Florida car insurance: PIP and property damage to register, no-fault rules, FR-44 and costs

Florida's registration minimum: PIP and property damage only

Florida builds its minimum around two coverages:

• Personal injury protection (PIP) of $10,000, which pays your own injury costs after a crash
• Property damage liability (PDL) of $10,000, which pays for damage you cause to other people's vehicles and property

What is missing is bodily injury liability, the coverage that pays for injuries you cause to other people. Florida requires it only when the state's financial responsibility law applies, and then at $10,000 per person and $20,000 per accident. A $30,000 combined single limit can also satisfy the property damage requirement.

A driver who carries only the registration minimum has no insurance to pay someone they seriously injure. That person may then pursue the driver's own money and assets. Our liability coverage guide explains what bodily injury liability adds, and our post on no-fault vs at-fault states explains why Florida's system works this way.

How Florida PIP pays after a crash

PIP is the heart of Florida's no-fault system. You claim from your own insurer first, regardless of fault. Under Florida Statutes section 627.736, the required PIP benefits work like this:

Because the overall limit is $10,000, a serious injury can use it up quickly. For example, if a crash leaves you with $30,000 of medical bills, PIP stops paying once it reaches its limit, and the rest falls to your health insurance, your medical payments coverage if you bought it, or a claim against the at-fault driver.

Lawsuits against the at-fault driver for pain and suffering are limited to serious injuries under Florida's no-fault law. Our PIP guide and tort threshold entry explain the details.

Get care quickly: Florida's PIP treatment deadline

Florida PIP medical benefits apply only if you receive initial services and care within 14 days after the crash. If you wait longer, PIP can refuse to pay. And if a qualified provider finds you did not have an emergency medical condition, PIP reimbursement for medical care is limited to $2,500.

What to do after a crash in Florida:

1. Get checked by a doctor, hospital or other qualified provider within 14 days, even if you feel fine.
2. Report the claim to your own insurer, because your PIP pays first.
3. Keep every bill and record of time missed from work.
4. If you were hit by an uninsured or hit-and-run driver, tell your insurer and the police promptly.

Our guide to what to do after a crash has a full checklist.

When bodily injury coverage becomes mandatory: FR-44

Drivers convicted of DUI face a special filing called the FR-44. For DUI convictions after October 1, 2007, Florida requires liability limits of at least $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident for bodily injury and $50,000 for property damage, kept for at least 3 years. Those limits are many times the normal minimum. Instead of insurance, a certificate of deposit of $350,000 is accepted. Our FR-44 guide and car insurance after a DUI go further.

Uninsured motorist coverage when bodily injury is optional

The Insurance Research Council estimates that 20.6% of Florida drivers were uninsured in 2023, above the national estimate of 15.4%. And because bodily injury liability is not required to register, an "insured" driver who hits you may still have nothing to pay for your injuries.

If your policy includes bodily injury liability, uninsured motorist coverage is included at the same limits unless you reject it in writing on the state's approved form, and Florida UM also responds when the other driver's limits are lower than your damages. Choosing non-stacking UM must cut the UM premium by at least 20%. See our uninsured motorist guide and the stacking entry.

Florida costs and road safety

Florida's cost averages are well above the national average: the average expenditure is about $155 a month. IIHS counted 3,138 crash deaths in Florida in 2024, and both death rates were above the national rates. One small plus: Florida comprehensive coverage carries a $0 deductible for windshield damage. Drivers aged 55 and older can also earn a discount for 3 years by completing an approved accident prevention course; see defensive driving courses.

Lapses and new residents

If your PIP and property damage coverage lapses, Florida can suspend your license and plate for up to 3 years, and reinstatement can cost up to $500. New residents have 10 days to get Florida insurance so they can title and register their car. See our new residents guide and compare neighboring Georgia and Alabama, or all states.