Auto Insurance With Points After a Hit and Run in Florida

Florida assesses 6 points for leaving the scene of a crash with property damage and 6 points for leaving the scene of a crash with injury under Florida Statutes 316.027 and 316.061. Both violations remain on your driving record for 3 years from the conviction date. The 6-point assessment applies regardless of whether the underlying crash was your fault. The points count toward Florida's suspension threshold of 12 points within 12 months, which triggers a 30-day license suspension. If you accumulate 18 points within 18 months, the suspension extends to 3 months. A hit and run conviction alone does not trigger suspension unless you already carry 6 or more points from prior violations within the same 12-month window. Florida distinguishes between misdemeanor hit and run with property damage and felony hit and run with injury or death. Insurance carriers review both the point total and the criminal classification when underwriting your policy. A felony hit and run typically moves you into non-standard market territory immediately, while a misdemeanor hit and run may allow you to remain with a standard carrier at a significantly higher rate.

A hit and run conviction triggers a surcharge that typically ranges from 50% to 150% above your base premium, depending on the carrier and whether the violation involved injury. Most Florida carriers apply the surcharge for 3 years from the conviction date, though some non-standard carriers extend the lookback period to 5 years. A driver paying $180/mo before the violation can expect a new premium between $270/mo and $450/mo after a hit and run conviction. The surcharge applies to liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage. Some carriers will non-renew your policy at the next renewal date rather than offer a surcharged renewal, forcing you into the non-standard market where premiums start higher. Carriers review your entire 3-year lookback window at each renewal. The surcharge typically decreases at the 2-year anniversary if no new violations occur, with full removal at the 3-year mark. If you add another violation during the surcharge period, carriers recalculate the total risk profile and the combined surcharge often exceeds the sum of individual violations.

Florida does not require SR-22 for a standalone hit and run conviction unless the violation triggers a license suspension and you need to reinstate. If your hit and run pushes you over Florida's 12-point threshold within 12 months, you must file SR-22 to reinstate after the suspension period ends. The filing requirement lasts for 3 years from the reinstatement date. SR-22 is a certificate your insurance carrier files with the Florida DMV confirming you carry at least the state's minimum liability limits: $10,000 bodily injury per person, $20,000 bodily injury per accident, and $10,000 property damage. The filing itself costs $15 to $25 through most carriers, but the underlying insurance premium increases because SR-22 signals high-risk status to underwriters. If you let your coverage lapse during the SR-22 filing period, your carrier notifies the Florida DMV and your license suspends immediately. Reinstatement requires paying a $15 reinstatement fee, filing new SR-22, and maintaining continuous coverage for the remainder of the 3-year requirement.

Most preferred carriers in Florida will non-renew or decline new applications after a hit and run conviction, particularly if the violation involved injury or if you carry multiple points. Standard carriers like State Farm and Allstate may offer renewal with a surcharge if the hit and run is your only violation and involved property damage only, but multi-point records typically push you into non-standard markets. Non-standard carriers that regularly write policies for drivers with hit and run convictions in Florida include Progressive, Dairyland, and The General. These carriers specialize in high-risk profiles and price the violation into their base rates rather than applying a separate surcharge. Monthly premiums typically start at $220/mo for minimum liability coverage and climb to $400/mo or more for full coverage depending on your vehicle and location. Shop at least 3 non-standard carriers before accepting a quote. Rate spreads between non-standard carriers for the same driver profile can exceed 40% in Florida. Use an independent agent who represents multiple non-standard markets rather than shopping direct with a single carrier.

Florida allows drivers to remove up to 5 points by completing a Basic Driver Improvement course once every 12 months, but the course does not erase the hit and run conviction from your record. The points reduction lowers your suspension risk if you're near the 12-point threshold, but carriers still see the conviction during underwriting and apply the surcharge based on the violation itself, not the adjusted point total. Request a rate review 12 months after your conviction date if you've remained violation-free. Some carriers reduce the surcharge incrementally after the first year even though the violation remains on your record. Others wait until the full 3-year period expires. Call your agent or carrier directly and ask whether early surcharge reduction is available under your policy terms. Increase your deductibles to offset the premium increase. Raising your collision deductible from $500 to $1,000 typically reduces your premium by 10% to 15%, which partially offsets the hit and run surcharge. Avoid dropping liability limits below Florida's legal minimums or eliminating collision and comprehensive coverage if you carry a loan or lease, as the lender requires full coverage and dropping it triggers a force-placed policy at a much higher cost.

The hit and run conviction remains on your Florida driving record for 3 years from the conviction date, and most carriers apply the surcharge for the entire 3-year period. Some carriers begin reducing the surcharge after 24 months if no new violations occur, but full removal typically requires the violation to age off your record completely. Your ability to move back into the preferred or standard carrier market depends on your total violation history during the 3-year lookback window. A single hit and run with no other violations often allows you to re-enter the standard market at the 3-year mark. A hit and run combined with speeding tickets, at-fault accidents, or additional point violations extends your time in the non-standard market to 5 years or longer. Shop for new quotes 30 days before the 3-year anniversary of your conviction date. Carriers pull your motor vehicle report at the time of quoting, and once the violation ages past the 3-year mark it no longer appears in the standard lookback window. You may qualify for significantly lower rates even if you've remained with the same carrier, as switching forces a fresh underwriting review under current state DMV point rules.