How to Get Car Insurance With a Suspended License

Buying car insurance with a suspended license can be difficult, but it’s not impossible, and you must maintain continuous coverage.

20+ years in insurance and personal finance content creation

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John specializes in insurance, personal finance, real estate, and health and wellness. In 2022, he authored a guide on content marketing for beginners.

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Property and casualty insurance specialist

4+ years creating insurance content

Tanveen manages Insurify's data insights, annual home and auto insurance reports, and media communications. She’s regularly featured in media interviews on insurance topics.

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Corporate communications director for Insurance Information Institute

20+ years in insurance and communications

As Director, Corporate Communications for Triple-I, Mark serves as the non-profit’s national spokesperson, sharing information and education on a wide array of insurance issues.

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7+ years experience in data analysis

Ph.D. in Computational Biology

Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.

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Updated May 7, 2024

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A suspended driver’s license is a serious situation. But even if you can’t legally get behind the wheel, chances are you’ll still need to have car insurance.

Getting insurance with a suspended license can be difficult. Here’s what to know about car insurance when your license has been suspended.

Every state requires drivers to be licensed to operate a motor vehicle on state roadways.

Nearly every every state requires drivers to have at least a minimum amount of liability insurance.

Driving with a suspended license, or without insurance, carries series legal and financial consequences.

How to get car insurance with a suspended license

You can get car insurance with a suspended license, but it might not be as easy to find a policy. Some insurance companies won’t offer coverage if a DUI or other high-risk behavior is the reason for your license suspension.

However, you can find car insurance with a suspended license in a few ways:

Consider insurers specializing in high-risk drivers. If you’re having trouble finding a policy with a traditional insurer, look for non-standard car insurance companies. Typically, they also file SR-22 or FR-44 certificates on your behalf with your state if needed. These documents prove you have the minimum legally required coverage, but not all insurers offer filing services.

List yourself as an excluded driver. Insurers may raise rates for your spouse or other family members in your household unless you list yourself as excluded, meaning you won’t drive any insured household vehicles. Excluding yourself as a primary driver isn’t the same as being removed, but your policy won’t cover accidents that occur while you’re driving.

Compare multiple car insurance quotes and policies. Your rate will probably increase significantly after a license suspension, but getting quotes from multiple insurers, speaking with an insurance agent to figure out which coverage types you need, and comparing your options can help you find the best deal, no matter your situation.

Obtain coverage through a risk pool. If you can’t find insurance through a traditional company, consider joining your state’s assigned risk pool.[1] Auto insurance companies participate voluntarily and must provide coverage to every driver the state assigns. However, premiums tend to be significantly higher, so risk pools are usually a last resort.

Find State Minimum Liability Coverage

Rates start as low as $20/mo. for liability policies

Do you need car insurance with a suspended license?

When your driver’s license has been suspended, it can be tough to get or maintain car insurance. However, you still might be able to purchase coverage without a valid driver’s license. In fact, insurance may be required if someone else will be driving your car while your license is suspended.

In some cases, though, an insurer may reject your application for coverage if your driver’s license has been suspended. Additionally, your insurance company might cancel your coverage in this situation. If you fall into either of those categories, you might still own a car, but be unable to obtain the required car insurance. This would lead to a lapse in coverage.

Practically every state requires motorists to carry basic car insurance. So, if your coverage lapses, you could: 

Be subjected to penalties, including license and registration suspension, if you’re caught driving without insurance

Be sued if you lack insurance to cover damage or injuries that you cause in a crash

Face higher car insurance premiums when you look for new insurance

You might consider applying for a hardship or restricted license, which lets you keep driving but with limitations, such as driving only to and from work, school, or doctor’s appointments. You also might look into a conditional license, which offers limited driving privileges once you complete a driver’s education course.

Your driver’s license may be suspended for a number of reasons, such as:

Driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs

Driving recklessly

Leaving the scene of an accident

Accumulating points for crashes and traffic violations

Failing to maintain adequate car insurance

Failing to pay motor vehicle fines, fees, or surcharges

Failing to pay court fines, fees, or surcharges

Failing to comply with a child support order

Failing to appear in court for a traffic ticket or parking ticket

Cost of car insurance for unlicensed drivers

Depending on why your license is suspended, standard auto insurers might not offer coverage, particularly if your driving record shows you’re a risky or accident-prone driver, says Mark Friedlander, director of corporate communications at the nonprofit Insurance Information Institute.

“It is very difficult, if not impossible, to get auto insurance with a suspended license,” he adds. “Once your license is reinstated, you may still have a very difficult time obtaining coverage.”

However, non-standard insurers specialize in covering high-risk drivers, usually at a more expensive rate. As a last resort, you might apply for your state’s assigned risk pool. Insurance companies that participate in risk pools must accept every driver the state assigns them.

Even though coverage through the state risk pool is usually more expensive, it still provides car insurance, no matter what’s on your driving record.

The average car insurance cost of full coverage for unlicensed drivers comes from Insurify’s proprietary database of more than 90 million quotes.

Car insurance coverage for drivers with a suspended license

When companies do agree to offer coverage when you have a suspended license, you might find that it costs significantly more than you previously paid. At the very least, you might expect to pay more than $266 a month for this type of coverage, based on Insurify’s data.

