The General Files SR-22 During Your Hard Suspension
You received a DWI conviction in Louisiana yesterday and your license is suspended for 365 days minimum. You called three standard carriers this morning—State Farm, Allstate, Geico—and all three told you they can't write a policy until your restricted license is approved. You need SR-22 filed to apply for that restricted license, but no one will insure you. You're stuck in a loop where each requirement blocks the next.
The General writes SR-22 policies for suspended Louisiana drivers during the hard suspension period. The carrier operates in the non-standard tier, which means it accepts applicants standard carriers refuse: DWI convictions, active suspensions, and restricted-license holders. Most suspended drivers don't know non-standard carriers exist because they've only ever called the carriers that advertise on TV. Those carriers write standard and preferred tiers. Your DWI moved you out of those tiers the day the conviction posted.
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Get Your Free QuoteLouisiana DWI Suspension Period
365–1,460 days
Louisiana suspends your license for a minimum of 365 days after a first DWI conviction, escalating to 1,460 days for subsequent offenses. The suspension starts immediately upon conviction, not arrest. SR-22 filing is required for the full 3-year period following reinstatement.
Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles suspension schedule
Non-Standard Tier Versus Standard Tier
Louisiana auto insurance carriers split into three tiers: preferred, standard, and non-standard. Preferred carriers write clean-record drivers with good credit. Standard carriers write drivers with minor violations or a single at-fault accident. Non-standard carriers write drivers with DWI convictions, multiple violations, suspended licenses, or SR-22 filing requirements. The tier determines which carriers will quote you, not how much you pay—rate is a separate question.
The General operates in the non-standard tier. So do Bristol West, Direct Auto, and National General. These carriers engineer their underwriting to accept the risk profile standard carriers exclude. When you call State Farm or Allstate after a DWI, the agent isn't refusing you because they dislike you—they're refusing you because their underwriting guidelines prohibit writing suspended drivers. The carrier's tier is a structural fact, not a customer service decision.
Most Louisiana DWI drivers waste two weeks calling standard carriers before they learn non-standard carriers exist. That two-week delay pushes your restricted license application back because you can't apply without proof of SR-22 filing. The General accepts your application the day you call. The filing happens within 24 hours of policy activation. You lose nothing by starting with the carrier that writes your tier.
Standard carriers won't write SR-22 for restricted-license holders. The General will. That structural difference is the only reason most Louisiana DWI drivers can file SR-22 during their hard suspension.
What The General Requires to File SR-22
You need your Louisiana suspension notice from the Office of Motor Vehicles showing the conviction date, the suspension start date, and the violation code. The General uses this document to verify your SR-22 filing requirement and calculate your 3-year filing period. If you don't have the notice, request a copy from the OMV before you call carriers. Without it, The General cannot confirm your filing obligation and will not issue the policy.
You also need proof of ignition interlock installation if your restricted license requires it. Louisiana mandates ignition interlock for all DWI-based restricted licenses under RS 32:415.1. The General will not file SR-22 until the IID vendor provides written confirmation that the device is installed and operational. The IID requirement applies during your hard suspension, not just after restricted eligibility. Plan for $1,200–$2,100 in first-year IID costs on top of your premium.
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The General's Premium Structure for Louisiana DWI Drivers
The General charges a monthly premium for liability coverage plus a one-time SR-22 filing fee set by the carrier. Louisiana does not impose a state-level SR-22 filing fee—the fee you pay goes to the carrier for processing and maintaining the certificate with the OMV. You'll see the fee itemized on your policy declaration page when you receive the quote.
Monthly premiums for non-standard SR-22 policies in Louisiana vary by your age, parish, vehicle, and coverage limits. The General does not offer online rate estimates for DWI drivers—you must call or request a quote through an agent. Non-standard carriers price individually because your risk profile includes variables standard rate calculators don't capture: the number of prior DWI convictions, the time since conviction, whether you completed the state-approved DWI education course, and whether your restricted license is active or pending.
The General offers monthly payment plans, but some non-standard carriers require a larger down payment than standard carriers. Expect to pay the first month's premium, the filing fee, and potentially a deposit equal to one or two additional months. If cash flow is tight, ask the agent whether The General allows a smaller down payment for restricted-license holders. Some non-standard carriers reduce the deposit if you agree to automatic withdrawal.
Louisiana DWI Reinstatement Fee
$100
Louisiana charges a $100 reinstatement fee when you restore your license after a DWI suspension. This fee is separate from the SR-22 filing fee and is paid directly to the Office of Motor Vehicles, not your carrier. You pay it once, at the end of your suspension period, when you apply for full reinstatement.
Louisiana OMV reinstatement fee schedule
Filing SR-22 Before Restricted License Approval
Louisiana allows you to obtain SR-22 insurance during your hard suspension, before you apply for a restricted license. The SR-22 filing proves future financial responsibility—it does not require you to be actively driving. You can file SR-22, maintain the policy during your suspension, and use the certificate as part of your restricted license application when you become eligible. The General writes policies for suspended drivers who are not yet driving because the carrier understands the filing is a reinstatement prerequisite, not a driving permit.
Most Louisiana DWI drivers assume they can't get insurance until they have a restricted license in hand. That assumption costs them time. You apply for the restricted license through the OMV or, if the OMV refuses, through a district court petition in your parish of residence. Both paths require proof of SR-22 filing as part of the application packet. If you wait to get insurance until after the restricted license is approved, you're adding weeks to a process that already takes 30–60 days. File SR-22 first. Apply for the restricted license second. The sequence matters.
Compare The General Against Other Non-Standard Carriers
The General is one of several non-standard carriers writing Louisiana DWI drivers. Bristol West, Direct Auto, National General, Progressive, and Geico also write SR-22 policies for suspended drivers, though not all write restricted-license holders during the hard suspension. Progressive and Geico write some DWI cases but often exclude drivers with active suspensions or pending restricted licenses. Bristol West and Direct Auto operate fully in the non-standard tier and accept restricted-license applicants consistently.
Request quotes from at least three non-standard carriers before you commit. The filing fee and down payment structure also vary, so ask each carrier for the total upfront cost, not just the monthly premium.