Before any Florida resident can purchase registration for his car, the state’s Financial Responsibility Law requires him to have two types of auto insurance coverage: Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Property Damage Liability (PDL). If he has previously been involved in an accident or committed a road offense, he must also purchase Bodily Injury Liability (BIL) insurance. However, if you live in Florida, you are always required to pay PIP and PDL regardless of your driving history.

If you are a Florida resident, you first need to purchase a minimum of $10,000 of PIP. PIP covers any accident involving an injury to the policyholder and his passengers, regardless if they are out-of-state and not required to have PIP. This type of insurance also covers you if you were either a pedestrian or cyclist, so long as there was another vehicle involved in the accident.

You also need to purchase at least $10,000 of PDL. This type of coverage pays for any property damage you or your dependents cause to another’s property. Furthermore, if you have ever been involved in a crash, you must purchase BIL. BIL covers serious injury or even death to other motorists when you are at fault for an auto accident. It will even apply to others who drive your car with your permission. This insurance helps you from getting sued should you cause serious injuries to other drivers and passengers. The recommended minimum limit of BIL insurance is also $10,000.

If you are a Florida resident and fail to get this required coverage, you face suspension of your driver’s license as well as your registration. This suspension may last for as long as three years if you do not purchase an insurance policy containing state requirements. You also cannot transfer your insurance policy from your home state to Florida unless your current insurance company has Florida agents, in which case you can request a transfer of policy as long as they address the Florida requirements.

Florida also maintains a No-Fault Law that requires owners of automobiles that have been in the state for more than 90 days out of 365 days to purchase the minimum amounts of PIP and PDL. This requirement holds true even if the 90 days are nonconsecutive. If you fail to comply with this law, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will suspend your driver’s license and registration. You will have to show proof of minimum insurance and pay a $150 fee to recover them. If you do not renew your insurance under the No-Fault Law, you will once more face suspension of driving privileges and have to pay increasingly higher fees for every time you break this law.

Once you have the minimum insurance coverage, you must keep a Florida Insurance I.D. Card with you at all times when you drive. You will present this card to an officer if you get pulled over, and it will go a long way to preserve your driving privileges.

Florida Auto Insurance Requirement Chart

• Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit
• Personal Injury Protection: $10,000 Limit

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