Paul Sanchez
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) requires drivers to maintain Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Property Damage Liability (PDL) insurance on all registered vehicles. Proof of insurance must be provided by a Florida-licensed insurer or through a self-insurance certificate issued by FLHSMV. Failure to maintain adequate insurance coverage may result in the suspension of driving privileges, license plates, and a requirement to pay reinstatement fees. The FLHSMV may send a letter requesting verification of insurance due to reported cancellations, crashes, or citations for driving without proof. While insurance companies typically notify the DMV of policy cancellations, individuals may need to manually submit proof of insurance annually for older vehicles. The MyDMV Portal allows Floridians to update insurance information, clear suspensions, and pay reinstatement fees online.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Insurance Requirements | Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Property Damage Liability (PDL) |
| Minimum Coverage | $10,000 in PIP and $10,000 in PDL |
| Proof of Insurance | Required before registration; provided by a Florida-licensed insurance company or self-insured certificate |
| Out-of-State Insurance | Not reported to DMV; must register vehicle in Florida or surrender Florida tags and registration |
| Insurance Verification | May be required after a crash or citation for driving without proof of insurance |
| Non-Compliance Consequences | Suspension of driver's license, tag, and registration; reinstatement fees up to $500 |
| Insurance Updates | Submitted online via MyDMV Portal, by mail, or in person at a Florida driver license office |
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What You'll Learn
Florida insurance requirements
Florida has specific insurance requirements that all drivers must adhere to. The state is a
Florida law requires all drivers to carry proof of insurance and to have it current. If you are pulled over or in an accident, you will be asked to show this proof. This includes Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Property Damage Liability (PDL) insurance. PIP covers 80% of all necessary and reasonable medical expenses up to $10,000 from a covered injury, regardless of who caused the crash. PDL coverage pays for damage to another person's property caused by the insured vehicle.
Any vehicle with a current Florida registration must be insured with both PIP and PDL insurance at the time of registration, with a minimum of $10,000 in coverage for each. Vehicles registered as taxis must carry higher coverage, with $125,000 per person, $250,000 per occurrence, and $50,000 for PDL coverage.
Failure to maintain the required insurance coverage in Florida may result in the suspension of your driver's license and registration and a reinstatement fee of up to $500. If you cancel your insurance, you must surrender your Florida tags and registration to avoid suspension and fees.
It is important to note that Florida does not require drivers to carry Bodily Injury Liability (BIL) insurance. However, many experts recommend adding this coverage to protect yourself in the event of an accident resulting in injuries or death due to negligence.
Additionally, Florida residents with children attending college in another state must ensure their cars have PIP and PDL coverage if the child uses a car registered in Florida.
Florida also offers an online MyDMV Portal, which allows users to update their car insurance information, clear insurance suspensions, and pay reinstatement fees, among other services.
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Proof of insurance
In Florida, you must show proof of insurance when registering a vehicle with at least four wheels. This proof of insurance must be issued by an insurance company licensed in Florida or by qualifying for a self-insurance certificate issued by the FLHSMV. The minimum insurance requirements for vehicles with a current Florida registration are $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and $10,000 in Property Damage Liability (PDL). PIP covers 80% of all necessary and reasonable medical expenses up to $10,000, regardless of who caused the crash. PDL coverage pays for damage to another person's property caused by the insured vehicle.
If you fail to maintain the required insurance coverage, your driver's license, tag, and registration may be suspended, and you may be required to pay a reinstatement fee of up to $500. To reinstate your license, you may also need to show proof of enrollment in an Advanced Driver Improvement class.
You can update your car insurance information online through the MyDMV Portal, by mail, or in person at a Florida driver license office. If you have out-of-state insurance, it will not be automatically reported to the DMV, and you will need to submit proof of insurance manually.
If you cancel or remove a vehicle from your insurance policy, you may receive a letter from the FLHSMV notifying you to provide the required insurance coverage information. This letter may be sent if you have been in a crash or received a citation for driving without proof of insurance. To avoid suspension and reinstatement fees, you must surrender your Florida tags and registration immediately after cancelling your insurance for that vehicle.
