FR-44 insurance in Florida is a certificate your auto insurer files electronically with the state proving you carry much higher liability limits than Florida normally requires, and it is mandatory after a DUI conviction. The form itself is not a policy. It is an electronic filing from your insurer to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles confirming that the policy you bought meets the elevated limits set in state law. You must keep that coverage in place for three years before the obligation goes away.
If you were searching for an “FR-22,” that form does not exist in Florida. The FR-44 is what you need.
What Triggers the FR-44 Requirement
Florida Statute 324.023 applies to every driver found guilty of DUI under Section 316.193, whether by guilty plea, no contest plea, or conviction at trial. The statute uses the phrase “regardless of adjudication of guilt,” which means the requirement still attaches even when a judge withholds formal adjudication.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 324.023 – Financial Responsibility for Bodily Injury or Death There is no exception for first-time offenders or for low blood-alcohol readings. Any DUI disposition after October 1, 2007 triggers it.
The Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles agency relies on the insurer’s electronic filing to track your coverage. If the policy lapses, the agency learns about it within days.
The Coverage Limits Florida Requires
Florida’s baseline auto insurance rules are unusually light. A standard registered vehicle needs only $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection and $10,000 in Property Damage Liability, and Florida does not normally require Bodily Injury Liability at all.2Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Florida Insurance Requirements An FR-44 policy replaces that minimum with limits that are roughly ten times higher.
Under Section 324.023, your FR-44 policy must include:1The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 324.023 – Financial Responsibility for Bodily Injury or Death
- $100,000 for bodily injury or death of one person in a single crash
- $300,000 for bodily injury or death of two or more people in a single crash
- $50,000 for property damage in a single crash
The premium jump is significant. Drivers with a DUI on their record commonly see annual insurance costs rise by 50 to 200 percent compared to a clean record, depending on the insurer, driving history, and the county where they live.
How FR-44 Differs From SR-22
Most states use an SR-22 to verify that high-risk drivers carry at least that state’s minimum liability coverage. Only Florida and Virginia use the FR-44. The difference is not just the name. An SR-22 certifies standard state minimums; an FR-44 certifies the elevated 100/300/50 limits above. Advice written for drivers in other states does not translate directly, because the dollar burden here is heavier.
How to Get an FR-44 Filed
You cannot file the form yourself. The insurer submits it to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles agency through an electronic system. The practical steps:
- Contact a licensed Florida insurer that writes FR-44 policies. Not every carrier does, and you may need to shop among companies that specialize in high-risk coverage. When you call, be specific that you need an FR-44 filing, not an SR-22.
- Buy a policy that meets or exceeds the 100/300/50 limits. The insurer cannot file the certificate until the policy is in force.
- Have your Florida driver license number and the citation or case number from the DUI ready. If you own vehicles, bring the Vehicle Identification Numbers so the policy lists them correctly.
- The insurer transmits the certificate electronically, usually the same day or the next business day.
- Confirm the filing through the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles online portal or a local driver license office.
Florida law also allows proof of financial responsibility through a cash deposit with the state, but this route is rarely practical for an individual driver.3Florida Senate. Florida Code 324.031 – Manner of Proving Financial Responsibility
Reinstatement Fees
The FR-44 filing is one piece. You also owe administrative fees before the state will reinstate your driving privilege. For alcohol- or drug-related offenses, the agency charges a $130 administrative fee, plus a reinstatement fee of $75 for a revocation or $45 for a suspension.4Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Fees A driver whose license was revoked for a DUI should expect at least $205 in state fees alone, separate from insurance costs and any court-ordered fines.
Payment goes through the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles online portal, by phone, or at a local driver license office. The agency will not process reinstatement until the FR-44 filing and the fees both show up in its system.
How Long You Carry It
The statute sets a three-year minimum, and the clock starts on the date your driving privilege is reinstated, not the date of arrest or conviction.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 324.023 – Financial Responsibility for Bodily Injury or Death If a year passes between conviction and reinstatement, the three years do not start running until you actually get your license back.
The three-year period resets if you pick up another DUI or a felony traffic conviction during that window. You are released from the FR-44 obligation only after three continuous years from reinstatement with no new DUI or felony traffic offenses.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 324.023 – Financial Responsibility for Bodily Injury or Death
What a Lapse Costs
This is where people get hurt. Florida law requires the insurer to report any cancellation or lapse to the state within 10 days. Once that notification comes in, the agency suspends both the driver license and the vehicle registration.5Florida Senate. Florida Code 324.0221 – Reports by Insurers; Suspension of Registration or Driver License The entire reinstatement process starts again, including the fees.
There is no statutory grace period. A single day without coverage is enough. If you switch insurers, time it so the new policy is active before the old one terminates.
Driving Before the Three Years Are Up
Florida allows some DUI offenders to apply for a restricted hardship license that permits driving for business, employment, education, medical appointments, or church. Driving for any other reason violates the restriction and can bring additional charges.6Florida Senate. Florida Code 322.271 – Authority of Department to Reinstate Restricted Driving Privilege
Eligibility depends on your record. After a first DUI conviction, you may apply for a hardship reinstatement once you complete the DUI school substance abuse education course. If your blood-alcohol level was .15 or higher, an ignition interlock device is mandatory for up to six months. A second DUI within five years brings a five-year revocation with a one-year wait before you can petition for hardship reinstatement, and a third within 10 years brings a ten-year revocation with a two-year wait and a mandatory interlock device for two years. Hardship reinstatement is barred entirely for drivers with two or more DUI convictions or two or more refusals of a breath or blood test.7Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Florida DUI and Administrative Suspension Laws
If You Move Out of Florida
Leaving the state does not cancel the FR-44 obligation. The requirement is tied to your Florida driving record, and you must keep the policy in force for the full three years even after you relocate. The FR-44 cannot be transferred to another state’s system. If it lapses, the cancellation feeds into the National Driver Register, a federal database other states check when you apply for a new license, and a lapse there can block you from getting licensed where you move.
In practice, this often means carrying two policies: an FR-44 in Florida to satisfy the requirement, and a separate policy in your new state covering the vehicle you actually drive. If you no longer own a vehicle, a non-owner FR-44 policy in Florida costs less than a standard vehicle policy and keeps the filing active.