Florida Auto Insurance

When shopping for Florida auto insurance it is very important to provide the agent or company with the most accurate information possible. For example, failing to disclose all licensed persons in your household or regular operators of your insured vehicle can not only result in an inaccurate quote, but could cause you to not be covered in a claims situation due to misrepresentation. Your agent or company must strive to provide you with correct information and may not intentionally mislead you by quoting a lower price just to get your business.

Remember that a quote is an estimate of how much insurance with a particular company will cost you and may be subject to change. If you find that your rate has increased once the policy has been issued you have the option to pay the additional premium or to cancel the policy. An insurance company should be able to complete their underwriting of the auto insurance application, and issue the policy within 60 days.

Don?t be scammed out of your hard-earned money. Before buying insurance, make sure you select an insurance agent with whom you feel comfortable and who will be available to answer your questions.

What is the minimum Florida auto insurance requirement?

What coverages are available on a Florida auto insurance policy?

Factors that can affect your Florida auto insurance premiums.

Factors that cannot affect your Florida auto insurance premiums.

What is the Florida Responsibility Law?

What is the minimum Florida auto insurance requirement?

The minimum amount of auto insurance coverage needed to obtain a Florida license plate and vehicle registration is $10,000 dollars in Property Damage Liability (PD) and $10,000 dollars in Personal Injury Protection (PIP). PD protects property owned by someone else that is damaged by your vehicle. Examples might include another person?s vehicle, a telephone pole, or a building. PD liability will never pay for physical injuries. PIP is sometimes called ?No-Fault Coverage? and ensures the physical injuries you and certain other people in your vehicle sustain in an accident are covered, regardless of who is at fault in an accident.

The Florida Financial Responsibility Law states that any person who is at fault in an accident that causes bodily injury and property damage to another party must also have Bodily Injury Liability coverage (BI) totaling $30,000 in addition to the PIP and PD limits listed above. You may choose either split or single limit coverage as long as the total coverage amount is $30,000 dollars. For example, both $10,000/$20,000 (per person/per accident) split limits or a $30,000 combined single limit would be acceptable. In some instances, the law may require certain drivers to carry higher limits of liability. Drivers convicted of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol must provide proof of BI coverage in the amount of $100,000/$300,000 (per person/per accident) and $50,000 in PD liability.

Any individual who is in the State of Florida with their vehicle for more than ninety (90) days in the last 365 days is responsible for carrying these minimum limits of coverage. It is important to note the ninety (90) days do not need to be consecutive in order for the law to apply. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles regulates the statutes outlined above. Questions about titling or registering your vehicle or further clarification on how Florida?s auto insurance laws apply to you should be directed to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. You may visit them online at www.flhsmv.gov or by calling 850-617-2000.

What coverages are available on a Florida auto insurance policy?

Bodily Injury Liability (BI) will pay for death or physical injuries caused to someone else if you are found legally liable for an auto accident. As the owner of a vehicle, anytime an accident occurs involving your insured vehicle (whether or not you are driving), the possibility exists that you may be held financially responsible for any damages.

When referring to BI limits of liability, the first number represents the maximum amount your insurance company will pay to each individual injured in a given accident and the second number is the maximum amount that will be paid for all individuals injured in that accident.

Making a decision about the amount of coverage you should carry is a personal decision based on many factors. Discussing your coverage needs with a qualified insurance agent can help you better understand your options. It is important to remember that if an accident occurs, and the injuries sustained by another party are beyond the limits of your insurance policy, the injured party has the right to pursue recovery from you through the court system.
Property Damage Liability (PD) pays for damage to another person?s property caused by you or someone else operating your insured vehicle. Most often this coverage will be used to repair the other automobile(s) involved in an accident with your insured vehicle. It can also be used to pay for damage to street signs, mailboxes, buildings or other property owned by another party.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM) is optional but provides some important benefits to you and other people in your insured vehicle who sustain injuries in an accident caused by an uninsured or underinsured motorist. The coverage works in conjunction with your mandatory PIP coverage to pay for additional medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and other expenses that might arise when an injury is sustained. Once coverage has been triggered, benefits will be paid directly to the injured person to be used in any manner they deem necessary.

