SR-22 vs FR-44: What Each Filing Means and Why Florida and Virginia Ask for More
Your letter from the DMV says FR-44, and every search result talks about SR-22. They are related, but they are not interchangeable. An FR-44 is the same kind of certificate as an SR-22, with much higher liability limits attached, and it is tied to drunk or drugged driving convictions in the two states that use it. This guide is part of our car insurance by driver profile series.
Key takeaways
- Both forms are certificates your insurer files with the state. Neither is an insurance policy by itself.
- Florida and Virginia are the states that use the FR-44. U.S. News reports they are the only two.
- Florida's FR-44 requires $100,000/$300,000 bodily injury and $50,000 property damage, against $10,000/$20,000/$10,000 for an SR-22.
- Virginia's FR-44 requires double its regular minimums. With the 2025 minimums of $50,000/$100,000/$25,000, that works out to $100,000/$200,000/$50,000.
- Both states set the FR-44 term at three years, counted from license eligibility or reinstatement, not from the arrest.
What is the difference between an SR-22 and an FR-44?
Both are certificates of financial responsibility. Your insurer files the form with the state to confirm you carry at least a set amount of liability coverage, and it tells the state if that coverage ends. The difference is the amount the certificate has to prove, and the offense that triggers it.
Florida's highway safety department defines its SR-22 as "an insurance filing certifying bodily injury liability (BIL) and property damage liability (PDL) to comply with the reinstatement requirements of the Florida Financial Responsibility Law." The FR-44 does the same job, at limits set by a separate statute for DUI convictions.
Virginia's DMV keeps the two side by side on one page. It lists the SR-22 for offenses such as unsatisfied judgments, uninsured vehicle suspensions and falsifying insurance certification. The FR-44 is for maiming while under the influence, driving under the influence of intoxicants or drugs, and driving while a license is forfeited for one of those convictions.
| SR-22 | FR-44 | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Insurer's certificate of financial responsibility | Same, at higher required limits |
| Typical trigger | Uninsured driving, judgments, some suspensions | DUI-related convictions |
| States using it | Most states, under that name or a similar one | Florida and Virginia |
| Florida limits | $10,000 / $20,000 / $10,000 | $100,000 / $300,000 / $50,000, or a $350,000 deposit |
| Virginia limits (policies on or after Jan. 1, 2025) | $50,000 / $100,000 / $25,000 | Double: $100,000 / $200,000 / $50,000 |
| Term | Set by state and offense | Three years in both states |
Limits read as bodily injury per person / bodily injury per accident / property damage per accident.
Which states require an FR-44?
The FR-44 shows up on official pages in Florida and Virginia. U.S. News, in its explainer on the form, states that "FR-44 certificates are only required in Florida and Virginia." If you were convicted of DUI in another state, your filing will normally be an SR-22 or that state's equivalent, so read the exact form name on your notice.
What limits does Florida's FR-44 require?
Florida Statute § 324.023 applies to anyone found guilty of, or who pleaded guilty or no contest to, DUI after October 1, 2007. It requires liability "in the amount of $100,000 because of bodily injury to, or death of, one person in any one crash," $300,000 for two or more people, and "$50,000 because of property damage in any one crash." If you choose a certificate of deposit instead of insurance, the deposit "must be at least $350,000."
Compare that with the general proof of financial responsibility in § 324.021(7), which is what an ordinary Florida SR-22 certifies: $10,000 for one person, $20,000 for two or more, and $10,000 for property damage.
Read the Florida page carefully: FLHSMV's DUI FAQ prints the per-person limit as "$100,00/$300,000," a typo on the state's own page. The statute it cites, § 324.023, says $100,000.
What limits does Virginia's FR-44 require?
Virginia does not print separate FR-44 dollar figures. Its DMV says "FR-44 liability insurance coverage limits are double the SR-22 insurance coverage limits set forth in the Code of Virginia § 46.2-472."
Section 46.2-472 sets those base limits. For policies effective on or after January 1, 2025, they are $50,000 for injury or death of one person, $100,000 for two or more people and $25,000 for property damage. For policies effective January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2024, they were $30,000, $60,000 and $20,000. Doubling the current figures gives $100,000 / $200,000 / $50,000.
The doubled limits are in the licensing statute too. The Code says DMV shall not issue or reinstate a license for these convictions "for a period of three years after he otherwise becomes entitled to a license or permit unless he furnishes proof of financial responsibility" under a policy with limits "not less than double the minimum limits set forth in § 46.2-472."
