A Fort Lauderdale driver plea deals a DUI down to reckless driving, thinks the insurance headache is over, and finds out at reinstatement that the Florida DHSMV still coded the case as an alcohol-related offense and still requires an FR-44 at 100/300/50 for three years. A Broward County driver picks up a second at-fault crash without bodily injury coverage on the policy, gets the license suspended under Florida's Financial Responsibility Law, and learns that reinstatement takes an SR-22 filing at 10/20/10 plus proof of restitution to the other driver. A Miami driver lets an FR-44 policy lapse for 11 days after a job change, watches the DHSMV suspend the license again, and starts the three-year clock over from zero. Three different reinstatements, three different forms, one underlying rule: in Florida, the state does not accept your word that you are insured, it demands electronic proof from the carrier on the specific form Tallahassee is expecting.
This guide walks through what an SR-22 and an FR-44 actually are, which Florida violations trigger which filing, the exact liability limits each one requires under Florida Statute § 324.021 and § 324.023, what the coverage costs in 2026 across Broward County and Miami-Dade, how a non-owner FR-44 or SR-22 works when you no longer own a vehicle, and the recurring mistakes that restart the three-year clock and cost drivers thousands of dollars in extra premium.
The single most important thing to know about the two forms: SR-22 and FR-44 are not insurance policies. They are electronic certificates of financial responsibility that your Florida-licensed carrier files with the DHSMV to prove you are carrying at least the required liability limits. An FR-44 is Florida's higher-limit version, reserved for DUI and alcohol-related reinstatements under Florida Statute § 324.023; an SR-22 is the standard filing for most other qualifying violations. Florida and Virginia are the only two states that use the FR-44 form.
What an SR-22 Is (and What It Is Not)
An SR-22 is a one-page electronic document your insurance carrier files with the Florida DHSMV confirming that a specific driver on a specific policy is carrying at least the state's required liability limits and that the carrier will notify the state if the policy cancels, expires, or lapses. It attaches to an auto policy. You cannot buy an SR-22 on its own, and no carrier will file one without an active policy underneath it.
The Florida SR-22 requires bodily injury liability of $10,000 per person and $20,000 per accident, plus $10,000 in property damage liability, on top of the standard $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection Florida requires under § 627.736. That 10/20/10 requirement matters in Florida because the state does not require bodily injury liability to register a vehicle at all. A typical Broward County driver may have gone years carrying only PIP and PDL, and the SR-22 is often the first time bodily injury coverage shows up on the policy.
The filing fee itself is small, usually $15 to $25 charged once by the carrier to process the paperwork. The real cost is the premium on the underlying policy, which almost always jumps because the same driving record that triggered the filing also marks the driver as high risk. Once the carrier binds the policy and files the SR-22 electronically, the DHSMV posts the record within a few business days, and the license reinstatement clock starts as soon as every other reinstatement condition is met.
What an FR-44 Is (Florida's Post-DUI Filing)
An FR-44 is the same idea as an SR-22, filed the same way electronically by the carrier, but at materially higher liability limits and reserved for a narrower set of offenses. Florida Statute § 324.023 (effective October 1, 2007) requires an FR-44 for any driver convicted of driving under the influence under § 316.193, and the underlying auto policy must carry bodily injury liability of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident, plus $50,000 in property damage liability, or a combined single limit of $350,000. Those limits are ten times the bodily injury requirement on an SR-22 and five times the property damage requirement.
The three-year FR-44 maintenance period runs from the date the DHSMV reinstates the driving privilege, not from the arrest date and not from the conviction date. A Fort Lauderdale driver arrested in January 2024, convicted in June 2024, and reinstated in October 2025 after completing DUI school and the license revocation period must carry the FR-44 with 100/300/50 through October 2028. Dropping the coverage or letting the policy lapse before that date triggers an immediate license suspension and restarts the three-year clock from the next reinstatement.
Only Florida and Virginia use the FR-44 form. If you carried an SR-22 in another state for a DUI and move to Florida, the Florida DHSMV will require you to convert to an FR-44 at 100/300/50 for the remainder of the required period. The out-of-state SR-22 does not satisfy Florida's post-DUI financial responsibility requirement.
FR-44 vs SR-22 Side by Side
The table below is the quick reference most Florida drivers actually need. The exact filing your reinstatement letter names is the one that governs; the DHSMV letter is the authoritative source.
| Feature | SR-22 | FR-44 |
|---|---|---|
| Governing Florida statute | § 324.021 (financial responsibility) | § 324.023 (post-DUI financial responsibility) |
| Typical trigger | At-fault crash without BI coverage, driving without insurance, too many points, non-DUI license suspension | DUI conviction under § 316.193, breath or blood test refusal, alcohol-related license suspension |
| Bodily injury liability required | $10,000 per person / $20,000 per accident | $100,000 per person / $300,000 per accident |
| Property damage liability required | $10,000 | $50,000 |
| Combined single-limit alternative | $30,000 | $350,000 |
| States that use the form | Most states nationwide | Florida and Virginia only |
| Filing fee charged by carrier | $15 to $25 (one time) | $15 to $25 (one time) |
| Required maintenance period | 3 years from reinstatement | 3 years from reinstatement |
| Effect of a policy lapse | Immediate license suspension; clock restarts | Immediate license suspension; clock restarts |
Which Filing Florida Requires You to Carry
The DHSMV reinstatement letter names the form. It arrives after the license suspension is imposed and lists every condition you must satisfy before the state will lift the suspension. If the letter names an FR-44, an SR-22 will not satisfy it; if it names an SR-22, you are not required to carry the higher FR-44 limits. The common trigger events break down like this.
