The Quote Accepts But the Filing Doesn't Happen
You received a National General quote after your Colorado DUI conviction, accepted the policy online, paid the first month's premium, and assumed the SR-22 certificate would transmit to the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles automatically. Three weeks later you contact DMV to confirm your reinstatement timeline and discover no SR-22 is on file. Your coverage is active. Your premium is paid. But the certificate that proves continuous coverage to the state — the only document that lifts your 270-day suspension — was never filed because you didn't request it explicitly at the binding step.
National General writes SR-22 policies in Colorado and accepts post-DUI drivers in their standard tier, but the carrier's online quote flow does not automatically trigger SR-22 filing when you bind coverage. The filing is a separate procedural step you must request by name. Most drivers shopping post-DUI coverage assume any carrier that writes SR-22 will file it automatically once the policy is bound.
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Get Your Free QuoteColorado DUI Suspension Period
270 days
Colorado suspends your license for 270 days after a DUI conviction under C.R.S. 42-4-1301. The suspension runs from the conviction date, not the arrest date. SR-22 filing does not shorten this period — it proves you maintained continuous coverage during suspension so DMV will accept your reinstatement application when the 270 days expire.
C.R.S. 42-4-1301
Why National General Writes Post-DUI But Doesn't Auto-File
National General operates as a standard-tier carrier owned by Allstate. The carrier writes SR-22 policies in Colorado and accepts first-offense DUI drivers with clean prior records, but their underwriting system treats SR-22 filing as an optional add-on rather than a mandatory component of post-DUI coverage. When you request a quote online and enter your DUI conviction, the system prices the violation into your premium but does not automatically flag your policy for SR-22 filing. The filing must be requested separately, either during the binding call with an agent or by contacting customer service after the policy is active.
This procedural gap exists because National General writes both SR-22-required and non-SR-22 high-risk policies in the same tier. A driver suspended for excessive points may need SR-22 in Colorado; a driver suspended for unpaid tickets typically does not. The carrier's system cannot infer from the violation type alone whether SR-22 is legally required, so it defaults to no filing unless you request it. Colorado DUI convictions always require SR-22 for reinstatement, but the carrier's online flow does not encode that state-specific rule.
The result: you bind coverage, pay premiums, and assume the certificate is transmitting to DMV. It is not. Your policy is valid. Your liability limits meet Colorado's $25,000/$50,000/$15,000 minimums. But without the SR-22 certificate on file, DMV treats you as uninsured for reinstatement purposes. The 270-day suspension clock continues running, but the SR-22 filing clock — which must run concurrently for the full suspension period in most cases — never starts.
National General prices your DUI into the premium but does not file SR-22 unless you request it by name at binding or afterward through customer service.
How to Request SR-22 Filing From National General
Call National General customer service at the number on your policy documents or quote confirmation email. Tell the representative you need SR-22 filing added to your Colorado policy for DUI reinstatement. The carrier charges a one-time filing fee set by National General — Colorado does not charge a separate state SR-22 fee. The representative will confirm your policy number, verify your liability limits meet Colorado's minimums, and submit the SR-22 certificate to the Division of Motor Vehicles electronically. Filing typically processes within 1-3 business days. DMV receives the certificate and begins counting your SR-22 filing period from the date the certificate is transmitted, not the date your policy became active.
If you have not yet bound coverage, request SR-22 filing during the quote process. National General's online flow may not surface the SR-22 option automatically, so you will likely need to complete the quote online and then call to finalize binding with SR-22 included. Confirm with the agent that SR-22 filing is part of your policy before you authorize payment. Once the policy is active with SR-22 filed, you will receive a copy of the certificate by email or mail within a few days. Keep this document — you will need it to prove continuous coverage when you apply for reinstatement after your 270-day suspension expires.
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What Happens If You Discover the Gap Late
If you bound National General coverage weeks or months ago and only now discover that no SR-22 was filed, the filing period starts from the date you request the certificate, not the date your policy became active. Colorado requires SR-22 filing for the full duration of your suspension in most DUI cases. If your suspension is 270 days and you discover the missing SR-22 filing 90 days into your suspension, you must maintain the SR-22 certificate for at least 180 additional days after the filing is corrected. The earlier suspension time without SR-22 on file does not count toward your filing requirement.
This is the costliest failure mode of the procedural gap. You paid premiums for months, assumed you were meeting your reinstatement obligations, and discover late that the filing clock never started. You cannot backdate an SR-22 certificate. The only remedy is to request the filing immediately and restart the clock. If your suspension period expires before your SR-22 filing period is complete, DMV will not accept your reinstatement application.
Carriers writing SR-22 in Colorado are required to notify DMV immediately if your policy lapses or cancels. If you let your National General policy lapse for non-payment after SR-22 was filed, the carrier transmits a cancellation notice to DMV within 10 days. Your suspension is extended, and you must obtain new SR-22 coverage and restart the filing clock from zero. Continuous coverage is the only path to reinstatement. A single lapse resets the entire timeline.
Colorado Reinstatement Fee
This fee is separate from the SR-22 filing fee your carrier charges. DMV will not accept your reinstatement application until your SR-22 certificate has been on file for the required period and your 270-day suspension has expired. Processing takes approximately 20 business days after DMV receives your completed application and fee payment.
Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles
Why Other Carriers Auto-File and National General Does Not
Progressive, Geico, and The General — three other carriers writing Colorado post-DUI SR-22 policies — integrate SR-22 filing directly into their online quote flows. When you enter a DUI conviction and request a quote, the system flags your policy for automatic SR-22 filing at binding. You do not need to request it separately. The filing fee is disclosed upfront, and the certificate transmits to DMV within 24-48 hours of policy activation. These carriers treat SR-22 as a mandatory component of post-DUI coverage because their underwriting systems encode state-specific reinstatement rules.
National General's system does not encode those rules. The carrier writes policies in 50 states with varying SR-22 requirements, and their platform treats SR-22 as an optional add-on rather than a violation-triggered automatic filing. This design works for drivers who know to request SR-22 explicitly. It fails drivers who assume the carrier will handle filing automatically once they disclose their DUI conviction during the quote process. The procedural burden shifts to you — the driver — to know that SR-22 is required and to request it by name.
Compare National General Against Auto-Filing Carriers
National General's post-DUI rates in Colorado fall within the $301-$481 per month range typical for high-risk drivers, approximately 39-77% higher than clean-record premiums. The carrier's standard-tier underwriting accepts first-offense DUI drivers with clean prior records, but their procedural gap around SR-22 filing creates reinstatement risk that other carriers eliminate through automatic filing. If you are comparing National General against Progressive, Geico, Dairyland, Bristol West, or The General, confirm during the quote process whether SR-22 filing is automatic or must be requested separately. Carriers that auto-file eliminate the procedural failure mode that costs you weeks of suspended-license time.
If National General's rate is significantly lower than competitors and you are confident you will request SR-22 filing explicitly at binding, the carrier is a viable option. If you prefer a carrier that handles SR-22 filing automatically without requiring you to track the procedural step, Progressive, Geico, or The General are better matches. All three write Colorado post-DUI policies, accept online quotes, and file SR-22 certificates automatically when you bind coverage. Your reinstatement timeline depends on continuous SR-22 filing from the date your suspension begins. Choosing a carrier that auto-files removes one procedural failure point from a process that already requires you to track suspension periods, reinstatement fees, retesting requirements, and DUI education deadlines.