FR-44 Insurance: What It Is and What to Do Next

What is an FR-44, and do I need one?

If the state told you to get an FR-44, take a breath. A letter like that looks scary, but it is mostly paperwork, and you can handle it one step at a time.

An FR-44 is a short form your insurance company sends to the state. It proves you carry liability insurance, which pays for injuries and damage you cause to other people. The form is not a policy. It adds no coverage of its own.

Only two states use it: Florida and Virginia. Both use it after a DUI.

• Florida: a DUI conviction, or a guilty or no-contest plea, after October 1, 2007. It applies even if the judge withheld a formal finding of guilt.
• Virginia: a DUI, maiming while impaired, or driving after your license was taken for one of those. Similar offenses in another state or a city can count too.

Some guides also list reckless driving, driving without insurance or driving on a suspended license. The laws we read tie the higher limits to DUI-type offenses. Your own notice names the form you need, so trust it over any guide, including this one.

How is an FR-44 different from an SR-22?

The SR-22 is the better-known twin. Both are certificates your insurer files, and both can lead to a new suspension if the policy ends. The big difference is how much coverage they prove.

In Florida the gap is large. An ordinary driver there is not required to carry coverage for injuries to other people at all. The FR-44 jumps straight to six figures. Our SR-22 guide covers the other form in detail.

How much coverage does an FR-44 require?

In Florida, 100/300/50. That means up to $100,000 for injuries to any one person you hurt, up to $300,000 for all injuries in one crash, and up to $50,000 for damage to other people’s property. If you own cars, the coverage has to apply to each one registered in your name.

Virginia’s law says the limits must be at least double the state’s standard minimum. Since 2025 that minimum is 50/100/25, so the FR-44 limits work out to 100/200/50.

Published guides do not agree on Virginia:

• Insurance.com (Sept. 2026) lists 100/200/50, which matches the math.
• MoneyGeek (Oct. 2026) and Progressive (Aug. 2023) list 60/120/40. That is double the old minimum, so it looks out of date.
• CarInsurance.com (June 2026) lists 50/100/25 while also saying “double.”

Ask your insurer to put the exact limits in writing, and compare them with your DMV notice. Our Virginia minimum page and Florida minimum page show the standard numbers.

How long do you need an FR-44?

Plan on three years in both states. The start date is the part to watch.

Florida’s law says the higher limits last at least three years. It counts the end from the day your driving privileges were reinstated after the DUI, as long as you have no new DUI or felony traffic conviction in that time. A new one keeps the requirement going. Guides disagree on the start date. Insurance.com counts from reinstatement, and MoneyGeek counts from the conviction. We could not open the Florida agency’s own pages, so confirm yours.

Virginia counts three years from the day you would otherwise be entitled to a license. That is not the day of your conviction.

Do not guess. Ask the agency that sent your notice for your end date, and keep the answer.

Does a lapse restart the three years?

Sources disagree. Insurance.com, MoneyGeek and AutoInsurance.org say a lapse can restart the clock. The Florida and Virginia laws we read do not say that. They say the insurer reports the lapse and the state can suspend you until you file new proof. Treat a suspension, fees and a new filing as the minimum, and ask the agency about the clock.

How much does FR-44 insurance cost?

The form is cheap. The reason you need it is what costs you money.

Insurance.com and CarInsurance.com both put the filing fee at about $15 to $25, paid through your insurer. Your premium, the price of the policy, is the big bill. Insurers charge more after a DUI, and the higher limits add to that.

Three 2026 studies compared Florida premiums with and without a DUI. Each used its own profile.

That is 32% to 37% more in each case. Treat it as a rough guide, not a quote. The studies used different cars and insurers. Only MoneyGeek says both of its columns use the same 100/300/100 limits, so for the other two we cannot tell how much of the jump is the DUI and how much is the limits.

Shopping matters. MoneyGeek found $1,440 a year between the cheapest and priciest Florida insurer it priced for FR-44 drivers. We found no Virginia pair of clean and DUI prices from a source with stated limits that were up to date, so we give no Virginia figure.

Two cost traps to know about:

• Paying up front. Some insurers ask for the whole policy term at the start.
• State fees. Florida’s reinstatement fees are $150 the first time, $250 the second, then $500 for each repeat within three years.

For why a DUI moves prices so much, read our guides to car insurance after a DUI and high-risk car insurance.

How do I get an FR-44?

You do not apply to the state. You buy a policy that meets the limits, and your insurer files the form. Most insurers file it only after your first payment clears.

Ask whether a company files FR-44s before you request a quote. Most major insurers do. If one says no or quotes too high, try a high-risk specialist.

Florida law helps a little. Insurers there must make coverage available to people reinstating after a DUI suspension, though they can apply their normal underwriting rules. These policies run at least six months. The insurer can cancel one if the license of anyone in your household, or anyone who regularly drives your car, is suspended or revoked during the term.

Can I get an FR-44 without owning a car?

Usually yes. Several guides say you still file, using a non-owner policy at the same limits. Florida’s rules speak of cars registered in your name, so a non-owner policy may not fit if you own one. Our non-owner SR-22 guide explains how these policies work.

What happens if my policy lapses or I switch insurers?

When an FR-44 policy ends, your insurer tells the state. In Florida the insurer must report within 10 days, and the state suspends your license and registration. To get both back you pay one fee of $150, $250 or $500 (first, second, or third and later reinstatement) and keep proof of coverage for two more years.

In Virginia the state requires replacement proof and suspends your license, registrations and plates until it arrives.

To switch without a gap:

1. Get the new policy quoted with the FR-44 included.
2. Have the new insurer file first.
3. Confirm the state has it, then cancel the old policy.

What does this look like in real life?

This is an example with made-up dates, not advice. Say you are convicted of a DUI in Florida and your license is reinstated on March 1, 2027. Your three years would run to March 1, 2030, if the agency counts from reinstatement.

In month 20 a payment fails and your policy is cancelled. Your insurer reports it. Your license and registration are suspended. You buy a new FR-44 policy, pay $150 to reinstate, and now keep proof for two years. If you had switched with a gap-free overlap, none of that happens.

What if I move to another state?

Expect the original state to stay interested. Virginia’s law counts similar out-of-state offenses, and CarInsurance.com says a Virginia driver still needs an FR-44 after an offense elsewhere. No other state uses the FR-44 name. Tell your insurer and the DMV of the state that handled your case before you move, and ask what they will accept.

Common mistakes

• Counting three years from the conviction instead of the date your notice gives.
• Cancelling the old policy before the new insurer has filed.
• Buying the standard limits and assuming the FR-44 will “attach” later.
• Trusting a guide’s Virginia limits instead of the quote and your notice.
• Ignoring a lapse notice. The deadline is on the letter, and fees go up with repeats.

What to do next

1. Find your notice or court order. Write down the form it names (FR-44 or SR-22) and any dates.
2. Call your current insurer and ask whether it files FR-44s and what it will quote.
3. Get two or three more quotes, including a high-risk specialist. Ask each for the limits in writing.
4. Pay the first premium and ask your insurer to confirm the filing and the date it was sent.
5. Set up autopay and a calendar reminder for your end date. Keep every confirmation.
6. Before you cancel anything, check with the agency: Florida DHSMV or the Virginia DMV.

Bottom line

If you live in Florida or Virginia and have a DUI on your record, expect an FR-44, three years of higher limits, and a higher premium. Shop widely, confirm the limits and your end date in writing, and keep the policy running without a gap. If you are unsure which form applies, the agency’s notice and your insurer are the final word, not a guide.