Michigan SR-22 Requirements: Who Needs One and for How Long
An SR-22 is not insurance. It is a certificate your insurer files with the state to prove you carry coverage.
- Used in this state
- Yes
Michigan does require a certified insurance filing in one situation, but it is not an SR-22.
- Form
- Certificate of insurance filed by the insurer (no SR-22)
Proof of financial responsibility is furnished by the insurance carrier filing a written certificate with the Secretary of State's Driver Record Activity Unit, or by a bond or a deposit of money or securities. An application for insurance is not accepted. Michigan does not use the SR-22 form.
- How long it must stay on file
- 3 years
The Secretary of State consents to cancellation of the certificate three years after the date proof was first required, provided no conviction or bail forfeiture requiring suspension was recorded during that period.
- What triggers it
- An unsatisfied court judgment for damages caused while driving uninsured
Michigan's filing is judgment-driven, not conviction-driven. A judgment left unpaid for 30 days is certified to the Secretary of State, which suspends the license until the judgment is satisfied in full or an installment agreement is filed together with proof of financial responsibility. Alcohol and drug convictions, which trigger an SR-22 in most states, do not trigger a filing here.
- If coverage lapses
- Suspension resumes
A certified policy cannot be cancelled until at least 10 days after the insurer files notice with the Secretary of State. The license stays suspended and cannot be renewed unless proof is maintained until the judgment is paid in full.