Car Insurance Laws and Requirements in Florida

There are a few Florida state auto insurance laws that affect drivers on its roads; Florida’s no-fault law and financial responsibility law. Keep reading to learn more about what car insurance is required in Florida, Florida’s car insurance laws, and how to protect yourself and your family when you take to Florida’s idyllic roads.

Car insurance requirements in Florida state all drivers must have at least $10,000 of property damage coverage (PDL) and personal injury protection (PIP) on their auto insurance policies. PIP is a no-fault coverage, which means neither driver needs to be deemed at fault for a policyholder to invoke this coverage.

The no-fault law directly informs the car insurance requirements in Florida. In most states, if an accident occurs, the at-fault party is typically responsible for covering the cost of auto repairs and medical expenses for the victim. However, Florida is a no-fault state, which means in the event of an accident, neither driver is initially deemed at fault. PIP acts as a no-fault coverage, which means you invoke your own PIP if you’re injured in an accident, even if the accident isn’t your fault.

However, PDL is an at-fault coverage, so if an accident damages your vehicle, the at-fault party must pay for the repairs. 

In short, Florida is a no-fault state, but this only comes into play when a person faces serious injuries due to an accident and requires compensation for their medical expenses. When seeking funds for the repairs to your vehicle, Florida acts as an at-fault state and requires the at-fault party of the accident to pay for the victim’s vehicular repairs.

Florida’s only legally required car insurance is $10,000 of property damage liability and personal injury protection. Anything you opt for beyond that will be an additional, optional coverage. 

While Florida auto insurance laws only require drivers to have $10,000 of PDL and PIP, you may want to increase your limits. Those insured in Florida can only receive $10,000 of PIP coverage, but you can raise your PDL limit. Having a lot of coverage is always a good idea because you never know what may happen when you get behind the wheel.

Increasing your PDL limit will be highly beneficial if you are a particularly risky driver or frequently make rash decisions behind the wheel. Remember, PDL is an at-fault coverage that deems the at-fault party in an accident liable for any repairs to the victim’s vehicle. If you’ve ever been in an accident, you know that $10,000 isn’t nearly enough to cover the cost of vehicular repairs.

$10,000 of PDL and PIP is mandatory for every driver whose car is registered in Florida. If you do not have the mandatory Florida car insurance coverage and get into an accident, you could face hefty fines, license suspension, or even jail time. 

The no-fault law in Florida requires drivers to carry PIP, but another law in Florida requires drivers to carry the legal minimum car insurance in Florida. The financial responsibility law requires drivers who don’t have a good driving record to carry the minimum amount of legally required auto insurance in Florida. 

While every driver in Florida is legally required to carry $10,000 of PDL and PIP, drivers who have previously been in trouble with the law for a vehicular-related crime may face more severe consequences if they’re caught not carrying an adequate amount of coverage.

Car insurance is required in Florida to some degree. All drivers with cars registered in the state of Florida or who drive their cars for 90 days in a 365-day period in Florida are required to have a minimum of $10,000 of property damage liability and personal injury protection on their auto insurance policies. Failure to do so can result in fines, license suspension, or jail time. 

While this is the minimum coverage you’re legally required to have in Florida, you may find it isn’t enough for you or your family to be sufficiently protected on Florida’s roads. If that’s the case, there are several additional optional coverages you can opt to include on your auto insurance policy.

To adhere to Florida’s auto insurance laws, you need at least $10,000 of property damage liability and personal injury protection in Florida. This means your PIP insurance will cover your medical expenses if you’re injured in an accident by up to $10,000. If you damage another person’s vehicle in an accident, you will have $10,000 to cover their repairs. 

You may think $10,000 doesn’t sound like a lot of money to cover those bills, which is correct. If you have ever been in an accident, you know that $10,000 isn’t nearly enough to cover medical expenses or repairs, especially if you’re critically injured or if you total someone else’s vehicle.

Luckily, you can add several additional coverage options to your auto insurance policy to give you a broad full coverage policy that will ensure you will be protected in the event of a catastrophic car accident.

You need at least the state minimum of car insurance in Florida, which is $10,000 of PDL and PIP. Additionally, if you lease or finance your vehicle, your lender will likely require you to carry a designated amount of collision coverage. Collision coverage helps you to cover the cost of repairs to your vehicle if you’re deemed at fault in an accident.

Some other additional car insurance coverages you may consider adding to your policy are bodily injury liability and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.

Bodily injury liability is an at-fault coverage that covers the medical expenses for the victim in an accident if the policyholder is deemed at fault. Bodily injury liability is required in many states that don’t have at-fault laws. 

You should have enough coverage that makes sense for your financial needs. For some, that might mean having minimal coverage to keep your premiums low. For others, a high amount of coverage is more comfortable, especially if you don’t have any savings to spend on medical expenses for an extended time.

Adding uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage to your Florida auto insurance policy is a wise choice. Florida has a very statistically high number of uninsured drivers, as nearly 20% of drivers on Florida’s roads are uninsured or underinsured. 

Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage will help you cover the costs associated with an accident that the at-fault party typically covers if the at-fault party in an accident is uninsured or doesn’t have adequate coverage. 

Unfortunately, insurers in Florida don’t have uninsured or underinsured property damage liability (UMPDL/UIMPDL). This means if you’re in an accident where the at-fault party is uninsured or underinsured, and you don’t have collision coverage on your auto insurance policy, you will have to pay for the repairs to your vehicle from your pocket or sue the at-fault party for compensation.

Fortunately, Florida does have uninsured or underinsured bodily injury liability (UMBIL/UIMBIL). This means if you’re in an accident and are seriously injured to the point where you’ve used up your $10,000 of PIP, your UMBIL/UIMBIL will kick in to cover the rest of your medical expenses up to your policy limit. 

Auto insurance requirements in Florida state it’s mandatory for all drivers registered to drive in the state must have a minimum amount of auto insurance. The minimum car insurance in Florida is $10,000 PDL and $10,000 PIP. You can face hefty fines, license suspension, or jail time without these on your auto insurance policy. 

If you’re interested in switching your insurer or seeing what other insurers charge for the state minimum of car insurance in Florida, the best way to do so is to get and compare quotes online. You can even get started right here at Clovered with our free quoting tool.

If you have any additional questions about required car insurance in Florida, please don’t hesitate to call us at 833-255-4117 or email us at agent@clovered.com.