Florida Car Insurance
Florida is a no-fault PIP state. Every vehicle with a current Florida registration must carry at least $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection (Fla. Stat. § 627.736) and $10,000 in Property Damage Liability (Chapter 324)16. Florida is unusual in that Bodily Injury Liability is not required at the state minimum by default for private passenger vehicles; BI becomes mandatory only for specific statutory triggers, including certain crashes under the Financial Responsibility Law and a DUI conviction under Fla. Stat. § 324.023 (FR-44). PIP medical benefits apply only if the injured person receives initial services within 14 days after the crash1. This page owns the Florida-specific rules; the consumer journey (after a DUI, a lapse, a total loss, or a move) lives on our situation guides.
YesWeSure Bottom Line
What the law currently requires at registration. PIP $10,000 and PDL $10,000 must be in force the same day the vehicle is registered. FLHSMV can suspend the driver license, license plate, and registration if the required coverage lapses67.
What Florida does not require by default. Bodily Injury Liability at the state minimum is not required for private passenger vehicles by default. If you cause an at-fault crash without BI, Florida's Financial Responsibility Law then requires you to obtain coverage or lose driving privileges. BI is inexpensive relative to the exposure it covers; treating it as optional because the state does not require it upfront is not the same as treating it as unnecessary. Personal coverage-limit decisions belong on our coverage-limits guide, not on this page.
What the PIP 14-day rule means. Under Fla. Stat. § 627.736, PIP medical benefits apply only if the injured person receives initial services from a qualified provider within 14 days after the crash1. Waiting past the 14-day window can eliminate the PIP medical benefit for the injuries.
How Florida verifies coverage. Florida- licensed insurers report policy status electronically to FLHSMV. If FLHSMV cannot verify coverage, it can send a letter and, absent response, suspend the driver license, license plate, and registration7.
State requirements at a glance
What Florida car insurance law requires
Required at registration
$10,000 PIP + $10,000 PDL1
Every vehicle with a current Florida registration must carry Personal Injury Protection under Fla. Stat. § 627.736 and Property Damage Liability under Chapter 324. Insurance must be bound the same day as registration.
Bodily Injury Liability
Not required by default at the state minimum4
Florida is unusual: BI is not required at the state minimum for private passenger vehicles by default. BI becomes required by statute for specific triggers, including the Financial Responsibility Law after certain crashes and after a DUI conviction (see FR-44 below).
FR-44 after DUI
100/300/50 or $350,000 CSL for 3 years3
Fla. Stat. § 324.023 requires higher liability limits after a DUI conviction: $100,000 bodily injury per person, $300,000 per accident, and $50,000 property damage, or a $350,000 combined single limit, maintained for three years from the ending date of any revocation.
Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist
Must be offered; reject in writing5
Fla. Stat. § 627.727 requires insurers to include UM/UIM at bodily-injury liability limits unless the named insured knowingly rejects the coverage in writing. Rejection must be on the statutorily prescribed form.
Rate approval regime
Prior approval (Florida OIR)9
Florida Office of Insurance Regulation reviews and approves personal-auto rate filings before rates take effect.
Insurance verification
Electronic reporting to FLHSMV7
Florida-licensed insurers report policy initiation and cancellation electronically to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The state can suspend the driver license, license plate, and registration for confirmed uninsured status.
PIP 14-day rule
Initial services within 14 days of the crash1
Under Fla. Stat. § 627.736, PIP medical benefits apply only if the injured person receives initial services within 14 days after the motor vehicle crash. Emergency Medical Condition determinations then affect available benefit levels.
PIP benefit percentages
80% medical / 60% wages / $5,000 death1
Fla. Stat. § 627.736 provides PIP pays 80% of reasonable and necessary medical expenses, 60% of loss of gross income and earning capacity, and a $5,000 death benefit per individual, subject to the policy limit.
Personal Injury Protection ($10,000 PIP) under Fla. Stat. § 627.736
Florida's no-fault system requires at least $10,000 in PIP on every registered vehicle. PIP is a first-party medical and disability coverage that pays for your medical bills and a portion of lost income regardless of fault, subject to the policy limits and statutory caps1.
- Medical benefits. PIP pays 80% of reasonable and necessary medical, surgical, X-ray, dental, and rehabilitative services1.
- Disability benefits. PIP pays 60% of loss of gross income and loss of earning capacity per individual from inability to work1.
- Death benefit. A $5,000 death benefit per individual, in addition to medical and disability benefits, subject to the policy1.
