Quick answer: Yes — and for once it’s real. Florida’s five largest auto insurers are averaging roughly an 8% rate decrease for 2026, and dozens of companies have filed reductions with the state. FR-44 drivers share in that, because a filing doesn’t move you into a separate pricing world. What it doesn’t do is lower your bill automatically. Decreases apply at renewal, not mid-term, and your own record still drives most of your number.
I’ve been asked this question more in the last year than in the previous ten combined, and I understand why. If you’ve been carrying an FR-44 through the last few Florida renewal cycles, you’ve watched your premium go one direction: up. So when the news starts reporting that rates are finally falling, the natural reaction isn’t relief. It’s suspicion. Sure — for everybody else.
That reaction is fair. It’s also, this time, wrong.
Rates really are coming down in Florida, and FR-44 drivers are not sitting outside that. But there’s a gap between “the market improved” and “my bill got smaller,” and understanding that gap is the difference between catching the savings and missing them entirely.
What Actually Changed
Florida spent years as one of the hardest insurance markets in the country. Litigation costs, assignment-of-benefits abuse, hurricane losses, and reinsurance expenses stacked on top of each other until Florida became one of the most expensive states in the U.S. to insure a car. Anyone who bought a policy here between roughly 2021 and 2024 felt that.
The legislative reforms of 2022 and 2023 changed the math underneath all of it. Insurance litigation has dropped sharply — filings are down more than 35% since 2021 — and those savings have started reaching policyholders. When carriers stop losing money on lawsuits, they eventually stop pricing for lawsuits.
The numbers reflect it. Over the past year, 42 personal auto insurance companies have filed for rate decreases in Florida, with 32 of those filings coming in a single six-month stretch. Florida’s five largest auto writers — which together account for 78% of the state’s auto market — are indicating an average rate change of about -8% for 2026, with one group indicating a decrease as steep as -16.5%. Florida also posted the lowest personal auto liability loss ratio in the country in 2024 and 2025.
That’s not a marketing angle. That’s the market genuinely turning, and it’s the first time in my career that I’ve been able to tell a Florida client “your renewal might actually be lower” and mean it as a general statement rather than a lucky exception.
Does Any of That Reach an FR-44 Driver?
Yes — and here’s why, because this is where most people assume they’ve been carved out.
An FR-44 is a certificate. It’s paperwork filed electronically with the state proving you’re carrying the higher liability limits Florida requires after certain DUI convictions. The policy sitting underneath that certificate is rated using the same underwriting rules the company applies to everyone else. There is no separate rate manual for DUI drivers. I go through that distinction in detail in Do Insurance Companies Treat Florida FR-44 Drivers Differently?, and it matters here for one simple reason: when a company files a rate decrease with the state, that decrease applies to its rating plan — not to a list of approved customers.
So when a carrier that writes FR-44 business lowers its Florida rates, FR-44 policies at that carrier are affected too. The filing doesn’t opt you out. It never did.
The Part the Headlines Leave Out
Now, the honest wrinkle — the one you won’t read in a press release.
The companies generating most of the good headlines are the largest standard carriers in the state. Those are not always the companies writing FR-44 filings. Some of the biggest rate cuts announced this year belong to carriers that a driver with a recent DUI can’t get into at any price.
That’s not a reason for gloom. Progressive, for one, both writes FR-44 business and has been part of this cycle — the company filed an average decrease and separately returned a substantial amount to Florida policyholders in credits, which I cover in Can FR-44 Drivers Get a Progressive Rebate? But it does mean the statewide average is a weather report, not a quote. Your relief depends on which carriers are actually available to you, and that’s a much shorter list than the general public is working from.
It’s also why I don’t put much stock in someone reading a rate-decrease headline and assuming their own renewal is handled. The market moving in your favor is an opportunity. It isn’t a refund.
Decreases Show Up at Renewal, Not on Demand
This is the single most common misunderstanding I’m correcting right now.
