Almost every state (except New Hampshire and Virginia) requires its licensed drivers to have a minimum amount of insurance coverage. The required insurance generally includes bodily injury liability coverage and property damage liability coverage in certain minimum amounts.

You are required to show proof of the minimum insurance coverage to a police officer when you are stopped for a moving traffic violation or involved in a traffic accident—and you may receive a citation if you are not able to show proof of insurance—also known as failure to maintain financial responsibility (FMFR) or no proof of insurance. And in some states, you are required to show proof of insurance to register your car. In those states, the failure to register your car may result in an additional citation.

But a ticket or citation for no proof of insurance may be correctable—a fix-it ticket of sorts—if the driver did have the required insurance but was unable to provide proof of it when requested by the law enforcement officer. Laws vary from state to state but in that situation the driver may be able to have the ticket dismissed upon showing proof of insurance and possible payment of a smaller fine.

If you have been convicted of DUI/DWI (or a similar offense) or of driving without insurance (failure to maintain financial responsibility) or of reckless or negligent driving, you may be required to get a Financial Responsibility Insurance Certificate (SR-22). An 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. There are usually significant additional costs for an insured (driver) to get an SR-22.

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

In Virginia, unlike most states, drivers are not required by law to carry a minimum amount of auto insurance. However, if a driver chooses not to purchase insurance, they must pay an Uninsured Motor Vehicle (UMV) fee to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This fee does not provide any insurance coverage but allows the motorist to drive an uninsured vehicle at their own risk for 12 months. If a driver opts for insurance, they must carry the minimum coverage amounts as prescribed by law. Proof of insurance or payment of the UMV fee must be provided when stopped by law enforcement or when involved in an accident. Failure to do so can result in a citation. For those with certain traffic violations, such as DUI/DWI or driving without insurance, Virginia may require the filing of an SR-22 form. This form is a certificate of financial responsibility that your insurance company must file with the DMV, and it typically involves additional costs. The SR-22 is not insurance itself but a verification that the driver is maintaining the required insurance coverage.