FR-44 Insurance

Following an arrest for Drunk Driving in Broward County, Florida, you may be dropped from you current carrier.

Insurance companies check their insured’s motor vehicle records every few years. Customers applying for new policies are required to have their record inspected before a new policy is written. In the past, tickets and traffic/criminal infractions such as DUI could have missed appearing on one’s record, and subsequently been missed by the DMV and insurance companies. Today, however, with advances in computer technology and the internet, it is almost unheard of for any insurance company to miss a DUI conviction of an insured.

Upon learning of a DUI conviction, insurance companies will either raise rates immediately or cancel an existing policy. Notices are sent out almost without delay and any insurance company can cancel the policy of one of its customers even before that individual is convicted of the offense charged.

Referred to as FR-44 insurance coverage, Florida Statutes, mandates that any person convicted of DUI in the state of Florida is required to obtain a minimum level of insurance coverage before they can reinstate their driver’s license and also maintain this coverage for three-years after the date of conviction.

Florida Statute 324.023 Financial responsibility for bodily injury or death.

In addition to any other financial responsibility required by law, every owner or operator of a motor vehicle that is required to be registered in this state, or that is located within this state, and who, regardless of adjudication of guilt, has been found guilty of or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to a charge of driving under the influence under s. 316.193 after October 1, 2007, shall, by one of the methods established in s. 324.031(1) or (2), establish and maintain the ability to respond in damages for liability on account of accidents arising out of the use of a motor vehicle in the amount of $100,000 because of bodily injury to, or death of, one person in any one crash and, subject to such limits for one person, in the amount of $300,000 because of bodily injury to, or death of, two or more persons in any one crash and in the amount of $50,000 because of property damage in any one crash. If the owner or operator chooses to establish and maintain such ability by furnishing a certificate of deposit pursuant to s. 324.031(2), such certificate of deposit must be at least $350,000. Such higher limits must be carried for a minimum period of 3 years. If the owner or operator has not been convicted of driving under the influence or a felony traffic offense for a period of 3 years from the date of reinstatement of driving privileges for a violation of s. 316.193, the owner or operator shall be exempt from this section.