Florida car insurance requirements and laws

Minimum car insurance requirements

Florida's minimum looks different from almost every other state. Owners of vehicles registered in Florida must carry $10,000 of personal injury protection (PIP) and $10,000 of property damage liability (Fla. Stat. §§ 627.733, 324.022). Most drivers are not required to carry bodily injury liability, the coverage that pays for injuries you cause to others. Our lookup shows Florida as 0/0/10 to reflect that; see the state car insurance requirements lookup.

What PIP pays. Florida PIP covers you, relatives in your household, passengers and pedestrians your car strikes. It pays 80% of reasonable medical expenses and 60% of lost income, up to $10,000 total, plus a $5,000 death benefit (§ 627.736). The full $10,000 for medical care is available only if a physician, dentist, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse determines you had an emergency medical condition; otherwise medical benefits are capped at $2,500. You generally must get initial care within 14 days of the crash.

What the minimums mean in practice. Suppose you cause a crash and the other driver has $60,000 in medical bills. Their own PIP pays part of the first $10,000. If their injury is permanent, they can sue you for the rest and for pain and suffering, and with no bodily injury liability coverage you would face that claim personally. On the property side, if you total a $35,000 car, your $10,000 limit leaves $25,000 that can be pursued from you. That is why many Florida drivers buy bodily injury liability even though it is optional. See state minimum vs full coverage: which do you need? and Why Florida car insurance is so expensive.

Fault system and what it means after a crash

Florida is a no-fault insurance state. After a crash, each person's own PIP pays the first layer of injury costs regardless of who caused it. You can step outside the no-fault system and sue the at-fault driver for pain, suffering and other non-economic damages only if the injury involves significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function, a permanent injury, significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement, or death (§ 627.737). This is a verbal threshold. Vehicle damage is not covered by no-fault: it is claimed from the at-fault driver's property damage liability or your own collision coverage. See no-fault vs at-fault states.

The 2023 tort reform. HB 837, effective March 24, 2023, changed Florida's fault rules. Florida now uses modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar: if you are found more than 50% responsible for your own harm, you recover nothing (§ 768.81(6)). The same law cut the deadline for negligence lawsuits from four years to two years for claims arising after that date (§ 95.11). See statutes of limitations for car accident claims and tort reform and car insurance.

Repealing PIP has been debated in recent legislative sessions, but the 2026 Florida Statutes still require PIP and $10,000 of property damage liability.

Optional coverage worth considering here

• Bodily injury liability. Optional for most drivers, but it is the coverage that protects you from injury lawsuits. UM coverage is offered only alongside it, and umbrella insurers require it underneath. See how much liability coverage do you need?.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist. If you buy bodily injury liability, insurers must offer UM at the same limits, and you can reject it or choose lower limits in writing. The Insurance Research Council estimates about 20.6% of Florida drivers were uninsured in 2023, among the highest rates in the country, and many insured drivers carry no bodily injury coverage at all. See uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage explained.
• Comprehensive. Hurricanes, flooding and theft make comprehensive important; see hail, flood and storm damage: filing a comprehensive claim.
• Collision. Required by lenders and the only coverage for your own car after a crash you cause.
• Medical payments. medical payments coverage can pick up the 20% of medical bills PIP does not pay.

What drives rates in Florida

The NAIC puts Florida's average annual expenditure at $1,864 in 2023, well above the national average of $1,282. NAIC averages blend every policy type and are not quotes (What NAIC auto insurance data measures).

Florida's costs reflect PIP fraud and litigation, dense traffic in South Florida, Tampa and Orlando, hurricane and flood losses, a large uninsured population, many tourists and seasonal drivers, and high repair costs. Supporters of the 2023 tort reform argue it will reduce litigation costs over time (social inflation and nuclear verdicts: how lawsuits raise premiums).

Penalties for driving uninsured

If your required PIP and property damage coverage lapses, the state can suspend your driver license and registration until you show proof of coverage (§ 324.0221). Reinstatement costs a $150 fee for the first suspension, $250 for a second and $500 for each later suspension within three years. You may then need to keep proof of coverage on file for two years. See penalties for driving without insurance.

SR-22 and high-risk drivers

Florida uses two filings. An SR-22 is required after certain crashes, license suspensions and violations, and shows you carry bodily injury liability. An FR-44 is required after a DUI conviction and proves much higher limits: 100/300/50. See FR-44 insurance in Florida and Virginia, SR-22 insurance explained and Car insurance after a DUI. Drivers who cannot find coverage can look to nonstandard auto insurers: who they serve and what to watch or the state's residual market plan.

Insurers with a strong presence in Florida

National carriers State Farm, GEICO, Progressive and Allstate write large volumes in Florida, and USAA serves the state's sizable military population. United Automobile Insurance Company, based in the Miami area, concentrates on basic and nonstandard policies, and Southern Farm Bureau Casualty writes auto coverage for Florida Farm Bureau members.

Where to get help

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation approves rates and licenses insurers, while the Department of Financial Services' Division of Consumer Services handles consumer questions and complaints. Call the Consumer Helpline at 877-693-5236 (850-413-3089 from out of state) or email [email protected]. Both agencies are at 200 East Gaines Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399. See how to file a complaint against a car insurance company. Suspensions and FR-44 filings are handled by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles; injury disputes call for a licensed Florida attorney.