SR-22 Insurance in Chico, CA
After a suspension, DUI, too many points, or an at-fault accident while uninsured, the California DMV may require an SR-22. Auto World files it electronically and writes the policy behind it — usually same day. Serving Chico drivers.
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Quick answer
In Chico, 12 people were killed or injured with a drinking driver aged 21 to 34 and 15 hit-and-run fatal or injury collisions were recorded in 2023 (OTS). Chico drivers are priced on their record, mileage, vehicle and coverage choices, and different carriers price the same driver very differently — which is why we compare, and why the free two-minute quote is the only number that is actually yours.
Local data · Butte County
The Chico record behind a filing
An SR-22 follows something that already happened on the road. These are the state’s counts for Chico.
- Driver 21 to 34 had been drinking
Chico, 2023: 12 people were killed or injured in collisions where a driver aged 21-34 had been drinking.
50th of 62 in OTS size group B (1 = worst) — better than most.
- Hit and run
Chico, 2023: 15 fatal or injury collisions were hit-and-run.
58th of 62 in OTS size group B (1 = worst) — among the best fifth.
- Speed-related
Chico, 2023: 5 fatal or injury collisions were speed-related.
62nd of 62 in OTS size group B (1 = worst) — among the best fifth.
Local guide
SR-22 in Chico: the Oroville courthouse, Butte County DUI programs and the DMV side
If your SR-22 follows a Chico DUI, the criminal case is not heard in Chico: the Butte County Superior Court runs its Criminal Division, which takes misdemeanor and felony matters for the entire county, from the Butte County Courthouse at One Court Street in Oroville. The SR-22 belongs to the separate DMV track, and it has to be on file before the license comes back.
Which Butte County courthouse handles what
A DUI arraignment for a Chico arrest is therefore an Oroville appearance. Follow the courthouse printed on your own notice or bail paperwork.
Traffic infractions run through the court’s Traffic Division, which says a courtesy notice should reach you by mail within three weeks of the citation. For a no-proof-of-insurance ticket it draws a line worth knowing: proof that you were insured on the citation date gets the charge dismissed once the fee is paid, while a policy bought afterward only lowers the bail, and the charge stays.
Butte County’s DHCS-licensed DUI programs
The state Department of Health Care Services directory of licensed DUI providers lists three program sites in Butte County, and all three are marked for the first-offender, 18-month and 30-month programs:
- Prevention Education Program, Inc. — 1215 Mangrove Avenue, Suite D, Chico
- Solutions for Positive Choices — 645 Normal Avenue, Suite 100, Chico
- Solutions for Positive Choices — 1855 Myers Street, Oroville
The DMV clock, CHP reports and the certificate itself
After a first arrest with a 0.08% result, DMV’s first-offender flyer says the officer’s order lets you drive for 30 days, and you have 10 days from receiving it to request a hearing. Enrollment in one of the programs above, plus an SR-22, is on DMV’s list for either restricted license it offers.
A crash on State Route 99, State Route 32 or an unincorporated county road is a CHP matter: the Chico Area office at 413 Southgate Avenue patrols northern Butte County.
When the license is reinstated, Vehicle Code section 16431 requires the SR-22 to cover every vehicle registered in your name. A car can be left off only if it is in storage with its current plates and registration card surrendered to DMV in Sacramento.
Where this comes from
- Superior Court of California, County of Butte — Criminal Division — The Criminal Division at One Court Street, Oroville, handles misdemeanor and felony matters for the entire county.
- Superior Court of California, County of Butte — Traffic — Courtesy notice timing and how proof of insurance is treated on an insurance citation.
- California Department of Health Care Services — Licensed Driving Under the Influence Provider Directory — Every DUI program site DHCS licenses, by county, with the program types each site is marked for (edition covering July 31 – August 30, 2026).
- California Highway Patrol — (241) Chico Area — Office address; patrols SR-99, SR-32 and unincorporated roads in northern Butte County.
- California DMV — DUI First Offenders, Alcohol Involved, Non-Injury, 21 and Older (DL 1046 A) — First-offender APS and conviction suspensions, the restricted-license options and their requirements (DUI program enrollment, SR 22), and the three-year SR 22 requirement.
- California Vehicle Code section 16431 — The SR-22 is an authorized insurer’s certificate; after a DUI-related suspension it must cover every vehicle registered to the driver, except vehicles stored with plates and registration surrendered.
Reviewed 2026-10-18
An SR-22 is not a type of insurance. It is a certificate your carrier files with the California DMV proving you carry at least state-minimum liability, usually required after a suspension, a DUI, too many points or an at-fault accident while uninsured. Auto World writes the policy and sends the filing for Chico drivers.
Chico & Butte County
15 cyclists were killed or injured on Chico streets that year, and a cyclist injury is a liability claim long before it is anything else. 19 fatal or injury collisions in Chico happened between 9pm and 3am, the hours when a single bad decision can become a claim and a conviction at once. 6.7% of Chico households do not have a vehicle at all, which is one reason non-owner and named-operator policies come up here. 20.6% of households here keep three or more vehicles, so who drives which car is a question worth settling on the application in Chico. The average one-way commute in Chico runs about 17 minutes, and mileage is one of the few rating factors you can actually change. 4.2% of Chico commuters spend an hour or more getting to work each way, which is a different risk picture from a short local drive.
Sources: California Office of Traffic Safety, Crash Rankings; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates
Driving in Chico
Closest DMV field offices
- Chico — 107 Parmac Rd #1, Chico 95926
Source: California DMV field office list, retrieved September 21, 2026.
City population
101,475
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Insurance in Chico: What Local Drivers Should Know
California DOJ figures show 179 vehicle thefts reported in Chico in 2025, down from 265 in 2022. Liability insurance never pays for your own car; comprehensive is the coverage that pays when a car is stolen, after the deductible.
Source: California DOJ OpenJustice — Crimes and Clearances (1985–2025)
Major routes
SR-99 · SR-32
SR-22 / DMV
We normally file your SR-22 electronically with the California DMV the same business day your policy is bound. The closest DMV field offices to Chico that accept proof of insurance are the Chico and Oroville offices.
Carriers we write for Chico
Bristol West · National General · Foremost
Frequently Asked Questions
I drive a long commute from Chico on an SR-22. Does that matter?
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2023) — Chico city, California; California Insurance Code section 1861.02
How much warning do I get before an SR-22 policy cancels in Chico?
How common is an SR-22 case in Chico?
Sources: California Office of Traffic Safety, OTS Crash Rankings — Chico, 2023 (derived from SWITRS)
Does an SR-22 policy in Chico have to be minimum coverage?
Sources: California Office of Traffic Safety, OTS Crash Rankings — Chico, 2023 (derived from SWITRS)
What helps an SR-22 driver's price improve in Chico?
Sources: California Office of Traffic Safety, OTS Crash Rankings — Chico, 2023 (derived from SWITRS); California Insurance Code section 1861.02