Florida Car Insurance Requirements for Drivers
Florida is one of many states that require all vehicle owners to maintain financial responsibility in the event of an accident. This means that in order to register a vehicle with four wheels or more a motorist must have automobile insurance. Furthermore, proof of coverage must be kept with the vehicle owner throughout the duration of the registration, and failure to do so could result in a fine that increase each time a motorist is caught without the proper policy documentation. The state requirements for coverage are fairly low in comparison to others. The Sunshine State only requires that residents carry a policy with $10,000 for property damage liability (PDL) and $10,000 personal injury protection (PIP).
These numbers are fairly basic, but motorists are strongly encouraged to consider increasing these minimum requirements and even contemplate getting additional forms of coverage as well. With only the minimum amount of coverage a motorist may be vulnerable in the event of an accident. If a motorist causes extensive damages to another automobile that exceeds $10,000 then the policyholder would be forced to pay the remaining costs out of pocket. Additionally state laws dictate that if a person is unable to pay for damages or is caught uninsured, then they must purchase additional Florida auto insurance which includes $20,000 bodily injury liability (BIL). In this instance it may be better to raise limits to an affordable level voluntarily rather than have the state require additional coverage as a consequence for being underinsured.