What is a Failure to Maintain Financial Responsibility (FMFR) Ticket?

A failure to maintain financial responsibility (FMFR) citation is the legal term for a no insurance ticket. An FMFR ticket is issued when you are pulled over or involved in an accident and cannot produce proof that you are not covered by an insurance policy that has the minimum amount of state-required insurance for the vehicle you are driving. Some cities use license plate readers that cross-reference your license plate with a database of current insurance policies. In these cities, you can get pulled over and receive an FMFR ticket even if you have not done anything else wrong.

Penalties for a Conviction

A failure to maintain financial responsibility (FMFR) citation is a fine-only offense, meaning you cannot be sentenced to jail as a part of your punishment. The fine for a failure to maintain financial responsibility (FMFR) starts at $175 and can go as high as $1,000. The fine does not include court costs.

In addition to the fine and court costs, you will be required to have an SR22 insurance policy for three years to keep your Texas driving license. SR22 is a financial responsibility insurance certificate that verifies that the holder maintains auto insurance. An SR22 policy usually costs more than a traditional insurance policy.

Finally, if you have a conviction for FMFR on your record, the minimum fine for subsequent no insurance tickets starts at $350, which again does not include the court costs.

As you can see, a conviction on a single no insurance citation can become very costly. If you just pay your fine, you will have to get expensive insurance to keep your Texas Driving license and may be liable for higher fines for subsequent violations.

How a Traffic Ticket Attorney Can Help with an FMFR ticket

As you can see from the penalties, a failure to maintain financial responsibility (FMFR) citation can become VERY expensive. The experienced traffic ticket attorneys at Hawkins & Walker, PC, have handled hundreds of no insurance tickets, and we have solutions to either get an FMFR ticket dismissed outright or reduce or eliminate the penalties above.

We have helped thousands of clients with no insurance tickets. We are here to help guide you through the process and answer any questions you have so you can make an informed decision and obtain the best results. In most cases, we can appear on your behalf, so you will not need to appear in court. Of course, if you do need to appear in court, one of our experienced traffic ticket attorneys will be with you, so you do not have to face the court alone. We will be there every step of the way.

If you had insurance at the time of the violation, we can get the ticket dismissed. In some cases, we can get the ticket dismissed outright even without proof of insurance at the time of the violation. If we cannot get the violation dismissed outright, our traffic ticket attorneys can usually get a failure to maintain financial responsibility (FMFR) dismissed through a probation offer, often with a reduced fine. Completion of the probation offer will result in dismissal and avoid the need to get an SR22 policy. In most cases, our traffic ticket attorneys can handle your FMFR citation without you having to come to our office or appear in court.