There’s proof of auto insurance, and then there’s proof of auto insurance. Many people are able to use an insurance card kept in the car to prove coverage. In certain situations – after a DUI, after a conviction for operating without insurance, after certain other moving violations – more is required. If you find yourself in that situation, in need of an FR-19, you need to contact your insurance agent or carrier immediately.
If the state wants certified proof in the form of an FR-19 or SR-22, failure to provide it is the same as not having insurance at all. If you have insurance, but don’t have that form on file with the state, you are viewed as not having insurance. You can be cited for lack of insurance, your car can be impounded, you may lose your drivers license, and there can be additional penalties and fines on top of that as well. Effective Coverage can have this form to the correct place in a matter of a few minutes and keep you on the road.
Even if you have car insurance if your FR-19 or SR 22 is not filed with the state you are considered as not having insurance.
Some states like Virginia can instead require a form called the FR-44. The important thing about all of these forms is that you will never see them. They’re correspondence between your insurance agent or company and the state. They’re not something you need to take down to DMV in most states. SR22, FR19, and FR44 forms really are something of an anachronism. They’re no longer per se necessary because most insurance carriers already update most state DMVs on the status of insurance in real time. SR22, FR19, and FR44 used to be used to ensure the DMV would be kept aware of the status of your insurance, but that’s now pretty much a moot point because it happens anyway.
Not all carriers are willing to issue these forms, and some will charge extra for them. Some carriers charge extra for an SR22 from an underwriting or rating standpoint, some carriers charge more for an FR19 or FR44 as a filing fee (which is acceptable in most states) and some do both. If you need an SR22, FR44, or FR19, it’s imperative that you have an insurance expert like Effective Coverage review your insurance – captive agents or direct writers simply may not have the means to properly service a client who needs one of these forms to prove financial responsibility.
The primary diference between SR22/FR44 and FR19 forms is quite simple. The SR22 and FR44 are used to prove insurance coverage at this moment in time and going forward. The FR19 is a form issued in states like Maryland and Virginia to prove that you had insurance at some point in the past. This often is necessary when changing insurance carriers if the state believes there was a lapse in coverage between the two carriers.