The state of Florida requires that all drivers carry a minimum liability insurance, or “financial responsibility” on their vehicles in order to operate those vehicles legally.
The minimum liability insurance required for vehicle owners under this law is as follows:
$10,000 for Personal Injury Protection
$10,000 for Property Damage Liability
This means that every driver must carry a total of $20,000 in liability insurance for each vehicle they own in Florida. This is one of the lowest minimum insurance amounts in the United States.
Types of insurance
The two types of required insurance each cover different aspects of an accident. Florida is a no-fault state, meaning that your insurance will pay for your damages, regardless of whose fault the accident may have been.
Personal Injury Protection pays for medical expenses and loss of income due to injuries you may receive in an accident. It also covers the medical expenses for children who are riding with you, your medical bills if you were a pedestrian who was involved in an accident with a car, and your child’s medical bills if they are involved in an accident while on a school bus.
Property Damage Liability covers the damages caused to someone else’s property by your vehicle, such as a building or road sign.
If you have previously been charged with a reckless driving charge, you may also be required to carry another type of insurance:
- Bodily Injury Liability covers the injuries of other victims of the accident.
If you have been previously convicted of a DUI in Florida, you may be required to carry higher insurance amounts in order to drive legally. These include:
$100,000 for Personal Injury Protection for a single person, with a minimum of $300,000 required to cover injuries of all people involved in one accident.
$50,000 for Property Damage Liability
Proof of insurance
Any driver who is operating a vehicle must carry proof of insurance with them at all times. You will be required to show proof of insurance at the request of any law enforcement officer, and to present it in order to register your vehicle.
Acceptable documents to prove insurance includes:
An insurance card issued by an authorized insurer
An SR-22, which is a document that proves you have insurance, and is usually only required of those who have previously been charged with reckless driving charges.
An FR-44, which is a document that proves you have insurance, and is usually only required of those who have been convicted of a DUI.
Violation penalties
If you cancel your insurance policy, your insurance provider is required to notify the Florida DMV that you are no longer covered. If you do not provide a new proof of insurance after this occurs, you will face several penalties, including:
Suspension of driver’s license, plates, and registration
A fee of $150 for your first offense; $250 for a second offense; and $500 for every subsequent offense
For more information, contact the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles department on their website.
