Florida DUI insurance is car insurance which meets certain coverage and procedural requirements as prescribed by law. This regulation must be satisfied and maintained for DUI drivers to keep a valid Florida license. Increased limits, reporting compliance and a $15.00 fee are mandatory. These additions to a car insurance policy are similar requirements other high risk drivers experience. Unique to a Florida DUI insurance policy is the high liability limits of 100/300/50; ten times the financial responsibility requirement for drivers without a DUI.
The FR44 filing (Uniform Financial Responsibility Certificate) is the method used to verify insurance compliance for convicted DUI drivers. The Certificate (Form) is filed (submitted) to the Florida Bureau of Financial Responsibility electronically by the insurance company after policy purchase. This process is the last step in getting back a valid Florida license. First a policy is purchased from a Florida authorized insurance company which secures the Financial Responsibility case number from the MVR. This is a tracking number assigned to each individual DUI driver. The driver license can be reinstated when the DMV database is updated indicating your compliance and eligibility. Some drivers have presented a hard copy of the FR44 certificate, that they received at point of sale, to the right clerk at the DMV, and got their license reinstated immediately. Naturally, a reinstatement fee will apply.
The compliance period is for three years and insurance companies are required to notify the State if a policy is terminated for any reason. If The DUI driver does not replace coverage with a new eligible policy then their license will be suspended. Reinstatement occurs only after the process is repeated and additional elevated reinstatement fees are paid. The process is fast and easy, but coverage can be costly. Drivers who are not accustomed to carrying high limits experience the greatest increase for their car insurance premiums.
Policyholders who regularly maintain high limits (100/300/50 or higher), such as those required because of a leased vehicle, may be excluded from the FR44 requirement, as long as this coverage was in effect at the time of the DUI citation. The FR44 policy imposes high liability limits and additional strict underwriting requirements. For example, as of May 4th 2012 all insurance policies with a Florida FR44 filing are not allowed to be cancelled, and insurance companies generally will not allow driver exclusions when there is a filing. Because of these restrictions, policyholders are forced to pay premiums in full without monthly payments, and will not be able to exclude a higher rated driver such as a newly licensed teenager. Having the flexibility to make payments and exclude drivers is a benefit for any policyholder.
Interestingly, since 2007 when Florida separated DUI drivers from all other high risk drivers, by mandating the FR44 filing instead of SR22, the loss ratios from the FR44 group of policyholders have been very favorable for insurance companies. Lower claims payouts from lower loss ratios enables insurance companies to compete for FR44 policies with lower rates. Some companies still treat DUI drivers harshly by refusing new applicants and non renewing current policyholders. If you happened to find yourself in this situation simply shop around as there are plenty of companies competing for these policies.
