Florida SR-22 Insurance: Who Needs the Form, How Long It Lasts, Case Number Lookup, Non-Owner Coverage and How to File

Florida can require an SR-22 when you have to prove financial responsibility after a qualifying suspension, crash, conviction or other case on your driving record. The SR-22 is a certificate your insurer files with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV); it is proof attached to an auto liability policy, not a separate kind of insurance. DUI cases use a different form, the FR-44, with higher limits. Start with your FLHSMV notice: find the financial-responsibility case number and the form it calls for, then ask a licensed agent whether a policy can meet that exact requirement. Keep the filing active for the full period FLHSMV sets, because a cancellation can lead to another suspension.

What is an SR-22 in Florida?

An SR-22 certifies that you carry at least Florida's basic liability limits. Florida law defines proof of financial responsibility as the ability to pay for liability from a crash in at least these amounts, under Fla. Stat. § 324.021(7) (opens in a new tab):

A liability policy that meets the chapter is one of the ways to prove it, under Fla. Stat. § 324.031 (opens in a new tab). The insurer writes the policy and then files the SR-22 to show FLHSMV that the policy is in force. An SR-22 certifies limits of at least 10/20/10, according to FLHSMV's insurance procedures manual (opens in a new tab).

Separately, every owner or operator of a vehicle required to be registered in Florida must carry $10,000 of property damage liability, under Fla. Stat. § 324.022 (opens in a new tab). A policy with at least $30,000 of combined property damage and bodily injury liability also meets that section. Our article on Florida car insurance requirements covers the coverage every registered vehicle needs.

Why did FLHSMV require an SR-22?

The reason is on your FLHSMV notice and case record. Situations that can lead to an SR-22 include an uninsured crash, a suspension for failing to keep required insurance, a qualifying conviction, an unpaid judgment from a crash or another financial-responsibility sanction.

Two statutes show how this works. When a license is suspended or revoked under the conviction and point provisions of Chapter 322, FLHSMV also suspends the registrations in that person's name unless the person had the required coverage on the date of the offense or gives and keeps proof of financial responsibility, under Fla. Stat. § 324.072 (opens in a new tab). After a crash, each owner and operator must furnish evidence of liability insurance within 14 days after FLHSMV's crash notice, and the insurer has 20 days to confirm or deny it, under Fla. Stat. § 324.091 (opens in a new tab).

If your notice came from a lapse in PIP or property damage liability, our article on Florida driving without insurance walks through the lapse process and its own reinstatement fees.

Is your case an SR-22 or an FR-44?

Your case number tells you. FLHSMV case numbers that begin with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 need an SR-22, and case numbers that begin with an X need an FR-44, according to FLHSMV's insurance procedures manual (opens in a new tab). The X marks a DUI conviction case.

The FR-44 carries much higher limits. Florida requires $100,000 for injury or death of one person, $300,000 for two or more people and $50,000 for property damage after a DUI conviction or plea, under Fla. Stat. § 324.023 (opens in a new tab). Our article on Florida FR-44 insurance covers that filing step by step.

If your notice is unclear about which form you need, ask FLHSMV before you buy the policy, so the agency files the right certificate the first time.

Where do you find your Florida case number?

The financial-responsibility case number is on your FLHSMV notice. You can also get it through MyDMVPortal (opens in a new tab), which FLHSMV names as the place to obtain a financial-responsibility case number on its security deposit refund form (opens in a new tab).

The complete number matters. FLHSMV requires the complete case number for certain SR-22 records, including PIP and property damage liability cases, according to its procedures manual (opens in a new tab), and the first character tells the agency whether to file an SR-22 or an FR-44. If the number is missing from your notice and you can't find it in MyDMVPortal, contact FLHSMV before you buy the policy.

How does the insurer file the SR-22?

Give the licensed agent your identifying information, your Florida driver license number, the complete financial-responsibility case number and the form FLHSMV requires. The insurer then submits the filing to FLHSMV.

Filings are electronic. FLHSMV assigns separate electronic transaction codes to SR-22 and FR-44 filings in its procedures manual (opens in a new tab), and insurers report SR-22 and FR-44 records, including cancellations, through that system.

Ask the agent how the filing will be submitted, what information is still needed and when FLHSMV should show it on your record. Ask about any charge for the filing at the same time. Then confirm with FLHSMV that the filing posted before you assume your case is clear.

How long do you need an SR-22 in Florida?

The period depends on your sanction and your FLHSMV case record. Some periods are written into the statutes. Under Fla. Stat. § 324.131 (opens in a new tab), a person suspended over an unpaid crash judgment must give proof of financial responsibility and maintain it for three years, and a person whose license was suspended or revoked for DUI must keep liability coverage on each registered vehicle and maintain proof for three years.

FLHSMV's procedures manual (opens in a new tab) tells insurers that SR-22 and FR-44 filings must be maintained continuously for three years from the original suspension date of the case. Your notice still controls the start and end dates for your case.

Getting your license back doesn't by itself end the filing. Ask FLHSMV to confirm the exact expiration date for your case number, and keep the policy in force until that date.

What happens if the policy lapses or is canceled?

A lapse during the filing period can lead FLHSMV to suspend your license or registration again. Each insurer doing business in Florida must notify FLHSMV right away when it issues a liability policy to restore a license suspended after a crash, under § 324.091(2) (opens in a new tab), and insurers also report SR-22 cancellations to FLHSMV through the electronic system.

