Colorado sets the SR-22 clock by the offense. Your insurer's cancellation notice can restart the whole problem.

3 years. Colorado's DR 2316 form tells drivers reinstating under the Financial Responsibility Act to maintain the SR-22 continuously for three years (Colorado DMV, DR 2316 Financial Responsibility Requirements (rev. 11/21/25), accessed September 22, 2026).

What an SR-22 is in Colorado

The Colorado DMV describes an SR-22 as a rider to an insurance policy. In it, the insurer promises the state that you'll keep insurance in effect for a set period. It isn't a separate kind of insurance. It's a certificate your insurer files with the state saying a liability policy exists. It also carries a promise to tell the state if that stops being true (DMV, SR-22 and Insurance Information).

You can't buy one from the state. DR 2316 says plainly that "SR22s are available only from your insurance company." The company files it, and you then send your reinstatement paperwork through myDMV or by mail with form DR 2870. If this is all new to you, our SR-22 insurance guide covers the basics.

Colorado doesn't use one SR-22 period for everyone. How long you keep it depends on which suspension or revocation you're reinstating from, and the DMV runs at least two separate tracks.

After an uninsured accident: DR 2316 and the three-year rule

The first track is the Financial Responsibility Act, which DR 2316 cites as C.R.S. 42-7-301. It applies when you were in an accident without insurance and the DMV moves to suspend your license. The form gives you two ways through it.

Before the suspension takes effect, Section A lists four options. You can show that a liability policy was in force on the vehicle at the time of the accident. You can file a notarized release from liability (DR 2100) signed by everyone injured. You can show a court found you not liable. Or you can file an SR-22 along with one of several security documents. The form lists a promissory note (DR 2567), a waiver of security (DR 2090), an affidavit (DR 2314), a surety bond or cash deposit, or bankruptcy documentation. If you take the SR-22 route here, the form says to "maintain the SR22 continuously for three years."

After the suspension takes effect, Section B applies. It calls for form DR 2870 with the reinstatement fee and an SR-22 kept "continuously for three years following restoration of your driving privileges." You still have to satisfy one of the Section A options. If more than three years have passed since the accident, the form accepts a DR 2314 affidavit stating no one has sued you for damages.

Notice where that three-year clock starts on the Section B path: at restoration, not at the accident. A driver who waited a year to deal with the suspension doesn't get that year back.

After an alcohol revocation: the period depends on the offense

The second track covers DUI, DWAI, per se and refusal revocations. On its alcohol reinstatement page, the DMV says you "generally must maintain this continuously for 9 months to 3 years, depending on your offense" (DMV, Reinstating After a DUI or Alcohol Offense). The reinstatement FAQ breaks that down (DMV, Suspension and Reinstatement FAQs):

• Age 21 or older, BAC of .08 or more, first offense: 9 months, or 3 years if an accident or high BAC was involved.
• Age 21 or older, BAC of .08 or more, multiple offenses: 3 years.
• Age 21 or older, refusal: 1 to 3 years.
• Under 21, DUI or DWAI conviction: 1 to 3 years.
• Under 21, zero tolerance (.02 to .05), second or third offense: 6 to 12 months.

The same alcohol page also lists the insurer certificate among reinstatement items and says it "must be maintained for at least 3 years." The DMV's own pages don't line up perfectly, so treat your reinstatement letter as the controlling document for your period. When you send it to us, we quote the filing against what the letter says. More on the insurance side of an alcohol offense is on our DUI car insurance page.

Other suspensions can call for an SR-22 too. The DMV's points reinstatement page lists an SR-22 certificate as a step, while its FAQ describes points reinstatement as requiring evidence of current insurance. If your suspension was for points, read the letter closely. Our suspended license insurance page explains the policy side.

Persistent drunk drivers, interlock, and what the insurer files

Colorado law defines a persistent drunk driver in C.R.S. 42-1-102(68.5). The definition reaches someone with two or more alcohol-related convictions or revocations, someone who keeps driving after an alcohol-related restraint, someone driving at 0.15 BAC or more, and someone who refuses a test. The DMV's summary adds that 0.15 or higher qualifies "even if it is a first offense."

The DMV lists an ignition interlock requirement "for a minimum of two years" for persistent drunk drivers, along with Level 2 alcohol education and treatment. Its Ignition Interlock Program page lists the same two-year period for a PDD designation. The interlock is a device requirement, and the alcohol page says it goes "in every vehicle you drive." The SR-22 is separate from it.

What the interlock does change, practically, is the vehicle list. Every car you'll drive needs the device, and every car you'll drive should also be on a policy that the SR-22 sits on. If you'll drive a household member's car, that car's owner and their insurer need to know. Our page on excluded and household drivers explains why an unlisted driver can cause a claim problem.

If you don't own a car

Plenty of people who need an SR-22 have sold the car, lost it, or never had one. Companies handle this with a named non-owner policy. It gives you liability coverage when you drive a vehicle you don't own, and it can carry the SR-22 filing. GEICO, for example, says a non-owner SR-22 policy is available for people who need an SR-22 but don't own a car.

