Non-Owner FR-44 Insurance in Florida

If you had a DUI in Florida and you don't own a car, the filing you almost certainly need is an FR-44 — not an SR-22. Florida uses the FR-44 specifically for alcohol- or drug-related driving convictions, and it requires notably higher liability limits than a Florida SR-22. The good news: you can satisfy it with a non-owner policy, so not owning a car is not a barrier. Here's how Florida's FR-44 works, how it differs from an SR-22 in Florida, and how to find an agent who files it.

Florida uses FR-44 for DUI and SR-22 for other cases

Most states run every high-risk filing through a single form called an SR-22. Florida doesn't. It's one of only two states in the country — Virginia is the other — that uses a separate, stricter form called the FR-44. Which one you need comes down to why your license was affected.

• FR-44 — required after a DUI or DWI, meaning any alcohol- or drug-related driving conviction. If your case involves impaired driving, this is almost certainly your form.
• SR-22 — required for other serious situations, such as driving without insurance, causing an accident while uninsured, or certain repeat violations.

There's no shame in needing either one — a lot of people land here after a single bad night, and for the agents who handle these filings it's routine work. Your court paperwork or your notice from Florida's motor vehicle agency will tell you which filing applies, and if you're not sure, a licensed Florida agent can confirm it. For the non-DUI side, our non-owner SR-22 guide explains how the standard filing works.

An FR-44 is a filing, not insurance

This is the part that trips almost everyone up, so it's worth saying plainly: an FR-44 is not an insurance policy. It's a certificate — a form your insurance company files with the state to prove you carry the liability coverage Florida requires. The policy is the insurance; the FR-44 is the paperwork on top that tells the state you're covered and will be reported the moment that changes.

In Florida, that filing goes to the FLHSMV — the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the state's version of a DMV. You don't file it yourself. Your insurer or agent submits it electronically once your policy is in place. If your coverage ever lapses, the insurer is required to notify FLHSMV, and your license can be suspended again.

Why an FR-44 costs more than a Florida SR-22

The core difference between the two forms isn't the paperwork — it's how much liability coverage you're required to carry behind it. An FR-44 requires notably higher liability limits than a Florida SR-22 does. That's the whole reason the form exists: Florida treats impaired-driving cases as higher risk and asks those drivers to carry more coverage.

Because your required limits are higher, your premium is higher too. An FR-44 typically raises your total cost more than an SR-22 would, all else being equal — you're simply buying more coverage. How much more depends on your driving record, where you live, and the carrier.

The exact required limits are set by Florida law and can change over time. We deliberately don't print a number here, because a stale figure could send you to the state with the wrong coverage. Confirm the current FR-44 liability limits directly with FLHSMV or a licensed Florida agent before you buy — an agent quotes to the exact limits Florida requires today, which helps the filing go through smoothly.

Can you get an FR-44 without owning a car in Florida?

Yes. This is the exact situation non-owner insurance was built for. If you don't own a vehicle but Florida requires you to hold an FR-44, you buy a non-owner car insurance policy that meets the required liability limits, and your agent files the FR-44 against it. A non-owner FR-44 — sometimes searched as "non owner fr44" — is a standard, well-worn path for DUI cases where the driver doesn't have a car.

A non-owner policy provides liability coverage when you drive a vehicle you don't own, such as a borrowed or occasionally rented car. It covers:

• Bodily injury liability if you're at fault in a crash
• Property damage liability for the same

It does not cover:

• Damage to the car you're driving
• A vehicle you own, or a household member's car you use regularly
• Rideshare or delivery driving

If you buy a car later during your FR-44 period, you'll switch to a standard policy with the FR-44 attached — the non-owner version only works while you're carless. For the full picture on how the FR-44 filing works across both Florida and Virginia, see our FR-44 cornerstone guide.

How long you'll need an FR-44, and what it costs

These are the two questions everyone asks, and the honest answer to both is the same: it depends on your case, so confirm the specifics.

How long. The period you have to keep an FR-44 on file is set by Florida law and depends on your specific case. We don't quote a fixed number of years here, because the requirement varies and the clock only counts while your coverage stays continuous. Confirm your exact required period with FLHSMV or your agent. If your policy lapses, your insurer notifies the state, your license can be suspended, and the required period can restart from the beginning. Setting up autopay is the simplest way to keep a missed payment from undoing your progress.

What it costs. A non-owner policy on its own is one of the cheaper kinds of auto coverage — for many drivers it runs a few hundred dollars a year, often somewhere in the range of roughly $400 to $800, because there's no vehicle to insure. An FR-44 sits on top of that, and because it requires higher liability limits than an SR-22, it usually pushes your premium up more than an SR-22 would. The filing fee your insurer charges to submit the form is typically small; the coverage itself is where the real cost lives. The only way to get a number that means anything is a quote written against Florida's current FR-44 limits, which is exactly what a local agent does.

First steps after a Florida DUI, if you don't own a car

If this just happened, here's a calm order of operations, focused on the insurance side since that's what we can help with.

1. Read your paperwork. Your court order or FLHSMV notice states whether you need an FR-44 or an SR-22, and it's the source of truth. Keep it where you can find it.
2. Find an agent who files FR-44s. You don't need to own a car to start. A licensed Florida agent can quote a non-owner FR-44 and tell you the current required limits.
3. Buy the policy and have the agent file. The agent submits the FR-44 to FLHSMV electronically, usually quickly, and can confirm once it's done.
4. Keep the coverage continuous. Turn on autopay right away so nothing lapses. This is the single most important thing you can do during your FR-44 period.

Getting your driving privileges back may involve separate FLHSMV steps and fees beyond the filing — the agent handles the insurance side, and FLHSMV handles the license side.

How to find a Florida agent who files FR-44s

Not every insurance agent writes FR-44 policies, and fewer still specialize in the DUI, non-owner combination. You want someone who files these regularly, knows the current FLHSMV limits, and submits electronically.

Our directory is built for exactly this. Browse Florida agents who handle SR-22 and FR-44 filings, or start from the nocarplan.com homepage to search by city. When you call, be upfront about the DUI and the fact that you don't own a car — it's routine information for these agents, and it lets them quote the right filing at the right limits from the start.

Have your court order or FLHSMV notice handy so the agent can confirm FR-44 versus SR-22. If your case turns out to be a non-DUI matter, our Florida SR-22 guide covers that path instead.

nocarplan.com is a directory that helps you find licensed agents — we're not an insurance company, and nothing here is legal or coverage advice. FR-44 limits and filing periods are set by Florida law and can change, so always confirm the current requirements with FLHSMV or a licensed Florida agent before you buy.