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FR-44 insurance in Florida and Virginia

FR-44 filings prove higher liability limits after a DUI in Florida (100/300/50 for three years) and Virginia (double the minimums), unlike an SR-22.

4AutoInsurance · Published October 4, 2026

An FR-44 is a certificate your insurer files with the state to prove you carry higher-than-normal liability limits after a DUI-related conviction. Only Florida and Virginia use it. Florida requires at least 100/300/50 for a minimum of three years; Virginia requires limits double its standard minimums, which works out to 100/200/50 for policies written under the minimums in effect since January 1, 2025.

FR-44 vs SR-22

Both are certificates, not insurance policies. Your insurer files one with the state and must report if the policy ends. The difference is the limits they certify and the offenses that trigger them.

SR-22 FR-44
Where used Most states, including Florida and Virginia Florida and Virginia only
Typical trigger Uninsured driving, crash-related suspensions, judgments, serious violations DUI and related alcohol offenses
Limits certified The state's minimum liability limits Higher limits set by statute or DMV rule
Who files Your insurer Your insurer

For the general mechanics of a filing (how to get one, lapses and moving), see SR-22 insurance explained. For the broader impact of a conviction on your premium, see Car insurance after a DUI.

Florida's requirement

Florida's rule is in Fla. Stat. 324.023. It applies to any owner or operator of a vehicle required to be registered or located in Florida who, after October 1, 2007, was found guilty of, or pleaded guilty or no contest to, driving under the influence, regardless of whether adjudication was withheld. These drivers must carry, in addition to any other required coverage:

The statute also allows a certificate of deposit of at least $350,000 instead of insurance. The higher limits must be carried for at least three years. If you then go three years from the date your license was reinstated without another DUI conviction or a felony traffic offense, the requirement ends.

Those limits are far above what most Florida drivers are required to buy, which is why the FR-44 is expensive: you are buying much more liability coverage at the same moment a DUI has pushed your rate up.

Virginia's requirement

According to the Virginia DMV, an FR-44 is required after convictions for:

  • driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs,
  • maiming while under the influence,
  • driving while your license was forfeited for one of those convictions, and
  • similar offenses under federal law, another state's law or a local ordinance.

FR-44 limits are double the SR-22 limits, which are the minimums in Va. Code 46.2-472. For policies effective on or after January 1, 2025, that minimum is 50/100/25 ($50,000 per person and $100,000 per crash for injuries, $25,000 for property damage), so the doubled FR-44 limits are 100/200/50. The DMV says the double-minimum rule applies to convictions on or after January 1, 2008, and to drivers convicted earlier who were required to file after December 31, 2008.

Virginia's code provides for both certificates in Va. Code 46.2-439, which names the SR-22 and the Virginia FR-44 as the accepted forms. Your reinstatement paperwork from the DMV will state how long you must keep the filing; confirm the end date with the DMV rather than assuming it.

Reading the limits

Liability limits are written as three numbers. In 100/300/50, the first is the most the policy pays for one person's injuries, the second is the most for all injuries in one crash, and the third is the most for property damage. The liability limits decoder translates any set of liability limits, and what 25/50/25 means: split liability limits explained explains the format in detail.

A worked example

These figures are hypothetical. Before a DUI, a Florida driver carried a basic policy for $1,600 a year. After the conviction, the insurer applies a DUI surcharge, and the driver must also raise liability to 100/300/50.

Annual cost
Original policy $1,600
DUI surcharge (example: +80%) +$1,280
Cost of raising liability to FR-44 limits (example) +$600
FR-44 filing fee (example) +$25
New annual premium $3,505

Over the three-year minimum, the difference is more than $5,000 in this example, before fines, court costs and any interlock fees. Actual prices vary widely by insurer, which makes shopping important.

How to get FR-44 coverage

  1. Check your paperwork for the form required, the limits and the period.
  2. Ask your current insurer whether it files FR-44s. Many standard insurers do not, or will not renew after a DUI.
  3. Shop with independent agents and nonstandard insurers that file FR-44s in your state. See high-risk car insurance: options when insurers say no.
  4. Buy a policy at or above the FR-44 limits, and have the insurer file the certificate.
  5. Confirm the filing with the DMV before you drive.
  6. Keep the policy continuous for the whole period. If it cancels, the insurer notifies the state and your license can be suspended again.

If you move

The requirement stays with the state that imposed it. If you move out of Florida or Virginia during the filing period, you generally still need to keep proof on file there. Virginia's DMV says drivers who live outside Virginia may submit a letter on their insurer's letterhead stating the double minimum coverage amounts. Ask your new insurer whether it can provide what the original state requires.

Key takeaways

  • An FR-44 certifies higher liability limits after a DUI-related conviction; only Florida and Virginia use it.
  • Florida requires at least 100/300/50 for three years, under Fla. Stat. 324.023.
  • Virginia requires double its minimum limits, which is 100/200/50 for policies under the 2025 minimums.
  • Not every insurer files FR-44s; keep the policy continuous for the whole period to avoid a new suspension.
  • The requirement follows you if you move, so keep the filing in place with the original state.

Terms used in this guide

FR-44 A certificate filed by an insurer in Florida or Virginia proving that a driver convicted of certain DUI offenses carries higher-than-minimum liability limits. SR-22 A form an insurer files with the state to certify that a high-risk driver carries the required liability coverage, often for about three years. DUI Driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs, an offense that brings license penalties, possible SR-22 or FR-44 filings and steep insurance increases. Bodily injury liability The part of auto liability insurance that pays for injuries or deaths you cause to other people in a crash, plus your legal defense. Property damage liability The part of liability coverage that pays for damage you cause to other people's cars and property, such as fences, buildings and poles. Liability limits The most a liability policy will pay for injuries and property damage you cause, usually written as three numbers such as 100/300/100.

Related states

Florida Florida is a no-fault state: most drivers need only $10,000 PIP and $10,000 property damage liability, with no bodily injury coverage. A 51% fault bar applies. Virginia Virginia requires 50/100/25 liability and matching UM/UIM on policies effective since January 1, 2025. The $500 uninsured-driving fee ended July 1, 2024.

Related tools

Liability limits decoder Type limits like 50/100/25 to see what each number means and test them against a crash you cause — including how much would be left for you to pay.

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