Connecticut SR-22 requirements after a DUI
Connecticut does not require an SR-22 or other financial-responsibility filing to reinstate a license after a DUI.
What Connecticut says
Discretionary, not mandatory. Connecticut has no statute or DMV rule that conditions DUI reinstatement on an SR-22 or other financial-responsibility filing. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-112(a) lets the commissioner require proof of financial responsibility only 'when, in the opinion of the commissioner, such person has a record on file with the commissioner which is sufficient ... to require evidence of financial responsibility' (case-by-case; proof may be an insurance certificate, surety bond, or deposit under § 14-112(b)). The CT DMV 'Reinstate your CT driver's license after a suspension' page enumerates the reinstatement steps (complete the requirements on the suspension notice, the work-zone course if applicable, pay the $175 reinstatement fee plus any IID administration fee of $100, check license status) and the CT DMV IID Program page lists what is required to restore a license after an OUI/chemical-test suspension (install an IID through an approved vendor, pay the $175 reinstatement fee and $100 IID administration fee, serve the suspension); an SR-22 / financial-responsibility filing is not among the listed requirements.
“Pay the $175 reinstatement fee to the DMV. (Additional fees may apply - e.g., IID administration fee $100). You can pay the fee online , by phone at 860-263-5720, or by mail (check or money order made payable to “DMV”). Check your license status before you begin driving.”
Ignition interlock statute (see the state page): Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-227a(g)
At a glance
| Filing required after a DUI | No |
|---|---|
| Form | — |
| Filing period | Not applicable |
| License reinstatement fee | $175 |
| Licensing agency | Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles |
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.
What "no filing" means
Some states do not condition reinstatement after a DUI on any financial-responsibility filing: their reinstatement requirements or their financial-responsibility statute simply do not include one. That does not mean insurance is optional — every state requires liability coverage to register and drive — only that the state does not require the insurer to file a certificate about it.
Sources
- Conn. Gen. Stat. Chapter 246, incl. § 14-50b (restoration fee) and § 14-112 (proof of financial responsibility) — Connecticut General Assembly
- CT DMV — Pay license reinstatement fee
- CT DMV — Reinstate your CT driver's license after a suspension
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-112 Proof of financial responsibility (chapter 246, section anchor) — Connecticut General Assembly