- The 14-day rule. Coverage for medical benefits is contingent on the injured person receiving initial services within 14 days after the crash. Miss the window, and the PIP medical benefit for that injury can be forfeited1.
- Emergency Medical Condition (EMC). Whether a treating provider determines an EMC affects the available PIP benefit level under the statute. This is a medical determination made after the crash, not a policy option you elect at underwriting1.
No-fault status is still current. Florida's no-fault PIP framework has been debated in the Legislature multiple times, and a repeal bill was vetoed in 2021. As of the review date on this page, Fla. Stat. § 627.736 remains in force and PIP remains required1. Watch for statutory changes; the Florida Legislature has revisited the framework in subsequent sessions.
Property Damage Liability ($10,000 PDL)
Florida requires at least $10,000 in Property Damage Liability coverage on every registered vehicle. PDL pays for damage you cause to someone else's property (their vehicle, fence, mailbox, or building) up to the policy limit26. Modern vehicles routinely cost far more than $10,000, so the state minimum can be inadequate after an at-fault total-loss collision. Personal-limit decisions belong on our coverage-limits guide.
Bodily Injury Liability: not required at the state minimum by default
Florida is one of a small number of states that does not require Bodily Injury Liability at the state minimum for private passenger vehicles by default. Instead, Florida uses PIP to route first-party medical costs and applies the Financial Responsibility Law (Chapter 324) as a back-end mechanism.
- Financial Responsibility Law triggers. After specific triggering events (certain at-fault crashes, certain convictions, unsatisfied judgments), Chapter 324 requires the driver to demonstrate financial responsibility going forward. This typically means obtaining a policy that includes BI limits4.
- FR-44 after DUI. Fla. Stat. § 324.023 requires substantially higher liability limits after a DUI conviction: 100/300/50 or a $350,000 combined single limit, maintained for three years from the ending date of any revocation3. FR-44 mechanics live on our after-a-DUI guide.
- Practical implication. The state minimum ($10,000 PIP + $10,000 PDL) does not include any BI limit. If you cause an at-fault crash with injuries and carry only the state minimum, injured third parties can pursue you personally for their medical costs. Our coverage-limits guide walks the deliberate way to decide on BI.
Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)
Under Fla. Stat. § 627.727, Florida insurers must include Uninsured Motorist coverage at the bodily-injury liability limits of the policy unless the named insured knowingly rejects the coverage in writing on the statutorily prescribed form5. If you did not sign a rejection, UM at BI limits is on the policy.
UM applies when the at-fault driver has no liability insurance; UIM applies when the at-fault driver's coverage is not enough to cover the loss. Because a meaningful share of Florida drivers rely on the state minimum (which does not include BI by default), UM/UIM is practically important protection. Coverage mechanics themselves live on our coverage family pages; this page owns only the Florida rule about how UM must be offered and rejected.
FR-44 after a DUI: higher limits for three years
Fla. Stat. § 324.023 requires additional financial responsibility after a DUI conviction:
- Required limits. $100,000 bodily injury per person, $300,000 per accident, and $50,000 property damage, or a $350,000 combined single limit3. These limits are well above the state minimum PDL requirement.
- Duration. The higher limits must be maintained for three years from the ending date of any revocation resulting from the DUI conviction3.
- FR-44 vs SR-22. Florida uses FR-44 specifically for DUI-related convictions. FR-44 is a filing (like SR-22) but requires higher limits than standard SR-22. SR-22 by itself is used less commonly as a DUI response in Florida because FR-44 is the DUI-specific requirement.
Filing mechanics, lapse consequences, and the interaction with license reinstatement are covered on our after-a-DUI guide. This page states only the Florida rule; the guide walks the consumer journey.
FLHSMV insurance verification and lapse consequences
All Florida-licensed insurers report policy initiation and cancellation to FLHSMV electronically. FLHSMV continuously compares insurer-reported policy data against the department's database of registered vehicles78.
- Registration and same-day binding. Insurance purchased for the vehicle must be bound the same day as the issuance of the registration; proof of Florida insurance must be verifiable as of the date the vehicle is registered to avoid suspension7.
- Verification letter. If FLHSMV cannot verify coverage on a registered vehicle, it sends the owner a letter requesting insurance information within a specified window7.
- Suspension. Failure to respond can lead to suspension of the driver license, license plate, and registration until compliance is demonstrated and reinstatement fees are paid78.
Reentry mechanics after a coverage lapse are covered on our after-a-lapse guide, which addresses reinstatement, DMV registration consequences, and how to close the gap without opening another. This page owns only the Florida rule.
