Whether you received a DUI driving a car or motorcycle, operating a boat or jet ski, or some other vehicle, the requirements to reinstate your license are going to include proof of liability insurance. Even if a DUI was received while riding your bicycle, or as a passenger in a car, which really does happen, the consequences are still the same. Insurance requirements to reinstate license are a minimum of $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident for Bodily Injury Liability and $50,000 for Property Damage Liability (100/300/50). Unless this type of coverage was in effect, on a valid policy at the time of DUI, a Florida FR44 filing to the Bureau of Financial Responsibility will need to be included in a new policy for insurance.
A new policy does not necessarily mean a new car insurance policy. No matter what you were driving or doing to receive a DUI, you can fulfill insurance requirements for license reinstatement with a variety of policies. Any way you decide to "get around" after a DUI, even if it is walking, liability insurance will be required to get your license reinstated. Because of strict underwriting (qualifying) and increased costs associated with a DUI, many convicted drivers will switch from driving a car to riding a motorcycle, scooter, or public transportation. How much insurance goes up after a DUI depends heavily on the type of policy purchased.
Insurance coverage and underwriting requirements, other than the FR44 requirements, varies for different policy types. For example; Florida No-Fault law requires PIP insurance coverage for cars and trucks, while exempting vehicles with less than four wheels. A policy without a vehicle at all, called a non-owners policy, also does not include PIP and the varied policy types can be used to submit a Florida FR44 filing. Since PIP benefits extend to relatives and household residents, companies scrutinize them to determine eligibility and rate calculation. Policies that are exempt from Florida No-Fault avoids the underwriting hassle and inflated expense associated with PIP altogether.
On a car insurance policy with FR44 filing there can be no excluded drivers and the premium must be paid in full because they can not be canceled. Here again, different rulings for different policy types can be a real "life saver" for the convicted driver. Being able to exclude a youthful operator or spouse from a policy, or being able to make payments, can be the difference between affording a policy and cashing in your 401K.
A policyholder accustomed to maintaining Florida minimum liability requirements of 10/20/10 experiences "sticker shock" when they find out they need to elevate their liability ten times to 100/300/50. For many people a driver license is not just a privilege but a necessity, like those who need a valid license to keep their job. Simply doing without insurance after a DUI is not a choice for them and a typical car insurance policy with FR44 may not be affordable. Thankfully they have alternatives for buying insurance without a car to file their FR44 and receive a reinstated license.