Florida's two certificates: SR-22 and FR-44
FLHSMV describes the SR-22 as an insurance filing that certifies bodily injury liability (BIL) and property damage liability (PDL). That definition sits on the FLHSMV insurance page. The everyday registration minimum on the same page lists only $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and $10,000 in PDL. An SR-22 policy therefore carries bodily injury coverage that the base minimum leaves out.
The FR-44 is the heavier filing. The FLHSMV DUI FAQs require it for a DUI conviction after October 1, 2007. It certifies BIL of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence, plus $50,000 in PDL. A combined single limit of $350,000 also qualifies. Our FR-44 guide goes deeper on the form.
The FR-44 years count from reinstatement
FLHSMV says you maintain the FR-44 for three years from the date your driving privilege is reinstated. Florida Statutes section 324.023 backs this up: the higher limits must be carried for a minimum of 3 years. The same law lets you post a certificate of deposit instead, but it must be at least $350,000.
A DUI conviction on or before October 1, 2007 follows the older rule. Those drivers show bodily injury liability of $10,000 per person and $20,000 per occurrence, with $10,000 for property damage.
Revocation length and the 90-day DUI school deadline
A first DUI brings a six-month to one-year revocation, effective on the conviction date. A first DUI with serious injury means at least three years. Both rules come from the FLHSMV DUI and ignition interlock FAQs.
To reinstate, you show proof of enrollment in or completion of a DUI program. Enrollment alone carries a deadline. If you do not finish the course within 90 days after reinstatement, FLHSMV cancels the license until you complete it.
A lapse costs $150, then $250, then $500
Florida wants coverage kept continuously throughout the registration period, regardless of where the vehicle is located. Without it, your driving privilege and plate can be suspended for up to three years. FLHSMV's advice is short: surrender the plate before you cancel the insurance.
Getting reinstated after a lapse gets more expensive each time under section 324.0221. The fee is $150 for the first reinstatement and $250 for the second. Each one after that costs $500 during the 3 years following the first.
Tickets from another state count here too
Any unpaid citation reported by another state suspends a Florida license. To clear it, the FLHSMV court suspension page says to get a paid receipt bearing the court seal of that county. You present it with any reinstatement fee at a driver license service center. Sending it by mail to the Bureau of Motorist Compliance works too; allow ten business days.
The same page lists Florida holds that last indefinitely: an unpaid traffic fine, a missed summons, or a skipped court-ordered driver improvement school.