Non owner DUI insurance in California is a means to reinstate your license after a DUI conviction when you don’t own a vehicle. Your insurance agent will write you a non-owner insurance policy that meets the state’s minimum liability coverage requirements. An SR22 certificate is an endorsement to that policy. Then, your insurance agent submits the SR22 to the California DMV to obtain your license reinstatement.
Since you don’t own a vehicle, you’ll need non owner DUI insurance California. A non-owner policy is secondary liability insurance that protects you when you drive someone else’s car. A primary insurance policy is the vehicle owner’s coverage on their car. What if a vehicle owner doesn’t insure their vehicle? In that case, you should not drive it, even with non-owner insurance coverage.
What does non owner DUI insurance California do?
Every state requires licensed drivers of registered vehicles to carry liability insurance. Auto insurance policies should have a minimum coverage of 15/30/5. Through liability insurance, the state ensures that all drivers are held responsible for injuries or property damage resulting from an accident.
Before the DMV reinstates your license, you must guarantee that you have liability coverage at that time and for a period afterward. The SR22 filing provides that guarantee, which is also known as California financial responsibility insurance.
Why you shouldn’t let your SR22 policy lapse
In most DUI cases, the state requires you to keep your SR22 insurance active for one to three years after reinstating your license. The insurance underwriter monitors your SR22 policy for any payment defaults. If the policy lapses, the underwriter immediately forwards an SR26 form to the California DMV, which results in another license suspension.
Therefore, it’s essential to keep your policy up to date throughout your SR22 requirement. If you anticipate having a late payment on your SR22 policy, let UltraCar Insurance know. We’ll contact your insurance underwriter to request a payment plan for you.
Uninsured driving
A common reason for license suspension is driving without insurance. When you don’t own the car you’re driving, what happens if the owner doesn’t have insurance coverage? Suppose an officer asks you for proof of insurance. In that case, you may get a ticket and possibly a 30- to 90-day license suspension if no other violations are on record. An even more severe consequence can occur from a California no-insurance accident, which may cause difficult financial hardship for you, your passengers, and other drivers. Having non owner DUI insurance California is an excellent way to avoid unnecessary financial problems.
When you have non-owner insurance coverage, please verify that the owner has insured their car before you drive it. We also recommend that they place a valid insurance ID card in the glove compartment. Since non-owner insurance is secondary coverage, it may not pay claims if the car you were driving was uninsured.
Other reasons for non owner DUI insurance in California
Besides getting a DUI conviction, other circumstances can require California non-owner SR22 insurance, such as:
- Court-ordered child support or other legal order
- An uninsured at-fault accident
- Driving without a license
- Too many tickets (points) on your driving record
- Reckless driving
See the California DMV website for more details regarding driving under the influence.
UltraCar Insurance specializes in helping people obtain non owner DUI insurance in California for license reinstatement after a DUI violation. Our agents are California-licensed, we offer low SR22 insurance rates, and we can quickly file your certificate. Give us a call today!
