Florida FR-44 Follows You Across State Lines
You were convicted of DUI in Florida, received a revocation notice from DHSMV, and have since moved to Georgia, North Carolina, or another state for work or family. You assumed the Florida suspension would stay in Florida. It did not. You attempted to renew your Georgia license and discovered a hold from Florida — your new state's DMV will not issue or renew until DHSMV clears the suspension. The Driver License Compact reported your Florida revocation to your home state automatically.
Florida is a DLC member state. So are 44 other states — Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, California, and most others you are likely moving to. When DHSMV revokes your license for DUI, that revocation is reported through DLC's interstate notification system to any state where you hold or apply for a license. Your new state imposes a concurrent suspension or denial of renewal based on Florida's action. The two-state suspension structure means you cannot drive legally in either state until Florida lifts its revocation and files the clearance notice that releases the hold in your new state.
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Get Your Free QuoteFlorida FR-44 Liability Minimums
100/300/50
Florida requires FR-44 certificates showing $100,000 bodily injury per person, $300,000 per accident, and $50,000 property damage — substantially higher than the SR-22 minimums most states impose. This is the coverage floor DHSMV will accept for DUI reinstatement, and it must be maintained for 3 years post-reinstatement.
Florida Statutes § 322.28, DHSMV FR-44 requirements
FR-44 Is Not SR-22 and Most States Do Not Use It
Florida is one of only two states — the other is Virginia — that requires FR-44 certificates for DUI-related financial responsibility filings. FR-44 demands liability limits double or triple the minimums required by SR-22 states: $100,000/$300,000 bodily injury and $50,000 property damage, versus the typical SR-22 floor of $25,000/$50,000/$25,000 or lower. The form itself is a DHSMV-specific certificate that must be filed electronically by a carrier licensed to write FR-44 in Florida.
If you move to a state that does not use FR-44 — which is 48 of the 50 states — your new state's carriers are unlikely to file the Florida FR-44 certificate DHSMV requires. Georgia carriers file SR-22 certificates to the Georgia DDS. North Carolina carriers file FS-1 forms to NCDMV. Neither form satisfies Florida's FR-44 requirement. DHSMV does not accept SR-22 filings from out-of-state carriers as substitutes for FR-44, even when the coverage limits meet or exceed Florida's minimums.
You need a carrier licensed to write FR-44 in Florida and willing to file the certificate to DHSMV on behalf of a policyholder who no longer resides in Florida. Not all carriers writing FR-44 for Florida residents will extend that filing to out-of-state policyholders. This creates a carrier-access problem distinct from the coverage-limits problem.
DHSMV will not clear your Florida revocation until it receives an FR-44 certificate filed by a Florida-licensed carrier — your Georgia or North Carolina carrier's SR-22 does not count.
Which Carriers File Cross-State FR-44 for Florida
Progressive, Geico, and State Farm write FR-44 in Florida and maintain multi-state licensing, but their willingness to file FR-44 for a Georgia or North Carolina resident varies by underwriting rules and the state you are moving to. Progressive's FR-44 page confirms Florida and Virginia filing capability but does not guarantee cross-state filing for non-residents. Geico's SR-22 resource page explicitly mentions Florida FR-44 but qualifying cross-state scenarios require a direct quote request. State Farm writes FR-44 in Florida per its published SR-22 page but cross-state filing availability is not documented publicly.
Non-standard carriers are more reliably accessible. Acceptance Insurance confirms Florida FR-44 capability and writes high-risk policies in multiple states. Bristol West lists FR-44 filing across state lines in its auto-insurance resource section. Dairyland writes FR-44 in Florida and maintains non-standard auto programs in 45+ states, making cross-state filing structurally more feasible. The General, National General, Infinity, and Kemper all confirm Florida FR-44 capability on their product pages and operate in multiple states. Your ability to obtain a cross-state FR-44 quote depends on whether the carrier underwrites policies for non-Florida residents and files the certificate to DHSMV electronically from your new state of residence.
