Washington SR-22 Insurance: Who Needs a Filing and for How Long
Yes — Washington uses the SR-22. How long it stays on file: 3 years.
- Used in this state
- Yes
- Form
- SR-22
The statute says "proof of financial responsibility for the future" and accepts a certificate of insurance filed by the insurer (RCW 46.29.450, 46.29.460). The Department of Licensing calls that filing an "SR-22 Insurance Certificate".
- How long it must stay on file
- 3 years
The department may release the proof only after three years from the date it was required, and only if it has received no record of a suspendable conviction or infraction during those three years (RCW 46.29.600(1)(a)).
- What triggers it
- Conviction or bail forfeiture for certain motor vehicle offenses · A license suspension or revocation for a conviction or traffic infraction, including DUI and implied-consent refusal · An unpaid judgment arising from a crash · Being required to deposit security after a crash while uninsured
- If coverage lapses
- License re-suspended
When the department is notified that the proof has been terminated or cancelled, it re-suspends or re-revokes the driving privilege until new proof is filed and maintained (RCW 46.29.280).
- Reinstatement fee
- $75
A $75 reissue fee applies before a suspended license is reissued; it is $170 when the suspension or revocation stems from DUI, physical control, or an implied-consent refusal (RCW 46.20.311).
Washington requires 3 years — the highest of the 37 jurisdictions on this site. The range runs from 1 year to 3 years.
How Washington compares with every other state
Every statute cited for Washington
Why the rule looks like this
- What Changed in 2026Liability minimums doubled in Hawaii, two states dropped pure comparative fault, New Hampshire stopped inspecting cars, and three crash reporting thresholds moved — a dated account of the 2026 changes, and the ones already signed for 2027 and beyond.
- The Fine Is the Cheapest PartA first-offense fine for driving uninsured runs from $30 in Florida to a $1,500 floor in Delaware — but South Carolina's $100 fine arrives with a $700 reinstatement fee, and the reinstatement is usually the bigger number.
- The Form Some States Do Not UseAn SR-22 is a certificate, not a policy — and in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina and Michigan the form does not exist at all.
More on Washington
Checked against the primary sources above on September 22, 2026. If a figure here is wrong, tell us and we will fix it — what we have corrected so far is public.