Insurance requirements for registering a car in Florida
The State of Florida requires all drivers to have minimum liability insurance or "financial liability" for their vehicles in order to drive those vehicles legally.
The minimum liability insurance required for vehicle owners under this law is as follows:
$10,000 Injury Protection
$10,000 for property damage
This means that each driver must insure their liability for a total of $20,000 for each vehicle they own in Florida. This is one of the lowest minimum sums insured in the US.
Insurance types
Each of the two types of compulsory insurance covers different aspects of an accident. Florida is a no-fault state, which means your insurance will pay for your damages, no matter who caused the accident.
Personal Injury Protection pays for medical expenses and loss of income due to injuries that you may sustain in an accident. It also covers medical expenses for children traveling with you, your medical bills if you were a pedestrian in a car accident, and your child's medical bills if they were in an accident while on a school bus.
Property damage liability covers damage to your vehicle to someone else's property, such as a building or road sign.
If you have been charged with reckless driving in the past, you may also need to take out another type of insurance:
- Liability for bodily injury covers the injuries of other victims of the accident.
If you have a previous conviction for drunk driving in Florida, you may need to have higher insurance amounts to drive legally. This includes:
$100,000 in personal injury protection for one person, with a minimum of $300,000 required to cover the injuries of all people involved in one accident.
$50,000 for property damage
proof of insurance
Any driver driving a vehicle must carry an insurance policy with him at all times. You will be required to produce an insurance certificate upon request of any law enforcement officer and present it to register your vehicle.
Acceptable proof of insurance coverage includes:
Insurance card issued by an authorized insurer
The SR-22, which is proof that you have insurance, is usually only required from those who have previously been charged with reckless driving.
The FR-44, which is proof that you have insurance, is usually required only from those who have been convicted of drunk driving.
Penalties for Violation
If you cancel your insurance policy, your insurance company must notify the Florida DMV that you are no longer covered. If you do not provide a new proof of insurance after this happens, you will face several penalties, including:
Suspension of driver's license, license plates and registration
$150 fee for your first violation; $250 for the second violation; and $500 for each subsequent violation
For more information, contact the Florida Department of Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety on their website.