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Non-Owner FR-44 for Florida When You Do Not Own a Vehicle
If you no longer own a vehicle — you sold your car before moving, or you rely on public transit in your new state — you still need FR-44 to reinstate your Florida license and clear the hold in your new state. Florida accepts non-owner FR-44 policies. These policies provide liability coverage when you drive a vehicle you do not own, and the carrier files the FR-44 certificate to DHSMV exactly as it would for a standard auto policy.
Geico, Progressive, Dairyland, The General, and Bristol West all write non-owner FR-44 policies for Florida. The policy premium is lower than a standard auto policy because the carrier is not insuring a specific vehicle against collision or comprehensive claims. Monthly premiums for non-owner FR-44 policies with 100/300/50 limits typically run $80 to $150 depending on your age, violation history, and the new state you are residing in. The policy must remain active for the full 3-year FR-44 filing period Florida mandates post-reinstatement.
Non-owner FR-44 becomes the required path when you are suspended in Florida, living in a state that does not require FR-44, and do not own a vehicle. Your new state will not require you to carry insurance if you do not own a car — but Florida's revocation clearance does require FR-44 filing, and DHSMV will not lift the hold until it receives the certificate. The non-owner policy satisfies Florida's requirement without forcing you to insure a vehicle you do not possess.
Florida FR-44 Filing Duration
3 years
DHSMV requires continuous FR-44 filing for 3 years following DUI revocation reinstatement, measured from the reinstatement date, not the conviction date. If the policy lapses or the carrier cancels coverage and fails to replace the certificate within 30 days, DHSMV re-suspends your license and restarts the 3-year clock from zero when you refile.
Florida Statutes § 322.28, DHSMV reinstatement requirements
Reinstatement Sequence When Florida Is the Suspending State
Florida must lift its revocation first. Your new state's hold is derivative — it exists because DLC reported Florida's action. When DHSMV clears the revocation and reports that clearance through DLC, your new state removes the hold and allows renewal. You cannot reverse this sequence. Paying reinstatement fees in your new state will not clear the Florida revocation. Obtaining SR-22 in your new state will not satisfy Florida's FR-44 requirement.
The reinstatement pathway in Florida requires: completion of a DHSMV-approved DUI program including evaluation and any mandated treatment, payment of the $45 base reinstatement fee plus any stacked fees from concurrent violations, filing of an FR-44 certificate by a Florida-licensed carrier, and satisfaction of any court-ordered conditions such as ignition interlock device installation if required by your conviction tier. First-offense DUI with BAC suspension requires a 30-day hard suspension before Business Purpose Only hardship eligibility. Refusal suspensions carry a 90-day hard period. Second DUI within 5 years mandates 90 days hard; second DUI beyond 5 years mandates 30 days hard. These hard periods must be served before DHSMV will issue a hardship license or accept reinstatement applications.
Once Florida processes your reinstatement — DHSMV estimates 7 business days after receiving all required documentation and fees — the clearance notice is transmitted through DLC to your new state's licensing agency. Your new state typically processes the clearance within 5 to 10 business days and removes the hold, allowing you to renew or apply for a new license under that state's standard procedures. Total cross-state reinstatement timeline from Florida filing to new-state clearance: 2 to 3 weeks assuming no documentation errors or missing fees.
Compare Carriers Filing Cross-State FR-44 Now
You need a carrier licensed to file FR-44 in Florida, willing to write a policy for a policyholder residing in your new state, and able to maintain the filing for the full 3-year period DHSMV mandates. Non-standard carriers specializing in high-risk filings — Acceptance, Bristol West, Dairyland, The General, National General — are structurally more accessible than standard-tier carriers for cross-state FR-44. Start quote requests with carriers confirming Florida FR-44 capability on their product pages and operating in your new state of residence. Verify during the quote process that the carrier will file the FR-44 certificate to DHSMV electronically and notify you immediately if the policy lapses or cancels, so you can replace coverage before DHSMV re-suspends your license and restarts the 3-year clock.