. Because Georgia is a traditional tort state, you rely on the at-fault driver's liability policy to pay your claim — if they carry only minimums or no coverage at all, your UM policy fills the gap.
Many SR-22 carriers include UM/UIM coverage in their standard quote because the cost is low relative to the protection. If you rejected UM coverage on a previous policy, review whether that decision still makes sense given Georgia's high uninsured driver rate and your elevated exposure during the SR-22 filing period when any lapse re-suspends your license.
Compare SR-22 Carriers That Write Your Risk Profile
Not all carriers write SR-22 policies, and among those that do, pricing varies significantly by how each underwrites DUI convictions. Standard-tier carriers like State Farm and Allstate may non-renew or decline SR-22 business depending on your specific conviction details and prior driving history. Non-standard carriers like Progressive, Geico, The General, Bristol West, and Dairyland specialize in high-risk drivers and write SR-22 policies as a core product line.
Request quotes from at least three carriers that explicitly write SR-22 business in Georgia. Provide accurate conviction details, license status, and vehicle information. Carriers price SR-22 filings based on your full risk profile, not just the DUI — prior claims, credit score, vehicle type, and ZIP code all factor into the final premium. Compare total annual cost including the one-time SR-22 filing fee, which ranges from $15 to $50 depending on carrier. Use the comparison tool to identify carriers writing your specific situation and request binding quotes before committing.