Reader’s Question:

My grandson was riding his dirt bike on a public road and received a violation for no insurance in Houston. Can we even obtain insurance on a dirt bike? Will the coverage we have on our current cars meet the insurance requirement?

Taylor

Houston, TX

You can contact your car insurance agent in Houston to check if your current vehicle insurance policy will cover the dirt bike and therefore can be used in court as proof of insurance but it is unlikely that it will cover the bike.

Your car insurance policy usually covers only the cars listed, not any type of car not listed such as a dirt bike, motorcycle, etc. You would need a separate policy for these motor vehicles to be covered. If your car insurance does not cover the dirt bike then you could not take this insurance policy into court as proof of insurance. The court is looking to see that if your grandson had damaged anyone or anything while driving the dirt bike on public roads that there was insurance at least state minimum liability insurance in place that would have covered the accident.

You or your grandson will need to call the court listed on his violation to find out what the penalties are for driving his dirt bike on public roads and without insurance. You may see if buying insurance for the bike now would help his case in any way.

Reader’s Question:

I am a resident of Houston, Texas and I am just wondering if I get two tickets for driving without insurance, will I need to get an SR22?

Carol

Houston, TX

Normally, yes, if you have been convicted of operating a vehicle without insurance in Houston Texas or in any plac in Texas for a second time your license will be suspended and to restore it you will be required to get and maintain an SR-22 for two years after your conviction date.

If the Department of Public Safety informed you that an SR-22 is required then it will need to be filed by your insurance provider. An SR-22 insurance policy is a form of insurance that shows the Texas DPS proof of insurance for the future, as required by the Texas law. SR-22 insurance is car liability insurance which requires the insurance carrier to certify coverage to DPS, and the insurance carrier must notify DPS anytime the policy is cancelled, terminated or lapses.

Reader’s Question:

I was charged with a DUI in Houston, Texas and I have had full coverage on my vehicle for 5 years and it was in effect on the day of the conviction. Am I required to get AR22 in conjunction with my current insurance policy I have, which I have never allowed to lapse?

Andrea

Houston, TX

If you are charged of the DUI and had your license suspended by the state of Texas for this offense then yes. Normally you would now be required to acquire and maintain a SR-22 as part of your driver’s license reinstatement process.

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) states that a conviction for driving while intoxicated (DWI) typically results in a license suspension. The time period varies by court but may not exceed two years. A conviction of a DWI/DUI for an individual under the age of 21 will result in an automatic suspension for a year per Texas Transportation Code 521.344

Now, you will need to then maintain the SR-22 for the required period of time. If you are going to cancel it and the DPS received notification from the insurance provider that the policy was cancelled, terminated, or lapsed, appropriate enforcement action may be taken. If the SR-22 is still required and there is no valid SR-22 on file, the driving privilege and vehicle registration will be suspended or revoked by the DPS.

To make sure if in your particular situation you will need to file a SR-22 if not, contact the Texas DPS directly.

Q: What can I do to get cheap SR22 in Houston TX?

A: If you want a cheap SR22 in Houston TX, then you need to start shopping around regularly to make sure you are with the best car insurance company. Many Americans choose not to do this, whether out of igorance or laziness, and as a result the average policy holder in this country pays four hundred dollars more than necessary on their car insurance coverage.

In order to maintain a cheap SR22 in Houston TX, you need to start shopping around at certain times. A minimum amount of shopping and comparing of car insurance companies you should be doing is once every year. I prefer to do it every time my policy is renewed. My policy is renewing this monh, so I looked around, and while my company is the best, if I had gotten with another company I would be paying a hundred and fifty more a month. Comparing is worth it.

Other than that, the other times you should be shopping around are when something important in your life has changed. If you recently had a change of address, got married, or turned 25, for example.

Q: What is Houston SR22 and how much is required?

A: When your driver’s license is suspended in Texas, here are certain consequences in the form of higher car insurance requirements which you must hold for two years after the date of your license’s first suspension. This special requirement is called the Houston SR22 form, and it must be filed by your car insurance company with the Texas DPS if you want to have your driver’s license’s workability returned to you.

Houston SR22 car insurance is costly, and although you don’t have to have more coverage than usual, you are required to keep paying on it and will be caught immediately if you fail to continue being insured. If you don’t pay your car insurance premium, your coverage will be canceled and your driver’s license resuspended along with it.

As for the required minimum car insurance for your Houston SR22 policy, you will have to follow Texas insurance laws which require you to have a total of seventy five thousand dollars in coverage, which breaks down to forty thousand bodily injury liability per accident, with twenty thousand allotted per person, and fifteen thousand dollars of property damage coverage.

Q: How do I know if I need Houston TX commercial auto insurance?

A: It will depend, in the end, on what you do with your car as to whether or not you should get a Houston TX commercial auto insurance policy. Many people who are self employed use their vehicle for business reasons, but they also use it to go to the movies or go on vacation, among other things.

If you use your car for both business reasons and for personal reasons, then a Houston TX commercial auto insurance policy is not really necessary. While you may prefer to have a commercial policy for the extra protection, since you have dual purposes for your car it may only bring you a price increase.

It’s most recommendable for you to get a Houston TX commercial auto insurance policy if you do a lot of driving for your business. For example, if you transport clients, are a taxi driver, a delivery person, and so on. It would also be good for you to get a commercial policy if you go on a lot of business trips in your car. Sometimes, if you are using your car for business and get into an accident, your car insurance company won’t cover the damages because that purpose wasn’t disclosed.

Q: What is non owner SR22 in Houston TX?

A: Car insurance doesn’t always fall on the shoulders of the car owner as a responsibility, and so in many cases someone will need to get a Houston TX non owner SR22 policy when they don’t own a car but drive someone else’s. Even though most of the time if you drive another person’s car, their insurance will cover you, you have the burden of proof that you are protected on the road when you go to get your driver’s license reinstated.

You may even own your own vehicle, but need a Houston TX non owner SR22 for the car your drive at work. Once you get a non owner policy, your rates will go up somewhat. Non owner policies are priced higher because the car in the equation is an unknown quantity. You could be driving a Porsche or a Honda, the car insurance company doesn’t know. You are also only able to get liability coverage.

Q: Why is it so expensive for me to have a Houston TX SR22 bond?

A: There are a few reasons why your Houston TX SR22 bond is going to be more expensive than any other kind of car insurance bond. One of the main reasons for this will be the risk involved. Since all of the premium money from policy holders go into a pool from which the money to pay damages is drawn, the policy holders who are more likely to make money from that pool have to pay in more. It’s only fair. Car insurance companies rate people based on their risk, and if you have certain qualities which have proven to be risky in other policy holders, then you will pay higher rates, even if you never end up filing a car insurance claim.

One other thing could simply be that their prices are going up, period. When more people file claims, car insurance companies have to raise their prices, and you feel his effect on your Houston TX SR22 bond. If there is a lot of fraud going on as well, it will make everybody pay more.