A filed rate takes effect at renewal — not immediately. If your policy renewed in June and your carrier filed a decrease in July, you’re waiting until your next renewal to see it. Nothing is wrong with your policy. That’s just how filings work.
Which leads to the thing I want every FR-44 client to hear clearly: do not cancel a policy mid-term chasing a lower number. With a standard policy, a badly timed switch costs you money. With an FR-44, a badly timed switch can cost you your license. The new filing has to be accepted by the state before the old one terminates — not around the same time, not close enough. I walk through that timing in When Should I Buy Florida FR-44 Insurance?, and it’s the one place where being impatient about savings can genuinely set you back years.
Shop before renewal. Switch at renewal. That sequence protects everything.
What I’m Actually Seeing on Real Files
Numbers from a state press release are one thing. Here’s what’s crossing my desk.
A bartender in Coral Springs with an FR-44 renewed recently at $317 a month instead of $394 — same coverage, same filing, same car. A nurse near St. Pete saved close to $500 for the year simply by letting me re-shop her before her renewal date rather than after it. And a Tampa client on a non-owner FR-44 came in under $200 for the first time since his DUI.
All three carried the state-required 100/300/50 limits. All three had legitimate filings in place the entire time. None of them did anything clever. They just happened to be shopping in a better market than the one they bought into.
(These are composite examples drawn from typical client situations, not identified clients.)
Why Your Renewal Could Still Go Up
I’d be doing you a disservice if I stopped at the good news, because a softening market and your individual premium are two different animals.
Your rate is still built primarily out of your own file — your driving record, how recent the DUI is, your vehicle, your household, your prior insurance history, and the company you’re with. A statewide decrease of 8% is an average across millions of policies. It can be completely swamped by one thing changing on your end.
The most common one I see: somebody finances a newer vehicle mid-FR-44. The market got better, their car got more expensive to repair and replace, and the second factor wins. Why Are New Car Prices Raising Auto Insurance Rates? covers why that keeps happening even in a good year.
The other one is quieter. Drivers who lapsed, missed a payment, or restarted a policy somewhere in year one often carry that damage forward well into year two and three — and then blame the DUI for a number the DUI isn’t causing. I get into that pattern in The Real Cost of Florida FR-44 Insurance Over Time.
The full picture of what’s building your premium is in What Affects the Cost of Florida FR-44 Insurance? — worth reading before you decide whether a quote you’ve been handed is fair.
What to Actually Do About It
Not much, and none of it complicated.
Know your renewal date and start looking about three to four weeks ahead of it. Compare more than one carrier that accepts FR-44 filings — the spread between companies on the exact same driver is still wider than any statewide rate cut. Ask specifically about payment plans, because several carriers have loosened up on the old requirement to pay six months in full, and that change is worth as much to most people’s monthly reality as a rate decrease is. And check whether you’re getting the credits you’re entitled to; Can I Still Get Discounts With Florida FR-44 Insurance? covers what usually survives a filing and what usually doesn’t.
If you’re newer to all of this and the terminology is still landing sideways, start with What Is Florida FR-44 Insurance? A Complete Guide. It’ll make the rest of this make more sense.
The Honest Bottom Line
FR-44 insurance still costs more than standard auto insurance. Higher liability limits cost more to provide, and a recent DUI is a real underwriting factor. Nothing in this market shift changes either of those, and I’m not going to pretend otherwise.
What has changed is the direction of travel. For the first time in a long while, the wind is at your back instead of in your face — and FR-44 drivers aren’t standing outside that. But market conditions reward the people who go looking. They don’t come find you.
If your renewal is coming up and you haven’t compared anything in a year or two, that’s the whole opportunity right there. Call or text me and we’ll look at where you actually stand. No pressure, and no sales pitch — if you’re already in the right place, I’ll tell you that too.
Florida FR-44 Insurance Resource Guides
Understanding Florida FR-44 Insurance — Start here if you’re new to all this. What an FR-44 actually is, why Florida requires it, and how it’s different from a normal insurance policy.