Rate approval: prior approval through Florida OIR
The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation is a prior-approval regulator for personal auto insurance: insurers must file rate changes for OIR review and approval before rates can take effect9. This is a different regime from Texas (file and use). It affects how frequently rates change and how carriers structure competitive filings; it does not affect the underlying rating factors carriers may use.
Where the Florida situation rules live on YesWeSure
This State Guide owns Florida's current statutory framework. Situation-specific Florida rules already live on the sibling Situation guides, each citing Florida primary sources directly:
- After a DUI. Fla. Stat. § 324.023 FR-44 100/300/50 or $350,000 CSL, three-year maintenance from ending date of revocation, and the SR-22 vs FR-44 distinction are treated on our after-a-DUI guide.
- After a lapse. Reinstatement, DMV suspension mechanics, and how a lapse can affect underwriting are treated on our after-a-lapse guide.
- Moving into Florida. New-resident registration timing and the Florida-authorized-carrier proof of insurance requirement are treated on our moving-to-another-state guide.
- Total-loss journey. ACV valuation, deductible interaction, lienholder and lessor payoff paths, and how Gap interacts with a settlement are treated on our car-totaled guide. Florida-specific salvage-title mechanics are not published on this V1 State Guide.
What we verified for this page
- Strong$10,000 PIP minimum, 80% medical / 60% wage benefit percentages, and $5,000 death benefit verified against Florida Statutes § 627.736 (2026 statute year).
- StrongPIP 14-day rule requiring initial services from a qualified provider within 14 days after the crash verified against Florida Statutes § 627.736.
- Strong$10,000 Property Damage Liability minimum verified against Florida Statutes § 324.021 and FLHSMV consumer materials.
- StrongFR-44 requirement after DUI (100/300/50 or $350,000 combined single limit; three-year maintenance from ending date of revocation) verified against Florida Statutes § 324.023. Same statute citation and same numbers as our frozen after-a-DUI guide; no conflict.
- StrongUM/UIM must be offered at BI limits with a written knowing rejection verified against Florida Statutes § 627.727.
- StrongFLHSMV electronic insurance verification and driver-license, license-plate, and registration suspension mechanics verified against the FLHSMV Insurance Requirements page, the Received a Letter page, and the FLHSMV Procedures Manual for Implementation of the Florida Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law.
- StrongPrior-approval rate regime under the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation verified against FLOIR materials.
- ModerateBodily Injury Liability not required at the state minimum for private passenger vehicles by default. This Florida-specific rule is a widely reported consequence of Florida operating under Chapter 324 as a Financial Responsibility Law state rather than a compulsory-BI state. The statute-driven picture (PIP + PDL required at registration; BI required after specific triggering events; FR-44 required after DUI) is the framing used on this page. No specific BI-required-at- registration statute exists to cite because Florida does not have one for private passenger vehicles by default.
- ModerateCross-check against existing frozen pages. Every Florida reference already published on YesWeSure (specifically Fla. Stat. § 324.023 in the after-a-DUI guide) was checked against current Florida Statutes. No conflicts were detected. The State Guide adopts the same statute citations and numbers as the after-a-DUI guide, and it delegates situation-specific mechanics to the situation guides rather than duplicating them.
- LimitedDeliberately omitted from V1. A Florida modeled cost anchor; a Florida premium average; the current FLOIR-approved specific rating factor list (which changes on a filing basis); a complete list of Financial Responsibility Law triggering events beyond the FR-44 DUI case; a Florida-specific salvage-title mechanics section (salvage and total-loss mechanics live on the car-totaled guide); credit-based scoring policy detail; a Florida no-fault legislative history timeline. Each will land on a dedicated subpage or future situation as primary evidence supports.
- LimitedNamed author and expert reviewer. V1 attributes to “YesWeSure Editorial.” A named auto-insurance editor and a Florida-licensed reviewer are tracked as a pre-launch YMYL item across all reference families.
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Common questions
What is the minimum car insurance required in Florida?
Florida requires at least $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) under Fla. Stat. § 627.736 and $10,000 in Property Damage Liability (PDL) on every registered vehicle126. Bodily Injury Liability is not required at the state minimum for private passenger vehicles by default; it becomes required for specific triggering events under the Financial Responsibility Law (Chapter 324).
Do I need Bodily Injury Liability in Florida?
Not by default at the state minimum for private passenger vehicles. BI becomes required for specific triggers, including after certain crashes under the Financial Responsibility Law and after a DUI conviction (see FR-44 below)4. BI is inexpensive relative to the exposure it covers; carrying it is a common Florida consumer decision even where the state does not require it upfront.
