Car Insurance in Florida: Requirements, Prices and Quotes
Car insurance: Florida requires at least $10,000 of personal injury protection (PIP) and $10,000 of property damage liability (PDL) on every policy before you can register a vehicle, under the no-fault rules enforced by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV). Bankrate data cited by Mercury Insurance puts full coverage at $3,594 a year.
Covr is a quote app, not an insurer: you share your ZIP code and phone number, and partner insurance companies contact you with offers. This guide explains what Florida law requires from an auto insurance policy and what drives the premium before you compare those offers.
Last reviewed: October 9, 2026 · Covr editorial team
At a glance
- Required coverage: an auto insurance policy with $10,000 PIP plus $10,000 PDL; bodily injury liability is not part of the standard Florida minimum.
- No-fault coverage: your own PIP pays 80% of necessary medical bills and 60% of lost wages, whoever caused the crash.
- Treatment window: PIP coverage applies only if medical treatment starts within 14 days of the accident.
- Typical premium: $3,594 a year for full coverage and $1,111 for minimum coverage, per Bankrate data cited by Mercury Insurance.
- Lapse penalty: a coverage lapse can suspend your license and plate for up to 3 years, with reinstatement fees of up to $500.
- Who oversees insurers: the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) regulates insurers and the policies they sell; FLHSMV handles registration, proof of coverage and suspensions.
Minimum Coverage the State Requires
Car insurance in Florida has 2 mandatory coverages on every registered four-wheeled vehicle: $10,000 of personal injury protection and $10,000 of property damage liability.
PIP and PDL: The Two Mandatory Coverages
PIP coverage pays medical expenses and part of the lost wages for you and your passengers regardless of fault. PDL coverage pays for damage you cause to another person's vehicle, fence or building. Both coverages must come from a licensed auto insurance company and stay in force continuously, even while the car is parked, as Mercury Insurance summarizes the state rule. For the basics behind each coverage type, see auto insurance explained.
Bodily Injury and Uninsured Motorist: Offered, Not Mandatory
Liability insurance in Florida means property damage liability for every driver; bodily injury liability coverage is not part of the standard minimum, but state law requires insurers to offer it, and you can reject it only in writing, Dairyland Insurance explains.
If your policy includes bodily injury liability, the minimum limits are $10,000 per person and $20,000 per accident. Uninsured motorist coverage follows the same rule: the insurer must offer UM protection, and you can decline it only in writing. Bodily injury liability becomes mandatory after a DUI conviction, at $100,000/$300,000 limits, according to Google's AI summary of the Florida requirements.
Covr Requirement Check: Where Sources Agree
Car insurance requirement sources mostly agree: according to Covr's review on October 9, 2026 of the 5 top-ranking pages for this search plus 2 Google AI summaries, all 6 sources that list limits agree on $10,000 PIP and $10,000 PDL, and 5 of the 6 (83%) treat bodily injury liability as optional for a standard policy.
| Requirement | Amount | Sources that list it (of 6) | What it means for your policy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal injury protection (PIP) | $10,000 | 6 of 6 | Mandatory; pays your own injury costs |
| Property damage liability (PDL) | $10,000 | 6 of 6 | Mandatory; pays damage you cause to others |
| Bodily injury liability | $10,000 / $20,000 if carried | 2 of 6 give limits | Optional for most drivers; required after a DUI |
| Bodily injury after a DUI (FR-44) | $100,000 / $300,000 | 1 of 6 | Applies only to drivers ordered to file an FR-44 |
| Uninsured motorist bodily injury | Must be offered | 1 of 6 | Can be rejected only in writing |
Coverage limits in this table follow the majority: we read the requirement section of each page on the capture date, counted which sources state each limit, and noted the conflict where one insurer page lists bodily injury as required. Limits change when the statute changes, so confirm current figures with FLHSMV before you buy a policy.
How No-Fault Rules and PIP Work
No-fault car insurance means your own policy pays the first $10,000 of covered injury costs after a crash, whoever was at fault, and Florida is a no-fault state.
What PIP Pays After a Crash
PIP car insurance coverage pays 80% of necessary medical expenses and 60% of lost wages up to the $10,000 limit, as both Mercury Insurance and Google's AI summary state. Medical treatment must begin within 14 days of the accident for PIP coverage to apply, according to the same AI summary. Mercury suggests that drivers consider about $50,000 of PIP, because a serious injury can use up the minimum quickly.
PIP Compared With MedPay
Medical payments coverage (MedPay) is optional car insurance and can pay costs that PIP leaves behind, such as deductibles, co-pays and bills above the PIP limit, GEICO explains. Neither PIP nor MedPay pays for injuries you cause to other people; bodily injury liability coverage does, and it is one of the parts that push a full-coverage premium up.
