SR-22 in Colorado after a DUI
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Colorado requires an SR-22 for as long as the restraint runs, up to 3 years, counted from reinstatement of the driving privilege. It is filed by your insurer with Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles — you cannot buy it separately and no company sells a cheaper version of it.
For a driver found guilty of DUI, DUI per se or DWAI once, with no accident involved, Colorado requires proof of financial responsibility only for as long as the driving privilege is ordered to be under restraint, up to a maximum of three years, beginning at reinstatement. The general rule for everyone else is three years from the date last required, with credit for any period during which the person was not licensed to drive. Switching insurers mid-term is where people lose the licence: the new SR-22 has to be on file before the old one expires.
| What Colorado requires | Detail |
|---|---|
| Form | SR-22 |
| How long | As long as the restraint runs, up to 3 years |
| Clock starts | reinstatement of the driving privilege |
| Filed with | Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles |
| If it lapses | The insurer notifies the Division that the SR-22 is no longer in effect but is still required, and the licence is suspended for that reason alone. |
| Source | Colorado Revised Statutes § 42-7-408 · checked 2026-09-06 |
The part of the Colorado rule that catches people
Colorado is the one state where a first offence is not automatically three years. The statute ties the period to the restraint itself, capped at three years — and the clock does not start until the privilege is reinstated, so serving the revocation does not run it down.
What this form is, and what it is not
An SR-22 is a certificate your insurer files with the state to confirm that a policy meeting the required liability limits is in force. Florida describes it plainly as an insurance filing certifying bodily injury and property damage liability for reinstatement purposes. You cannot buy an SR-22 on its own, no company sells a cheaper one, and shopping for “SR-22 insurance” is shopping for ordinary liability cover with a form attached.
So there is nothing to shop for in Colorado beyond an ordinary liability policy from a carrier that will do the filing. Some will not, and that — rather than price — is what narrows the list first.
What Colorado charges on top
These are the state’s own charges, separate from anything an insurer bills. They are the lines people forget when they budget for getting the licence back:
- $95 — Reinstatement fee
- $25 — DUI restoration fee
How Colorado compares
The three-year figure that national pages quote for every state is right in some of them and wrong in the rest. Of the 12 states whose rules we hold, 8 run three years, and Colorado runs as long as the restraint runs, up to 3 years. North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Mississippi have no SR-22 in their processes at all.
The other requirement that arrives with it in Colorado
Colorado DMV (Department of Revenue) runs the interlock programme here, and a first offence carries 9 months for a first offense below 0.149% (running alongside the revocation); 2 years at 0.15% or higher, and 2 years automatically for refusing the test That requirement and the insurance requirement start and finish at different moments, which is why people are surprised twice: once when the device comes off and the filing is still running, and once when the filing ends and the conviction is still on the record.
Colorado DUI law in full → · What the interlock costs in Colorado → · Certified installers in Colorado →
SR-22 questions in Colorado
How long do you need an SR-22 in Colorado?
As long as the restraint runs, up to 3 years, counted from reinstatement of the driving privilege. That start date matters as much as the length: it decides whether time already served under suspension counts toward the period or whether the clock only begins when you get the licence back.
What does an SR-22 cost in Colorado?
The filing fee itself is small. In Colorado the state does not raise the required limits after a DUI, so the increase you see is risk rating on the same policy you had. Separately, the state charges its own fees to reinstate: reinstatement fee $95; dui restoration fee $25.
What happens if my SR-22 lapses in Colorado?
The insurer notifies the Division that the SR-22 is no longer in effect but is still required, and the licence is suspended for that reason alone.
Do I need an SR-22 in Colorado if I do not own a car?
Yes — that is what a non-owner policy is for. The requirement attaches to you rather than to a vehicle, so selling the car does not end it. What ends it is time, and in Colorado that is as long as the restraint runs, up to 3 years.
Is the SR-22 the same thing as the ignition interlock in Colorado?
No, and satisfying one does nothing for the other. The interlock is a condition on the vehicle and the licence, run in Colorado by Colorado DMV (Department of Revenue); the insurance requirement is a condition on your policy, handled by Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles. Both usually have to be in place before the state will reinstate, and they run on separate clocks that rarely end on the same day.
Attorney advertising. InterlockDeviceNearMe is not a law firm, does not practice law, and does not give legal advice. Nothing here creates an attorney-client relationship. Requesting a consultation connects you with an independent attorney or a legal referral service, who decide separately whether to take your case. Case outcomes depend on facts we do not know, and no result is ever promised. Deadlines in DUI cases are short and vary by state — speak to a licensed attorney in your state before relying on anything you read here.