By

Fausto Bucheli Jr

Updated

February 17, 2023

Edited By

John Davey
What Is An FR-44 Form And Do You Need One?

Do you live in Florida or Virginia? Have you been convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs, or has your license been suspended for any other reason?

Your Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and your insurance company may have told you that you need an FR-44 and you may be wondering what this is.

Alternatively, perhaps you’ve recently moved to Florida or Virginia—you may be asking how an SR-22 and FR-44 differ.

In this article, we provide you with all of the answers to your questions about an FR-44 form, including why you may need it, where to get one, and how much it costs.

What Is an FR-44?

An FR-44 form is a certificate that is only issued in Florida and Virginia, and which most drivers will never really need.

This is because an FR-44 certificate is only required in the case of a severe driving offense, such as driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated (DWI).

When your license has been suspended for a severe driving offense, you may need an FR-44 form to retain your driving privileges.

Who needs an FR-44?

In Florida and Virginia, you may be required to file an FR-44 certificate after being convicted of a serious traffic offense. Such offenses can include:

  • Maiming another person while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
  • Driving with a forfeited license because of a traffic conviction, or in the case of a juvenile driver—being found to be not innocent.
  • Driving while intoxicated.
  • The violation of federal laws or any laws of other states.
  • Driving without insurance.
  • Driving with a suspended license.
  • Reckless driving.
  • Causing an accident without insurance.

In these instances, you will need an FR-44 for your driver’s license to be reinstated.

Is an FR-44 a Type of Car Insurance?

Although it is often referred to as FR-44 insurance, an FR-44 certificate is not a type of insurance at all.

Rather, an FR-44 certificate shows financial responsibility after a severe driving conviction. In other words, this certificate proves to the state that you have enough insurance to cover the costs of an accident.

What Is the Difference between an FR-44 and an SR-22?

As of August 2022, an FR-44 certificate is only issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in the states of Florida and Virginia.

There are no other states that issue this particular certificate and across the U.S., the SR-22 is the standard certificate that most DMVs will require.

Although FR-44 and SR-22 certificates are fairly similar, there are some key differences between them.

While both forms are not actually a type of insurance, and are only required for high-risk drivers, the SR-22 is more common and is used across all U.S. states.

As we’ve mentioned earlier, an FR-44 is needed in Florida and Virginia for the most severe traffic violations. These offenses include being apprehended for a DUI or DWI.

Both Florida and Virginia also have SR-22 certificates—but these are required for less severe traffic offenses.

Such offenses may include having too many points on your license, or causing an accident while uninsured.

If you need an FR-44 in Florida, you will need the following minimum coverage amounts in place:

  • Bodily injury liability per accident: $300,000.
  • Bodily injury liability per person: $100,000.
  • Property damage liability per accident: $50,000.
  • Personal injury protection per accident: $10,000.

However, a driver who has not been convicted of a serious offense will only need the following continuous coverages:

  • Property damage liability per accident: $10,000.
  • Personal injury protection coverage: $10,000.

In Virginia, if you have an FR-44 in place, you will need to maintain continuous coverage for:

  • Bodily injury liability per accident: $100,000.
  • Bodily injury liability per person: $50,000.
  • Property damage liability per accident: $40,000.

This is in contrast with the standard liability car insurance requirements in Virginia, which are:

  • Bodily injury liability per accident: $50,000.
  • Bodily injury liability per person: $25,000.
  • Property damage liability per accident: $20,000.

Key Point: What Is Continuous Coverage, Bodily Liability Coverage, Property Damage Liability, and Personal Injury Protection Coverage?

Also known as minimum liability limits, your standard car insurance policy will require you to have minimum coverage:

Continuous coverage: This means having insurance over a period of time without any lapses or gaps.

Bodily liability coverage: This is the least amount of liability insurance coverage that you must have in place for any injuries that you cause in an accident.

Property damage liability coverage: This insurance helps to pay for repairs following any damage that you cause to another person’s property or vehicle in an accident.

Personal injury protection: This covers any medical expenses and in some cases, lost wages and other damages after an accident.

Typically, those with an FR-44 certificate have higher liability coverage requirements.

How Long Will You Need an FR-44 For?

In both Florida and Virginia, an FR-44 is a certificate of financial responsibility that is generally required for three years. This time period may change, depending on your conviction.

To be sure about the time that you will need the FR-44 for, be sure to check with your state’s DMV to find out for how long you need to keep this certificate on file.

If your insurance policy lapses during this time, your DMV will be notified by your car insurance company and your driver’s license may be suspended.

How Much Does an FR-44 Cost?

It tends to cost between $15 and $25 to file an FR-44 certificate. It’s important to note that the actual car insurance costs related to an FR-44 certificate will vary depending on your age, location, vehicle type, and the offense you’ve committed.

