To reactivate your driver’s license in California, you need an SR22 filing from your insurance company. SR22 filing is required by California DMV to prove that you have liability auto insurance. According California law, every driver has to be financially responsible to compensate for the loss incurred by others if you get involved in a road accident. DMV does not accept any other form of proof of auto insurance to reactivate your license.
The process to get an SR22
1. Find out what is exactly on your driving record. This is because the price of liability auto insurance is based on your years of driving experience, severity of your driving records such as violations or tickets and your place of residence.
2. Call the DMV office to buy your driving record if needed. It may cost between $5 -$10. You should also find out what other fees are to be paid to reactivate your license. This fee may include parking or moving violation fee also.
3. You should buy minimum liability auto insurance coverage. Get multiple quotations from different insurance companies that write SR22 insurance to find the lowest price. There are sites that help you with the facility of getting many online quotations and choose the one you find affordable. The insurance company will send you the necessary forms to be filled for purchase of the liability coverage. You can fill out the application form and sign it and fax it and pay by credit card. The insurance company will accept your signed application form and issue the SR filing on the same day. You can even get overnight filing by paying a small additional fee. If you do not own the vehicle you must buy a non-owner’s policy.
4. After acceptance of the SR22 filing by the DMV you can go to their office to get your license reactivated.