FR-44 Insurance in Miami, Florida
Updated August 2026
Miami runs on late nights — Brickell happy hours, Wynwood openings, Calle Ocho on a weekend — and the enforcement corridors that ring them, from I-95 to the Dolphin Expressway, are exactly where tens of thousands of Florida drivers pick up DUI charges each year, per state enforcement data. What follows the conviction is the FR-44: a certificate only Florida and Virginia use, proving you carry liability coverage of $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident, and $50,000 for property damage.
Those limits are non-negotiable. What is negotiable — more than most people realize — is which company you buy them from, because carriers disagree sharply on what a DUI should cost.
The FR-44 on top of Miami's premiums
Miami was already one of the priciest places in Florida to insure a car before any violation enters the picture: full coverage in the city averages $3,780 a year according to MoneyGeek. An FR-44 stacks a DUI surcharge and mandatory high limits on top of that baseline.
For scale, ValuePenguin data shows minimum-coverage policies with an FR-44 filing averaging around $318 a month statewide. In other words, a stripped-down post-DUI policy can rival what a clean-record Miami driver pays for full coverage — which is why the carrier you pick matters so much more after a conviction than before one.
How the filing actually works
You never file an FR-44 yourself. You buy a policy that meets the 100/300/50 limits, and the insurance company transmits the certificate electronically to the Florida DHSMV — usually quickly, since carriers that write this business file them routinely. The certificate is the state's proof that the coverage exists.
Reinstatement then runs through the state: the filing has to register, and any reinstatement fees have to be paid before the license is valid again. The insurance side is often the fastest part of the whole process.
Three years is a marathon, not a form
Florida typically requires the FR-44 to stay active for three years, and the certificate is only as good as the policy behind it. If that policy cancels — missed payment, a switch handled badly, a lapse while you're out of the country — the insurer reports it and the suspension process can restart. Autopay and a renewal reminder are not optional here.
Some Miami residents genuinely can go car-free for stretches, between the Metrorail, the Metromover, and walkable pockets like Brickell. If you've sold the car but still want your license back, a non-owner FR-44 policy satisfies the filing while covering you in vehicles you don't own.
Why comparing carriers is the entire game
No two insurers treat a DUI the same. One may nearly close its doors to the record; another prices it as routine business. That spread — on identical facts — is the single biggest lever a Miami driver has during the FR-44 years, and it's worth re-checking annually: Florida regulators approved rate cuts from the state's five largest auto insurers for 2026, so the board keeps shifting.
The way to capture it is to put your situation in front of multiple companies at once. Licensed agents — including our partners — can shop the Miami market for you, and with FR-44 pricing the second and third quote routinely beat the first.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does FR-44 insurance cost in Miami?+
There's no single number — carriers price a DUI very differently. As reference points: ValuePenguin data puts minimum-coverage FR-44 policies at roughly $318 a month on average in Florida, and MoneyGeek pegs ordinary Miami full coverage at $3,780 a year. Where you land inside that range depends heavily on which companies you compare.
Is an FR-44 a separate policy from my car insurance?+
No. The FR-44 is a certificate your insurer attaches to a regular auto policy — one that meets the 100/300/50 liability limits — and files with the state. You can't buy the certificate on its own; the qualifying coverage has to exist first.
Why is an FR-44 more expensive than an SR-22?+
Two reasons stack. The FR-44 requires liability limits roughly ten times Florida's normal minimums, so there's simply more coverage to buy. And it's tied to a DUI conviction, which insurers surcharge more heavily than the violations behind most SR-22s.
What happens if my FR-44 policy cancels mid-term?+
The insurer is required to notify the Florida DHSMV, and your license can be suspended again — potentially with new reinstatement fees and, in some cases, a reset of your compliance period. Keeping the policy continuously active is the most important rule of the entire three years.
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