Does FR-44 Raise My Car Insurance Rate?
Yes, FR-44 raises your car insurance, but the increase comes from the DUI and Florida's 100/300/50 limits, not the filing. Here is what drives the rise and how to keep it small.
Yes, an FR-44 raises your car insurance, but the increase comes from the DUI behind it and Florida’s required 100/300/50 limits, not from the filing itself. The certificate the insurer sends the state adds only a small fee; the higher premium reflects the added risk and the higher coverage.
Why does FR-44 raise your rate?
An FR-44 raises your rate because two expensive things happen at once: your coverage jumps to Florida’s highest liability limits, and the requirement is triggered by a DUI that insurers treat as high risk.
The required 100/300/50 limits are several times the minimum many drivers carry, and more coverage always means more premium. That alone lifts the policy above a standard one written at the state minimum.
On top of that, the DUI on your record raises the base rate before the higher limits are even added. Insurers rank a DUI among the most serious events on a driving history, so the risk surcharge and the higher limits combine to push the total above what you paid before the conviction.
It is worth separating the two so you know what you are actually paying for. Part of the increase is buying real protection, the higher liability that would cover other people if you caused a serious crash. The rest is the risk charge insurers apply to any driver with a recent DUI, regardless of the filing. You cannot remove either one while the requirement is active, but understanding the split makes it clear why the certificate is a footnote and the policy underneath is the real expense.
Is it the filing or the DUI that costs more?
The DUI and the higher limits drive nearly all of the increase, while the filing paperwork itself is a minor cost.
The paperwork is not the problem
Drivers often blame the filing for the higher bill. In reality the certificate is cheap. The premium reflects the DUI and the higher liability limits the filing requires, so that is where any savings have to come from.
How much higher will it be?
There is no single amount, because the increase depends on your record, ZIP code, vehicle, and above all the carrier you choose.
Two drivers filing an FR-44 after a DUI can see very different increases, since high-risk insurers weigh that DUI differently from one another. One carrier may treat it far more harshly than the next for the same person.
That is exactly why comparing carriers is the strongest way to keep the rise as small as possible. Anyone quoting a flat increase is guessing, so the honest step is to compare several high-risk quotes for your own profile and let the market show you the smallest increase available to you.
The factors that move it are the same ones that shape any premium, just amplified. A clean record apart from the single DUI reads better than one with multiple incidents. A modest, paid-off car costs less to cover than a new financed one. A non-owner structure sheds the physical-damage portion entirely. And the ZIP code you park in still reflects the claims around you. Change what you can among those, compare the rest, and the increase becomes something you shape rather than simply accept.
Will the increase last forever?
No. The increase is not permanent, because the DUI weighs less as it ages and the filing eventually comes off your record.
Florida generally requires the FR-44 for about three years of continuous coverage. As your record stays clean, the rate tends to ease over that span, and once the requirement ends you can shop the wider market again, including carriers that avoid drivers mid-filing.
Keeping the policy active the entire time is what protects that recovery, since a lapse can restart the clock and stretch the higher rate longer than it needed to last. Patience plus continuous coverage is what lets the increase fade the way it should.
So the honest picture is that an FR-44 raises your rate now, but not permanently and not by a fixed amount. The size of the rise depends heavily on which carrier you choose, and the length of it depends on keeping coverage unbroken and staying incident-free. Both are within your control, even though the DUI that started it is not.
Frequently asked questions
Does an FR-44 raise my car insurance?
Yes, but the increase comes from the DUI and the required 100/300/50 limits, not the filing itself. The certificate is a small fee; the premium reflects the higher risk and coverage.
Is it the FR-44 filing or the DUI that raises my rate?
Mostly the DUI and the higher limits. The filing is a minor administrative fee, while the premium reflects the risk and coverage behind it.
How much will FR-44 raise my premium?
There is no flat figure. It depends on your record, ZIP code, vehicle, and carrier. Comparing high-risk carriers is the best way to keep the increase small.
Does the FR-44 increase go away over time?
Yes. The DUI weighs less as it ages, and once the roughly three-year requirement ends you can shop standard rates again, as long as coverage stays continuous.
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.