Florida's electronic insurance verification law adds a notice to you. Since July 1, 2023, the state's electronic credentialing system has had to show your registration and insurance information, notify you of any lapse that affects financial-responsibility compliance and let you update your policy information, under Fla. Stat. § 324.252 (opens in a new tab). The same law required FLHSMV to send the Legislature recommendations on electronic verification by October 1, 2023.

If your policy lapses, restore compliant coverage, have the insurer file again and complete the reinstatement steps in the suspension notice. The fee depends on the sanction, so confirm the amount on the notice or with FLHSMV before you pay. If you're changing companies, line up the new policy and filing before the old one ends; our article on how to switch car insurance covers the timing.

Can you get a non-owner SR-22?

You can ask an agent about a non-owner auto policy with the SR-22 filing if you don't own a vehicle. The policy has to satisfy the exact requirement and case type on your FLHSMV record. A non-owner policy generally doesn't insure a vehicle you own, and it doesn't automatically meet every SR-22 or FR-44 requirement.

If you own and register a vehicle in Florida, a non-owner policy does not suffice, and the vehicles must be listed on the policy and the certificate, according to FLHSMV's June 24, 2021 insurance industry call minutes (opens in a new tab). Give the agent your case number and notice, list every vehicle in your name and confirm with FLHSMV that the proposed filing will be accepted before you rely on it.

Can an insurer turn you down?

The filing requirement is a state rule. Whether to write the policy is the insurer's decision. All insurance companies use guidelines to decide whether an applicant is eligible, and the company sets the final premium after underwriting, according to the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) page on purchasing insurance (opens in a new tab). An SR-22 requirement points to a driving-record or financial-responsibility issue that insurers weigh under their own rules, so it can affect eligibility, policy terms and price.

DFS advises verifying that agents and companies are licensed, answering applications accurately and keeping in mind that a quote is an estimate the company can change based on its current rating factors and underwriting guidelines. If one insurer declines, ask another licensed agency.

How do you reinstate a suspended Florida license?

The general sequence:

1. Identify the suspension reason and your financial-responsibility case number.
2. Satisfy the underlying crash, judgment, conviction, insurance or court requirement.
3. Get the required proof of financial responsibility.
4. Have the insurer submit the filing or policy notice to FLHSMV.
5. Pay the reinstatement fee and any other amount FLHSMV shows.
6. Confirm that your license and registration are restored before you drive.

Florida requires proof of financial responsibility before certain suspended licenses and registrations can be reinstated or renewed, under Fla. Stat. § 324.071 (opens in a new tab) and § 324.072 (opens in a new tab). The fee varies by suspension type:

Other fees can apply to the same record, such as DUI or court-related charges. Check the amount on your notice or with FLHSMV before you send payment.

How do you check an agent or file a complaint?

Use the Florida insurance license lookup (opens in a new tab) to verify an agent or agency before you share documents or pay. DFS also lists the companies authorized to write insurance in Florida on its consumer resources page (opens in a new tab).

For a complaint about an insurer or agent, contact the DFS Division of Consumer Services through its contact page (opens in a new tab) or the Insurance Consumer Helpline at 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (1-877-693-5236). Callers from outside Florida can use (850) 413-3089. Keep your policy, notices, case number, letters and payment records together.

DFS publishes consumer guides in Spanish, including its automobile insurance toolkit, on the DFS consumer guides page (opens in a new tab), and the helpline can point you to current Spanish materials.

Questions to ask an agent

• Which form does FLHSMV require for my case, SR-22 or FR-44?
• What is my complete financial-responsibility case number, and what does its first character mean?
• What limits must the policy carry for this case?
• Will you submit the filing to FLHSMV electronically?
• What documents and identification do you need from me?
• How will I confirm that FLHSMV received the filing?
• What happens if the policy is canceled or I miss a payment?
• Can a non-owner policy satisfy this specific case?
• What expiration date does FLHSMV show for the filing?
• Which records should I keep?
• Are you and the agency licensed in Florida?
• Which company is issuing the policy, and is it authorized in Florida?

Riskado's directory lists insurance agencies in Florida by city and by category, so you can find a local agency to ask.

Frequently asked questions

Does Florida use an SR-22 or an FR-44?

Both. Florida uses the SR-22 for many financial-responsibility cases at limits of at least 10/20/10, and the FR-44 for DUI cases at 100/300/50, under § 324.023 (opens in a new tab). A case number that begins with X calls for the FR-44.

Does reinstating my license end the SR-22?

No. The filing has to stay active for the full period on your case, which is three years in the situations written into § 324.131 (opens in a new tab). Ask FLHSMV for the expiration date tied to your case number before you cancel anything.

Will a policy lapse during the SR-22 period cause a new suspension?

It can. The insurer reports the cancellation to FLHSMV, and Florida's electronic credentialing system notifies you of a lapse that affects your compliance, under § 324.252 (opens in a new tab). Replace the coverage and have the new insurer file before the gap leads to a suspension.

How quickly do I have to respond after a crash notice?

Within 14 days. Each owner and operator in a crash case must furnish evidence of liability insurance within 14 days after FLHSMV's notice, under § 324.091 (opens in a new tab). FLHSMV then asks the insurer to confirm the coverage, and the insurer has 20 days to answer.

Keeping the filing in place

Read the notice, pull the complete case number and check its first character, then ask a licensed agency for a policy and the matching filing. Confirm that FLHSMV posted it, keep the policy active through the expiration date FLHSMV gives you, and replace coverage before any gap opens. Each of those steps protects the license you just got back.