A Financial Responsibility Insurance Certificate (SR-22) is proof or verification the holder is maintaining vehicle liability insurance in the required amounts. It is not a type of insurance—it is a form filed with the state’s department of public safety (DPS), department of transportation (DOT), or department of motor vehicles (DMV) and may also be referred to as an SR-22 Bond or SR-22 Form.

An SR-22 can be issued by most insurance providers, who will notify the state’s department of public safety or department of motor vehicles when an SR-22 is cancelled, terminated, or lapses.

The state will often require a driver whose license has been suspended following an arrest for DUI/DWI to provide an SR-22 in order to get their occupational or restricted license or to have their driver’s license reinstated.

In Massachusetts, an SR-22 is a certificate of financial responsibility required for certain drivers to reinstate their driving privileges following a suspension or revocation. This certificate is not an insurance policy but a form that proves the driver carries the minimum amount of vehicle liability insurance required by state law. The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is the agency that handles SR-22 certificates. Drivers may be required to file an SR-22 if they have been convicted of serious traffic violations such as DUI/DWI, or if they have been found at fault in an accident while driving without insurance. Insurance providers in Massachusetts will issue SR-22 forms and are obligated to inform the RMV if the SR-22 is cancelled, terminated, or lapses. Failure to maintain an SR-22 when required can result in further suspension of driving privileges.