Florida is a no-fault car insurance state that requires drivers to carry a minimum amount of car insurance. Florida drivers must have at least a $10,000 insurance limit for both property damage liability and personal injury protection.
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What car insurance is required by law in Florida?
Florida drivers are required to carry a minimum of $10,000 in personal injury protection and $10,000 in property damage liability coverage.
Florida is a no-fault state
—so Florida insurance requirements are somewhat unique. Unlike most states, Florida does not require drivers to carry bodily injury liability insurance
. Instead, Florida drivers must carry personal injury protection insurance to help cover expenses related to injuries. You also still need to have a certain amount of property damage liability
to provide some protection from lawsuits if you cause an accident. Here is a summary of the minimum insurance requirements for Florida.
Required Florida minimum car insurance
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Property damage liability (PDL) | |
Personal injury protection (PIP) | |
Key Takeaway Florida is a no-fault state that only requires drivers to carry property damage and personal injury protection insurance.
What is personal injury protection (PIP) insurance?
Personal injury protection (PIP)
insurance is a type of insurance that is required in no-fault insurance states like Florida. Personal injury protection insurance provides medical coverage, death benefits, and reimbursement for lost wages—regardless of who is at fault. Since PIP helps cover medical expenses, Florida drivers don’t need bodily injury liability even though it's required by most states. Personal injury protection also offers more comprehensive coverage than medical payment coverage
—which only applies to medical costs. Personal injury protection insurance stops short of covering pain and suffering resulting from an accident, though. Florida drivers would have to sue to recover these types of damages.
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Liability insurance in FL
Liability insurance
will help protect you from legal action if you cause a car accident. The property damage liability insurance required in Florida will help cover damage to cars or property belonging to other people if you cause an accident—but it won’t help cover your own costs. What are the mandated car insurance limits in Florida?
All Florida drivers are required to carry certain minimum insurance limits for personal injury protection and property damage liability coverage. An insurance limit refers to the maximum amount that a provider will pay out for a claim.
Here is a detailed breakdown of the Florida minimum insurance requirements and what they cover.
$10,000 of Personal injury protection (PIP) coverage
$10,000 is the total amount that your insurance company will pay out to cover the costs of injuries in an at-fault accident.
$10,000 in property damage liability coverage
Your insurance company will pay up to $10,000 to cover the cost of property damage for other parties in an at-fault accident.
Should I get more coverage than Florida’s required insurance minimum?
If you are a Florida driver, you should strongly consider upgrading your minimum insurance.
Florida only requires drivers to carry $20,000 worth of car insurance coverage, and these limits are pretty low compared to most other states.
The costs that result from an accident can easily top $20,000—potentially leaving you on the hook for the remainder of the expenses.
Florida’s minimum property damage liability minimums will only cover $10,000 worth of property damage, which is well below the average cost of a new car.
Since Florida doesn’t require bodily injury liability protection, you could get sued for any medical expenses topping $10,000, especially if an injury is considered permanent.
Florida drivers who want better protection can raise their liability limits above the minimum requirement. You can also purchase additional coverage like comprehensive insurance and collision insurance to help cover the cost of your own car.
Using a free comparison tool like Jerry
is the easiest way to ensure you get the minimum car insurance required in your state
, tailor your policy, and compare costs across providers quickly and efficiently. Key Takeaway Florida’s low minimum insurance limits can leave you shouldering a lot of risks if you don’t upgrade your policy.
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What is the penalty for not having car insurance in Florida?
Florida drivers are required to have insurance, and if you are caught without valid proof of insurance
in Florida, you could face fees and license suspensions. Penalties for not having car insurance in Florida
| License and registration suspension | |
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Additional coverage options
Florida drivers who want to upgrade their policy have plenty of great options to improve their coverage. Here are additional coverage options to consider for your Florida car insurance.
Bodily injury liability insurance
Bodily injury liability coverage will help protect you from getting sued for medical expenses if you are at fault in an accident. It makes for a good addition to the low PIP coverage limits in Florida.
Collision insurance
Collision insurance helps cover the cost of the damage to your car after a collision or rollover.
Comprehensive insurance
Comprehensive insurance covers damage to your car that results from certain types of external events—including theft, fire, and storms.
Uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance
Uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance
helps cover your costs if you get in an accident with a driver who doesn’t have insurance. Roadside assistance
Roadside assistance coverage
can be added to your policy if you want access to emergency roadside services like towing, battery boosts, or tire changes—although the services included might vary from provider to provider.Medical payments insurance
You can supplement your PIP coverage with additional medical payment coverage that will help cover medical costs for you and your passengers.
MORE: How to determine who is at fault in an accident
Do I need a CARCO inspection?
Florida requires drivers who want to add certain types of coverage to their policy to get a CARCO inspection
first. For example, you will need to get a CARCO inspection if you want to purchase comprehensive or collision insurance. CARCO inspections are inspections that verify the details of your vehicle to the state. The good news is that a CARCO inspection is usually quick and easy. You can expect it to take about 15 minutes from start to finish.
Do I have to pay for a CARCO inspection?
No. Carco inspections are free.
Where do I go for the inspection?
You can visit CARCO
to set up an appointment near you. What do I need to bring?
You only have to provide your vehicle registration
and the name of your insurance provider. It is always a good idea to have your insurance documents on hand as well. Key Takeaway You will need to arrange for a free CARCO inspection to purchase some types of insurance in Florida.
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Why is Florida considered a diminished value state?
Florida drivers can make diminished value claims
that will help them recover losses to the value of their vehicle after an accident. If you sell your car after an accident, you can make a diminished value claim through the at-fault driver’s insurance company. A car will lose some of its resale value after an accident—even after it is repaired to the same condition it was in before the claim. Florida is one of 15 states that allow drivers to make diminished value claims so you can recoup any lost value if you decide to sell your car after a claim.
You need to meet the following criteria to make a diminished value claim in Florida:
You were not found to be at fault in the accident
You can provide reliable documentation, like proof of your car’s value, the repair record, and photo evidence
It hasn’t been more than four years since the claim was made
The at-fault driver had insurance
How to get cheap car insurance in Florida
If you want cheap car insurance in Florida
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Frequently asked questions
Is Florida a no-fault car insurance state?
Yes. Florida is considered a no-fault insurance state—but drivers who aren’t at fault can still sue for damages that aren’t covered.
Are you required to have auto insurance in Florida?
Yes. Florida drivers need to carry $10,000 each in personal injury protection and property damage liability coverage.
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