Does GEICO Have Good SR-22 Insurance Coverage?
Last Updated on February 15, 2022
GEICO is America’s second-largest car insurance company, trailing only State Farm while insuring millions of drivers across the United States. Thousands of drivers use GEICO for SR-22 insurance.
SR-22 insurance is a certificate verifying you have valid car insurance. If you are a high-risk driver, or if you have let your car insurance lapse, then you may need to submit an SR-22 certificate. You buy car insurance with GEICO, and GEICO submits an SR-22 certificate on your behalf.
Should you buy SR-22 insurance with GEICO? Does GEICO offer good SR-22 insurance? Keep reading to discover everything you need to know about GEICO’s SR-22 insurance and how it works.
Table of Contents:
- What Is an SR-22?
- How Does GEICO SR-22 Insurance Work?
- Why Do I Need an SR-22?
- Is GEICO Good for SR-22 Insurance?
- How Much Does GEICO SR-22 Insurance Cost?
- What Does GEICO SR-22 Insurance Cover?
- GEICO SR-22 Insurance Reviews: What Do Drivers Say?
- Not All Customers Qualify for SR-22 Insurance with GEICO
What Is an SR-22?
An SR-22 is a certificate of financial responsibility. It verifies you have valid car insurance coverage that meets your state’s minimum requirements.
The SR-22 is not technically insurance; instead, it’s a certificate verifying you have insurance.
Some states use the SR-22 as a certificate of financial responsibility. Other states use an FR-44 for identical purposes. Some states have both an SR-22 and FR-44 for different types of high-risk drivers.
If you are a high-risk driver, or if you have recently committed one or more serious infractions, then you may need to obtain an SR-22. Your state’s DMV will notify you of any SR-22 requirements. You file the form with the state, and the state will reinstate your license or driving privileges.
How Does GEICO SR-22 Insurance Work?
GEICO, like most insurers, can submit an SR-22 to the state on your behalf.
You buy car insurance from GEICO as you normally would. GEICO gives you a quote, and you pay for your car insurance policy. Then, GEICO submits your SR-22 certificate to the DMV, and the DMV reinstates your driving privileges.
Depending on your state, GEICO may charge an SR-22 filing fee of around $25.
However, the costliest part of an SR-22 is the higher insurance premiums. Because you’re a high-risk driver, you’ll pay higher insurance premiums with GEICO. While the average driver pays around $1,450 per year for full coverage car insurance, the average SR-22 policyholder pays around $2,450 per year.
Once you have SR-22 insurance with GEICO, you’re an ordinary GEICO customer. You contact the company to make a claim. You pay insurance premiums to GEICO. GEICO continues to insure you until you cancel your policy.
Depending on your state and driving history, you may need to carry your SR-22 insurance for 1 to 3 years before you can rejoin the ordinary insurance market. Until then, you can expect to pay higher premiums because of your SR-22 requirement.
Why Do I Need an SR-22?
People need an SR-22 for different reasons. However, the most common reasons you need to submit an SR-22 certificate include:
- DUI convictions
- Reckless driving citations
- Driving without insurance
- Driving without a license
- Multiple convictions, incidents, or at-fault accidents in a certain number of years
Is GEICO Good for SR-22 Insurance?
GEICO is the second-largest car insurance company in the United States. They insure millions of drivers across the country. They also provide thousands of SR-22 certificates to drivers nationwide.
Generally, GEICO has average reviews for customer service, claims satisfaction, and overall quality. Some customers have a good claim experience with GEICO, while others have a bad experience. Overall, GEICO’s reviews work out to be roughly average – similar to other large car insurance companies.
However, GEICO does have strong reviews for pricing. In many states, GEICO is the cheapest or second cheapest car insurance company overall. If you need an SR-22, then you could pay thousands more per year because of these requirements, so every saved dollar helps.
GEICO also has the resources of a large company. It’s easy to contact GEICO when needed, for example, and you can easily make a claim 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
How Much Does GEICO SR-22 Insurance Cost?
GEICO’s SR-22 insurance costs vary widely depending on your state, driving history, and other factors.
If you have two DUIs and need an SR-22 certificate, for example, then you may pay higher rates than someone who needs an SR-22 certificate because they let their car insurance lapse.
Nationwide, the average GEICO policyholder pays around $1,372 per year for full coverage car insurance, according to our research.
However, if you need to file an SR-22 with GEICO, then you could pay even more than that. The average SR-22 holder pays around $2,109 per year with GEICO, although rates vary widely depending on driving history. Although that may seem steep, GEICO’s SR-22 rates tend to be cheaper than competing insurers.
What Does GEICO SR-22 Insurance Cover?
GEICO’s SR-22 insurance covers your own liability after an accident. It meets your state’s minimum insurance requirements, allowing you to resume driving legally.
Depending on state laws, your GEICO SR-22 insurance will cover:
Property Damage Liability: If you damage someone else’s property (including their vehicle) while driving, then your GEICO property damage liability coverage will cover that damage up to the limits of your policy. Different states have different property damage liability rules ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 of coverage.
Bodily Injury Liability: If you harm someone else while driving (like another driver or a pedestrian), then GEICO’s bodily injury liability will cover that person’s medical bills, pain and suffering, and other costs incurred as a result of your actions. Nearly every state requires bodily injury liability coverage, with coverage ranging from $20,000 to $100,000.
Other Required Coverages: Some states require uninsured motorist coverage, personal injury protection (PIP) coverage, and other coverages. If your state requires other types of insurance, then your GEICO SR-22 insurance will meet these minimum requirements.
GEICO SR-22 Insurance Reviews: What Do Drivers Say?
SR-22 insurance is always expensive, and most customers are frustrated with their SR-22 requirements. It’s rare to find good SR-22 insurance reviews online. Most drivers bite the bullet, pay for SR-22 insurance as long as required, and move on.
However, here are some of the things customers had to say about GEICO’s SR-22 insurance and how it works:
- Customers tend to be happy with the price they paid for SR-22 insurance with GEICO. GEICO is known for offering competitively priced car insurance in most states and for most drivers.
- Customers have an average experience with GEICO for claims satisfaction with SR-22 insurance. Some customers are satisfied with the claims process, while others are not.
- Customers appreciate the brand recognition and big company amenities of GEICO. It’s easy to contact GEICO to make a claim, for example, and it’s easy to research and compare GEICO policies online.
- Customers also like GEICO for its range of discounts. GEICO provides discounts for bundling multiple policies, adding multiple vehicles to your policy, and maintaining safe driving habits for multiple months, for example.
Not All Customers Qualify for SR-22 Insurance with GEICO
GEICO provides SR-22 insurance to some drivers but not others. If you are a very high-risk driver, then GEICO may decline your business. In this situation, you may need to work with an SR-22 insurer specializing in insuring high-risk drivers – like The General.
Drivers with multiple DUIs, reckless driving citations, insurance lapses, and other incidents, for example, may not be able to obtain SR-22 insurance from GEICO.
However, drivers with medium-risk driving records should be able to obtain car insurance from GEICO.
Final Word on GEICO SR-22 Insurance
GEICO is one of America’s largest car insurance companies, and most drivers can easily buy SR-22 insurance with GEICO across the United States.
GEICO is known for offering affordable car insurance premiums and a range of discounts, making them one of the more affordable SR-22 providers in the United States. However, some drivers may not qualify for GEICO SR-22 insurance, depending on their driving history.
To learn more about GEICO’s SR-22 insurance and how it works, or to request an SR-22 insurance quote today, contact GEICO.