Do I Need FR-44 After a First DUI?
Yes, a first DUI in Florida requires an FR-44 at 100/300/50 limits, double an SR-22, before the state reinstates your license. You generally keep it for about three years of continuous coverage.
Yes. In Florida a first DUI requires an FR-44, not the more common SR-22. The FR-44 certifies that you carry 100/300/50 liability, double the bodily-injury coverage of an SR-22, and the state will not reinstate your license until an insurer files one for you. You generally keep it on file for about three years of continuous coverage from reinstatement.
Do you need an FR-44 after a first DUI?
You do. Florida ties a DUI conviction, including a first one, to the FR-44 requirement, so a clean prior record does not exempt you. The filing is the state’s proof that you carry the higher liability coverage it demands after a DUI.
It is a common and understandable hope that a first offense might only need the lighter SR-22 that other violations trigger. In Florida that is not how it works. The FR-44 is specifically the post-DUI filing, and it applies from the first conviction. None of this means you did something unforgivable. Plenty of careful people get a first DUI, and the system, while strict, is built to let you get back on the road with the right coverage in place.
There is one more reason the FR-44 rule trips people up on a first offense: online advice often mixes it up with the SR-22 rule that applies to other violations. If you have read that a first ticket only needs an SR-22, that guidance is about non-DUI cases. For a DUI in Florida, first or otherwise, the FR-44 is the filing that applies, so it is worth confirming the requirement directly rather than relying on a general article written for a different situation.
What does the FR-44 actually require?
The FR-44 requires higher liability coverage than any other Florida filing, and it must stay continuous. That is really the whole shape of it, but the details matter for planning.
You do not file the FR-44 yourself. You buy a policy that meets the 100/300/50 limits, tell the carrier you need an FR-44, and the carrier transmits the certificate to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles department electronically. Because it is electronic, many high-risk agencies can get it on record quickly. For the coverage side in detail, see our guide to DUI insurance in Florida.
You are not the one holding the paperwork
Some drivers stress about tracking down and mailing a form. You never touch it. The carrier owns the filing and the transmission to the state, so your job is simply to keep the policy paid and active.
How do you keep the filing on track?
The one thing you must protect after a first DUI is continuity. The FR-44 counts only while the policy behind it stays in force, so a lapse is the trap that undoes your progress.
If your policy cancels, even briefly, the insurer reports the gap to the state, and that can restart the requirement or delay your reinstatement. The habits that prevent it are small: set up automatic payments, note your renewal dates, and confirm any new carrier will keep the FR-44 on file without a break before you switch. Treat the filing as one continuous line rather than a series of separate policies, and the three-year period finishes on schedule.
- Set up autopay. A missed payment is the most common cause of an accidental lapse.
- Confirm the filing before switching carriers. Make sure the new insurer files without a gap.
- Keep the limits at 100/300/50. Dropping below the required coverage breaks the filing.
- Watch your renewal dates. A calendar reminder is enough to keep the line unbroken.
Will a first DUI make coverage expensive?
Your rate will rise, because a DUI is one of the highest-impact events on a record and the FR-44 adds higher limits on top. The direction is certain, but the size is not, because carriers weigh a first DUI very differently from one another.
It also helps to remember that a first-DUI rate is usually not permanent. As the conviction ages and you build a clean record with continuous coverage, the surcharge tends to ease, and once the requirement is behind you the standard market opens back up. So the higher first-year number is the starting point of a curve that bends back down, not a fixed label you carry forever.
That spread is your opening. The same driver can receive quotes that are far apart, so comparing several high-risk carriers is the single most effective way to keep the cost reasonable. If you do not own a car, ask about a non-owner FR-44, which is usually the cheapest way to comply. If you are not sure you can even get covered, getting insured after a DUI walks through it, and if your DUI happened in another state, see FR-44 for an out-of-state DUI.
FR-44 after a first DUI FAQ
Do I need an FR-44 after my first DUI in Florida?
Yes. Florida requires an FR-44 after a DUI conviction, including a first one. It certifies 100/300/50 liability, and the state will not reinstate your license until an insurer files it.
Why an FR-44 instead of an SR-22 for a first offense?
In Florida the FR-44 is specifically the post-DUI filing. It carries double the bodily-injury coverage of an SR-22, so a DUI triggers it even on a first offense.
Do I file the FR-44 myself?
No. Your insurer files it electronically with the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles department once your policy is active. You never file it yourself.
How long do I keep the FR-44 after a first DUI?
Florida generally requires it on file for about three years of continuous coverage from reinstatement. A lapse is reported to the state and can restart the requirement.
Informational only. Not legal, financial, or insurance advice. FR-44 and SR-22 requirements are set by Florida (FLHSMV) and the courts and can change; verify your specific requirement with the FLHSMV. Pricing shown is illustrative, not a quote. FR44 Insurance of Florida is an independent insurance agency and not a government entity.