Why Ohio Drivers Compare These Two Carriers
You need SR-22 filing to start your Ohio reinstatement clock, and Dairyland and The General appear on every non-standard carrier list targeting suspended drivers. Both write SR-22 policies for drivers the preferred tier rejects. Both offer non-owner SR-22 if you sold your vehicle during suspension. Both operate statewide in Ohio with online quote paths. The structural difference between them is not price—it is acceptance criteria and filing speed.
Dairyland accepts most first-offense OVI drivers and insurance-lapse suspensions, files SR-22 electronically same-day, and allows online policy purchase without phone contact. The General accepts drivers with multiple OVI convictions, felony OVI, and refusal-to-test suspensions—violations that disqualify applicants at Dairyland—but routes SR-22 filing through phone agents rather than instant online submission. Ohio drivers compare the two because they serve adjacent but non-overlapping audiences: Dairyland for drivers with one serious violation and clean recent history; The General for drivers most non-standard carriers still reject.
Compare car insurance rates in your state
Get quotes from licensed carriers — no obligation, no spam, results in minutes.
Get Your Free QuoteOhio SR-22 Filing Period
3 years
Ohio Revised Code 4509.45 requires SR-22 filing for 3 years after OVI conviction or uninsured-driving suspension, measured from conviction date, not filing date. If you let the SR-22 lapse before the 3-year window closes, the clock restarts from the date you refile.
ORC 4509.45
Dairyland Accepts First-Offense OVI and Lapse Suspensions
Dairyland underwrites standard OVI-related SR-22 filings for Ohio drivers with one offense on record and no other major violations within the past 3 years. If your suspension stems from a first OVI conviction, a BAC refusal, or driving uninsured, Dairyland typically accepts the application and files SR-22 electronically the same business day. The carrier operates in 38 states and maintains direct online quoting through dairylandinsurance.com without requiring agent contact for most applicants.
Dairyland stops at multiple OVI offenses, felony OVI (OVI with serious bodily injury or death), and drivers with both an OVI and a separate at-fault accident within 36 months. If your record contains a second OVI conviction within 10 years, Dairyland declines the application at underwriting. The carrier also declines drivers with active open violations—unpaid FRA reinstatement fees, court-ordered fines in collection status, or unresolved failure-to-appear warrants tied to the suspension. You must clear these administrative blocks before Dairyland will issue a policy.
Monthly premiums for Ohio OVI drivers at Dairyland typically range $140–$220/month for state minimum liability ($25,000/$50,000/$25,000) plus SR-22 filing. Non-owner SR-22 policies run $90–$130/month. Rates vary by county, age, and exact violation date. Dairyland charges a one-time $25 SR-22 filing fee separate from the premium. The carrier transmits the SR-22 certificate to the Ohio BMV electronically within one business day of policy purchase.
Dairyland declines second OVI offenses and felony OVI cases—if your record contains multiple convictions within 10 years, The General is the fallback non-standard carrier that still writes coverage.
The General Accepts Drivers Dairyland Rejects
The General accepts second and third OVI offenses within the 10-year window, felony OVI convictions, and drivers with combined OVI-plus-accident records that disqualify them at competing carriers. The carrier also writes policies for drivers with active administrative holds—unpaid FRA fees, unresolved failure-to-appear citations, and court-ordered fine arrears—though the BMV will not process SR-22 filing until those holds are cleared. The General issues the policy and SR-22 certificate, but reinstatement does not proceed until you resolve the administrative block separately.
All SR-22 filing at The General routes through phone agents rather than online submission. You complete the quote online at thegeneral.com, but SR-22 activation requires calling the dedicated SR-22 department to transmit the certificate to the Ohio BMV. Processing typically takes 1–3 business days from the phone call. Monthly premiums for Ohio drivers with multiple OVI offenses typically range $180–$280/month for state minimum liability plus SR-22. Non-owner SR-22 policies run $120–$170/month. The General charges a $50 SR-22 filing fee, higher than Dairyland's $25 fee.