You may wonder why you might need to carry UM coverage if you have PIP and health insurance since after your PIP coverage is exhausted your health insurance will pay your remaining medical bills. You may still face your health insurance deductible, co-payment, and other expenses that health insurance will not cover. In some cases where an injury is severe, permanent or requires a longer recovery time it can be very important to your quality of life and financial health to have coverage that will continue to pay for lost wages, services now required like lawn maintenance or housekeeping, pain and suffering, or modifications made necessary due to your injury like a wheelchair ramp.

After you make the decision to carry UM you will need to choose the limits of your coverage and decide whether or not you would like to carry stacked or non-stacked coverage. You may choose to carry limits that either match or fall below your BI limits but may not carry UM limits that are higher than your BI limits. All insurers are required to offer stacked UM coverage. Some insurers will also offer the option to carry non-stacked UM limits but are not required by law to do so. Stacked UM coverage means that the UM limits will increase by the number of vehicles you own, regardless of whether or not they are insured on the same policy. If you chose stacked UM limits of 50/100 and own three vehicles your actual coverage amount is three times higher or 150/300. If you elect non-stacked UM at 50/100 that would be the maximum coverage amount regardless of how many vehicles you own. One other important coverage difference between the stacked and non-stacked option is how the policy will respond if you are injured by an uninsured/underinsured motorist in a vehicle you own but that is not covered for UM under that policy.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) - You will often hear Florida referred to as a ?No-Fault State.? This means that anytime you are involved in an accident you will file a claim on your own policy for any physical injuries sustained, regardless of who is at fault. However, once an injured person reaches the tort threshold they may seek recovery for costs not duplicated by PIP from the at-fault party.

Florida Statute 627.737 states that the threshold has been crossed when an injury from a car accident results in significant and permanent loss of important body function, permanent injury, significant or permanent scarring, disfigurement or death.

Florida Statute 626.9541 protects consumers from being penalized for filing a PIP claim in a not-at-fault accident.

Florida Statute 627.736 details who is covered under your PIP coverage but there are many variables which ultimately determine how your policy will respond in a claim situation.

For example, if you are involved in an automobile accident while in Florida your PIP covers you and members of your household who do not own a vehicle of their own, certain passengers who lack PIP, and certain licensed drivers who operate your vehicle with your permission. This coverage also follows you in Florida while you are a passenger in another person?s vehicle or as a pedestrian or bicyclist. For accidents occurring outside of Florida, but within the United States or Canada, you and other members of your household are covered under your PIP only while operating your own vehicle or a resident relative?s vehicle.

PIP coverage can be complicated. It is important to inform your agent or insurer of all members of your household and regular operators of the vehicle both when you initially purchase your policy, and throughout the policy term as household members change. Any special circumstances or concerns you have should be discussed with your agent or company in order to best determine how your policy will respond during a claim and what coverage options make the most sense for your personal situation.
Medical Payments is optional and pays for reasonable expenses incurred for necessary medical and/or funeral services not covered by PIP because of bodily injury caused by an auto accident. This coverage can be used by you, family members in your household, or passengers in your insured auto and is paid regardless of fault. This coverage follows you and your resident relatives whether you are injured in your own automobile, in another person?s vehicle or as a pedestrian or bicyclist. Medical Payment coverage can be used to pay the 20 percent not covered under your PIP coverage or in some cases, the PIP deductibles you have chosen.
Comprehensive or Other than Collision is another optional coverage that protects your insured vehicle against damage from fire, theft, windstorm, vandalism, flood, falling objects or from hitting an animal. With this coverage, windshield glass claims are not subject to a deductible.
Collision coverage pays for the repair or actual cash value of your insured vehicle if it collides with another vehicle, flips over, or crashes into an object (except animals).
You may choose to carry rental reimbursement on your insured vehicle if you also have Comprehensive and Collision coverage on that vehicle. In the event of a covered loss, your insurer will reimburse you for car rental expenses up to the limits specified in your policy contract. Your insurance company is not responsible to pay for a rental vehicle unless there is a covered claim that triggers the need for a rental car.
Towing and Labor Coverage can be elected on your personal automobile insurance policy. It provides coverage for emergency road service (at the scene) and towing up to the limits shown on the policy. However, it is important to remember that frequent towing claims can affect your coverage in a negative way. Insurance company?s have the right to cancel your policy for too many claims, even if they are low dollar towing claims not associated with an accident. Some policies pay on reimbursement bases only while others will send out a contracted towing company.
Gap coverage. If your auto is totaled and you owe more than what the auto is worth, the gap coverage will pay off the loan amount.

