Arkansas files it with Driver Services inside the DFA
Arkansas runs driver licensing through the Department of Finance and Administration, and the certificate goes to its Office of Driver Services. Act 345 of 2025 rewrote Arkansas Code 27-19-712. The filer must be an insurer authorized or eligible to do business in the state. That act also made clear that surplus lines coverage counts.
The state's rule book gives the form its name. 27 CAR 30-182 calls the certificate of insurance an SR-22. It must show your name and current address, the policy number and the effective date. It also says whether you hold an owner's policy or an operator's policy. An owner's policy lists the vehicle, down to the VIN. An operator's policy covers you behind the wheel of cars you do not own, which is the non-owner route.
The SR-26 notice is what ends an Arkansas filing
A complete certificate on file is treated as effective until a cancellation notice reaches the office, under 27 CAR 30-183. That notice has its own name. 27 CAR 30-184 calls it an SR-26, and it carries the date your coverage stopped.
Switching companies works in your favor here. Under 27 CAR 30-185, filing a new certificate before the old one ends automatically cancels the earlier one. Have the new SR-22 filed first, then drop the old policy.
After an Arkansas crash: the SR-1 and the security question
The Safety Responsibility section wants an SR-1 accident report within thirty days. That applies when one person's property damage tops $1,000, or when anyone is hurt or killed, no matter who caused it.
The office then wants financial responsibility from you. Proof of liability insurance is one way. Others include a deposit of security, a signed release from the other party, a covenant not to sue, or an installment agreement. You can also ask for a hearing within twenty days of the notice. A ticket at the scene is not required for any of this.
Act 345 also restates the floor a policy must meet after a crash. That is $25,000 for one person hurt, $50,000 for two or more, and $25,000 for property.
What the DFA lists for a DWI reinstatement
A first DWI alcohol offense means a six-month suspension, per the DFA offense page. Before reinstatement you finish a state-approved alcohol education or treatment program and a Victim Impact Panel class. You also run an ignition interlock for as long as the suspension lasts. The fee is $150, payable at a State Revenue Office, by mail or at mydmv.arkansas.gov.
That checklist does not name an SR-22. A refused test brings a 180-day first suspension and the same $150 fee, per the refusals page.
Bonds, real estate and old judgments in Arkansas
Some drivers post a bond instead of a policy. Arkansas sets it at $65,000 or more, subject to the office's approval, in 27 CAR 30-186. If two or more people pledge real estate, it must total $130,000.
Court judgments have a time limit too. Under 27 CAR 30-179, the creditor must file proof the judgment was renewed. Without that proof within ten years, your license and registration are reinstated. Once every condition is met, you can request a reinstatement letter online that confirms it.