Related Articles
How Filing Speed Affects Reinstatement Timing
Ohio measures the 3-year SR-22 filing period from your OVI conviction date or the date the BMV ordered SR-22 filing for an uninsured-driving suspension. The filing clock does not start when you purchase the policy—it starts when the BMV receives the SR-22 certificate and posts it to your driving record. Dairyland's same-day electronic filing means the BMV receives your SR-22 within 24 hours of policy purchase. The General's phone-routed filing typically takes 1–3 business days, delaying the start of your compliance window by that interval.
If you are under court-ordered Limited Driving Privileges and the court required SR-22 filing as a condition of the order, the delay between policy purchase and BMV receipt matters. Your LDP does not legally take effect until the BMV shows active SR-22 coverage on your record. Dairyland's electronic filing resolves this gap within one business day. The General's phone filing adds 1–3 days before you can legally drive under the court order. Verify BMV receipt before driving—courts and employers check the BMV record, not your insurance card.
If your SR-22 lapses because you miss a payment or cancel the policy before the 3-year window closes, Ohio law treats the lapse as a new suspension trigger. The BMV receives a cancellation notice from your carrier within 10 days and suspends your license again. You must refile SR-22 and restart the 3-year clock from the new filing date. Dairyland and The General both transmit cancellation notices to the BMV automatically—there is no grace period for missed payments once the policy lapses.
Ohio Reinstatement Fee
$40
Ohio BMV charges a $40 base reinstatement fee after OVI suspension, paid separately from SR-22 filing and insurance premiums. Drivers with Financial Responsibility Act suspensions pay an additional FRA reinstatement fee on top of the base fee. Reinstatement is not complete until all fees are cleared and SR-22 is active on your BMV record.
Ohio Revised Code 4507.1612
Non-Owner SR-22 for Drivers Without Vehicles
Both Dairyland and The General offer non-owner SR-22 policies for Ohio drivers who do not own a vehicle but need SR-22 filing to satisfy reinstatement requirements or maintain Limited Driving Privileges. Non-owner policies provide liability coverage when you drive a borrowed or rented vehicle but do not cover a vehicle you own or regularly use. If you sold your vehicle during suspension or rely on employer-provided vehicles, rideshare, or borrowed cars, non-owner SR-22 satisfies Ohio's filing requirement at lower monthly cost than standard auto policies.
Dairyland's non-owner SR-22 policies for Ohio drivers typically cost $90–$130/month for state minimum liability limits. The General's non-owner policies run $120–$170/month. Both transmit the SR-22 certificate to the BMV the same way standard policies do—electronically for Dairyland, phone-routed for The General. Non-owner policies do not convert to standard auto policies if you purchase a vehicle later; you must cancel the non-owner policy and buy a new standard policy with separate SR-22 filing.
Compare Both Carriers and Check Your Violation Profile
Run quotes at both Dairyland and The General before choosing. Dairyland's online quote path at dairylandinsurance.com shows real-time pricing and same-day SR-22 filing availability for eligible drivers. If Dairyland declines your application during underwriting—typically because of multiple OVI offenses or combined OVI-plus-accident records—call The General's SR-22 department at the number listed on thegeneral.com to request a phone quote. The General does not decline applications online; all high-risk underwriting decisions route through phone agents who evaluate your full violation history before quoting.
Verify your Ohio BMV driving record before quoting. Both carriers pull your motor vehicle report during underwriting, and discrepancies between what you report and what appears on your MVR trigger application delays or declines. Request your Ohio BMV driving abstract at bmv.ohio.gov or in person at any deputy registrar office. The abstract shows all active suspensions, OVI convictions, administrative holds, and the exact SR-22 filing period the BMV has on record. If the BMV record shows unpaid FRA fees or failure-to-appear holds, resolve those before purchasing SR-22 coverage—the SR-22 will not process until the holds are cleared, even if the carrier issues the policy.