Why Kemper's SR-22 Quote Is Higher Than Your Old Premium
Your Colorado license suspension triggered an SR-22 requirement, you requested quotes from multiple carriers, and Kemper came back significantly higher than what you were paying before suspension. The quote feels punitive — $90/month more for what the DMV describes as a simple filing. You're wondering if Kemper is overcharging or if there's something specific about SR-22 that justifies the increase.
The confusion stems from conflating two separate cost components: the SR-22 filing itself (a one-time $25–$50 administrative fee Kemper charges to submit your certificate to the Colorado DMV) and the premium increase that results from being reclassified into Kemper's non-standard insurance tier. The filing fee is negligible. The tier reclassification — which happens because your violation history now places you in a higher-risk pool — drives the monthly premium increase you're seeing, and that increase persists for the entire 3-year SR-22 filing period Colorado requires.
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Get Your Free QuoteKemper SR-22 Filing Fee
$25–$50
Kemper charges this one-time administrative fee to process and electronically file your SR-22 certificate with the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles. This fee is separate from your policy premium and appears as a line item on your first billing statement.
Kemper Auto coverage page, SR-22 filing documentation
Non-Standard Tier Pricing Drives the Monthly Cost
Kemper underwrites SR-22 policies through its non-standard tier, which pools drivers with DUI convictions, suspended licenses, multiple at-fault accidents, or serious moving violations. Once you're placed in this tier, every aspect of your premium calculation changes: base rates are higher, discounts available in standard tiers disappear, and the loss-cost multipliers Kemper applies to your age, vehicle type, and ZIP code increase.
Colorado requires SR-22 filing for 3 years following most suspension triggers — DUI convictions, driving uninsured, excessive points. That 3-year window locks you into non-standard tier pricing for the full duration. Even if you maintain a clean driving record during those 3 years, you cannot move back to standard-tier rates until the SR-22 requirement ends and your policy renews without the filing. The monthly premium you're quoted now will persist, with normal annual adjustments, until your filing period concludes.
Kemper's non-standard tier rates in Colorado typically range from $85–$195/month for minimum liability coverage, depending on your specific violation, age, county, and vehicle. A 32-year-old Denver driver with a first DUI and no other violations might see $110–$140/month. A 24-year-old Aurora driver with a DUI plus two prior at-fault accidents could see $165–$195/month. The range reflects how Kemper stacks risk factors — each additional violation compounds the base rate increase.
The SR-22 filing itself costs $25–$50 once. The $90/month increase you're seeing is non-standard tier pricing applied to every premium for 3 years — that's where the real cost lives.
How Kemper's SR-22 Filing Process Works in Colorado
You purchase an SR-22 policy from Kemper (either a standard auto policy if you own a vehicle, or a non-owner SR-22 policy if you don't). Kemper submits the SR-22 certificate electronically to the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles within 1–3 business days of policy activation. The DMV processes the filing and updates your license status, typically clearing the suspension hold within 5–10 business days if all other reinstatement conditions (fees paid, course completed, ignition interlock installed if required) are met.
The 3-year SR-22 period starts from your conviction date or suspension effective date, not from the date Kemper files. If your DUI conviction was finalized on March 15, 2024, your 3-year period runs through March 15, 2027, regardless of when you actually purchased the Kemper policy and filed. If your policy lapses or cancels for non-payment during those 3 years, Kemper is required by Colorado law to notify the DMV electronically within 10 days. That notification triggers an immediate suspension, and you must refile a new SR-22 to lift it — which restarts administrative processing but does not restart the 3-year clock unless the lapse itself constitutes a new violation.
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Comparing Kemper to Other SR-22 Carriers in Colorado
Kemper operates in Colorado's non-standard market alongside carriers like Progressive, Geico, The General, Bristol West, Dairyland, and National General, all of which write SR-22 policies. Rate variation among non-standard carriers is significant — the same 32-year-old Denver driver with a first DUI might receive quotes ranging from $95/month (Progressive, Dairyland) to $175/month (The General, Bristol West) for identical liability limits.
Kemper's rates typically fall in the middle of this range, but your specific quote depends on how Kemper's underwriting model weights your violation compared to how Progressive or Geico weights it. If your DUI occurred within the past 12 months and you have no prior violations, Progressive and Geico often quote lower than Kemper. If your suspension resulted from multiple violations stacked together (DUI plus driving on a suspended license, or excessive points plus an at-fault accident), Kemper sometimes quotes more competitively than carriers that apply harsher stacking penalties.
Some Colorado drivers assume State Farm or Allstate will offer better SR-22 rates because those carriers wrote their pre-suspension policies. State Farm does write SR-22 in Colorado, but typically moves drivers with DUI convictions into a higher-tier subsidiary or declines to renew entirely. Allstate does not explicitly confirm SR-22 capability in Colorado per available documentation. Standard-tier carriers that do accept SR-22 filers usually price at or above non-standard specialists like Kemper, because their standard-tier loss ratios penalize high-risk exceptions more heavily than a dedicated non-standard book.
Colorado SR-22 Filing Duration
3 years
Colorado requires continuous SR-22 filing for 3 years following most suspension triggers — DUI/DWAI convictions, driving uninsured, excessive points. The period is measured from your conviction or suspension effective date, not from the date you file. Any lapse in coverage during this period triggers immediate re-suspension.
Colorado Revised Statutes § 42-7-303; Colorado DMV SR-22 reinstatement guidance
What Happens If You Let Your Kemper SR-22 Policy Lapse
If you miss a Kemper premium payment and your policy cancels for non-payment, Kemper notifies the Colorado DMV electronically within 10 days as required by state law. The DMV processes that lapse notification and suspends your driving privileges immediately — you do not receive a grace period or warning. Driving on a suspended license in Colorado is a misdemeanor traffic offense carrying fines up to $1,000 and potential jail time for repeat offenses, plus it extends your SR-22 requirement and can trigger a new revocation period.
To lift the suspension, you must purchase a new SR-22 policy (either from Kemper again or from a different carrier), pay a $95 reinstatement fee to the Colorado DMV, and wait for the DMV to process the new filing and clear your license status. That reinstatement process typically takes 5–10 business days. Your original 3-year SR-22 clock does not restart from the lapse date — it continues running from your original conviction date — but the administrative suspension for the lapse itself must be separately cleared, and some counties impose additional penalties or hearing requirements for SR-22 lapses during a probationary period.
Your Next Step: Compare SR-22 Rates Before Committing
Kemper's $90/month premium increase reflects real non-standard tier pricing, not arbitrary markup, but you are not required to accept the first quote you receive. Colorado allows you to shop SR-22 policies across any carrier licensed to write non-standard auto in the state, and rate variation among those carriers is wide enough that comparison typically saves $30–$80/month over 3 years. Request quotes from at least three non-standard carriers — Progressive, Geico, and Dairyland are good starting points — and compare the monthly premium plus filing fee as a combined total cost over your 3-year requirement.
If you don't currently own a vehicle, ask each carrier for a non-owner SR-22 quote instead of a standard auto policy. Non-owner policies provide liability coverage when you drive vehicles you don't own and satisfy Colorado's SR-22 filing requirement at lower monthly premiums — typically $40–$75/month in the non-standard tier, compared to $85–$195/month for a standard policy. Once you've compared quotes, choose the carrier offering the lowest total 3-year cost and confirm they will file your SR-22 electronically with the Colorado DMV within 1–3 business days of policy activation.