FR44 Insurance Broward County / Fort Lauderdale: DUI & 17th Circuit Guide
Broward County is South Florida’s second-largest county — home to Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, and one of Florida’s busiest FR44 insurance markets. The 17th Judicial Circuit covers all of Broward County. With 1.9 million residents, an international airport, a major seaport, a densely packed entertainment corridor, and significant winter tourist traffic, Broward generates one of the highest volumes of DUI-related FR44 cases in Florida. Here’s everything Broward County residents and visitors need to know.
Jurisdiction: 17th Judicial Circuit
Broward County is the 17th Judicial Circuit — a single-county circuit, unlike circuits covering multiple counties. All DUI cases in Broward County are prosecuted through the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale. With nearly 2 million residents, the 17th Circuit handles a very high volume of DUI prosecutions — making it one of Florida’s most active DUI enforcement and prosecution environments.
FR44 Cost in Broward County
| Driver Profile | Estimated Annual FR44 Premium |
|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale, first DUI, owns vehicle | $1,500 – $2,800/year |
| Hollywood / Dania Beach area | $1,400 – $2,700/year |
| Pompano Beach / Deerfield Beach area | $1,300 – $2,600/year |
| Coral Springs / Weston / Plantation area | $1,200 – $2,400/year |
| Non-owner FR44 | $330 – $680/year |
| Second DUI within 5 years | $2,600 – $5,200/year |
Fort Lauderdale: Primary DUI Enforcement Zones
Fort Lauderdale is the 17th Circuit’s primary urban enforcement market:
- Las Olas Boulevard — Fort Lauderdale’s primary upscale entertainment corridor; one of Broward’s most active enforcement zones, particularly Friday and Saturday nights
- Fort Lauderdale Beach (A1A / Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd) — the beachfront strip from Las Olas north to Oakland Park Boulevard; spring break, summer, and New Year’s enforcement surges
- Victoria Park / Himmarshee Street district — downtown Fort Lauderdale’s primary bar concentration
- Sunrise Boulevard (SR-838) — major east-west arterial through Fort Lauderdale connecting beach to I-95
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) area — US-1 (Federal Highway) and I-595 approach corridors
Hollywood and the Hallandale Beach Corridor
Hollywood’s Young Circle and Harrison Street entertainment district, the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk (A1A), and the Hallandale Beach Boulevard commercial strip are secondary enforcement zones south of Fort Lauderdale. Hallandale Beach is notable for Gulfstream Park Racing and Casino on US-1 — generating significant late-night enforcement on the US-1 corridor between Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
Fort Lauderdale Spring Break
While Fort Lauderdale’s Spring Break has never fully recovered its 1980s-90s scale, the beach area still generates significant DUI enforcement during March-April. A1A enforcement during this period is among the most concentrated in South Florida, with police checkpoints at key Broward-to-Miami return routes including I-95 southbound and US-1.
Port Everglades and the Cruise Terminal Effect
Port Everglades is one of the world’s busiest cruise ports. Cruise passengers who drink on their last night ashore and drive home through Broward County generate consistent DUI activity in the I-595/US-1/SR-A1A corridors near the port.
The FR44 Process After a Broward County DUI
- DUI arrest → FLHSMV administrative suspension; 10-day temporary permit
- Request formal review hearing within 10 days if contesting the administrative suspension
- Complete 6-month suspension (first DUI; 1 year second within 5 years)
- Complete DUI school at an approved Broward County provider
- Obtain FR44 insurance with 100/300/50 minimums
- Insurer files FR44 electronically with FLHSMV
- Pay FLHSMV reinstatement fees; maintain FR44 for 3 years from reinstatement
Communities in Broward County
- Fort Lauderdale — county seat, Las Olas, Beach strip, 17th Circuit courthouse
- Hollywood — Young Circle district, Broadwalk A1A
- Pembroke Pines — largest Broward city by population, Pines Blvd corridor
- Coral Springs — major NW Broward, University Dr/Sample Rd
- Miramar — major SW Broward, Miramar Parkway
- Sunrise — Broward Mall area, BB&T Center (NHL arena)
- Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach — NE coastal, Atlantic Blvd
- Plantation, Davie, Weston — west Broward suburban corridor
- Hallandale Beach — southern Broward, Gulfstream Casino
Broward County’s 17th Judicial Circuit handles more DUI cases than most multi-county circuits in Florida. The Las Olas Boulevard entertainment corridor and Fort Lauderdale Beach A1A strip generate consistent enforcement year-round — with spring break, summer, and New Year’s as predictable surge periods that produce significant FR44 volume.