Average Cost of Car Insurance: Florida Figures
Car insurance premiums in Florida average $3,594 a year (about $300 a month) for full coverage and $1,111 a year (about $93 a month) for minimum coverage, according to Bankrate data cited by Mercury Insurance.
| Source (as cited) | Full coverage | Minimum coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Bankrate, cited by Mercury Insurance | $3,594 a year ($300 a month) | $1,111 a year ($93 a month) |
| U.S. News & World Report | $3,715 a year average premium | Not stated |
| Dairyland Insurance | $2,208 a year ($184 a month), coverage level not stated | Not stated |
| Allstate, its own online customers | Not stated | $106 a month, liability-only, one driver and one vehicle |
| U.S. national average, U.S. News (September 2026) | $2,508 a year | About $648 a year (2026 national estimates) |
Auto insurance averages differ by about $1,500 a year between these sources because each study uses its own driver profile, coverage level and period, so treat them as a range for comparable policies rather than a premium you will be offered. See what drivers pay on average nationwide for context.
Why Premiums Run Above the National Average
Car insurance premiums in Florida run above the $2,508 national figure for 4 reasons Mercury Insurance lists: severe weather, the no-fault system, a high number of uninsured drivers and heavy traffic in large metro areas. Hurricanes and flooding also raise the comprehensive part of an auto insurance premium, because comprehensive coverage pays for storm and flood damage to your own car.
How Prices Vary by ZIP Code
Car insurance rates also change by ZIP code. Google's answer summaries captured on October 9, 2026 put Miami full coverage at roughly $3,287 to $6,000 or more a year and Jacksonville at about $2,569 to $2,900, the lowest among large cities in that summary. City-level guides will cover local pricing in more detail.
Cheapest Car Insurance: Florida Options by Driver
Car insurance quotes for most drivers come from a short list: 5 insurers hold about 80% of the private auto market by share, according to State Farm figures cited in Google's answer summary. Low-cost coverage still depends on your profile, so no single company is cheapest for every driver.
Largest Auto Insurers by Market Share
Auto insurance companies in Florida with the largest auto market shares are Progressive, State Farm, Allstate, USAA and GEICO, which together hold 80.38% of the market in the State Farm figures cited by Google.
| Insurer | Market share |
|---|---|
| Progressive | 32.41% |
| State Farm | 23.08% |
| Allstate | 9.49% |
| USAA | 8.24% |
| GEICO (Berkshire Hathaway) | 7.16% |
Low-Price Policies by Driver Type
Insurer rankings in the search results captured on October 9, 2026 point to 3 patterns:
- Clean record, full coverage: a highlighted search snippet named State Farm as the cheapest full-coverage option in Florida.
- Minimum coverage: Google's AI summary described GEICO as competitive on minimum-coverage policies.
- Military families: USAA was listed with the lowest rates, but only military members, veterans and their families can buy its policies.
Auto insurance for a driver with a DUI, a lapse or an at-fault crash is priced on different terms, and carriers that file SR-22 or FR-44 certificates often quote those drivers when the largest companies decline.
How to Judge the Best Insurer for You
The best car insurance company is the one that combines an acceptable premium with a clean complaint record for your profile. Compare 3 to 5 quotes with identical limits and deductibles, as Mercury Insurance recommends, then check rate comparisons on the OIR CHOICES site (choices.floir.gov) and each company's complaint index at the NAIC. Discounts listed by Dairyland and Allstate include defensive driving courses, multi-car, paid-in-full, homeowner and good student discounts, and a higher deductible also lowers the price. Our guide to comparing car insurance offers walks through that check.
Penalties for Driving Without Coverage
Driving without car insurance in Florida can lead to suspension of your driver's license and license plate for up to 3 years (36 months), plus reinstatement fees of up to $500, according to Mercury Insurance's summary of state rules.
How a Lapse Turns Into a Suspension
Coverage must stay continuous even when the vehicle is not driven, and canceling before you surrender the license plate is what triggers the reinstatement fee, Mercury Insurance notes. During an SR-22 period, the company that filed your certificate must notify FLHSMV if you stop paying, which can lead to a new suspension and additional fines, Dairyland Insurance explains.
SR-22, FR-44 and FR-2 Filings
An SR-22 is a certificate your insurer files to prove you carry the required coverage, usually for 3 years after violations such as reckless driving, per Dairyland Insurance. The state is one of only 2 that use FR-44 filings, which usually follow a DUI conviction and require bodily injury limits of $100,000/$300,000. For driving uninsured or with a suspended license, Dairyland notes that Florida uses an FR-2 form rather than an SR-22.
