Florida FR-44 Knowledge Center

Under Florida law, FR-44 insurance certificates are completely non-cancelable. To prevent fraud and compliance evasion, most non-standard carriers require the entire policy premium to be paid in full (either in 6-month or 12-month terms) at policy inception. No monthly installment options are allowed by these carriers for FR-44 filings. If a payment is declined or the policy is cancelled, the insurer is required by law to notify the Bureau of Motorist Compliance immediately, resulting in immediate suspension of your driving privileges.

An FR-44 is a certificate of financial responsibility required by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV). It serves as proof that you carry auto insurance coverage with liability limits significantly higher than the standard state minimums, specifically following a conviction for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or Driving While Intoxicated (DWI).

The FR-44 is not a separate insurance policy itself; rather, it is an electronic rider or endorsement filed by your insurance carrier to confirm that your active auto policy meets the strict limits mandated by Florida law.

Under Florida law, to satisfy the FR-44 requirement, you must maintain a policy with liability coverages of at least:

• $100,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person in any one crash.
• $300,000 for bodily injury to or death of two or more people in any one crash.
• $50,000 for property damage in any one crash.

These limits (commonly abbreviated as 100/300/50) are ten times higher than standard Florida personal injury protection (PIP) and property damage liability (PDL) minimums. You must maintain these limits continuously during the filing period.

While both are certificates of financial responsibility filed with the state, they are used for different violations and require different insurance limits:

• SR-22: Required for point accumulation, major accidents without insurance, or license suspensions not involving alcohol. It only requires standard Florida minimum liability limits (10/20/10).
• FR-44: Specifically required after a DUI conviction. It requires much higher liability limits (100/300/50). Because the liability limits are ten times higher, FR-44 policies generally carry higher premiums than SR-22 policies.

In Florida, you are typically required to maintain an active FR-44 filing continuously for **three years (36 consecutive months)**. This period usually begins on the date of your DUI conviction or the date your driving privileges are reinstated, depending on the specific court order and DHSMV mandate.

A policy lapse is a serious issue. By law, if your FR-44 policy is canceled, lapses, or is modified below the required limits, your insurance company is legally obligated to immediately submit an electronic notification (form FR-46) to the Florida DHSMV.

Upon receiving this notice, the state will **instantly suspend your driver's license, license plate, and vehicle registration**. To reinstate your license after a lapse, you will need to purchase a new FR-44 policy, have it refiled, and pay a reinstatement fee (which ranges from $150 to $500 depending on whether it is a first, second, or subsequent offense).

Yes, and this is highly recommended if you do not own a vehicle. It is called a **Non-Owner FR-44 policy**. This policy provides the mandatory 100/300/50 liability coverage when you drive borrowed, rented, or non-registered vehicles occasionally.

Because there is no specific vehicle attached to the policy (meaning the carrier is not insuring physical damage for a vehicle you own), non-owner policies are **significantly cheaper** than standard owner policies. This is the most cost-effective way to fulfill your legal obligation and reinstate your Florida license.

Filing is fully digital. Once your policy is purchased and activated, our agency sends the certificate data electronically directly to the Florida DHSMV system. The DHSMV system cross-references your Driver's License Number and updates your driving status. Standard processing is immediate or takes a few hours, meaning you do not need to bring paper forms to a physical DHSMV office in most cases.