Both forms do the same job. After a suspension, an unsatisfied judgment or certain convictions, a state wants proof in writing that you are insured, and it wants that proof from the insurer, not from you. The SR-22 is the ordinary version; Virginia ties its limits to the state’s ordinary minimum. Florida and Virginia require the FR-44 for DUI-related convictions, and it demands more: 100/300/50 in Florida, double the statutory minimum in Virginia. Neither one is a policy. The certificate rides on a policy, and when that policy cancels, the insurer tells the state and the suspension comes back. How long it stays on file varies by state: three years for Florida’s FR-44, Virginia’s filings and California’s uninsured-accident case; two in Texas. If you don’t own a car, an operator’s (non-owner) policy carries the filing.
What both forms do
Trip a state’s financial responsibility law and the state stops taking your word for it; it wants a certificate from the insurer. Florida describes the SR-22 as an insurance filing certifying bodily injury and property damage liability to meet the reinstatement requirements of its Financial Responsibility Law. Virginia calls the SR-22 the AAMVA Uniform Financial Responsibility Insurance Form and the FR-44 the Uniform Financial Responsibility Certificate, and tells drivers to have the insurer file either one electronically with the DMV.
The certificate is not the policy. California’s DMV says outright that a copy of your policy or your application cannot be accepted in place of the California Insurance Proof Certificate (form SR 22/SR 1P). The certificate is the insurer’s statement that the coverage is there and that the state will hear if it goes away. Underwriters treat a filing request as a flag; expect questions about what triggered it and when it ends.
Where the FR-44 comes from
Florida and Virginia use the FR-44, and both tie it to driving under the influence.
- Florida. For a DUI conviction after October 1, 2007, the state requires an FR-44 showing bodily injury liability of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per crash plus $50,000 property damage liability, or a $350,000 combined single limit. The driver must keep the FR-44 in force for three years from the date the driving privilege is reinstated. Florida Statute 324.023 sets the same 100/300/50 figures and the three-year minimum; the state’s ordinary floor is $10,000 of personal injury protection and $10,000 of property damage liability.
- Virginia. The FR-44 applies to convictions under § 18.2-266 (driving under the influence), § 18.2-51.4 (maiming while under the influence) and § 18.2-272 (driving while suspended or revoked for a DUI-related offense), for convictions on or after January 1, 2008. Virginia writes the FR-44 limit as a multiplier, not a dollar figure: the form itself prints none and cites § 46.2-316, which requires not less than double the minimum limits in § 46.2-472 for three years from the date the driver is otherwise entitled to a license.
That doubling rule is why Virginia FR-44 limits moved. Section 46.2-472 set the minimum at $30,000/$60,000/$20,000 for policies effective January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2024, and at $50,000/$100,000/$25,000 for policies effective January 1, 2025 and later. Doubled, a Virginia FR-44 policy effective in 2025 or later carries $100,000/$200,000/$50,000. The DMV’s reinstatement guide, revised July 2026, still prints older FR-44 figures ($50,000/$100,000/$40,000), so go by the statute and what your insurer certifies.
What the SR-22 certifies, and why
The SR-22 is the form for everything else. Virginia, for one, ties it to the ordinary minimum: SR-22 limits are those in § 46.2-472, the section that sets the minimum for an owner’s policy.
- Virginia requires an SR-22 for an unsatisfied judgment, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, or failing to maintain insurance coverage on your vehicle, among other triggers.
- California requires proof of financial responsibility after an accident you were uninsured for: a one-year suspension first, then three years of proof as a condition of reinstatement. More on the California SR-22.
- Texas keeps an SR-22 on file for conviction-based suspensions, for crash cases where security was deposited, and for judgment cases.
- Florida uses the SR-22 to meet its Financial Responsibility Law’s reinstatement requirements, and keeps the FR-44 for DUI.
How long the filing stays on
Varies by state, and by what triggered it. Three years is the figure for Florida’s FR-44 (counted from reinstatement), for Virginia’s filings (from the end of the suspension or revocation, or from the date a judgment is satisfied) and for California’s uninsured-accident case (after the one-year suspension). Texas keeps an SR-22 on file for two years, counted from the crash, the most recent conviction or the judgment. Keep the notice the state sent you; your insurer will want to see which clock applies before it files.
