Florida car insurance requirements are among the lightest in the country on paper and among the easiest to get wrong in practice. Every vehicle with four or more wheels registered in the state must carry $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and $10,000 in Property Damage Liability (PDL). Bodily injury liability is not part of the standard minimum. The no-fault system means your own PIP policy pays your medical bills after a crash regardless of fault, but only if you follow a short deadline that catches a lot of drivers off guard.
The Two Coverages You Must Carry
Personal Injury Protection pays 80 percent of your medical expenses and 60 percent of lost wages after an accident, no matter who caused it. PIP covers you, your passengers, and pedestrians struck by your vehicle, up to the $10,000 limit.1Florida Senate. Florida Code 627.736 – Required Personal Injury Protection Benefits; Exclusions; Priority; Claims
Property Damage Liability pays for damage you cause to someone else’s vehicle, fence, building, or other property. That money goes to the other party, not to you.2Florida Senate. Florida Code 627.7275 – Motor Vehicle Liability
What’s missing from this list matters. Florida is one of the few states that does not require bodily injury liability coverage for standard vehicle registration. If you cause a crash that seriously injures someone and you carry only the legal minimum, the injured person can come after you personally for their medical costs. The $10,000 PDL cap is also easy to blow through: a fender bender with a newer car can exceed it on its own.
The 14-Day Rule That Can Gut Your PIP Benefits
To receive the full $10,000 in PIP medical benefits, you must seek initial medical treatment within 14 days of your accident.1Florida Senate. Florida Code 627.736 – Required Personal Injury Protection Benefits; Exclusions; Priority; Claims Miss the window and you lose PIP medical benefits entirely.
Even if you do see a provider in time, the amount available depends on a diagnosis. If a licensed physician, dentist, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse determines you had an emergency medical condition, you qualify for the full $10,000. If they determine your injuries were not an emergency, your medical benefits are capped at $2,500.1Florida Senate. Florida Code 627.736 – Required Personal Injury Protection Benefits; Exclusions; Priority; Claims
The practical move after any crash is to get checked out quickly, even if the pain seems minor. Soft tissue injuries often take days to show, and a delayed visit can cost you thousands in benefits you already paid for.
Higher Limits After a DUI
Florida law defines “proof of financial responsibility” as the ability to cover at least $10,000 per person and $20,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $10,000 for property damage.3Justia Law. Florida Code 324.021 – Definitions The state demands proof after specific triggering events, most commonly a crash involving injury or death, or a DUI conviction.
For DUI convictions after October 1, 2007, drivers must file an FR-44 certificate with the state, which requires substantially higher limits:
- Bodily injury: $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident
- Property damage: $50,000 per accident
Those elevated limits must stay in force for at least three years from the date your driving privileges are reinstated.4Florida Senate. Florida Code 324.023 – Financial Responsibility for Bodily Injury or Death Your insurance company files the FR-44 electronically. If the policy lapses at any point during those three years, the insurer must notify the state, which triggers a license suspension.
Florida uses the FR-44 rather than the SR-22 form most other states use, and it requires higher liability limits than a standard SR-22. If you’re shopping for coverage after a DUI, confirm the carrier can file an FR-44 specifically — not every insurer handles high-risk filings.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage Is Offered, Not Required
Florida does not require you to buy uninsured motorist (UM) coverage, but your insurer must offer it whenever your policy includes bodily injury liability. If you turn it down, you have to sign a written rejection form that warns in bold type you’re giving up “certain valuable coverage which protects you and your family.”5Florida Senate. Florida Code 627.727 – Motor Vehicle Insurance; Uninsured and Underinsured Vehicle Coverage The rejection applies to everyone covered by the policy.
If an uninsured driver hits you and causes serious injuries, PIP covers 80 percent of your medical bills up to $10,000, and after that you’re left suing a driver who likely has no assets to collect. UM coverage also fills the gap when the at-fault driver carries only the state minimum and your injuries cost more.
Out-of-State Cars Kept in Florida
If your vehicle is physically present in Florida for more than 90 days during any 365-day period, you must carry insurance that meets Florida’s PIP and PDL minimums, even if the car is still registered in another state.6Florida Senate. Florida Code 324.022 – Financial Responsibility for Property Damage The 90 days are cumulative, so repeated shorter trips can quietly add up.
This rule catches snowbirds, students, and temporary workers. Most states don’t run a no-fault system, so a home-state policy may not include PIP at all. Check with your insurer before an extended Florida stay; you may need to add PIP to your existing policy or buy a separate Florida-compliant one.
Penalties for a Coverage Lapse
Florida tracks insurance status electronically. When your insurer reports that your policy has been cancelled or lapsed, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles suspends both your driver’s license and your vehicle registration.7Justia Law. Florida Code 324.0221 – Reports by Insurers to the Department; Suspension of Driver License and Vehicle Registrations; Reinstatement That covers your physical plate and tags, not just a database flag.
To restore your license and registration, you need a new compliant policy and a reinstatement fee that climbs with repeat offenses:
- First reinstatement: $150
- Second reinstatement within 3 years: $250
- Third or subsequent reinstatement within 3 years: $500
You also have to maintain proof of insurance for two years after reinstatement.7Justia Law. Florida Code 324.0221 – Reports by Insurers to the Department; Suspension of Driver License and Vehicle Registrations; Reinstatement If you go three years clean after a first reinstatement, the fee resets to $150 for any future lapse.
Being pulled over without proof of insurance is a nonmoving traffic infraction. Showing a fake or expired proof-of-insurance card is a first-degree misdemeanor.8Florida Legislature. Florida Code 316.646 – Security Required; Proof of Security and Display Thereof Required Beyond the government penalties, a lapse makes your next policy more expensive, since carriers treat coverage gaps as a risk signal.
Why the Minimum Often Isn’t Enough
Florida’s $10,000/$10,000 minimum was set decades ago and hasn’t kept pace with medical care or vehicle repair costs. A single emergency room visit after a crash can exhaust PIP benefits, and a minor collision with a late-model SUV can exceed the PDL cap. Carrying only the legal minimum leaves you personally exposed for anything above those limits. Adding bodily injury liability voluntarily and keeping uninsured motorist coverage closes the two biggest gaps the mandatory minimums leave open.