SR-22 Insurance/Uninsured Crashes

DAMAGES CAUSED BY AN UNINSURED MOTORIST

The Secretary of State may suspend individuals as the result of an Unsatisfied Judgment from a civil court. Under this procedure, the person who suffered damages from the uninsured crash takes action in court. Then the court orders the uninsured motorist to satisfy the judgment.

If the judgment remains unsatisfied (unpaid) for thirty days, the court orders the Secretary of State to suspend the individual's driving and registering privileges.

Upon receipt of an Unsatisfied Judgment, the Secretary of State's Safety and Financial Responsibility Section enters a suspension (Type Action 06) on the driving record of the defendant. The suspension remains in effect until the requirements set forth by the court are met. If the judgment is for $500 or more, Financial Responsibility Insurance (SR-22) must be filed with our office and maintained for a period of three years.

Under this system, the driver's license suspension is issued to induce citizens to pay monetary judgments. Again, future uninsured accidents are prevented by the SR-22 requirement.