Florida Car Insurance Requirements: PIP, Property Damage and What the Law Does Not Require

Florida's requirement is different from most states. Before you register a vehicle with at least four wheels, you must show proof of two coverages: personal injury protection (PIP) and property damage liability (PDL), each with a minimum of $10,000 ¹. Florida does not require most drivers to carry bodily injury liability, the coverage that almost every other state puts first.

Florida's minimum coverage

Source: Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles ¹.

Proof of coverage must come from an insurance company licensed to sell policies in Florida, or from a self-insurance certificate issued by the state ¹. Coverage has to stay in place for the whole time the vehicle is registered.

How no-fault works in Florida

Florida is a no-fault state. After a crash, your own PIP pays your medical bills first, regardless of who was at fault. That is why the state requires PIP in place of bodily injury liability. For how no-fault systems compare with fault-based ones, see how car insurance works.

The no-fault law remains in force in 2026. Senate Bill 522, which would have repealed it, died in committee on March 13, 2026 ². Repeal has been proposed several times, so this is a requirement worth rechecking each year.

What Florida does not require, and why it matters

The Insurance Information Institute notes that Florida's compulsory insurance laws apply to PIP and property damage, but not to bodily injury coverage for other people ³.

That leaves a gap. If you cause a crash that injures someone, a minimum Florida policy pays nothing toward their injuries beyond what their own PIP covers, and they may be able to pursue you personally. For this reason many Florida drivers add bodily injury liability even though the law does not demand it. Our guide to liability car insurance explains how to choose limits.

Two groups do have to carry bodily injury liability ¹:

• Vehicles registered as taxis, which must carry $125,000 per person and $250,000 per occurrence, plus $50,000 of property damage liability
• Drivers required to file an SR-22, a certificate of bodily injury and property damage liability used to reinstate driving privileges under the Financial Responsibility Law

Penalties for a lapse in coverage

Failing to maintain the required insurance can result in suspension of your driver license and registration and a reinstatement fee of up to $500 ¹.

If you are selling the car, moving away or taking it off the road, turn in your license plate at a driver license office, motor vehicle service center or tax collector's office before you cancel the insurance. Doing it in that order avoids the suspension and the fee ¹.

Coverage worth considering in Florida

• Bodily injury liability, for the gap described above.
• Uninsured motorist coverage. The Insurance Research Council estimated that 15.9 percent of Florida drivers were uninsured in 2022 ³.
• Collision and comprehensive, which a lender will require if you have a loan or lease. Comprehensive covers flood and storm damage to the car. See comprehensive car insurance.

What Florida drivers pay

Florida had the highest average expenditure in the country in 2024, about $2,018 per insured vehicle, according to the NAIC. The national figure was $1,431 ⁴. The NAIC cautions against comparing states directly, because laws and coverage choices differ. For the factors behind individual prices, see how much car insurance costs.

The bottom line

Florida's minimum is $10,000 of PIP and $10,000 of property damage liability. It keeps you legal, but it does not cover injuries you cause to others. Keep coverage continuous while the car is registered, and surrender the plate before you cancel. To compare Florida with other states, see car insurance requirements by state, or return to the main car insurance guide.