Virginia's DMV adds two practical details. The double-minimum rule applies to convictions on or after January 1, 2008. If you live outside Virginia, "you may submit a letter on your insurance provider's letterhead stating the double minimum coverage amounts."
How long do you need an FR-44?
Three years in both states, counted from different starting points.
- Florida: FLHSMV says "The customer must maintain the FR-44 form for three years from the date of reinstatement of their driving privilege." The statute adds that if you have no further DUI or felony traffic conviction for three years from reinstatement, you are exempt from the higher limits.
- Virginia: three years after you "otherwise become entitled to a license," per the Code.
Neither clock starts on the arrest date, and in Florida the revocation runs first. FLHSMV says a first DUI "will result in a six-month to one-year revocation, effective on the conviction date," and at least three years when the DUI involved serious injury. SR-22 terms vary more, and we track them in how long you need an SR-22, state by state. For how long the conviction itself shows on your record and affects pricing, see how long a DUI affects car insurance.
Why do the higher limits cost more?
The certificate itself is paperwork. The cost comes from two things the FR-44 forces together: a DUI conviction on your record, and liability limits many times higher than the state minimum in Florida's case. Florida drivers also start from a system with its own cost pressures, which we break down in why Florida car insurance is so expensive.
The useful move is to shop with the exact filing named. Ask each insurer whether it files FR-44s in your state, whether it files electronically, and whether the quote already reflects the FR-44 limits rather than the state minimum.
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What happens if the FR-44 lapses?
The certificate exists so the state learns when coverage stops. Virginia's DMV lists the FR-44 together with a companion FR-46 form, the way it lists the SR-22 with the SR-26, which its penalties page describes as the form insurers use to notify DMV when coverage is canceled. In Florida, failing to keep required insurance "may result in the suspension of your driver license/registration and a requirement to pay a reinstatement fee of up to $500," per FLHSMV. The safe rule from any state: line up the replacement filing before the old policy ends, never after.
Frequently asked questions
Is FR-44 insurance the same as SR-22 insurance?
No. Both are certificates your insurer files with the state, but an FR-44 certifies much higher liability limits and in Florida and Virginia is tied to DUI-related convictions.
Can I file an SR-22 instead of an FR-44?
Not if the state ordered an FR-44. In Virginia, the double-limit requirement is written into the licensing statute, and in Florida § 324.023 sets the higher limits for DUI convictions after October 1, 2007.
I moved out of Florida or Virginia. Do I still need the FR-44?
Virginia's DMV says an out-of-state resident may submit a letter on the insurer's letterhead stating the double minimum amounts. Ask the DMV that issued the requirement before you cancel anything.
Does the FR-44 cover my own car?
It certifies liability limits, which pay for injuries and damage you cause to others. Coverage for your own car is separate and optional unless a lender requires it.
When does the three-year FR-44 period start?
In Florida, from the date your driving privilege is reinstated. In Virginia, from the date you otherwise become entitled to a license.
Sources
- Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, "Financial Responsibility Certifications," https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/businesses/insurance/certifications, accessed October 1, 2026.
- Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, "Insurance Requirements," https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/insurance-requirements, accessed October 1, 2026.
- Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, "Uninsured Vehicle Penalty," https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/businesses/insurance/penalties, accessed October 1, 2026.
- Code of Virginia § 46.2-472, https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter3/section46.2-472/, accessed October 1, 2026.
- Code of Virginia, Title 46.2, Chapter 3, Article 3, https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodefull/title46.2/chapter3/article3/, accessed October 1, 2026.
- Florida Statutes § 324.023, https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0300-0399/0324/Sections/0324.023.html, accessed October 1, 2026.
- Florida Statutes § 324.021, https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0300-0399/0324/Sections/0324.021.html, accessed October 1, 2026.
- Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, "DUI Frequently Asked Questions," https://www.flhsmv.gov/driver-licenses-id-cards/education-courses/dui-and-iid/dui-faqs/, accessed October 1, 2026.
- Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, "Florida Insurance Requirements," https://www.flhsmv.gov/insurance/, accessed October 1, 2026.
- U.S. News & World Report, "What Is FR-44 Insurance?" https://www.usnews.com/insurance/auto/what-is-fr-44-insurance, accessed October 1, 2026.
Limits, terms and fees are set by each state and can change. Every figure above is taken from the official page or statute cited, as accessed October 1, 2026. Your notice from the state governs. This is general information, not legal advice.