If you as a high-risk driver are required to file an FR-44 certificate, you will definitely be subject to higher auto insurance costs for your FR-44 insurance.

Earlier on in this article, we’ve listed the minimum coverage limits that you would need as a high-risk driver.

These limits are almost double the cost of insurance for most individuals who have not committed an offense.

This means that apart from your age, location, vehicle, and other factors, you will need to pay to cover those higher limits.

How Do You Submit an FR-44?

If you need to file an FR-44 certificate, you will first need to notify your car insurance company.

Your insurer will then file the FR-44 on your behalf with the DMV in your state, once you have purchased a car insurance policy with the appropriate minimum coverage limits.

If you don’t have auto insurance coverage in place, it is best to make sure that you inform any insurer you approach for a quote that you need an FR-44.

This is because not all auto insurance companies will offer the service of filing an FR-44 on your behalf, and some may prefer not to cover high-risk drivers.

How Do You Get an FR-44 If You Don’t Own a Car?

If you have been convicted of a DWI or DUI, you will need to have FR-44 insurance in place—even if you don’t have a car.

Perhaps you drive your company car or a family member or friend’s car? Although purchasing insurance may seem unnecessary when you don’t own a vehicle, you will need auto insurance in place if you wish to drive.

In the case where you don’t own a car but need to be insured in order to drive, you can consider purchasing non-owner FR-44 insurance.

Non-owner liability insurance is also known as non-owner car insurance.

It covers property damage and bodily injuries for other drivers and their passengers if you are found liable for a car accident when driving a vehicle that is not your own.

While this insurance will cost you more than the coverage that safe drivers pay for, it is a much cheaper alternative to regular car insurance if you often rent a car, or borrow someone else’s vehicle.

How Do You Get Rid of an FR-44?

As we’ve mentioned earlier in this article, you will typically be required to keep your FR-44 certificate in place for at least three years.

If you are able to maintain continuous car insurance coverage and avoid any further serious traffic violations during this time, there is a good chance that you will not need to file another FR-44.

The best way to get rid of your FR-44 certificate in the future is by making your car insurance payments on time and keeping your auto insurance policy active, as well as practicing safe driving.

How Can You Get Affordable Car Insurance If You Have an FR-44 Certificate?

Even though you will be forced to purchase more than the standard liability limits for your car insurance, there are still ways to make your auto insurance policy more affordable.

These methods include:

Searching for discounts

Although you will not qualify for a safe driver discount right now, there are many other ways that you can save. Perhaps you are eligible for a military discount, a multi-policy discount, or a homeowners discount.

Many of the insurance companies that serve Florida and Virginia offer a wide range of great discounts that are aimed at saving drivers money.

Adjusting your car insurance coverage

Although you will need to meet the coverage requirements of your FR-44 status, you may have full coverage car insurance in place that you can consider stopping.

These coverages may include comprehensive coverage and collision coverage which provide protection for you and your vehicle that liability coverage won’t.

Comprehensive coverage and collision coverage are not required by law. You may also be able to stop rental car coverage—which is great to have, but not essential for most drivers.

Another strategy is to adjust your deductible upward, which will decrease your car insurance premium.

If you do this, be sure to have enough money to pay for the deductible if you happen to be involved in a car accident.

Key Point: What Is a Deductible and How Does It Work?

When you submit a claim for an insured loss, a deductible is the amount that you will need to pay out of pocket before your car insurance company will pay for the cost to repair your vehicle.

For example, if the repairs to your vehicle cost $5,000 and your deductible is $500, you will pay the $500 and your insurance company will pay $4,500 toward the repairs.

When you apply for car insurance, you and your insurance company will agree on a deductible amount.

This amount will have a direct impact on your monthly premiums. The higher your deductible, the lower your monthly premiums will be.

This is because if you decide on a higher deductible, you will take on more of the risk and be personally responsible for more of the costs in the event of a claim.

The opposite is also true. If you decide on having a lower deductible, your monthly premiums will be higher because you are taking on less of a risk.

In this instance, your insurance company would be taking on more risk and charge you a higher premium.

Shopping around

It is very possible that your current car insurance company may not be offering you the best possible rate. This is especially true if you are required to file an FR-44.

As we have mentioned, there are even some insurance companies that will not want to cover individuals who they consider to be high-risk drivers.

However, there are some insurance companies that actually specialize in SR-22 and FR-44 insurance.

These companies make a point of working hard to keep your car insurance rates as low as possible, irrespective of your driving history.

We recommend that you shop around to get the best possible rate for your car insurance, from an insurer that is able to help you file an SR-22 or FR-44 with your DMV on your behalf.

Get Cheap FR-44 Car Insurance Today with CheapInsurance.com

Having a DUI or DWI on your driving record will mean that you will not be able to avoid paying more for car insurance in Florida or Virginia.

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