Dmv Insurance Updates: Florida's Guide

Florida drivers are required to have insurance for their vehicles in order to legally drive them on the state's roads and highways. Florida's Financial Responsibility Law and No-Fault Law require motorists to purchase insurance that covers bodily injury liability, property damage liability, and personal injury protection. If you have made any changes to your car insurance policy, you can notify the DMV office, although this is usually done by your insurance company. The DMV keeps records of these changes. If your insurance provider notifies the DMV that you have cancelled your policy and no other active policy has been reported, you will receive a letter from the DMV requesting information on your new coverage.

Florida's No-Fault Insurance Law

PIP covers 80% of medical bills, 60% of lost wages, and 100% of replacement service costs (any service needed because of a loss of ability caused by the accident). It also provides a $5,000 death benefit, should the driver die due to injuries sustained in the accident. PIP claims must be made within 14 days of the accident.

Florida's No-Fault Law also places restrictions on when you may seek compensation from another party. If your injuries are serious, permanent, or debilitating, and meet the law's "injury threshold", or exceed your PIP coverage, you may choose to file a lawsuit against the other driver.

In 2021, Florida's legislature voted almost unanimously to repeal the law, but Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed the bill. As of May 2024, Florida is still a no-fault state.

Required insurance coverage

Florida has enacted the Financial Responsibility Law and the No-Fault Law, which require motorists to buy insurance for their vehicles to legally drive them on the state's roads and highways.

The minimum insurance requirements in Florida are:

• $10,000 for personal injury protection (PIP) per person
• $10,000 for property damage liability (PDL) per accident
• $10,000 for bodily injury liability per person
• $20,000 for bodily injury liability per accident

Personal injury protection (PIP) covers 80% of all necessary and reasonable medical expenses up to $10,000 resulting from a covered injury, regardless of who caused the crash. Property damage liability (PDL) coverage pays for damage to another person's property caused by you or someone else driving your insured vehicle.

Although Florida does not require bodily injury liability (BIL) insurance, it is still recommended to add this coverage to your policy. BIL covers injury or death to others in the event of an accident. Even though Florida is a no-fault state, you can still be sued for damages if they are extensive or go beyond what your minimum insurance requirements cover.

You must maintain the required insurance coverage throughout the registration period. Failure to do so may result in the suspension of your driver's license, registration, and license plate for up to three years, as well as a reinstatement fee of up to $500.

Proof of insurance

In Florida, car insurance is mandatory. Before registering a vehicle with at least four wheels, you must show proof of insurance. Motorcycles, mobile homes, and utility trailers are exempt from this requirement.

The minimum insurance requirements in Florida are:

• $10,000 for personal injury protection (PIP)
• $10,000 for property damage liability (PDL)

You must carry proof of insurance with you whenever you drive, and it must be current. If you are pulled over or in an accident, law enforcement will ask you to show proof of insurance.

If you have made any changes to your car insurance policy, you can notify the DMV office. In some cases, your insurance company will notify the DMV for you.

If you cancel your insurance policy, you must surrender your tag to avoid the suspension of your driver's license and registration, as well as reinstatement fees.

To provide proof of insurance to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FDHSMV), you have the following options:

• Go online and update your information on the FDHSMV website
• Mail your information in response to a "warning letter" you received from the FDHSMV
• Take physical proof of insurance to a Florida driver's license office in your area
• Call (850) 617-2000 and use the FDHSMV's automated system to update this information

Insurance cancellation

Florida has strict rules that insurers must follow before they can cancel your coverage. If you have had an insurance policy for more than 90 days and have made timely payments, your policy can only be canceled for very specific reasons.

If you cancel your policy, the insurer must mail the unearned portion of any premium paid within 30 days after the effective date of the cancellation. The insurer may retain up to 10% of the unearned premium and must refund at least 90% of it. If the insurer cancels the policy, they must refund 100% of the unearned premium within 15 days after the effective date of the cancellation.

If you cancel your insurance policy because you no longer own the vehicle, you must surrender the Florida tag at a driver's license and motor vehicle service center or tax collector's office. If the vehicle is inoperable or otherwise not being driven on public roadways, you must surrender the Florida tag and registration immediately upon canceling the insurance. If you move to another state but keep your Florida tag and registration, you must register the vehicle in your new state of residence.

If you have received a warning letter from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) that your insurance has been canceled, you are in danger of losing your driver's license. If you fail to provide proof of insurance before your suspension date, your driver's license, tag, and registration will be suspended. If you do provide proof of insurance before the suspension date, you will not have to pay reinstatement fees.

To provide the DHSMV with your insurance information, you can:

• Go online and update your information on the DHSMV website.
• Mail your information in response to the "warning letter" you received from the DHSMV.
• Take physical proof of insurance to a Florida driver's license office in your area.
• Call (850) 617-2000 and use the DHSMV's automated system to update this information.

Reinstating a suspended license

If your Florida driver's license has been suspended, you will need to surrender it to the Florida DMV. Any delays in doing so will result in an extended period of suspension. Your suspension will begin when they receive your license, and it will be reinstated once the suspension period is over.

The Florida DMV will mail you a suspension notification by personal delivery before your suspension begins. The length of your license suspension varies depending on the violation and will be printed on the notification letter.

Your license can be suspended for a number of offenses, ranging from failure to pay a ticket to delinquency on child support payments.

Reasons for License Suspension

• Failure to comply with or appear in a traffic summons
• Failure to pay fines
• Failure to complete a driver improvement course
• Showing your incapability of operating a vehicle
• Driving record point accumulation
• Traffic violation resulting in the death or serious injury of another person
• Owning a fraudulent license
• Being delinquent on paying child support

How to Reinstate Your Suspended License

Each suspended driver has a different list of requirements to fulfill before they can reinstate their license. Check your suspension notice to confirm what you need to do. The list may include:

• Taking an FLHSMV-approved traffic school (optional)
• Taking a drug and alcohol course
• Taking court-ordered community service hours
• Completing a probation period

You will have to visit a "participating" Florida DMV license office. Not all FL DMV offices have the capability to reinstate your license, so make sure you research the branch you want to go to first.

While there, you will have to pay any fines and fees associated with your license suspension. The amount of money you pay will vary depending on the reason for the suspension.

You may have to provide specific DMV-required documentation, depending on the reason for the suspension. To find the full list of documentation you will need, visit the FLHSMV website.

Fees to Reinstate Your License

Payment for the following fees is required to reinstate your suspended driver's license in Florida:

• D-6 suspension (for unpaid traffic tickets): $60
• Child support suspension: $60
• Failure to maintain car insurance: $150
• Additional administration fee for alcohol- and drug-related offenses: $130

You may also need to pay additional DMV and court fees depending on the reason for your suspension. DUI-related suspensions carry different fees depending on your specific DUI offense.

Frequently asked questions