MINNESOTA SR22 INSURANCE

Minnesota Mandatory Minimum Insurance Requirements

The Minnesota Department of Commerce requires that all licensed vehicles carry the appropriate insurance coverage.  Minnesota’s No-Fault Automobile Insurance Act requires drivers to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage on their insurance policies.  The mandatory minimum no-fault coverage in Minnesota is $40,000. 

In addition, the mandatory minimum liability limits in the State are:

• $30,000 for injuries to one person
• $60,000 for injuries to two or more people
• $10,000 for physical damage to the other driver’s vehicle or for damage to property

Failure to maintain the mandatory minimum insurance coverage can result in the suspension or revocation of your driving privileges.

Minnesota Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) Sanctions

If you are arrested and/or subsequently convicted of a DWI, you may face a lengthy license suspension.  The criminal and administrative sanctions on even a first offense DWI can be severe.  If you are convicted for a first offense DWI with an alcohol-concentration level of under 0.16 percent, you may be sentenced to up to 90 days in jail and/or have to pay a $1,000 fine.  Your license may be suspended for up to 90 days, depending on the circumstances of your case.  If you have a high alcohol-concentration level or a child in the car, you may face a one-year suspension of your driving privileges.  To get your license reinstated after revocation, you will have to pay a $680 reinstatement fee, complete a DWI knowledge test, submit a driver's license application with fees, and a chemical health assessment.  You may be able to obtain your driving privileges back sooner with the installation of an ignition interlock device (IID).

Installing an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) in Minnesota

If your license is in a revoked status, you may be able to have your driving privileges reinstated with the installation of an ignition interlock device.  Minnesota’s Ignition Interlock Device Program was enacted to help drivers obtain their full driving privileges back.  There are several requirements for admission into the program, including:

• You must be at least 18 years old
• You must be eligible for a Class D driver’s license
• You must own/drive a vehicle with valid insurance
• You must have no outstanding warrants

An IID must be installed by an authorized ignition interlock provider.  Attempts to circumvent the device, bypass a reading, or otherwise tamper with it can result in additional administrative sanctions.

DWI PENALTIES

A first offense results in the loss of driving privileges for 90 days. Second and subsequent result in a loss of driving privilege for at least 1 year.

An individual who has had his or her driver’s license revoked or cancelled may be eligible for a limited or restricted license during the revocation or cancellation period. A limited license allows a person to drive:

• Six days a week for certain employment, abstinence-based treatment, educational, and homemaker purposes.
• Only vehicles equipped with ignition interlock. Depending on the number of prior offenses, a person with a restricted license will have either limited or full driving privileges while on ignition interlock.

Individuals who have had their driver’s license revoked for an impaired driving incident may choose (1) to wait out the revocation period and not drive, or (2) apply for issuance of a limited or restricted license. Upon expiration of the revocation period, the individual may apply for reinstatement of full driving privileges.

An individual whose license has been cancelled is not eligible for reinstatement of driving privileges until the commissioner of public safety receives proof of abstinence through the use of an ignition interlock device. Canceled drivers, unlike revoked drivers, cannot “wait out” the cancellation period if they want to regain driving privileges.

The individual’s driving record determines the available license options.