FR-44 Insurance Requirements in Miami, FL

What does FR-44 require in Miami?

FR-44 is a certificate your insurer files with the state to prove you carry the higher liability Florida demands after a DUI, and in Miami it works exactly as it does anywhere in the state. The three parts that make up the requirement are the coverage floor of 100/300/50, the electronic filing with the FLHSMV, and the roughly three-year window you must keep it active. For the statewide version of these rules, see our full guide to FR-44 requirements in Florida.

What is local is everything around the filing. A Miami-Dade driver commutes on I-95, the Palmetto Expressway, or the Dolphin, and once a suspension takes hold, none of those roads are an option. Because Metrorail and the Metromover only reach part of the county, most people here depend on a car to reach work, which is why understanding the requirement quickly matters as much as meeting it.

We are a licensed Florida agency that writes and files FR-44 for drivers across Miami-Dade, and we serve the market in both English and Spanish. Whether you are in Brickell, Hialeah, Kendall, or Homestead, the requirement itself does not change, but the fastest path through it starts with understanding each piece. This guide walks through all of them, and links back to the Miami FR-44 hub for the local how-to.

What are the 100/300/50 coverage limits?

The 100/300/50 figure is the heart of the requirement: it is the liability your FR-44 policy must carry, and it is far above Florida’s ordinary minimum. The three numbers stand for bodily injury coverage per person, bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage, in that order.

Every FR-44 we file for a Miami driver meets that standard, whether it is written on your own vehicle or as a non-owner policy. The higher limits are the main reason an FR-44 policy costs more than a standard one, because you are buying substantially more protection, not just paperwork. If you want to understand how those limits translate into price for your ZIP, our companion guide on FR-44 cost in Miami breaks down what moves the number.

How long do Miami drivers keep FR-44?

In Florida you generally keep an FR-44 on file for about three years, and the clock runs from the date your license is reinstated, not the date of the arrest or conviction. That is true for every Miami-Dade driver, and the single condition attached to it is that the coverage stays continuous the entire time.

Because the requirement is measured from reinstatement, the sooner you get the filing in place and complete your reinstatement, the sooner the three-year window actually begins. Waiting does not shorten the obligation, it only delays the start. For many drivers here, that is the practical reason to move quickly: every week the filing is not active is a week the countdown has not started.

During those years the priority is simply never letting the policy lapse. A gap is reported to the state and can reset the clock, which is the most expensive mistake a driver can make on an FR-44. If you are early in the process and still need to get the certificate on file, see how to file FR-44 in Miami.

Who needs FR-44 in Miami-Dade?

You need FR-44 in Miami-Dade if a DUI conviction handled here requires the filing before Florida will restore your driving privilege. It applies whether or not you own a car, and it is required regardless of which part of the county you live in.

• You were convicted of a DUI handled in Miami-Dade County and the state now requires FR-44 to reinstate.
• Your Florida license is suspended and filing the FR-44 is part of lifting that suspension.
• You own a vehicle in Brickell, Doral, Kendall, or anywhere in the county and need it insured at 100/300/50.
• You do not own a car and rely on rideshare or a borrowed vehicle, in which case a non-owner FR-44 fits.
• You are moving back onto Miami roads and want the filing accepted before you drive again.

The requirement is not a judgment, it is an administrative step. Plenty of otherwise careful Miami drivers end up needing FR-44, and the goal is simply to meet the state’s condition cleanly so you can get back to work, family, and the daily drive the county runs on.

It is also worth separating what the state requires from what the county handles. Florida sets the coverage floor and the roughly three-year window, while the Miami-Dade County Tax Collector, which operates the local driver-license offices, handles restoring your license once the filing is in place. The DUI case that triggered the requirement moves through county court on its own track. Understanding that the pieces sit in different hands keeps you from waiting on the wrong office to do the wrong step.

Because so much of Miami-Dade depends on the car, from a Doral commute on the Dolphin to a Homestead drive down US-1, meeting the requirement is rarely optional in practice. The realistic goal is not to argue with the rule but to satisfy it quickly and cleanly, so the suspension lifts and you are back on the road you rely on.

Owner or non-owner FR-44 in Miami?

Which one you need comes down to whether a vehicle is registered in your name. If you own a car, you need an owner FR-44 that insures it at 100/300/50. If no vehicle is registered to you, a non-owner FR-44 covers you as a driver and is usually the more affordable way to satisfy the same rule.

	Owner FR-44	Non-owner FR-44
What it covers	Your vehicle and you	You, in cars you do not own
Liability limits	100/300/50	100/300/50
Physical damage	Available	Not included
Best for	Daily Miami commuters	Rideshare and borrowed-car drivers
Typical cost	Higher	The more affordable path

The catch is eligibility. If a car is registered to you, most insurers will not write a non-owner policy, because that vehicle needs its own coverage. For a genuinely car-free driver in a walkable pocket like Brickell or near a Metrorail stop, though, a non-owner FR-44 is often the smartest fit. We cover the details in our non-owner FR-44 in Miami guide, and you can compare the statewide picture at FR-44 without a car.

The requirement never changes in Miami, only the shape of the policy does. Match owner or non-owner to how you actually get around the county, and you meet the rule without overpaying.

Why does continuous coverage matter?

Continuous coverage matters because the three-year requirement is only satisfied by an unbroken filing. If the policy behind your FR-44 lapses, the insurer notifies the state, and that gap can restart your clock or trigger another suspension, undoing the progress you have already made.

This is where many drivers stumble, and it is entirely avoidable. Set the policy up so a due date can never slip past you, and treat any change of carrier as a careful handoff rather than a quick switch. If you shop for a better rate later, bind the new policy and confirm the new filing is accepted before you cancel the old one, so there is never a day without coverage.

The Miami-Dade Tax Collector, which runs the county’s driver-license offices, processes your reinstatement once the FR-44 is on file, so a lapse does not just cost money, it can send you back to the counter. Keeping the filing clean for the full period is the whole game. When you are ready, start on the Miami hub and we will file it for you.

Frequently asked questions

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.