A government-ordered insurance filing that proves a driver has at least the minimum required auto liability coverage after a serious traffic offense, license suspension, or uninsured-driving violation.

An SR-22 is not a separate insurance policy. It is a form an insurer sends to the state to confirm ongoing liability insurance, and the insurer must usually notify the state if the policy lapses. Drivers often see it after a DUI, reckless driving case, or a suspension tied to driving without coverage. In practice, the filing can trigger much higher premiums, fewer insurance options, and a need to keep coverage in force for a set period, often several years.

For injury claims, the filing matters because it affects whether coverage is available after a crash and whether a policy stayed active. If the required filing is canceled and the driver's license is suspended again, that can complicate payment under no-fault benefits, bodily injury liability, or uninsured motorist claims. It does not, by itself, prove who caused the collision.

In New York, the key point is that the state generally does not use an SR-22 system for most drivers. New York's DMV more often handles post-suspension proof of coverage through its own procedures rather than an SR-22 filing requirement. After a crash, fault still matters for pain-and-suffering claims because New York follows pure comparative negligence.