Events that typically trigger an FR-44
- Any DUI conviction under Florida Statute § 316.193, whether it is a first offense, a second offense, or a felony DUI. A plea to a lesser included offense that the DHSMV still codes as alcohol-related may still trigger the FR-44.
- Refusal to submit to a lawful breath, blood, or urine test under Florida's implied consent law (§ 316.1932), which produces an administrative license suspension separate from any criminal case.
- License suspension or revocation for driving under the influence of a controlled substance.
- Manslaughter or DUI manslaughter convictions involving alcohol or controlled substances.
- An out-of-state DUI carried into Florida during the required filing period. The Florida DHSMV converts the out-of-state SR-22 to an FR-44 for the balance of the term.
Events that typically trigger an SR-22
- Causing an at-fault crash with property damage over $500 or any bodily injury while carrying only Florida's PIP-and-PDL minimum, with no bodily injury liability coverage on the policy.
- Driving without any auto insurance and having the tag registration and driver's license suspended under § 316.646 and § 627.733.
- Accumulating too many points on the driving record inside the statutory look-back window (12 points in 12 months, 18 in 18 months, 24 in 36 months), producing a habitual traffic offender designation.
- License suspension for failure to pay a court-ordered judgment tied to a motor vehicle crash.
- A conviction for driving with a suspended license that carries a financial-responsibility reinstatement condition.
Read the DHSMV reinstatement letter closely, and if the letter is not clear or you received notice from a court instead of the state directly, call the Bureau of Records at DHSMV or work through an agent who can confirm which filing your record actually requires. Buying the wrong one wastes premium and does not reinstate the license.
What the Coverage Actually Looks Like on the Policy
The FR-44 and SR-22 are certificates, not endorsements. What sits on the underlying auto policy is a set of standard Florida coverages at the statutorily required limits, plus whatever else you elect to carry. A Broward County driver required to file an FR-44 typically ends up with a declarations page that looks like this.
- Bodily Injury Liability at 100/300 (FR-44) or 10/20 (SR-22). The single largest premium line, priced against your driving record and the vehicle.
- Property Damage Liability at $50,000 (FR-44) or $10,000 (SR-22).
- Personal Injury Protection at $10,000 under Florida Statute § 627.736. Required for every registered Florida vehicle regardless of filing.
- Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage at limits the carrier is required to offer matching your BI limit under § 627.727. You can waive UM in writing, but on an FR-44 policy already at 100/300, most drivers should not.
- Comprehensive and Collision on any vehicle worth financing, leasing, or protecting against theft, hurricane, or flood loss. Not required by the filing itself; often required by the lienholder.
A non-owner FR-44 or SR-22 policy strips the physical damage coverages and provides liability-only protection for a driver who is not the registered owner of any vehicle. The bodily injury and property damage limits still meet the FR-44 or SR-22 minimum; PIP is included because Florida requires it to be offered on any liability policy that could apply to a driver in Florida.
What FR-44 and SR-22 Coverage Costs in Florida in 2026
The filing itself is the cheap part of the bill. The underlying policy is where the real cost lives, because the same violation that triggered the filing also moves the risk classification. Broward County and Miami-Dade sit above the state average on both figures. The ranges below are 2026 planning numbers built from published Florida rate studies, not bound quotes; the actual premium depends on the vehicle, prior claims, credit, garaging zip, continuous coverage history, and the specific carrier that agrees to write the risk.
| Filing type | Typical Florida annual premium (2026) | Typical Broward County / Miami-Dade range |
|---|---|---|
| SR-22 with 10/20/10 (owner policy on a standard vehicle) | $2,500 to $3,500 | $2,900 to $4,200 |
| SR-22 with 100/300/100 (recommended real coverage) | $3,000 to $4,200 | $3,500 to $5,000 |
| FR-44 with 100/300/50 (post-DUI, standard vehicle) | $3,500 to $5,500 | $4,200 to $6,500 |
| Non-owner SR-22 (no vehicle owned) | $700 to $1,400 | $800 to $1,600 |
| Non-owner FR-44 (no vehicle owned) | $900 to $1,800 | $1,100 to $2,100 |
Two factors move a Broward County or Miami-Dade quote most: the specific carrier and the underlying driving record. Not every Florida-licensed carrier files SR-22s and FR-44s, and among those that do, the price spread on the same driver routinely exceeds $1,500 a year. Shopping across the carriers that will accept a high-risk filing is the single largest lever you control. The second lever is the continuous-coverage credit, which starts at zero the day the license is reinstated and grows every renewal you complete without a lapse.
