The FR-44 Filing Without a Car
Florida requires an FR-44 filing for 3 years after a DUI conviction under Florida Statute 316.193, measured from the conviction date. The filing is a certificate your insurer files electronically with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles proving you carry liability coverage at elevated minimums: $100,000 bodily injury per person, $300,000 per accident, and $50,000 property damage. If you do not own a vehicle, a non-owner FR-44 policy is the only way to satisfy the requirement.
A non-owner FR-44 policy is liability-only coverage that follows you as the driver rather than a specific vehicle. It sits behind any coverage on the car you are actually driving and covers bodily injury and property damage you cause while driving a borrowed, rented, or shared vehicle. It never covers collision or comprehensive damage to the car itself because you own no vehicle to repair. The FR-44 certificate is filed by the carrier on your behalf and remains active as long as the policy stays in force.
Get non-owner SR-22 coverage without owning a vehicle
Compare carriers that offer non-owner policies with SR-22 filing — required for reinstatement in most states.
Get Your Free QuoteFlorida FR-44 Liability Minimums
$100,000/$300,000/$50,000
Florida Statute 316.193 requires FR-44 filers to carry bodily-injury liability of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident, plus $50,000 property damage. These limits are double the SR-22 standard and eliminate most non-owner carriers from the market.
Florida Statute 316.193
Why Most Non-Owner Carriers Refuse FR-44
The FR-44 filing exists only in Florida and Virginia and carries elevated liability limits that most non-owner carriers will not underwrite. A standard SR-22 in other states requires $25,000/$50,000/$25,000 in most cases; Florida's FR-44 doubles the bodily-injury floor and raises property damage to $50,000. Carriers writing non-owner policies at standard minimums cannot file an FR-44 certificate because the policy does not carry the required limits.
Of the 24 carriers writing non-owner policies in Florida, only 8 will file an FR-44 certificate without an owned vehicle: Acceptance Insurance, Allstate, Bristol West, Dairyland, Geico, Infinity, National General, and Progressive. The remaining 16 write non-owner coverage but refuse the FR-44 filing, leaving you with a policy that does not satisfy the court order. Quoting with the wrong carrier means restarting the 3-year filing clock when you discover the gap.
The carrier files the FR-44 electronically with FLHSMV within 1 to 5 business days of policy activation. You receive a paper copy for your records, but the state tracks the filing digitally. A lapse of any length cancels the certificate and reports the gap to FLHSMV, restarting your 3-year period from the date you file again.
A non-owner policy that does not file the FR-44 certificate leaves you uninsurable for the filing period. The court requires proof of the filing, not just proof of coverage.
How to File a Non-Owner FR-44 in Florida
Start by quoting with carriers confirmed to write non-owner FR-44 policies in Florida: Acceptance Insurance, Allstate, Bristol West, Dairyland, Geico, Infinity, National General, and Progressive. Request a non-owner policy at the FR-44 liability minimums of $100,000/$300,000/$50,000. Do not accept a quote at lower limits; the policy must carry the elevated floor or the carrier cannot file the certificate. Confirm during the quote that the carrier will file the FR-44 electronically with FLHSMV and that the filing fee is included in the quoted premium or disclosed separately.
Once the policy is active, the carrier files the FR-44 certificate electronically within 1 to 5 business days. You receive a paper copy showing the filing date, policy number, and coverage limits. Bring this copy to your reinstatement hearing or Administrative Reviews Office appointment as proof of filing. The state does not accept a policy declarations page alone; the FR-44 certificate is the required document. Keep the policy in force for the full 3-year filing period without any lapse, or the certificate cancels and the clock restarts.
Related Articles
What Happens If You Let the Policy Lapse
Florida law requires continuous FR-44 filing for 3 years. A lapse of any length cancels the certificate and triggers an electronic notification to FLHSMV. The state suspends your license again and restarts the 3-year filing period from the date you file a new FR-44, not from the original conviction date. A single missed payment or policy cancellation erases all progress toward the 3-year requirement.
Most carriers send a lapse notice to FLHSMV within 24 hours of policy cancellation. FLHSMV suspends your license immediately upon receiving the notice, with no grace period. Reinstatement requires paying the reinstatement fee again, completing any required DUI program hours you have not yet finished, and filing a new FR-44 certificate with a new 3-year clock. The original filing period does not resume; you start over.
Set up automatic payment from a bank account rather than a debit card with an expiration date. Carriers cancel policies for non-payment without additional notice beyond the initial billing statement. A card expiration or insufficient funds triggers the lapse sequence even if you intended to pay. Verify the payment method stays current for the full 3 years.
Florida FR-44 Filing Period
3 years
Florida Statute 316.193 requires FR-44 filing for 3 years after a DUI conviction, measured from the conviction date. A lapse of any length restarts the 3-year clock from the date you file again, not from the original conviction.
Florida Statute 316.193
Non-Owner FR-44 vs Standard Non-Owner Coverage
A standard non-owner policy in Florida carries the state minimum liability of $10,000 property damage plus Personal Injury Protection. An FR-44 non-owner policy carries the elevated minimums of $100,000/$300,000/$50,000 and includes the electronic filing certificate. The FR-44 version costs more because the liability limits are higher and the underwriting tier reflects the DUI conviction. Quoting a standard non-owner policy saves money upfront but leaves you without the required filing, and switching carriers mid-period restarts the 3-year clock.
Confirm the quote explicitly states FR-44 filing before binding the policy. Some carriers advertise non-owner coverage but only file SR-22 certificates, which Florida does not accept for DUI convictions after October 1, 2007. The wrong filing type leaves you in violation of the court order even if you carry valid liability coverage. Ask the agent or online quote tool to confirm the policy includes FR-44 filing at the $100,000/$300,000/$50,000 minimums before you pay the first premium.
Compare Carriers That File Non-Owner FR-44
The 8 carriers writing non-owner FR-44 policies in Florida operate in different underwriting tiers and specialize in different driver profiles. Geico and Progressive write non-owner FR-44 policies for drivers with a single DUI and no other violations; Acceptance Insurance, Bristol West, Dairyland, Infinity, National General, and The General specialize in high-risk drivers with multiple violations or suspended licenses. Rates vary by carrier, county, age, and driving history beyond the DUI conviction.
Request quotes from at least 3 carriers on the verified roster. Confirm each quote includes the FR-44 filing at the elevated liability minimums and ask whether the filing fee is included in the premium or charged separately. Most carriers charge a one-time filing fee set by the insurer; Florida does not charge a separate state fee for FR-44 certificates. Compare the total first-year cost including the filing fee, not just the monthly premium, because the filing fee can range from $15 to $50 depending on the carrier. Bind the policy that meets the FR-44 requirement at the lowest verified total cost.