What is the 14-day rule for Florida PIP?
Under Fla. Stat. § 627.736, PIP medical benefits apply only if the injured person receives initial services from a qualified provider within 14 days after the motor vehicle crash1. Missing the 14-day window can eliminate the PIP medical benefit for the injury.
What is FR-44 in Florida?
Fla. Stat. § 324.023 requires higher liability limits after a DUI conviction: $100,000 bodily injury per person, $300,000 per accident, and $50,000 property damage, or a $350,000 combined single limit, maintained for three years from the ending date of any revocation3. FR-44 is Florida's DUI-specific filing. Filing mechanics live on our after-a-DUI guide.
Is UM/UIM required in Florida?
Florida insurers must include UM at the bodily-injury liability limits of the policy unless the named insured knowingly rejects it in writing on the statutorily prescribed form5. Without a signed rejection, UM stays on the policy.
Did Florida repeal PIP?
No. A repeal bill was passed by the Legislature in 2021 and vetoed by the Governor. As of the review date on this page, Fla. Stat. § 627.736 remains in force and PIP remains required on every registered vehicle1. Watch the Legislature for subsequent-session activity.
How does Florida verify that I have insurance?
Florida-licensed insurers report policy initiation and cancellation to FLHSMV electronically. FLHSMV continuously compares insurer data against registered vehicles. If coverage cannot be verified, FLHSMV sends a letter and, absent response, can suspend the driver license, license plate, and registration78.
Is Florida a prior-approval rate state?
Yes for personal auto. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation reviews and approves personal- auto rate filings before rates can take effect9.
Sources & methodology
- Florida Statutes § 627.736 (2026): required Personal Injury Protection benefits ($10,000 in medical and disability benefits and $5,000 death benefit per individual; 80% of medically necessary medical expenses; 60% of loss of gross income; initial services within 14 days of the crash). (The Florida Senate, TIER 1)
- Florida Statutes § 324.021 (2026): definitions and general provisions for Florida's Financial Responsibility Law, including the $10,000 property damage per crash minimum. (The Florida Senate, TIER 1)
- Florida Statutes § 324.023 (2026): additional financial responsibility for DUI convictions. Requires 100/300/50 liability limits (or a $350,000 combined single limit) maintained for three years from the ending date of any revocation resulting from a DUI conviction. (The Florida Senate, TIER 1)
- Florida Statutes Chapter 324 (2026): Financial Responsibility Law. Governs proof of financial responsibility after crashes, judgments, DUI convictions, and related triggering events. (The Florida Senate, TIER 1)
- Florida Statutes § 627.727 (2026): motor vehicle insurance; uninsured and underinsured vehicle coverage. Requires insurers to offer UM/UIM coverage and provides that a knowing rejection must be in writing for the coverage to be waived. (The Florida Senate, TIER 1)
- Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV): Florida Insurance Requirements. Consumer-facing summary of required coverages ($10,000 PIP + $10,000 PDL at registration) and electronic insurance verification. (Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, TIER 1)
- FLHSMV: Received a Letter (Insurance Verification). Describes the electronic reporting process, the 30-day verification response window, and the possible suspension of driver license, license plate, and registration for uninsured status. (Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, TIER 1)
- FLHSMV Procedures Manual for Implementation of the Florida Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law. Operational manual describing insurer electronic reporting, verification, and suspension procedures. (Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, TIER 1)
- Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (FLOIR): auto insurance rate filing and market conduct. Florida is a prior-approval state; insurers must file rate changes for review and approval. (Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, TIER 1)
- YesWeSure: Car insurance after an accident (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: Car insurance after a DUI (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: Car insurance after a lapse in coverage (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: Car insurance when moving to another state (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: Car insurance when your car is totaled (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: How much is car insurance? National cost hub (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: How to choose coverage limits (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: How insurers calculate rates (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: California car insurance state guide (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
- YesWeSure: Texas car insurance state guide (YesWeSure, INTERNAL)
Evidence hierarchy on this page: Tier 1 (Florida Statutes, Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Florida Office of Insurance Regulation). No Tier 2 or Tier 3 publisher figures appear on this page; a Florida modeled cost anchor is deliberately omitted from V1 and will land on a future subpage with full provenance. Every legal number on this page traces to a Florida primary source: Fla. Stat. §§ 627.736, 324.021, 324.023, 627.727, and Chapter 324. This page is informational and does not constitute legal, tax, or insurance advice. Last reviewed .