Can I Get Car Insurance After a DUI in Florida?
You can still get car insurance after a DUI in Florida, but the state needs an insurer to file an FR-44 at 100/300/50 limits before it reinstates your license. Here is how it works and how to pay less.
Yes, you can still get car insurance after a DUI in Florida, and you will need to. The state will not reinstate your license until an insurer files an FR-44 for you, and that policy has to carry Florida’s highest liability limits, 100/300/50. Your rate will rise, so the smartest move is to compare high-risk carriers rather than accept the first quote you see.
Can you still get insurance after a DUI?
You can. A DUI does not shut you out of the insurance market, it moves you into the high-risk part of it, where a set of carriers still write policies every day for drivers in your situation.
It helps to know what happened at the license level. Florida treats a DUI as a serious event and links your driving privilege back to proof that you carry higher liability coverage. That proof is the FR-44 filing. Until an insurer submits it, the state keeps your license out of good standing, no matter how ready you are to drive. Once the policy is in force and the filing is on record, the path to reinstatement opens up.
None of this means you did something unforgivable. Plenty of careful people get a DUI, and the market has a whole segment built for exactly this moment. The feeling that you have become uninsurable is common right after a conviction, but it does not match how the system actually works. What changes is your price and the set of carriers who will write you, not whether coverage exists at all.
What kind of policy do you need?
You need a policy that meets the FR-44 requirement, which is higher than a standard Florida policy. After a DUI the state requires an FR-44, not the lighter SR-22 that other violations trigger, and the difference is the coverage floor.
The FR-44 certifies 100/300/50 liability: $100,000 in bodily injury per person, $300,000 per accident, and $50,000 in property damage. Those limits double the bodily-injury coverage an SR-22 requires, which is why a DUI triggers an FR-44. You do not file it yourself; your insurer sends it to the state electronically once your policy is active. For the coverage side in full, see our guide to DUI insurance in Florida.
A DUI is not a dead end
Being high-risk on paper does not mean you cannot get covered. Specialist carriers write these policies routinely, and the main thing that varies is price, which is exactly what comparison shopping controls.
What if you do not own a car right now?
If you do not have a vehicle registered in your name, you can usually satisfy Florida with a non-owner FR-44, and it is typically the least expensive way to get your license back.
A non-owner FR-44 carries the same 100/300/50 liability the state requires, but it covers you as a driver rather than a specific car, so you are not paying to insure a vehicle you do not have. If a car is registered to you, most insurers will not write a non-owner policy, because that vehicle needs its own coverage. This situation is more common after a DUI than people expect; some drivers sell a car during the process, and some plan to buy one later once they are back on the road.
If you do buy a vehicle later while the filing is active, you generally switch to an owner policy at that point, keeping the FR-44 continuous through the change so the state never sees a gap. The safe move is to tell your agent your exact situation, including whether you expect to buy a car soon, so the policy is built to flex with you rather than forcing a costly restart down the line.
How do you get covered again, step by step?
The fastest way back on the road is a short, ordered checklist. Work through it in sequence and you avoid the delays that trip most drivers up.
- Confirm you need an FR-44. After a DUI in Florida, you almost certainly do, at 100/300/50.
- Decide owner or non-owner. If no car is registered to you, ask about a non-owner FR-44.
- Compare several high-risk carriers. This is where the real savings live, so gather more than one quote.
- Buy the policy and request the filing. Tell the carrier you need the FR-44 submitted; many can file it the same day.
- Keep it continuous. Set up autopay and never let the policy lapse, because a gap is reported to the state.
If this is a first offense, FR-44 after a first DUI answers the eligibility question directly, and FR-44 insurance near you helps you find someone to file it.
Getting insured after a DUI FAQ
Can I get car insurance right after a DUI in Florida?
Yes. A DUI moves you into the high-risk market, where certain carriers still write policies. You will need one that files an FR-44 at 100/300/50 limits so the state can reinstate your license.
Do I need an FR-44 or an SR-22 after a DUI?
After a DUI, Florida requires an FR-44. It carries 100/300/50 liability, double the bodily-injury coverage of an SR-22, so it is not the same as the more common SR-22 filing.
Who files the FR-44 with the state?
Your insurer does. Once your policy is active, the carrier files the FR-44 electronically with the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles department. You never file it yourself.
What is the cheapest way to insure after a DUI?
For drivers with no registered vehicle, a non-owner FR-44 is typically the cheapest structure. Beyond that, comparing several high-risk carriers is the biggest way to lower the cost.
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.