An SR-22 is a California Insurance Proof Certificate an admitted insurer files with the DMV. It is not a policy. Vehicle Code section 16431 says the certificate shows a liability policy is in force for the person named on it.
DMV publication SR-104 lists an owner's certificate, an operator's certificate for vehicles you do not own, and broad coverage. A photocopy of the policy does not replace it. After a suspension under section 13352 or section 13353.2, section 16431(b) requires the certificate to cover every vehicle registered to that person before the license returns, unless plates and the registration card were surrendered in Sacramento. Section 16480 lets the DMV cancel it any time after three years from the date the proof was required. The DMV administrative per se fact sheet says the driver files that proof and keeps it for three years. Policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025 use the section 16056 floor of $30,000, $60,000, and $15,000.
Where we file it
Read SR-22 filing, the non-owner definition, and the glossary. Spanish: SR-22.
Sources, checked October 5, 2026: Vehicle Code section 16431, section 16480, section 16056, DMV SR-104, DMV administrative per se fact sheet, and the DMV insurance-requirements page.