What happens if the policy lapses
The certificate comes with an obligation to report. In Texas, the insurer submits form SR-26 to notify the department of a cancellation; if the SR-22 is still required when the SR-26 arrives, that filing can start suspension action. Virginia’s DMV says that if the policy is canceled during the three-year period, the insurer sends a notice of cancellation or termination and the DMV suspends or revokes the driving privilege until a current SR-22 or FR-44 is provided. California suspends effective upon notice.
Two practical consequences. First, if you switch insurers mid-period, have the new certificate on file before the old policy cancels; California’s DMV gives exactly that instruction. Second, a cancellation for nonpayment is still a cancellation. Texas adds that a conviction for driving without liability insurance, with an offense date after the filing date, makes the SR-22 itself invalid.
No car? Operator’s (non-owner) filings
You can owe a filing without owning a vehicle. Virginia’s reinstatement guide says that if you do not own one you must file an operator’s policy, which lets the licensed driver named on the certificate operate vehicles and insures no vehicle. California’s SR 22 can be written as an owner’s policy (only vehicles registered in your name), an operator’s policy (only vehicles you do not own) or broad coverage (all vehicles, whether you own them or not). Texas requires the certificate to list all owned vehicles or indicate a non-owner policy.
If you do own a car, the opposite rule applies: Virginia requires every vehicle you own to be listed on the SR-22 or FR-44. How I shop personal auto coverage, and state-by-state pages.
Common questions
Which states use the FR-44?
Florida and Virginia. Both tie it to DUI-related convictions and both require limits above the ordinary minimum. I have not seen another state’s motor vehicle agency ask for one; the other states on this page use the SR-22.
What limits does an FR-44 require?
Florida: $100,000 per person and $300,000 per crash bodily injury plus $50,000 property damage, or a $350,000 combined single limit. Virginia: not less than double the § 46.2-472 minimum, which for policies effective January 1, 2025 and later is $50,000/$100,000/$25,000, so the FR-44 policy carries $100,000/$200,000/$50,000.
How long do I have to keep an SR-22 or FR-44?
Varies by state and trigger. Florida’s FR-44 runs three years from reinstatement, Virginia’s filings three years from the end of the suspension or the satisfaction of a judgment, California’s three years after an uninsured-accident suspension, and Texas keeps an SR-22 on file for two years.
What happens if my policy cancels during the filing period?
The insurer has to tell the state. Texas uses form SR-26 for that; Virginia calls it a notice of cancellation or termination. The state then suspends until a new certificate is on file, and California says the suspension takes effect upon notice.
Can I get an SR-22 or FR-44 without owning a car?
Yes. Virginia requires an operator’s policy if you do not own a vehicle, California offers an operator’s policy covering only vehicles you do not own, and Texas allows the certificate to indicate a non-owner policy.
Sources
- Florida HSMV: DUI frequently asked questions (FR-44 limits and three-year period)
- Florida HSMV: Florida insurance requirements (SR-22 defined; $10,000 PIP and $10,000 PDL minimums)
- Florida Statutes § 324.023: proof of financial responsibility after a DUI conviction (100/300/50, three-year minimum)
- Virginia DMV: SR-22 and FR-44 financial responsibility certifications (triggers, limits tied to § 46.2-472, January 1, 2008 date)
- Virginia DMV: A Guide to Reinstating Your Virginia Driving Privilege, DMV 292 rev. 07/01/2026 (form names, three-year period, cancellation notice, operator’s policy, printed figures)
- Virginia DMV: FR-44 Uniform Financial Responsibility Certificate form (cites § 46.2-316 C, double the § 46.2-472 minimums; no dollar figure printed)
- Code of Virginia § 46.2-316: double-minimum proof for three years after DUI-related convictions
- Code of Virginia § 46.2-472: coverage of owner’s policy (2022–2024 and 2025+ minimum limits)
- California DMV: SR 104, Important Facts About the Compulsory Financial Responsibility Law (uninsured-accident suspension, SR 22 policy types, cancellation)
- 37 Texas Administrative Code § 25.6: Financial Responsibility Certificate, Form SR-22 (two-year periods, SR-26, vehicle listing)
General information about SR-22 and FR-44 financial responsibility filings as of October 2026, not legal advice; each state’s motor vehicle agency and statutes control, and limits and filing periods change. Coverage depends on underwriting and the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy actually issued.