Alabama SR-22 requirements after a DUI
Alabama requires an SR-22 filing for 3 years after a DUI.
What Alabama says
Ala. Code § 32-7-18 (Motor Vehicle Safety-Responsibility Act) provides that whenever the director suspends or revokes a license 'upon receiving record of a conviction,' no license shall thereafter be issued 'unless and until he or she shall give and thereafter maintain proof of financial responsibility'; a DUI conviction under § 32-5A-191 results in such a suspension/revocation. Under § 32-7-31(a)(1) the director may cancel the proof after three years from the date it was required if no further qualifying conviction is recorded. ALEA's Request for Reinstatement Requirements form (DI-46A) calls the filing 'SR22 Insurance', and ALEA's hardship-license rule refers to 'SR-22 insurance ... required ... under applicable law'. Caveat: no ALEA page fetched states the SR-22 requirement specifically for DUI; the statute applies generally to conviction-based suspensions and revocations.
“Whenever the director, under any law of this state, suspends or revokes the license of any person upon receiving record of a conviction or a forfeiture of bail, the director shall also suspend the registration for all motor vehicles registered in the name of such person”
Ignition interlock statute (see the state page): Ala. Code § 32-5A-191.4
At a glance
| Filing required after a DUI | Yes |
|---|---|
| Form | SR-22 |
| Filing period | 3 years |
| License reinstatement fee | $275 |
| Licensing agency | Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), Department of Public Safety, Driver License Division |
How an SR-22 filing works
An SR-22 is a certificate of financial responsibility. The driver does not file it; the insurer does, electronically, with the state licensing agency, confirming that a policy meeting the state's minimum liability limits is in force. Most insurers charge a one-time filing fee, and a driver who needs one may find that fewer carriers offer it or that premiums are higher.
The filing must stay on file for the period the state sets. If the policy is cancelled or lapses during that period, the insurer notifies the state (an SR-26), and the license is typically suspended again until a new filing is made — which can restart the period.
The period usually starts at reinstatement, not at the arrest or conviction, though states differ; where the state specifies the start date, the note on this page says so.
Sources
- ALEA – Driver Records, Crash Reports, and Driver License Reinstatements (fees)
- Code of Alabama § 32-7-18 Proof of Financial Responsibility Required Upon Certain Convictions (ALISON; text retrieved via the site's GraphQL API, query codesOfAlabama)
- ALEA Rule 760-X-1-.24 Hardship Driver License (final revisions PDF; SR-22 while holding hardship license)
- ALEA form DI-46A Request for Reinstatement Requirements (dl-forms copy; SR22 checkbox)