Being convicted of a DUI or DWI is the most serious offense that can remain on your license, no matter where you live. Florida drivers can face several civil penalties for DUI, including fines and jail time. In addition, your car insurance premiums could increase for at least three to five years. Bankrate’s team of insurance editors is here to help you make the best decision for your car insurance by taking a closer look at what happens if you drink drive in Florida.
Florida Drinking and Driving Laws
Florida DUI penalties are not uniform. The penalties for DUI in Florida depend primarily on your driving history and the severity of the offense. If you want to know what the penalties for DUI in Florida are, Bankrate has the answer.
According to Florida Statute 316.193, a first DUI conviction typically carries a fine of $500 to $1,000 and up to six months in jail. A second conviction can carry a fine of $1,000 to $2,000 and up to nine months in jail. In some cases, the court may allow you to serve your sentence in a court-approved substance abuse facility. If you are convicted of DUI, your license will likely be revoked, and the revocation period can range from 180 days to permanently.
Multiple DUI convictions can result in increased fines, longer license suspensions, and even longer prison time.
Additional penalties for DUI in Florida may include:
- Vehicle Impoundment
- 50 hours of community service
- Substance Abuse Treatment Programs
- Drink driving training
- Installation of a breathalyzer ignition interlock device at the convicted person’s expense.
How drinking and driving in Florida affects your car insurance
Insurance companies are in the business of risk, and they generally charge higher premiums for drivers who are more likely to be risky. That’s why drivers who have been convicted of traffic violations or drink driving offenses usually pay higher premiums. Insurance companies believe that drivers who have been convicted of traffic violations or drink driving offenses are more likely to have accidents or claims in the future than drivers who have not been convicted, and so they charge higher premiums to cover this eventuality.
In some cases, insurance companies will deny insurance to drivers who have had one or more DUI convictions, so you may need to purchase insurance from an insurance company that specializes in high-risk drivers.
The chart below shows that, on average, insurance premiums can increase significantly for drivers with even one DUI offense, both in Florida and nationwide.
| Florida | $3,451 | $5,457 | 58% |
| National average | $2,329 | $4,772 | 105% |
How to Find Car Insurance After a DUI in Florida
Insurance rates vary from one auto insurance company to another, and so do premiums after a DUI. To help guide you in finding affordable insurance after a DUI conviction, Bankrate’s insurance editorial team researched rate data from the largest insurance companies in Florida from Quadrant Information Services. They then rated each company based on customer service and financial strength ratings, coverage, and other criteria to give them a Bankrate Score out of 5.
If you are convicted of DUI in Florida, one of the penalties you will likely face is being required to carry an FR-44, which usually means an increase in the amount of liability insurance you carry, and your premiums may differ from the averages listed below.
| Allstate | 3.9/5 | $1,402 | $5,001 |
| Geico | 4.4/5 | $1,552 | $4,826 |
| Car owners | 4.3/5 | $3,581 | $1,296 |
| progressive | 4.4/5 | $1,535 | $3,436 |
| State Farm | 4.3/5 | $1,793 | $4,620 |
What is FR-44 foam?
The FR-44 form or certificate is a document used in Virginia and Florida that is submitted to the DMV by your insurance company to prove to the DMV that you have adequate insurance.
FR-44 insurance is mandatory if you have ever been convicted of a serious traffic offense, such as DUI. FR-44 drivers will likely have a harder time finding coverage and higher premiums. You may need to look for high-risk insurance. FR-44 insurance in Florida requires drivers to carry at least 100/300/50 liability insurance. This looks like this:
- $100,000 bodily injury liability per person per accident
- Total bodily injury compensation per accident is $300,000
- Property damage liability of $50,000 per accident
These are a higher level of coverage than Florida’s minimum insurance and are designed to provide adequate coverage to drivers who have been shown to engage in risky behavior.Drivers are typically required to carry the FR-44 for three years.
FAQ
Methodology
Bankrate uses Quadrant Information Services to analyze August 2024 rates for every zip code and insurer in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Rates are weighted based on population density in each area. Estimated rates are based on a 40-year-old male and female solo driver with a no-accident record, good credit, and the following full coverage limits:
- $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
- Bodily injury liability of $300,000 per accident
- Property damage liability of $50,000 per accident
- $100,000 per person in bodily injury claims caused by uninsured motorists
- Uninsured motorist bodily injury compensation of $300,000 per accident
- $500 collision deductible
- $500 comprehensive deductible
To determine the minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used the minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements: Our base profile driver owns a 2022 Toyota Camry, commutes to work five days a week, and drives 12,000 miles per year.
These are sample rates and should be used for comparison purposes only.
Incident: Rates were calculated by assessing a baseline profile that applied the following incidents: single DUI conviction;
Bankrate Score
The 2024 Bankrate Score considers variables that the insurance editorial team believes influence a policyholder’s experience with their insurer. These rating factors include a robust assessment of each company’s product availability, financial strength rating, online features, and accessibility of customer and claims support. Each factor is added to a category, and these categories are weighted in a tiered approach to analyze a company’s performance in the key categories that impact customers.
Each category is assigned a metric to judge performance, and the weighted sum adds up to a company’s total Bankrate score out of 5. Our scoring model provides a comprehensive view, showing where companies excel and underperform in several key areas.
- Tier 1 (cost and valuation): To determine how well auto and home insurers meet these priorities, average premium quotes from Quadrant Information Services (where available) and the most recent third-party ratings from J.D. Power, AM Best, Demotech and the NAIC were analyzed.
- Tier 2 (Coverage and Savings): To help policyholders find a provider that offers the best balance between cost and coverage, we evaluated each company’s coverage options and availability, as well as the discount options listed on each company’s website.
- Tier 3 (Support): To cover the various ways auto insurers can support their policyholders, we analyzed customer access measures and community support. The analysis incorporated additional financial strength ratings from S&P and Moody’s and considered the company’s sustainability efforts.
Tier scores are unweighted and represent a company’s actual score in each category out of 5 points.