If you’ve financed your car, your lender may require comprehensive and collision insurance as part of the lending agreement to protect its asset: the car itself.[2]

You would have to purchase collision and comprehensive coverages in addition to state-mandated liability coverage.

Adding collision and comprehensive coverage to a car insurance policy typically increases the premium.

SR-22s for drivers with a suspended license

Following a license suspension, a court or the department of motor vehicles in your state might require you to get a document known as an SR-22 from your insurer. The document, also called a certificate of financial responsibility, proves you carry the minimum amount of coverage needed to reinstate your driving privileges.

Florida and Virginia may require a document known as an FR-44, which is similar to an SR-22, except that an FR-44 applies only to DUI or DWI cases, and requires higher liability limits than an SR-22.

A driver with an SR-22 or FR-44 might pay more for coverage than a driver without one of these documents because some insurers view SR-22 and FR-44 drivers as high-risk, particularly drivers who are convicted of DUI or DWI.

Regular SR-22 coverage applies to someone who owns a car.

Nonowner SR-22 coverage applies to someone who doesn’t own a car. This type of auto insurance policy pays for injuries or damage you cause while driving another person’s car.

The cost of car insurance for a driver who requires an SR-22 could range anywhere from $163 to $500 a month. Check out some quotes from top companies below, sourced directly from Insurify’s proprietary database of more than 90 million quotes.

Compare Rates for SR-22 Insurance

Comparing quotes could save you up to $717 per year

Why do you need car insurance if you don’t have a license?

Even if you’re not driving, non-collision damages or a hit-and-run could damage your vehicle. A car thief could also steal your vehicle, leaving you financially responsible for the total cost of replacement. Maintaining certain types of car insurance ensures you won’t be stuck with major out-of-pocket expenses.

Comprehensive car insurance covers theft and damage from natural disasters, fires, hail, wind, storms, rocks, vandalism, and falling objects, like tree branches. If someone hits your car while it’s parked and flees the scene, your insurance company will usually consider the unknown driver uninsured, so uninsured motorist property damage coverage would pay for repairs in most states.

If your spouse, caregiver, teenager, or other people drive your car while you have a suspended license, you still need to carry your state’s mandated liability insurance.[3] Likewise, if you finance or lease your vehicle, your lender or lessor will likely require you to carry insurance to protect itself financially from car theft and damages unrelated to driving.

Maintaining auto insurance with a suspended license can also help you save on your future premiums since insurers prefer proof of continuous coverage. Most states will also require insurance to reinstate your license and registration. And if you lease or finance your vehicle, your leasing company or lender most likely requires you to have continuous full coverage on it.

Car insurance with a suspended license FAQs

Learn more about how license points affect car insurance, and check out Insurify’s answers to common questions about auto insurance with a suspended license below.

Can you get car insurance if your license has been suspended?

While it’s hard to get car insurance if your license has been suspended, it’s not impossible. Just be prepared to pay a lot for this coverage if you’re able to find it.

Can insurance companies see if your license is suspended?

A car insurance company can tell if your license is suspended by looking at your driving history. Insurers always verify and review your driving record to determine the rate you’ll pay for coverage.

Can your insurance company suspend your license?

Courts and state motor vehicle agencies can suspend your license, but insurance companies cannot. However, insurers are expected to report your insurance status when you begin or end your policy. If your insurance expires or you cancel your policy without a new one in its place, your previous insurer will have to report it to your state’s department of motor vehicles, which can trigger a license suspension.

Can you rent a car with a suspended license?

You typically can’t rent a car with a suspended license. Generally, car rental companies require you to hold a valid driver’s license to pick up one of their vehicles.

Can you buy a car with a suspended license?

Legally, you can buy a car if you have a suspended license, as long as you have a government-issued ID to provide during the purchase process. Even though you’d be able to buy the car, you can’t legally drive it without a valid driver's license. In addition, you’d be breaking the law in nearly every state if you drive without car insurance.

Methodology

Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 90 million quotes served to car insurance applicants in Insurify’s proprietary database to calculate the premium averages displayed on this page. These premiums are real quotes that come directly from Insurify’s 50+ partner insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quote averages represent the median price for a quote across the given coverage level, driver subset, and geographic area.

Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for drivers between 20 and 70 years old with a clean driving record and average or better credit (a credit score of 600 or higher).

Liability-only premium averages correspond to policies with the following coverage limits:

Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Services’ database of auto insurance rates.

Sources

John Egan is a freelance writer and content marketing strategist in Austin, Texas. His specialties include personal finance, real estate, and health and wellness. John’s work has been published by outlets such as CreditCard.com, Bankrate, Forbes Advisor, Experian, Capital One, The Balance and U.S. News & World Report. He is the author of The Stripped-Down Guide to Content Marketing.

Property and casualty insurance specialist

4+ years creating insurance content

Tanveen manages Insurify's data insights, annual home and auto insurance reports, and media communications. She’s regularly featured in media interviews on insurance topics.

Read Editorial Guidelines

Featured in

Corporate communications director for Insurance Information Institute

20+ years in insurance and communications

As Director, Corporate Communications for Triple-I, Mark serves as the non-profit’s national spokesperson, sharing information and education on a wide array of insurance issues.

Read Editorial Guidelines

7+ years experience in data analysis

Ph.D. in Computational Biology

Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.

Read Editorial Guidelines

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