The Three-Year Clock, Lapses, and Reinstatement Timing
Both the FR-44 and the SR-22 must be maintained for three years from the date the DHSMV reinstates the driving privilege. The clock does not count the pre-reinstatement suspension period, and it does not count time you were driving on a hardship or business-purposes-only license. Cancel the policy, let it lapse, or switch to a carrier that does not file the required certificate, and Florida notifies the DHSMV automatically. The license is suspended again within days, and the three-year clock restarts from the next reinstatement date.
- The carrier is legally required to notify the DHSMV within 15 days of any cancellation, non-renewal, or lapse in coverage on an FR-44 or SR-22 policy. That notice is automatic and electronic; you do not receive advance warning from the state.
- Switching carriers during the required period is allowed, but the new carrier must file the FR-44 or SR-22 the same day the old one is cancelled. A one-day gap counts as a lapse.
- Paying premium late enough to trigger a cancellation for non-payment counts as a lapse. Set up automatic payment on any FR-44 or SR-22 policy and confirm the debit clears every cycle.
- Moving out of state during the required period does not end the filing obligation. Florida requires the FR-44 or SR-22 to stay in force until the three years are complete, even if you now live and drive somewhere else.
- Selling the only vehicle on the policy does not end the filing obligation. Convert to a non-owner FR-44 or SR-22 before the vehicle sale to keep the filing in force.
The reinstatement letter from the DHSMV lists an exact end date for the filing requirement. Keep a copy, calendar the date, and do not cancel the policy on the anniversary of the reinstatement thinking three years have passed. Cancel one day too early and the DHSMV counts it as a lapse in the last month of the term.
Non-Owner FR-44 and SR-22 Policies
A non-owner policy solves a common Fort Lauderdale and Miami problem: the license was suspended, the vehicle was sold or repossessed, and the driver still needs to file an FR-44 or SR-22 to reinstate the driving privilege. A non-owner policy provides bodily injury and property damage liability, PIP, and the electronic filing without requiring a titled vehicle. It costs materially less than an owner policy because there is no comprehensive, no collision, no specific vehicle rated, and no garaging-address surcharge tied to a car parked on the street.
The catch on a non-owner policy is that coverage is secondary to any insurance on the vehicle you are driving. If you borrow a friend's car and cause a crash, the friend's policy is primary and yours picks up whatever exceeds their limits. If you regularly drive a household member's car (a spouse, a parent, a roommate), the carrier will usually decline the non-owner policy and require you to be added to the owner's policy instead. Non-owner works when you have genuine no-vehicle status and are driving rentals, occasional borrowed cars, or nothing at all, and it satisfies the FR-44 or SR-22 filing requirement while the license is reinstated.
The Recurring Gaps That Restart the Clock
A handful of mistakes show up often enough on Broward County and Miami-Dade FR-44 and SR-22 accounts to name. Every one of them restarts the three-year clock or adds thousands in avoidable premium.
- Buying an SR-22 when the DHSMV letter requires an FR-44. The SR-22 does not meet 100/300/50, the state rejects the filing, and the license stays suspended. Read the letter before binding.
- Cancelling the FR-44 policy the day the criminal case is closed. The three-year DHSMV clock runs from reinstatement, not from the court disposition. Dropping the coverage early triggers a new suspension.
- Letting the policy auto-cancel for non-payment during the required period. The carrier files the cancellation electronically within 15 days, the license is suspended, and the clock restarts from the next reinstatement.
- Switching carriers with a one-day coverage gap. The state counts any gap, including a same-day switch that misses the electronic filing by a few hours, as a lapse.
- Selling the vehicle without converting to a non-owner FR-44 or SR-22 first. The owner policy cancels when the tag is surrendered and the filing lapses with it.
- Moving out of Florida and cancelling the FR-44 assuming the new state's requirements govern. The Florida obligation runs until the three-year date on the DHSMV letter regardless of where you live.
- Waiving UM on a policy that now carries 100/300 BI. On an FR-44 policy already priced against the higher liability limit, matching UM is usually a small incremental cost and the coverage most likely to matter after a serious Broward or Miami-Dade uninsured-driver crash under § 627.727.
- Trusting a general-market direct writer to file the paperwork. Not every Florida-licensed carrier files FR-44s or SR-22s, and among those that do, the price spread on the same risk routinely exceeds $1,500 a year. Shopping the carriers that accept the filing is worth real money.
An FR-44 or SR-22 filing in Florida is a compliance problem with a fixed timer and an automatic reset button. The state does not warn you before the reset fires. Keep the policy in force continuously for the full three years from the reinstatement date on the DHSMV letter, shop the small pool of carriers that file at the required limits, convert to a non-owner filing before the last vehicle sale, and use the higher liability limits already on the FR-44 as the reason to match UM at the same level rather than waive it. Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, and Miami-Dade drivers who treat the filing period as a three-year window to rebuild the record instead of a three-year problem to endure usually come out the other side with cheaper insurance than the one they had before the suspension, because the continuous-coverage credit and the clean-record credit stack the moment the filing requirement ends.