Auto insurance is required in the state of Florida. Our agency is here to assist you in choosing the valuable coverage tailored to your needs, coupled with meeting the state requirements. It is required that you carry Personal Injury Protection and Property Damage Liability limits. However, there are many other important coverage options that you should consider. The good news is that there are many benefits to purchasing insurance with features and services designed to help you save money and get you back on the road quickly when you have a breakdown or accident. Find out more about car insurance requirements and how you can get affordable car insurance.
Personal Injury Protection
No matter who is at fault in an accident, the Florida state requirement of Personal Injury Protection coverage (PIP) provides you with coverage for your medical bills and lost wages up to $10,000. This is also called no-fault coverage. Basically no matter who is at fault in an accident the insurance will cover:
- Your child and other members of your household.
- Your child (when he or she is riding on a school bus).
- You (when you are a pedestrian or bicyclist involved in a car accident.
- Passengers in your car who do not have their own PIP insurance and do not own a car.
Another requirement of the state of Florida is that the policy has $10,000 in property damage liability coverage. If you are the cause of an accident doing damage to another vehicle or property, this will provide at least up to $10,000 to pay these costs.
Property Damage Liability
Another requirement of the state of Florida is that the policy has $10,000 in property damage liability coverage. If you are the cause of an accident doing damage to another vehicle or property, this will provide at least up to $10,000 to pay these costs
Florida’s Property Damage Liability insurance is specialized to cover the cost of any damages incurred to a person’s property that you may cause while you are driving. The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) in Florida requests that any cancellation of your insurance policy must be transmitted to them via e-notification immediately. If the (DHSMV) has no proof of your car insurance registration you will be sent a letter to that effect. The letter will contain a suspension date. If you are unable to produce proof that you have insurance before the date mentioned, your plates, driver’s license and registration will be suspended.
You can provide proof of insurance:
- Online at the DHSMV website.
- In person at a driver license office.
- By phone at (850) 617-2000.
Additional Coverage Options
While there are minimum amounts of coverage required for PIP and property damage liability insurance, you can purchase higher limits and optional coverage for a more complete package.
Liability Coverage
Property damage liability in the amount of $10,000 is required by Florida state law. However there are many occasions in which the damage caused to another’s vehicle or property can far exceed that limit. It is recommended that to be fully protected, these limits are increased to options such as $25,000, $50,000, 100,000 or more. These limits can be required if the damaged vehicle is valuable, more than one vehicle is damaged, etc.
The best avenue to prevent being sued is provided by the Florida no-fault insurance policy. No matter how securely you are covered, there is still a possibility that the victim(s) may sue, even more so in a case of death or injury. To protect yourself, it is a good idea to purchase Bodily Injury Liability (BIL) insurance. If you are the cause of an accident the (BIL) insurance will pay for the cost of the victim’s medical bills up to the policy limits. This insurance also includes any lawyer’s fees in the event you are sued after the accident.
Collision Coverage
Collision coverage will pay for accident related damages to your car. This can be an accident involving a collision with another vehicle, crashing into an object or rolling over. If your vehicle is involved in a hit and run accident, the collision coverage will pay for the damages.
Comprehensive Coverage
Comprehensive coverage will pay for repairs to your automobile when it is damaged by something other than collision. These losses could be from fire, theft, vandalism, falling objects, hitting an animal or natural disasters. Glass repair and replacement is typically covered through your collision coverage.
Deductibles
Collision and Comprehensive coverage carry a deductible, which is the amount you will pay toward the damages to your vehicle first before the insurance kicks in. A higher deductible on your policy will lower your premium. If you choose a high deductible means that you are paying more out of pocket towards a claim.
Emergency Road Service
Emergency Road Service coverage with assist you with costs associated with towing, tire changes, battery service, fuel delivery and locksmith service. During these times of stress, this coverage can prove to be very valuable.
Rental Reimbursement Coverage
Rental Reimbursement Coverage will help to pay for a rental vehicle while yours is being repaired due to a loss covered under your policy. This coverage will have a per day limit and a per accident limit. Usually it is best to go through your insurance company directly for the rental car because the carrier has negotiated rates with the rental car companies.
Questions and Answers About Florida Auto Insurance
I’m moving to another state and will register my vehicle there. When do I cancel my insurance?
Don’t cancel until you have already registered in that state. Your Florida registration holds as long as you are listed there, no matter if you drive in Florida or not. Once the registration process is complete in the other state you can feel free to cancel your Florida policy. If you are registering the same vehicle you drove before, than your insurance can be changed over at the same time as your registration.
If I get my license suspended because I have no insurance, will I be given a temporary one for work or employment purposes?
Florida does not provide temporary issuance of licenses for recalcitrant insurance fees or suspensions.
I own several vehicles. Even though some of them are not in use for various reasons, do they need to be registered as well?
Yes, as long as the vehicles are registered they will require insurance as well.
I don’t live in Florida, but I travel there for business quite frequently and stay for several months when I do. Do Florida insurance laws apply to me?
Yes, any vehicle owner/driver residing in Florida for over three months during a 365-day term needs to purchase personal injury protection as well as property liability insurance coverage. The three month term does not have to be continuous.
I spend half the year out of Florida, but my vehicle remains there in storage and is not used. Do I fall under Florida car insurance laws?
Once your vehicle has a current Florida license plate and registration you must obtain insurance for the entire time of the registration. Upon leaving Florida you can turn in your license plate and registration to your local Tax Collector or driver license office to quite your policy. You can always reregister your vehicle when you return to Florida while also providing proof of Florida insurance.
What is ‘Florida Coverage’?
This is a Floridian insurance policy delivered by a Florida insurance company licensed by the Florida Department of Financial Services.