License Reinstatement and FR-44 Compliance — Getting your license back, staying compliant once it’s filed, and avoiding the lapses, missed payments, and mistakes that lead to another suspension.
Florida FR-44 Insurance Companies and Rates — What actually moves your rate, where the real discounts are, switching carriers the right way, and what an FR-44 costs over time.
Florida DUI Education and Consequences — What a DUI conviction actually triggers in Florida, from license suspension through the FR-44 requirement itself.
Beyond DUI — Related situations that come up along the way: moving in or out of Florida, household questions, and how Florida’s rules compare to other states. (Coming soon)
Florida Auto Insurance — Back to the main site for general Florida auto insurance guidance beyond FR-44.
Continue Reading About Florida FR-44 Insurance Companies & Rates
If you found this guide helpful, these articles take a closer look at Florida FR-44 rates, quotes, discounts, insurance companies, and the decisions that can affect what you pay:
What Affects the Cost of Florida FR-44 Insurance? – Start here for the complete picture of how your driving history, vehicle, household, insurance history, and company underwriting come together to determine your FR-44 rate.
Do Insurance Companies Treat Florida FR-44 Drivers Differently? – Learn how insurance companies approach drivers with an FR-44 requirement and why underwriting differences matter when comparing insurers.
The Real Cost of Florida FR-44 Insurance Over Time – Look beyond the initial premium at how costs can change over time and the decisions and mistakes that can keep an FR-44 driver paying more than necessary.
Do All the Cars in My Household Need FR-44? – Learn how vehicle ownership, multiple cars, and household policy structure can affect an FR-44 requirement.
Can I Still Get Discounts With Florida FR-44 Insurance? – Find out which auto insurance discounts may still be available even after a DUI and FR-44 filing.
When Should I Buy Florida FR-44 Insurance? – Learn how choosing the right effective date can help coordinate your insurance, FR-44 filing, and license reinstatement.
Why Did Everyone’s Car Insurance Go Up After My DUI? – Understand why one household member’s DUI can sometimes affect the rates of other drivers and vehicles on the policy.
Are Florida Auto Insurance Rates Going Down for FR-44 Drivers? (This article) – See how changes in Florida’s broader auto insurance market can affect FR-44 pricing and renewals.
Florida FR-44 Drivers: Why 2026 Finally Looks Better – Take a closer look at the market developments that have improved the outlook for some Florida FR-44 drivers.
Can FR-44 Drivers Get a Progressive Rebate? – Learn how Progressive’s Florida rebate may apply to eligible FR-44 policyholders and what it can mean for your premium.
Why Are New Car Prices Raising Auto Insurance Rates? – Understand why newer vehicles, expensive repairs, technology, and replacement costs can significantly increase insurance premiums.
Should I Be the Driver or the Policyholder for FR-44 Insurance? – Learn why vehicle ownership, household relationships, and who is named on the policy can affect how an FR-44 policy should be structured.
Florida FR-44 Insurance Quotes: Five Things That Actually Move the Number – Focus on five rating factors that can materially change an FR-44 quote before you choose an insurance company.
About the Author
Written by Clifford Schimek — Florida Auto & FR-44 Insurance Expert
I’ve been placing Florida auto insurance since 1987, which means I’ve watched this market go through several full cycles — and this is the first genuinely good one FR-44 drivers have been included in for a long time. Knowing when a market shift actually applies to your situation, and when it’s just a headline, is a large part of what I do every day. If you ever need help or just want a straight answer, you can always call or text me directly.
Clifford Schimek — Florida Auto & FR-44 Insurance Expert
Call or text: 305-796-2968
Learn More About Cliff
Why Clifford Schimek? – The case for working with me
Florida Auto Plus Insurance – Agency website
Florida FR-44 Information and Guidance – For Florida drivers who need an FR-44 filing
View my Google Business Profile – Reviews and business information