Car Insurance After a Hit and Run Conviction in Florida

A hit and run conviction under Florida Statutes § 316.027 (injury) or § 316.061 (property damage) triggers mandatory license revocation for a minimum of 3 years if injury or death occurred, or 6 months to 3 years if only property damage. This is not a suspension — it's a revocation, meaning your driving privilege is canceled and you must reapply from scratch after the revocation period. There is no hardship license available during the revocation period for leaving the scene of an injury accident. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) will not reinstate your license until you complete the full revocation period, pay all reinstatement fees (typically $45 for revocation plus $100 for driving record clearance), and provide proof of SR-22 insurance filing. The conviction itself adds 6 points to your driving record under Florida's point system, though the revocation supersedes point-based suspension thresholds. You cannot legally drive or obtain insurance during the revocation period unless you successfully petition for reinstatement early — a process that requires court approval, completion of a driver improvement course, and proof of financial responsibility. Most drivers serve the full revocation term before beginning the reinstatement process, which means the 3-year clock starts from your conviction date, not from when you decide to get back on the road. Florida SR-22 insurance requirements

Florida requires SR-22 filing for 3 years following reinstatement after a hit and run conviction involving injury or death. The SR-22 is a certificate of financial responsibility your insurer files with FLHSMV proving you carry at least Florida's minimum liability limits: $10,000 bodily injury per person, $20,000 per accident, and $10,000 property damage. If your conviction involved only property damage, the SR-22 duration may be shorter or waived depending on court orders and prior driving history, but most hit and run convictions trigger the full 3-year requirement. The SR-22 filing fee ranges from $15 to $50 depending on the carrier, paid at policy inception and again at each renewal. Your 3-year SR-22 clock starts the day FLHSMV receives your filed certificate, not the day your license is reinstated. If your policy lapses or cancels during the 3-year period, your insurer is required to notify FLHSMV within 10 days, which triggers an immediate suspension until you refile. There are no hardship exceptions or early terminations for SR-22 — the full 3 years must pass with continuous coverage. Florida does not allow self-certification or operator's SR-22 filings unless you own no vehicles. If you own a vehicle, you must carry an owner's SR-22, which covers any vehicle you operate. Non-owner SR-22 policies are available if you don't own a car but need to satisfy the filing requirement to regain your license, and they typically cost $300–$600 per year for liability-only coverage.

A hit and run conviction is classified as a major violation by most carriers, triggering rate increases of 60% to 150% over your prior premium. The exact increase depends on whether your conviction involved injury, prior violations on your record, and the carrier's underwriting tier for high-risk drivers. Florida's average annual full coverage premium for a driver with a clean record is approximately $2,560; after a hit and run conviction, expect to pay $4,100–$6,400 per year for the same coverage. Most standard carriers — State Farm, GEICO, Progressive's preferred tier — will non-renew your policy after a hit and run conviction. You'll need to shop non-standard or assigned-risk carriers that specialize in high-risk drivers: Direct Auto, Acceptance Insurance, Freeway Insurance, and The General all write post-conviction policies in Florida. These carriers price hit and run convictions as aggressively as DUI in many cases, and you may be limited to state minimum liability limits for the first year of coverage. Rates remain elevated for 3–5 years after your conviction date, even after your SR-22 filing period ends. Florida's lookback period for major violations is typically 5 years, meaning the conviction will appear on your motor vehicle record (MVR) and affect your rates until it ages off. Defensive driving courses do not reduce points or shorten the SR-22 requirement for hit and run convictions in Florida, though some carriers may offer small discounts for completion. non-standard auto insurance

Once your license is reinstated and your SR-22 is filed, your first priority is securing any coverage that meets Florida's minimum liability limits. Start with non-standard carriers that specialize in post-conviction drivers: Direct Auto operates 40+ locations across Florida and writes same-day SR-22 policies; Acceptance Insurance and Freeway Insurance both offer immediate SR-22 filing with down payments as low as $100–$200. Avoid waiting until the day you need coverage — policies typically take 24–48 hours to process and file the SR-22 with FLHSMV. If no non-standard carrier will write you — uncommon but possible if you have multiple major violations — Florida offers the Florida Automobile Insurance Plan (FAIP), a state-mandated assigned-risk pool that guarantees coverage at higher rates. FAIP policies cost 25–50% more than the already-elevated non-standard market, but they fulfill your SR-22 requirement and allow you to drive legally while you rebuild your record. Shop at least three non-standard carriers before committing. Rate variation is extreme in this market — one carrier may quote $450/month while another quotes $280/month for identical coverage. Your goal for year one is to stay continuously insured without lapses, which preserves your SR-22 status and starts the clock on rate recovery. After 12 months of clean driving, start re-shopping: some standard carriers will consider you for their non-standard tiers once you demonstrate post-conviction stability. Never drive without active SR-22 coverage during your 3-year filing period. A lapse triggers immediate suspension, a new reinstatement fee, and restarts your SR-22 clock in some cases. Set up automatic payments and confirm your carrier files renewals with FLHSMV at each policy anniversary.

Your rates will not return to pre-conviction levels for 5–7 years in Florida. The hit and run conviction remains on your MVR for 5 years from the conviction date, and most carriers apply their highest surcharge multipliers for the first 3 years post-conviction. Expect gradual rate decreases starting in year 4, with the largest drop occurring when the conviction ages off your MVR entirely. Your SR-22 filing requirement ends after 3 continuous years, but the conviction's rating impact persists. Completing your SR-22 period without lapses is the single most important signal to underwriters that you've stabilized your risk profile. Once your SR-22 is released, re-shop immediately — many carriers price drivers differently once the SR-22 is satisfied, even if the underlying conviction is still on record. Accumulating any additional violations during your 5-year lookback period — even minor speeding tickets — will reset your risk tier with most carriers and delay rate recovery. Focus on maintaining a completely clean driving record from reinstatement forward. Consider usage-based insurance programs once you're eligible: telematics discounts can offset 10–20% of your premium if you demonstrate low-mileage, safe driving behavior, and some non-standard carriers now offer these programs to high-risk drivers after 12 months of coverage.