If you have been ticketed for an infraction, such as no insurance or DUI, which requires an SR22 filing, the options for avoiding an SR22 filing are minimal. The most common one is to go to court and fight to have the ticket COMPLETELY dismissed. Just reducing the fine is not enough. A conviction of either of these infractions still requires an SR22. Alternatively, you can follow the instructions on the DMV letter, which warns you of the SR22 requirement and provides information on how to request a review or hearing if you believe you are exempt from submitting an SR22.

Confirm you no longer need SR22.

First, you must be absolutely sure that your SR22 requirement period has ended. Too many times, I've had clients call to cancel the Non-Owner SR22 Policy, thinking the three years were up, only to call back two weeks later, stating they received a letter from the Oregon DMV that they will be suspended within 30 days if they don't turn in a new SR22. After calling the DMV at 503-299-9999, they discovered that the PRU date had not yet been reached.

The length of time the court will require you to carry SR22 insurance depends on what you were convicted of. Most DUI or No-Insurance infractions require a mandatory period of three years. The three-year clock starts ticking the moment the Oregon DMV receives instructions from the court where you were convicted and enters the data into the system. I usually count three years forward from the date a judge declares your conviction, then add a month. That's about how long it takes for the paperwork to get from the court to the DMV, depending on how backlogged either might be.

We live in a digital age where we have no idea what happens to our name, date of birth, driver's license number, address, and phone number once we enter them into a box on the screen. How can you be sure the data is used for what you intended? You can't really, unless it is a trusted site.

Judgment Free

Whatever the reason for your SR22, we are not here to judge. Many agents and companies don't want to deal with the hassle of printing and mailing an SR22 certificate to the Oregon DMV. Most believe it is the responsibility of every driver to obey the mandatory insurance laws, and if you can't follow that rule, how will you be responsible while driving? We understand that life brings us all sorts of unexpected events, which could lead to the need for an SR22.

An original, signed SR22 certificate can be mailed to the DMV at the primary address in Salem, Oregon:

DMV Headquarters
1905 Lana Ave NE
Salem, OR  97314
(503) 945-5000

We recommend that you physically take your SR22 certificate to one of the Oregon DMV offices or have us fax or email it to save the trip.

Click here for the official Oregon DMV Locations page for the most up-to-date listing and directions.