Factors that can affect your Florida auto insurance premiums.

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Mature Driver. If you are 55 or older, you may qualify for a discount by successfully completing an accident prevention course. For more information, contact the AARP at 1-888-687-2277, or the National Safety Council at 1-800-621-7615.
Retired? If you have retired or otherwise do not earn wages, you may reduce your premium by excluding coverage for lost wages.
Deductible. You may increase your deductible in order to reduce your premium, but you should carefully consider such factors as how much of a discount you will receive for a given deductible, and how much you can afford to pay for each claim.
Driving History ? Insurance companies consider drivers who have had an accident or received convictions for driving violations as high risks. An insurer may choose to issue your policy at a higher rate or may refuse to issue a policy at all, depending on the number and type of violations.
Older Vehicle. You may drop collision and/or comprehensive coverage on older vehicles because of their decreased value, unless a lienholder, such as a bank, requires it.
Restraint Systems and Anti-theft Devices. Companies may offer discounts for certain
equipment such as anti-lock brakes, air bags, anti-theft devices or vehicle-recovery systems.
Type of Vehicle ? Model, Year and Value. Expensive or high-performance vehicles generally cost more to repair or replace. Such vehicles may also be inviting targets for thieves or vandals. Insurers will usually charge a higher premium for coverage of these vehicles.
Territory - Insurers consider vehicle and population density, road conditions, repair rates, medical and hospital costs, and the number of accidents in a particular area.
Vehicle Usage - The distance you live from your workplace or school may affect the cost of your insurance because it determines your daily exposure to risk. Increasing or decreasing the number of miles driven each year can cause your premiums to increase or decrease. Also, changing vehicle usage (i.e., from personal to commercial) can affect the amount you must pay for coverage.
Gender - Statistics show that males suffer more than twice as many fatal accidents as females. Insurance companies typically charge higher premiums for males, especially those younger than 25.
Age - Statistically, Florida drivers younger than 25 or older than 65 make up a larger share of people involved in accidents, and this is factored into the decision to charge higher premiums.
Credit history. Insurance companies are permitted to use credit history as one of the factors that determine risk, and therefore premium cost.

Factors that cannot affect your Florida auto insurance premiums.

Race, color, creed, marital status, sex, or national origin;
The residence, age, or lawful occupation of the individual or the location of the risk, unless there is a reasonable relationship between the these;
The insured's or applicant's failure to agree to place collateral business with them, unless the coverage applied for would provide liability coverage which is excess over that provided in policies on property or motor vehicles;
The insured's or applicant's failure to purchase non-insurance services, including automobile vices as defined in s. 624.124;
The fact that the insured or applicant is a public official; or
The fact that the insured or applicant had been previously refused insurance coverage by another insurer.

The Florida Financial Responsibility Law:

“Requires that any person at fault in a crash resulting in bodily injury and property damage to others must have in effect at the time of the crash full liability insurance coverage. This coverage includes minimum limits of bodily injury liability of $10,000 per person, $20,000 per crash, $10,000 property damage liability per crash, and personal injury protection limits of $10,000 per person per crash.”

Source: Florida Department of Financial Services

Offering insurance throughout the state of Florida, including Tampa, St Petersburg, Orlando, Jacksonville, Miami, Tallahasse, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Pembroke Pines, Dade City, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills

Disclaimer: This is only an example of how coverage could apply and does not represent any guarantee of coverage. This site contains general information relating to Florida auto insurance and is not intended to be a substitute for the law.

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