A second hit and run in Florida triggers felony charges, a 3-year license revocation, and mandatory FR-44 filing. Most preferred carriers decline at the second conviction, leaving non-standard markets as the only option until the revocation period ends.
What happens to your insurance after a second hit and run conviction in Florida
A second hit and run conviction in Florida is classified as a third-degree felony, triggering a 3-year driver license revocation and mandatory FR-44 filing for 3 years after reinstatement. Your current carrier will non-renew your policy within 30 to 60 days of the conviction appearing on your motor vehicle record, and you will need to find coverage in the non-standard market before reinstatement is possible.
Florida assigns 6 points for a first hit and run conviction, but a second conviction moves beyond the point system into habitual offender territory. The revocation is not eligible for hardship license relief during the first 12 months, meaning no driving privileges of any kind for the first year. After 12 months, you can apply for a hardship license if you can demonstrate enrollment in DUI school or advanced driver improvement courses, even though the underlying conviction was not alcohol-related.
FR-44 filing is required for 3 years from the date of reinstatement, not from the conviction date. The filing itself costs $15 to $25 depending on the carrier, but the liability coverage minimums required under FR-44—$100,000 bodily injury per person, $300,000 per accident, and $50,000 property damage—are double Florida's standard minimums. Most non-standard carriers price policies with these limits between $280 and $450 per month for a driver with two hit and run convictions.
Which carriers write policies after a second hit and run in Florida
Progressive, Dairyland, The General, and Bristol West are the primary non-standard carriers writing policies for drivers with two hit and run convictions in Florida. Preferred carriers including State Farm, GEICO, Allstate, and USAA will decline at application or non-renew existing policies once the second conviction posts to your record.
Non-standard carriers require FR-44 filing to be active before they will bind coverage, which means you must request the filing from the carrier at the time of purchase. The carrier files the FR-44 certificate electronically with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and coverage cannot begin until the filing is confirmed. If the FR-44 lapses at any point during the 3-year filing period due to non-payment or cancellation, the carrier is required to notify the state within 10 days, triggering an immediate suspension of your reinstated license.
Monthly premium ranges for a second hit and run conviction with FR-44 filing in Florida vary by carrier tier. Progressive quotes between $280 and $360 per month for state-minimum FR-44 limits. Dairyland and The General range from $320 to $450 per month. Bristol West typically falls between $300 and $420 per month. These rates assume no additional major violations in the past 3 years and a vehicle valued under $15,000.
Compare rates from carriers that work with drivers who have points
Standard carriers surcharge heavily after violations. These specialists price your specific record differently.
Get Your Free Quote✓ Violation Specialists✓ No Obligation✓ Licensed Carriers✓ All Point Levels
How long the second hit and run conviction affects your rates
The second hit and run conviction remains on your Florida driving record for 75 years, but insurance carriers apply surcharges based on a 3- to 5-year lookback period depending on the severity classification. Most non-standard carriers treat a second hit and run as a major conviction and apply a surcharge for 5 years from the conviction date, not the reinstatement date.
Your rates will remain in the non-standard market tier for the entire 3-year FR-44 filing period, even if no additional violations occur. After the FR-44 filing period ends and you have maintained continuous coverage without lapse, you can begin shopping standard-tier carriers, but most will still decline or surcharge heavily for an additional 2 years. The realistic timeline to return to preferred-tier pricing is 7 to 10 years from the second conviction date, assuming no new major violations.
Carriers recalculate surcharges at each renewal, so if you complete the FR-44 period without incident and reach the 5-year mark from the conviction date, you can request re-rating. Some non-standard carriers reduce surcharges incrementally after year 3 and year 5, but the reduction is typically 10% to 15%, not a return to clean-record pricing.
What FR-44 filing costs and how it works in Florida
FR-44 filing in Florida requires continuous liability coverage of $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $50,000 for property damage. The filing fee itself is $15 to $25 depending on the carrier, but the elevated liability limits increase the base premium significantly compared to Florida's standard 10/20/10 minimums.
The FR-44 certificate must remain active and on file with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles for 3 consecutive years from your reinstatement date. If you cancel your policy, switch carriers without overlapping coverage, or allow a lapse due to non-payment, the carrier notifies the state within 10 days and your license is suspended immediately. Reinstatement after an FR-44 lapse requires paying a $45 reinstatement fee, re-filing the FR-44, and restarting the 3-year filing clock from the new reinstatement date.
You cannot switch from FR-44 to standard liability coverage during the 3-year period, even if you sell your vehicle or move out of state temporarily. Florida tracks the filing requirement by driver license number, and the requirement follows you regardless of vehicle ownership or insurance status changes.
Whether a defensive driving course or point reduction helps after a second hit and run
Florida's Basic Driver Improvement course removes up to 3 points from your driving record and can be taken once every 12 months, but it does not reduce the impact of a felony hit and run conviction on your insurance rates. The course affects your DMV point total, which may prevent a suspension if you are approaching the 12-point threshold within 12 months, but carriers price based on the conviction itself, not the point balance.
Completing the course after a second hit and run conviction will not change your non-standard market placement or reduce the FR-44 filing requirement. The 3-year revocation and 3-year FR-44 period are tied to the felony classification, which is not eligible for point-based reduction programs. The course may still be required as part of your hardship license application after the first 12 months of revocation, but it does not accelerate reinstatement or reduce surcharges.
Some non-standard carriers offer a 5% to 10% discount for completing an advanced driver improvement course during the policy term, but the discount applies to the base premium after the conviction surcharge is already factored in. The savings are typically $15 to $25 per month, and the discount does not change your market tier or eligibility for preferred carriers.
What to do immediately after the second conviction
Contact a non-standard carrier within 7 days of receiving notice of your license revocation to establish future coverage and lock in a quote before the conviction posts to your insurance record. Carriers can provide a future-dated quote that binds once your reinstatement date is confirmed, and securing the quote early prevents price increases that occur when conviction details are publicly recorded.
Request an SR-22 or FR-44 certificate application packet from the carrier at the time of quoting, even if your reinstatement is months away. The carrier will prepare the filing documents and submit them electronically once you pay the first month's premium and provide proof of reinstatement eligibility from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The filing must be active before the state will process your reinstatement application, so coordinating timing between the carrier and the DMV is critical.
Do not allow any gap in coverage during the revocation period, even though you are not legally permitted to drive. If you own a vehicle, maintain a parked-car or storage policy with liability coverage to preserve your insurance history. A coverage gap longer than 30 days during the revocation period will result in higher quotes when you reinstate, as carriers treat gaps as an additional risk signal independent of the underlying conviction.
