FR-44 and SR-22 in Florida: what they are and how to get one

An FR-44 or SR-22 isn’t a type of insurance. It’s a certificate your insurance company files with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) to prove you carry the coverage the state requires, usually so you can get or keep your license back. In Florida, an FR-44 is tied to a DUI conviction and requires higher liability limits.

If you’ve just been told you need one, you’re probably stressed and getting a lot of conflicting advice. Let’s slow down and go through it.

What the forms actually are

Think of each one as a promise your insurer makes to the state on your behalf: “This person has the required coverage, and we’ll tell you if that changes.”

• You don’t buy the form on its own. You buy an auto policy, and the insurer files the certificate with FLHSMV.
• The insurer has to be willing to file it. Not every company does, which is one reason shopping for one can feel harder than it should.
• The state is watching the policy. Florida insurers have to report a cancellation or non-renewal to FLHSMV within 10 days (Fla. Stat. 324.0221).

The FR-44: after a DUI

Florida requires an FR-44 after a DUI conviction. The law sets higher liability limits for at least three years (Fla. Stat. 324.023):

• $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
• $300,000 bodily injury liability per crash
• $50,000 property damage liability

FLHSMV says the FR-44 must be kept for three years from the date your driving privilege is reinstated. The policy also has to include the usual Florida coverages, personal injury protection and property damage liability.

The SR-22: other suspensions

An SR-22 certifies that you carry bodily injury and property damage liability. FLHSMV uses it to reinstate drivers in several situations.

A common one: a crash where you were at fault and charged with a moving violation, injuries were noted on the crash report, and you didn’t have the required insurance. In that case, FLHSMV’s guidance says you’ll need at least $10,000/$20,000/$10,000 in liability coverage with an SR-22 filing for three years from the designated suspension date, and your insurer must certify the filing with the department. You may also need releases from the other people involved, or a security deposit with the state, before your license comes back.

Your suspension notice is the final word on what you need. It lists the requirement, the amounts and the dates that apply to you.

How to get one

1. Read your notice from FLHSMV carefully. It says which filing you need and why.
2. Find an insurer that files it. An independent agent can check with several companies at once.
3. Buy the policy and ask the insurer to file the certificate. Get confirmation that it was filed.
4. Pay the reinstatement fees your notice lists. The state sets these, and they depend on the reason for the suspension and your history.
5. Keep it in force, without a gap, for the whole period. If the policy cancels, the insurer tells the state, and your license can be suspended again.

Good to know

1. There’s no hardship license for insurance-related suspensions in Florida, according to FLHSMV. Driving before you’re reinstated makes things worse.
2. Set up payments so nothing slips. A missed payment can cancel the policy, and the state hears about it.
3. Mark your end date. Ask FLHSMV or your agent to confirm the exact date your requirement ends before you change anything.
4. Moving or selling your car? Talk to your agent before you cancel anything. Cancelling the policy can end the filing, and the state will hear about it.

Need an FR-44 or SR-22?

You’re not the first person to sit in this chair, and you won’t be judged here. Send me your notice, or upload your current declarations page at /quote/, and I’ll help you find a company that files what you need and walk you through every step.

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