Registration, Proof and Rule Changes
Car insurance with active PIP and PDL is required before FLHSMV will register a vehicle, and Florida residents cannot keep an out-of-state plan, according to Mercury Insurance.
Proof of Coverage on Your Phone
Coverage proof can be electronic: Allstate confirms that drivers may show a digital ID card on a phone during a traffic stop. The Covr app stores your ID card and registration on your device, so both documents stay with you.
Insurance Reform: What Changed for Drivers
Florida insurance reform changed one auto insurance rule drivers notice first: Senate Bill 488 raised the property-damage threshold for calling police to a minor crash from $500 to $2,000, a $1,500 increase, according to the Governor's insurance announcement as summarized by Google on October 9, 2026. Most of the other recent reforms in that announcement focus on homes rather than on auto minimums. They include a 1-year deadline for hurricane claims, roof-age protections and faster claim decisions. The Office of Insurance Regulation, which regulates insurers and takes consumer complaints, is the agency to check when you want to know how a reform applies to your policy.
Optional Coverage Worth Considering
Collision and comprehensive coverage are optional under state law, and in Allstate's requirement table 5 of 7 listed coverages (71%) are not required. A lender or lessor usually requires both collision and comprehensive on a financed or leased car, Allstate notes.
Collision, Comprehensive and Gap Protection
Comprehensive coverage pays for theft, fire, vandalism and weather events such as hurricanes and hail, while collision pays for repairs after you hit another vehicle or an object. Gap insurance in Florida is optional too: loan or lease gap protection pays the difference between what you owe and the car's actual cash value after a total loss, as AAA describes it.
Uninsured Motorist, Rental and Roadside
Uninsured motorist coverage pays your own injury costs when an at-fault driver has none, and GEICO also sells uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD) for vehicle repairs. Rental reimbursement and roadside assistance are optional add-ons; ask for them in each quote so prices stay comparable.
How to Get Car Insurance Quotes
Car insurance quotes for full coverage often land well above the national average, because the $3,594 Bankrate figure is 43% higher than the $2,508 U.S. News national average.
Comparable car insurance quotes take 4 steps once your driver and vehicle details are ready:
- Gather each driver's name, date of birth, driver's license number and home address, plus each vehicle's VIN, make, model, year and mileage (AAA's quote checklist).
- Add your driving history (accidents and tickets) and your current proof of insurance.
- Choose limits above the $10,000 PIP and PDL floor if you want bodily injury and uninsured motorist protection.
- Compare 3 to 5 quotes line by line with the same limits and deductibles, and check published rate comparisons on the OIR CHOICES site.
How Quotes Work Through Covr
Car insurance quotes through Covr come from partner companies: you enter your ZIP code and phone number, and partners contact you by phone with offers. Covr partners quote drivers in all 50 states and with every driver profile, including drivers who need an SR-22 or FR-44, and Covr does not sell or price plans itself. You can read the full process on how Covr works or start from Covr's home page.
Sources and Methodology
Our methodology: every requirement, penalty and premium figure on this page was last reviewed by Covr on October 9, 2026 against the source named next to it. Our sources are Bankrate data cited by Mercury Insurance, U.S. News & World Report, the requirement pages of Mercury Insurance, Dairyland Insurance, Allstate, GEICO and AAA, and the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation CHOICES site.
We also used Google's AI summaries and answer boxes captured on that date, including State Farm market-share figures and the Governor's insurance announcement. We did not publish company-by-company prices, because the captured summaries did not name the study behind them.
Written and fact-checked by the Covr Editorial Team under our editorial policy. This page is general information, not legal or financial advice; your price and protection depend on your ZIP code, your driving profile and the company you choose. Read our editorial policy or contact us with a correction.
Questions About State Coverage Rules
Is bodily injury liability required?
Bodily injury liability coverage is not required for most drivers, because only PIP and PDL are mandatory. It becomes required after a DUI conviction, when an FR-44 filing demands $100,000/$300,000 limits.
Do I need insurance to register a car?
Car insurance with $10,000 PIP and $10,000 PDL is required before FLHSMV registers a vehicle, and it must stay active while the plate is registered.
Are collision and comprehensive required?
Collision and comprehensive coverage are not required by Florida law, but a lender or leasing company usually requires them.
How much is car insurance per month?
Car insurance averages about $300 a month for full coverage and about $93 a month for minimum coverage, according to Bankrate data cited by Mercury Insurance.
Can I keep an out-of-state policy after moving here?
An out-of-state policy does not work once you are a Florida resident, so switch to a plan that meets the PIP and PDL rules when you register the car.