Florida DUI Insurance Requirements

Referred to as FR-44 insurance coverage, Florida Statute 324.023, mandates that any person convicted of DUI in the state of Florida is required to obtain a minimum level of insurance coverage before they can reinstate their driver’s license and also maintain this coverage for three-years after the date of conviction.

Minimum Insurance Coverage Limits

In Florida, this minimum level of insurance coverage is $100,000 per person, $300,000 per occurrence and $50,000 property damage and breaks down as follows:

• $100,000 per person, per accident for Bodily Injury Liability damages. While you may have $300,000 in total coverage for a single occurrence, each injured individual can be paid no more than $100,000 for bodily injury sustained in an accident.
• $300,000 per accident for Bodily Injury Liability damages. This is the minimum amount your your insurance must be able to pay to all claimants in an accident. This coverage covers the medical bills, lost wages, and other personal injuries of a person injured by you.
• $50,0000 in property damage caused by the accident. If you collide with another automobile, it is this portion of your insurance coverage that pays for the other automobile’s repair or replacement.

FR-44 Certificate

In Florida, proof of the minimum insurance coverage is shown by the filing of a FR-44 Certificate of Minimum Insurance Coverage with the Florida DHSMV. (The “FR” stands for “Financial responsibility.”)

The FR-44 Certificate of Minimum Insurance Coverage is prepared by the driver’s insurance company and filed with the Florida DHSMV by the driver’s insurance company.

Coverage Lapses

In Florida, if a driver convicted of DUI fails to maintain the minimum insurance coverage as required by law, their insurance company will report the lapse to the Florida DHSMV who will in turn suspend the driver license of the driver.

As a result, the driver convicted of DUI will have to obtain a new insurance policy that meets the minimum insurance coverage requirements and the new insurance company will have to file a new FR-44 Certificate of Minimum Insurance Coverage with the Florida DHSMV.

Additionally, each time a convicted driver has to reinstate their driver license due to a lapse in minimum insurance coverage, the Florida DHSMV will impose an increasingly expensive reinstatement fee as follows:

1. $150 for a first suspension;
2. $250 for a second suspension; and
3. $500 for a third suspension.

SR-22 Coverage vs. FR-44 Coverage

Prior to 2008, a person convicted of DUI was allowed to obtain a bare-minimum amount of insurance coverage of $10,000 per person, $20,000 per occurrence, and $10,000 per occurrence.

This coverage was known as SR-22 coverage (the “SR” stands for “safety responsibility”) and referrs to the SR-22 Certificate of Minimum Insurance Coverage that a convicted driver’s insurance company had to file with the Florida DHSMV in order to have their driver license reinstated.

However, beginning in 2008, SR-22 coverage is no longer acceptable insurance coverage in Florida for drivers convicted of DUI and must instead obtain FR-44 coverage before their license can be reinstated.

Nevertheless, the Florida DHSMV still requires certain drivers to maintain SR-22 coverage due to non-DUI convictions or accidents.

Contact Orlando DUI Attorney Richard Hornsby

If you have been arrested or charged with the crime of DUI in Central Florida or the Greater Orlando area, contact Orlando DUI Attorney Richard Hornsby today.

The initial consultation is free and I am always available to advise you on the proper course of action that can be taken.