How Will My Florida DUI Affect My Car Insurance?

Driving under the influence (DUI) in Florida is a serious offense, the consequences of which can be both embarrassing and expensive. Aside from the fines, attorney fees and driver's license suspension, there are the more long-term consequences, such as the impact on your car insurance rates and coverage.

Insurance Rates After a Florida DUI Conviction

To start, a Florida DUI conviction will cause your car insurance rates to increase radically for the next 5 years, and may also make it more costly to obtain other forms of insurance, including:

• Life insurance;
• Medical insurance; and
• Disability insurance.

Contact a Jacksonville DUI attorney to find out more about how a Florida DUI conviction will affect your car insurance rates.

If you are convicted of a Florida DUI, your insurance company will likely find out about it and will deal with your conviction in 1 of 2 ways:

• Your rates will go up; or
• The company will cancel your policy.

If your insurance company raises your rates but keeps you as an insured client, you will likely be labeled a "high-risk driver."

Higher Car Insurance Premiums

Your Florida car insurance premiums may increase by 200% to 300% compared to what you were paying before your Florida DUI conviction. It's also possible that your car insurance company will cancel your policy or fail to renew your policy when it expires. If this happens, the mere fact that your auto insurance was canceled will also result in increased premiums when you go to buy new car insurance.

For many, such dramatic increases in car insurance premiums make it difficult to maintain car insurance at all. Unfortunately, not having car insurance also carries serious consequences as a lapse in your car insurance coverage in Florida will result in an automatic suspension of your driver's license.

FR-44 Form

After a Florida DUI conviction, your license will be suspended by the court. To reinstate your Florida driver's license, you will have to obtain a FR-44 form from your car insurance company.

The Florida FR-44 form is a certificate of continuing financial responsibility that shows the limits of your car liability insurance. This form must be kept on file with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FDHSMV) for 3 years after any driver's license revocation. The Florida FR-44 form also requires your car insurance company to notify the FDHSMV in the event that your car insurance is canceled, has been terminated, or lapses no matter what the reason is.

This form must be maintained for 3 years, and is required by the state of Florida. However, as soon as you ask for the FR-44, your car insurance company will know that your driver's license has been suspended for a Florida DUI conviction, and your status will be changed to high risk, causing the increased premiums.

Furthermore, you'll be forced to increase your car insurance policy in order to comply with Florida FR-44 liability limits, which are currently 100/300/50. The 100/300/50 limits means that you are required to have bodily injury liability insurance in the amount of:

• $100,000 per person;
• $300,000 per occurrence; and
• $50,000 property damage liability coverage.

This is 10 times the financial responsibility requirement for drivers without a DUI. This process is the last step in getting back a valid Florida license. Additionally, in order to reinstate your Florida driver's license, you must pay a reinstatement fee of $150 (for a first suspension), $250 (for a second suspension), or $500 (for a third suspension).

Contacting a Jacksonville DUI Defense Attorney

You don't need to face a criminal charge on your own. A Jacksonville DUI defense attorney from Sullivan & Hepler can help you to mount a solid defense in your Florida DUI case. Before you hire a DUI attorney, order this free guide; The State of Florida v. You: The Accused's Guide to Defending a Florida DUI Charge. To get started with your defense, contact us today at 904-384-8808 or 1-800-295-4193.