Why Your SR-22 Request Gets Corrected to FR-44
You call The General asking for an SR-22 certificate to reinstate your Florida license. The agent corrects you: Florida doesn't use SR-22s for DUI suspensions or certain high-risk violations — the state mandates FR-44 filing instead. Most drivers arrive at this conversation assuming the terms are interchangeable. They're not, and the difference determines whether DHSMV accepts your filing or rejects your reinstatement application.
Florida is one of only two states requiring FR-44 certificates rather than SR-22s for specific suspension triggers. The filing difference isn't administrative — it's structural. FR-44 mandates bodily injury liability limits of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident, plus $50,000 property damage. Standard Florida minimums sit at $10,000 PIP and $10,000 property damage with no bodily injury requirement for in-state drivers. The FR-44 gap is significant, and The General's pricing reflects it.
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Get Your Free QuoteFlorida FR-44 Liability Minimums
$100k/$300k/$50k
FR-44 certificates require these liability limits regardless of your pre-suspension coverage. Standard Florida policies carry $10k PIP and $10k property damage with no bodily injury mandate — FR-44 forces a coverage floor ten times higher on bodily injury alone.
Florida Statutes § 322.271, DHSMV FR-44 requirements
What Triggers FR-44 Filing in Florida
DHSMV requires FR-44 filing for DUI convictions, DUI-related administrative suspensions under FSS 322.2615, and certain aggravated moving violations. First-offense DUI administrative suspensions carry a 30-day hard suspension period before Business Purpose Only License eligibility; refusal suspensions extend the hard period to 90 days. FR-44 filing becomes mandatory before DHSMV will issue the hardship license or process full reinstatement.
Insurance lapse suspensions and points-accumulation suspensions typically require SR-22 filing in other states, but Florida's FR-44 framework only applies to alcohol-related and high-risk moving violations. If your suspension stems from unpaid tickets, child support arrears, or failure to appear in court, you won't need FR-44 — though you may still need proof of insurance to reinstate. The General writes policies for both FR-44 filers and standard reinstatement cases, but pricing diverges sharply depending on which filing your suspension actually requires.
The General cannot file FR-44 retroactively. If you bought a policy without requesting FR-44 at purchase, DHSMV never received the certificate — your reinstatement clock hasn't started.
How The General Files FR-44 With DHSMV
When you bind a policy with The General and request FR-44 filing, the carrier transmits the certificate directly to DHSMV through FITS — Florida's electronic insurance-monitoring system. DHSMV receives the filing notification within one to two business days. You do not receive a paper certificate to mail; the digital filing populates DHSMV's database automatically. If you're applying for a Business Purpose Only License, the DHSMV examiner will verify FR-44 status in the system before approving your application.
The General charges an FR-44 filing fee separate from the premium — typically $25 to $50 depending on underwriting tier and state processing requirements. This fee covers the electronic submission only, not the higher liability limits the FR-44 itself mandates. Your monthly premium will be substantially higher than a standard policy because you're carrying $100,000/$300,000 bodily injury coverage instead of Florida's no-fault PIP-only structure. The General categorizes FR-44 filers as high-risk, which compounds base premium increases with surcharge layering.
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What The General FR-44 Policies Cost in Florida
FR-44 policy premiums through The General typically range from $180 to $320 per month for drivers with a single DUI conviction and no prior insurance lapses. That range reflects variance in age, county, vehicle type, and whether you're buying liability-only or adding comprehensive and collision coverage. The $100,000/$300,000 bodily injury mandate alone adds $60 to $100 monthly compared to a standard Florida policy, before The General applies high-risk surcharges for the DUI itself.
Drivers with multiple DUI convictions, combined DUI and reckless driving charges, or DUI plus license suspension for refusal face premiums at the top of The General's underwriting range — often $280 to $400 monthly for liability-only FR-44 coverage. Non-owner FR-44 policies cost less because there's no vehicle to insure, but The General still requires the full $100,000/$300,000/$50,000 liability structure. Non-owner FR-44 premiums typically run $120 to $200 per month, depending on your violation history and how long ago the triggering event occurred.
Estimates based on available industry data; individual rates vary by driving history, vehicle, coverage selections, and location. The General does not publish standard rate cards for FR-44 filers — every quote reflects underwriting discretion. If you're comparing carriers, request FR-44-specific quotes from at least three non-standard insurers writing in Florida: The General, Progressive, Dairyland, Acceptance, and Bristol West all file FR-44 and compete in this tier.
Florida FR-44 Filing Duration
3 years
DHSMV mandates continuous FR-44 filing for three years from your reinstatement date, not your conviction date. If your policy lapses or cancels during that window, DHSMV receives an electronic notification through FITS and re-suspends your license immediately — no grace period, no warning letter.
Florida Statutes § 322.271
When The General Is the Wrong Carrier Choice
The General specializes in non-standard and high-risk auto insurance, but their FR-44 pricing sits at the higher end of Florida's non-standard market. If you have a DUI conviction but no other moving violations in the past five years, and your credit is fair or better, Progressive and Dairyland often quote $40 to $80 per month lower than The General for equivalent FR-44 liability coverage. The General's pricing advantage appears when you stack multiple high-risk factors: DUI plus points accumulation, DUI plus prior insurance lapses, or DUI plus an at-fault accident in the past three years. In those scenarios The General's underwriting accepts risk other carriers decline or price prohibitively.
The General does not write Business Purpose Only License policies separately from full reinstatement policies — the FR-44 filing supports both. If you're applying for a BPO hardship license to drive during your suspension period, The General's FR-44 certificate satisfies DHSMV's insurance requirement for that application. You'll maintain the same policy and filing through your hardship period and into full reinstatement. Some drivers assume they need temporary coverage for the hardship window and separate coverage post-reinstatement; Florida's system doesn't work that way. One continuous FR-44 policy spans both phases.
Compare FR-44 Carriers Before You Bind
The General files FR-44 electronically and meets Florida's reinstatement requirements, but their premium positioning makes carrier comparison essential. Request FR-44-specific quotes from at least three non-standard insurers writing in Florida. Progressive, Dairyland, Acceptance, Bristol West, and National General all file FR-44 and compete directly with The General in the high-risk tier. Quote variance can exceed $100 monthly for identical coverage limits and the same violation history — underwriting models differ sharply across carriers, and The General's model penalizes certain risk combinations more heavily than competitors do. Bind the policy that meets Florida's FR-44 mandate at the lowest sustainable monthly cost, then maintain it without lapse for the full three-year filing period DHSMV requires.