A non-owner policy only fits if you really don't have regular access to a household car. It usually doesn't cover a vehicle you own or one that's available to you every day. We couldn't find a Colorado DMV page that says whether a non-owner filing satisfies every type of requirement, so confirm it with the DMV before you rely on it. The general mechanics are on our non-owner car insurance page.

What happens if the policy cancels

This is the part that catches the most people. The DMV says "the SR-22 requires the insurance company to notify the DMV of any policy cancellation." If you don't keep it current, the DMV says the insurer will report that the SR-22 is no longer in effect, "but is still required." At that point, "your driver license will be suspended for that reason alone."

That covers a missed payment as much as a deliberate cancellation. It also covers switching companies carelessly. The DMV says that when you change insurers, "you must get a new SR-22 filed before the old one expires." Buy the new policy and confirm the new filing before you cancel the old one. If a lapse has already happened, our page on auto insurance after a lapse covers what companies look at next.

Colorado's minimum limits under the filing

An SR-22 proves you carry at least the state minimum. The Colorado Division of Insurance states it as "$25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident and $15,000 for property damage to another." That's the 25/50/15 in C.R.S. 10-4-620 (Division of Insurance, Auto Insurance). The DMV's insurance database page repeats the same figures and points to C.R.S. 42-4-1409 for insurance requirements and penalties.

The filing doesn't raise those numbers. A driver reinstating after a serious accident often has good reason to buy more, since the minimum can run out fast in an injury claim. Our explainer on auto liability limits walks through what each number pays.

MedPay and UM/UIM: two choices on the new Colorado policy

Starting a new SR-22 policy means answering two Colorado coverage questions. Plenty of people answer them fast to get the price down, and then can't remember what they said.

Medical payments. The Division of Insurance says "medical payments coverage of $5,000 will be included in your policy unless you reject it." It adds that you "may reject the coverage in writing or in the same method in which you applied for the policy." That's the rule in C.R.S. 10-4-635. As enacted by Senate Bill 08-011, the section also requires the insurer to keep proof of a rejection for at least three years. If the insurer can't show a rejection, the policy is presumed to include the coverage. Our comparison of medical payments and PIP explains what MedPay pays.

Uninsured and underinsured motorist. The Division of Insurance says "uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage will be included in your policy unless you reject it in writing." The Legislative Council's summary of C.R.S. 10-4-609 says insurers must offer it at an amount equal to your liability limits, and that you may waive it in writing. It pays for your own injuries when the at-fault driver has no insurance or too little, which is a real possibility when you're buying at the minimum yourself. More is on our uninsured and underinsured motorist page.

Either rejection may be a reasonable choice depending on your health coverage and budget. Make it on purpose, and keep a copy of what you signed.

What catches Colorado drivers

A few patterns come up again and again:

• Assuming the SR-22 period is the same as someone else's. Colorado sets it by offense, and a per se first offense can be 9 months while a multiple offense is 3 years.
• Letting a payment slip. The insurer's notice to the DMV can bring a suspension on its own.
• Changing companies without overlapping the filings, which the DMV specifically warns against.
• Buying a non-owner policy while a car in the household is available every day.
• Signing away MedPay or UM/UIM in the rush to get a filing out, then not remembering it was done.

What to compare

Two SR-22 quotes aren't the same thing just because both include the filing. Compare the liability limits, whether MedPay and UM/UIM are on or rejected, whether collision and comprehensive are included, and which drivers are listed or excluded. Ask whether you'll pay in full or finance, and what happens to the filing if a payment is late. Ask how fast the company files electronically too, since your reinstatement may be waiting on it. Our broader page on high-risk auto insurance covers the other things companies weigh.

What to send us

• The DMV letter or notice that says an SR-22 is required, including the period if it's stated.
• Your Colorado driver license number, or your reinstatement status if the license isn't valid yet.
• Every vehicle you own, with the VIN, or a note that you don't own one.
• Everyone in the household of driving age, with license numbers.
• Your most recent declarations page, even if the policy has already lapsed.
• Whether an ignition interlock is required and on which vehicles.

With that, we can quote the policy and the filing together and tell you which companies will write it. Start with the quote request.

Where we usually start

We shop this out to more than one company and put the answers next to each other. Three that write Colorado drivers with a filing are Kemper, National General and GEICO. Kemper writes personal auto in Colorado, says it serves drivers who need an SR-22 or have a suspended or revoked license, and files SR-22s where applicable. Its guide to high-risk car insurance discusses DUI convictions and coverage gaps. National General writes personal auto in Colorado, and its own rules provide for SR-22 filings and named non-owner policies. GEICO files SR-22s electronically or by mail for a one-time fee that varies by state. Each one decides for itself. Your record and your vehicle may make one a better fit than the others.

Reviewed for insurance accuracy by Richard Sweet, owner of Vantage Point Risk and an independent insurance advisor. Last reviewed September 24, 2026. How we review this.