Florida Auto Insurance Requirements
Millions of people come to Florida from other states—for vacations, for warm winter weather, and for new forever homes. Most tourists, winter visitors, and new residents drive cars, and need to know about unique Florida auto insurance requirements.
We’ll start with a basic question.
Does Florida Require Car Insurance?
Absolutely! Like 47 other states (auto insurance is not required in New Hampshire, but they require you to demonstrate you have enough cash to pay a judgment if you cause an accident and Virginia makes you pay an extra fee to register your car), Florida requires drivers to carry proof of insurance wherever they go. This means that not only do you need to have insurance, but it must also be paid up and current, and you must have your insurance card with you, too.
If you moved to Florida recently, you already know this. Proof of insurance is required to register your vehicle and get your Florida license plates.
Florida does not require insurance on anything that moves, however. You don’t need insurance to ride a bicycle. You don’t need insurance to operate a golf cart or an ATV off-road. You do need insurance for motorcycles, motor homes, and trucks, and your policy must maintain Florida’s minimum level of liability coverage.
What Is the Minimum Required Car Insurance in Florida?
Auto insurance is a lot like an umbrella you carry around in all kinds of weather, even on sunny days. You hope you don’t have to use it, but it is there if you get caught in a sudden downpour.
Florida does not require drivers to carry a very large policy. The state minimum is just $10,000 in personal injury protection (listed as PIP on your bill) and $10,000 and property damage liability coverage (listed as PLC).
It doesn’t take a major accident to create liability far greater than $20,000. If you have substantial assets that you want to protect, your insurance agent can arrange coverage with more appropriate limits. But you cannot legally get behind the wheel of your vehicle if you don’t have at least minimum liability coverage and you are carrying proof of insurance with you.
What Other Type of Car Insurance is Required in Florida?
Bodily injury liability (BIL) insurance isn’t legally required in Florida, but it is a very good idea. BIL covers you if other people are injured or killed because of your negligence.
Florida is one of 12 “no-fault” states. What this means is that anyone in a car crash pays their own medical expenses, or that those expenses are paid by their medical coverage (with their auto policy, and with their health insurance). If the party does not have enough insurance to pay for their treatment, they can sue you for the amount that their own policy does not pay. BIL takes care of your liability if that happens.
What if you are the driver who has the big bills? The rider on your car insurance policy that will pay for your expenses is called personal injury protection, or PIP. Your PIP covers your expenses until your bills are so big that you need to file a claim on the other driver’s BIL. In Florida, PIP pays no matter who is at fault.
Another important kind of car insurance that isn’t required by the State of Florida but is a good thing to have is collision insurance. This is the insurance that pays for damage to your car if it is damaged in a car crash. You don’t have to carry collision insurance to operate your car legally, but if you don’t want to pay major repair bills after you have a wreck, or you back into a tree, or driving over a pothole damages your transmission, collision insurance is the kind of coverage you need.
The average car repair bill after a fender bender in Florida is $2,542. The average cost of adding collision coverage to your policy is just $230. If you have just a fender bender every 10 years or so, you break even or come out ahead with this kind of insurance. If you have even one major collision in your lifetime, collision insurance pays for itself.
Most drivers also need comprehensive insurance. This is the part of your policy that pays for non-collision losses, such as theft, fire, hailstorms, or a long list of hazards your auto insurance agent can tell you about.
How to Choose Affordable Car Insurance in Florida
It’s easy to find affordable car insurance in Florida. Get in touch with Affordable Car Insurance Tampa.
Why choose Affordable Car Insurance Tampa? We take the time to listen to your needs. Then we find you a policy from the lowest-cost insurer. Call us at 813-328-1985 right now and you will have a quote in just 10 minutes!