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Insurance suspensions
In Florida, there are two motor vehicle insurance laws: the Financial Responsibility Law and the No-Fault Law. If you do not have the proper insurance, you can lose your driver's license and license plate(s) and have to pay large fees to get them back. The Financial Responsibility Law requires vehicle owners and operators to be financially responsible for any damage or injuries they cause in a motor vehicle crash. This law requires drivers to have bodily injury liability insurance in the event of a crash where they are at fault, a suspension for too many points against their driver's license, a citation for DUI, or a revocation for any serious offense.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) will send a letter notifying you to provide the required insurance coverage information if your insurance company notifies them that you have canceled or removed a vehicle from a policy, and your vehicle has a valid Florida registration with no other active Florida policy reported. You may also receive a letter to verify your insurance because of a crash or receiving a citation for driving without proof of insurance. If you no longer own the vehicle and do not plan to transfer the Florida tag to another vehicle, you must surrender the tag at a driver's license and motor vehicle service center or tax collector's office. If the vehicle is inoperable or not being driven on public roadways, you must surrender the Florida tag and registration immediately upon canceling the Florida insurance.
If your driver's license and license plates have been suspended for 30 days or more for a no-fault insurance violation, a police officer can seize your license plate immediately. You will be issued a Florida Insurance I.D. Card from your insurance company, which you must show to any police officer to prove that you have the required insurance. If you cannot provide proof of insurance, you may receive a ticket for not having it. If your license or plates are suspended, you cannot obtain a temporary license for any reason, including work purposes.
The FLHSMV's MyDMV Portal allows users to clear many insurance suspensions, pay reinstatement fees, purchase and print their driver record, obtain a clearance letter, and subscribe to receive email notifications. To clear a suspension, you may also contact the traffic court in the county where the traffic citation was issued and satisfy the court requirements. Once the requirements have been met, the county will update the department electronically, and you may then present a reinstatement fee (if applicable) to any Florida driver's license service center. You may also call 850-617-3000 to pay the reinstatement fee over the phone.
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Reinstatement fees
In Florida, if you do not pay your insurance premium, your insurance company will cancel your policy and report this to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV). You are required to maintain personal injury protection (PIP) and property damage liability (PDL) insurance on every vehicle registered to you in Florida, regardless of whether you drive it regularly. If you fail to provide proof of insurance before your suspension date, your driver's license, tag, and registration will be suspended.
If you provide proof of insurance before your suspension date, you will not have to pay reinstatement fees. If your license is suspended, you will need to show proof of enrollment in an Advanced Driver Improvement class before your license can be reinstated. This class can be taken with any of Florida's state-approved ADI course providers. Once you have completed the class, you may present a reinstatement fee, if applicable, to any Florida driver license service center or call 850-617-3000 to pay the reinstatement fee over the phone.
You may obtain the suspending citation information online or check the status of your clearance by using the Online Driver License Check. A driver's license will be suspended indefinitely if the driver fails to pay a traffic fine. To clear the suspension, contact the traffic court in the county where the traffic citation was issued and satisfy the citation requirements; some traffic courts accept payment for the traffic citation online via credit card. Once the court requirements have been met, the county will update the department electronically with the clearance information.
You can also pay reinstatement fees through the MyDMV Portal, which provides Floridians with access to expanded online services.
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Vehicle registration
Additionally, specific insurance requirements must be met. Vehicle owners are mandated to obtain the required Florida auto insurance policies from an insurance company licensed in Florida. This includes maintaining continuous insurance coverage throughout the registration period, with a minimum of $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and a minimum of $10,000 in Property Damage Liability (PDL) insurance. Failure to maintain insurance coverage can result in a suspended license for up to three years and reinstatement fees of up to $500.
To renew a registration, customers can do so online through the MyDMV Portal or via a mobile app. However, if the department is unable to verify valid insurance, no registration will be issued. For initial registration, customers must visit a local service center in person and submit the necessary documentation, including proof of insurance. The $225 Initial Registration Fee must be paid when the owner does not have a record of a license plate registered in their name for a previously owned vehicle in Florida.
It is important to note that license plates must be replaced once every decade as part of the registration process, with an average cost of $36 in Florida. Overall, vehicle registration in Florida involves providing the necessary documentation, maintaining valid insurance, and staying compliant with renewal and license plate replacement requirements.
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Frequently asked questions
If you fail to maintain the required insurance coverage in Florida, your driver's license, tag, and registration will be suspended. You will also be required to pay a reinstatement fee of up to $500.
Before registering a vehicle in Florida, you must show proof of Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Property Damage Liability (PDL) automobile insurance. Any vehicle with a current Florida registration must be insured with a minimum of $10,000 in PIP and a minimum of $10,000 in PDL.
You can update your car insurance information by updating it online on the DHSMV website, mailing in your information, taking physical proof of insurance to a Florida driver's license office, or calling (850) 617-2000 and using the DHSMV's automated system. You can also update your insurance information on the MyDMV Portal.
