Updated March 2026
What Is Liability Insurance Insurance?
Liability insurance has two components: bodily injury liability, which pays medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and legal defense if you injure someone in an accident you cause, and property damage liability, which pays to repair or replace another driver's vehicle or damaged property like fences, mailboxes, or storefronts. Your FR-44 mandates higher liability limits than standard drivers carry — Florida requires $100,000 per person injured, $300,000 per accident, and $50,000 property damage; Virginia requires $50,000/$100,000/$40,000. These limits represent the maximum your policy will pay per accident, and you are personally responsible for any amount exceeding those limits.
- The other driver sustains $45,000 in medical bills and misses six weeks of work, totaling $8,000 in lost wages. Their vehicle requires $14,000 in repairs. Your bodily injury liability pays the $53,000 in medical and wage costs (within your per-person limit), and property damage liability pays the $14,000 vehicle repair. Because your FR-44 minimums are $100,000/$300,000/$50,000 in Florida or $50,000/$100,000/$40,000 in Virginia, this claim is fully covered with no out-of-pocket expense to you.
- You cause a chain-reaction collision injuring three people. Driver one has $70,000 in medical expenses, driver two has $55,000, and a passenger in the third vehicle has $90,000. Total bodily injury claims are $215,000. In Florida, your $300,000 per-accident limit covers all three claims fully. In Virginia, your $100,000 per-accident limit pays out in full, but you are personally liable for the remaining $115,000 — which is why many FR-44 drivers consider higher limits if their assets exceed the minimums.
- You lose control on your residential street and crash into your own fence and mailbox, causing $6,000 in property damage. Your vehicle sustains $9,000 in damage. Liability insurance pays nothing — it only covers damage you cause to others' property and injuries to other people. You would need collision coverage to repair your vehicle and homeowners insurance to repair your fence.
Who Needs Liability Insurance Insurance?
You are legally required to carry liability insurance at FR-44 minimums for three years from your license reinstatement date in Florida or three years from your conviction date in Virginia — this is non-negotiable for reinstatement. Even if you do not own a vehicle, you must obtain a non-owner FR-44 liability policy to satisfy DMV filing requirements and regain your driving privileges.
Your only decision is whether to carry liability limits above the FR-44 minimums — if you own significant assets like a home, retirement accounts, or investment property, consider 250/500/100 or higher to protect against personal liability exceeding policy limits. If you do not own a vehicle, obtain a non-owner FR-44 policy immediately to begin your three-year filing clock and avoid extending your suspension period.
How Much Does Liability Insurance Insurance Cost?
For FR-44 drivers in Florida and Virginia, liability insurance at required minimums typically costs $200–$600 per month, or approximately $2,400–$7,200 annually, depending on driving history severity and other rating factors.
- Your DUI conviction and conviction date directly impact liability premiums — insurers classify you as high-risk, which elevates base rates for the full three-year FR-44 filing period.
- Required FR-44 liability limits are two to four times higher than standard state minimums, which increases premium cost proportionally compared to basic coverage.
- Additional violations or at-fault accidents beyond the DUI conviction compound the rate increase — even minor infractions during your FR-44 period can raise premiums significantly.
- Location within Florida or Virginia affects rates — urban areas with higher accident frequency and repair costs typically result in higher liability premiums.
- Credit-based insurance scores are used in both Florida and Virginia, and a lower score can add 25–50% to your liability premium even with the same driving record.
- Whether you need owner or non-owner FR-44 — non-owner policies provide only liability coverage and typically cost $100–$300 per month, which is often less expensive than insuring a vehicle you own.