FR-44 in Virginia after a DUI
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Virginia requires an FR-44 for 3 years, counted from the date DMV requires proof. It is filed by your insurer with Virginia DMV — you cannot buy it separately and no company sells a cheaper version of it.
Virginia does not use the SR-22 after a DUI. It uses its own form, the FR-44, and the difference is not paperwork but money: the statute requires coverage at double the ordinary minimum. The form is required after a conviction for driving under the influence under § 18.2-266, for maiming while under the influence under § 18.2-51.4, for § 18.2-272, and for equivalent offences elsewhere. DMV sets the filing period for financial responsibility at three years.
| What Virginia requires | Detail |
|---|---|
| Form | FR-44 |
| How long | 3 years |
| Clock starts | the date DMV requires proof |
| Filed with | Virginia DMV |
| Liability limits | Double the § 46.2-472 minimum. For policies effective on or after 1 January 2025 that minimum is $50,000/$100,000/$25,000, so the FR-44 figure is $100,000/$200,000/$50,000. |
| If it lapses | The insurer must report a cancelled or terminated certified policy to the Commissioner within fifteen days. |
| Source | Virginia DMV, Financial Responsibility Certifications · checked 2026-09-06 |
The part of the Virginia rule that catches people
Virginia raised its ordinary minimum limits on 1 January 2025, and the FR-44 is defined as double that minimum — so the FR-44 figure moved with it. Pages still quoting $50,000/$100,000/$40,000 are quoting the doubling of the old limits.
What this form is, and what it is not
An SR-22 is a certificate your insurer files with the state to confirm that a policy meeting the required liability limits is in force. Florida describes it plainly as an insurance filing certifying bodily injury and property damage liability for reinstatement purposes. You cannot buy an SR-22 on its own, no company sells a cheaper one, and shopping for “SR-22 insurance” is shopping for ordinary liability cover with a form attached.
So there is nothing to shop for in Virginia beyond an ordinary liability policy from a carrier that will do the filing. Some will not, and that — rather than price — is what narrows the list first.
What Virginia charges on top
These are the state’s own charges, separate from anything an insurer bills. They are the lines people forget when they budget for getting the licence back:
- $30 — Reinstatement fee
- $30 — Additional fee for a DUI conviction under § 18.2-266
- $40 — Trauma Center Fund fee
How Virginia compares
The three-year figure that national pages quote for every state is right in some of them and wrong in the rest. Of the 12 states whose rules we hold, 8 run three years, and Virginia runs 3 years. North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Mississippi have no SR-22 in their processes at all.
The other requirement that arrives with it in Virginia
A local Alcohol Safety Action Program (ASAP), overseen by the Commission on VASAP runs the interlock programme here, and a first offence carries not less than 12 consecutive months without an alcohol-related violation of the interlock requirements, and no longer than the period of suspension and restriction That requirement and the insurance requirement start and finish at different moments, which is why people are surprised twice: once when the device comes off and the filing is still running, and once when the filing ends and the conviction is still on the record. The device itself runs about $95 a month in Virginia before the installation and removal charges.
Virginia DUI law in full → · What the interlock costs in Virginia → · Certified installers in Virginia →
FR-44 questions in Virginia
How long do you need an SR-22 in Virginia?
3 years, counted from the date DMV requires proof. That start date matters as much as the length: it decides whether time already served under suspension counts toward the period or whether the clock only begins when you get the licence back.
What does an FR-44 cost in Virginia?
The filing fee itself is small. In Virginia part of the increase is not a penalty at all: Double the § 46.2-472 minimum. For policies effective on or after 1 January 2025 that minimum is $50,000/$100,000/$25,000, so the FR-44 figure is $100,000/$200,000/$50,000. A larger policy costs more before any risk rating is applied. Separately, the state charges its own fees to reinstate: reinstatement fee $30; additional fee for a dui conviction under § 18.2-266 $30; trauma center fund fee $40.
What happens if my FR-44 lapses in Virginia?
The insurer must report a cancelled or terminated certified policy to the Commissioner within fifteen days.
Do I need an FR-44 in Virginia if I do not own a car?
Yes — that is what a non-owner policy is for. The requirement attaches to you rather than to a vehicle, so selling the car does not end it. What ends it is time, and in Virginia that is 3 years.
Is the FR-44 the same thing as the ignition interlock in Virginia?
No, and satisfying one does nothing for the other. The interlock is a condition on the vehicle and the licence, run in Virginia by A local Alcohol Safety Action Program (ASAP), overseen by the Commission on VASAP; the insurance requirement is a condition on your policy, handled by Virginia DMV. Both usually have to be in place before the state will reinstate, and they run on separate clocks that rarely end on the same day.
Attorney advertising. InterlockDeviceNearMe is not a law firm, does not practice law, and does not give legal advice. Nothing here creates an attorney-client relationship. Requesting a consultation connects you with an independent attorney or a legal referral service, who decide separately whether to take your case. Case outcomes depend on facts we do not know, and no result is ever promised. Deadlines in DUI cases are short and vary by state — speak to a licensed attorney in your state before relying on anything you read here.