Ohio BMV & SR22 Auto Insurance License Reinstatement Guide

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Transcription:

Slide 1:
Hello! I'm Dan Lyles with Lyles Insurance. This video is intended as a guide for those of you who are going through the process of going through the Ohio BMV, and needing an SR22 auto insurance filing to get your license reinstated. If you're not familiar with the process, this video will answer a lot of your questions.
 
Slide 2:
 
To get your license reinstated after a suspension, there's a certain procedure you have to follow. You might have had to serve some suspension time, you'll have to pay any fines,
reinstatement fees, some of you may have been required to take some safety courses. Once you've met all those requirements, getting an SR22 filing is usually the last step you need to take before you get your license reinstated.
 
Slide 3:
 
Before I get more into SR22 filings, I want to clear up some confusion regarding a misleading term that probably all of you have heard: “SR22 Bond”. There is no such thing as an SR22 bond. An SR22 is not a bond, nor is it auto insurance. It's simply a state filing that you attach onto either an auto insurance policy or a financial responsibility bond. And I think that's where the term came from. Ohio is the only state that has these financial responsibility bonds. And an agent is going to understand what you mean when you say SR22 bond. But just understand that it's a misleading term because it leads to confusion when you go to set up a policy.
 
Slide 4:
 
So what an SR22 filing actually does: it lets the Ohio BMV know that you're carrying at least state minimum liability auto insurance coverage. And as long as you keep a policy with an attached SR22 filing active, your license will remain valid.
 
Slide 5:
 
But here's the bad news about an SR22 filing: it acts as a “tattletale”, as I like to call it. Because if you cancel, lapse or expire on an SR22 attached auto insurance policy or bond, the auto insurance company is required by law to tattle on you to the state BMV. Once that happens, they'll suspend your license again until you either reinstate the policy, or start a new one with another SR22 attached.
 
Slide 6:
 
This part is very important. What's the best way to set up an SR22 filing? Well it's real easy.
 
If you own a vehicle or have a vehicle registered in your name, you simply need to buy a regular auto insurance policy, and attach the SR22 filing on to it. Now, I know a lot of auto
insurance companies don't write SR22’s, and some will write SR22’s but charge you a fortune for it. So you've got to look for the right company there. And I'll get into that here in just a minute.
 
Now for those of you who do not own a vehicle, you'll need to buy what's called the Financial Responsibility Bond, and attach the SR22 on to it. It's as simple as that. But there's a lot of people that get this wrong.
 
Slide 7:
 
As far as finding the best rate: As I just mentioned, some auto insurance companies won't help you at all with SR22’s. Others will but they'll charge you an arm and a leg. So your best bet is to find an independent agent that specializes in high-risk auto insurance. That way, you get multiple quotes at once instead of quoting with one company at a time.
 
Slide 8:
 
And finally, once you've bought a policy with an SR22 attached to it, how do you file it with the Ohio BMV? Well, you have two options: an easy way and a fast way.
 
The easiest way which is the most popular, most common, is to simply do nothing. Because once you buy this policy with an SR22, the company will electronically file that to the State BMV. The slow part is: once the BMV gets it, it usually takes them one to two business days to process it. But at least you don't have to do anything. It's automatic.
 
Now, if you want to get your license back quicker than that, you also have the option of taking your paperwork to the BMV yourself. Once you buy a policy, your agent can email or fax you the paperwork you need in minutes. And then you just take the paperwork to the BMV in person, showing you've got an active SR22. They'll process it right there on the spot.
 
So I hope this video has taught you what you need to know about the process of going through the Ohio BMV, and getting an SR22 filing to get your license back. Thanks for watching and have a great day! 

​Link from video: SR22 Auto Insurance Page


Related blog articles:

 Video: Can I buy SR22 auto insurance with a suspended license?