Florida Auto Insurance Regulations
Florida law requires that all Florida drivers possess a minimum amount of automobile insurance. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles enforces Florida automobile insurance laws and regulations. Florida has certain no fault insurance requirements. If a driver is in an accident and suffers bodily injury, that driver's insurance company must pay the medical bills regardless of who is at fault. In addition, Florida laws place limitations on the ability of one driver to sue another for damages in an accident.
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Registration
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To enforce Florida regulations that impose mandatory minimum insurance coverage for all drivers, a car owner must have insurance to register her vehicle. Accordingly, any vehicle with four wheels with a license plate and Florida registration tags must be covered. Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles may suspend a driver's license, registration or license plate of anyone found driving without adequate insurance.
Minimum Coverage
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Virtually every state has a minimum insurance coverage requirement for automobile drivers. In Florida, the minimum amount of insurance a driver must carry is $10,000 in personal injury protection and $10,000 in property damage liability coverage. Personal injury protection covers any medical expenses the policy holder incurs regardless of which driver caused the accident. Property damage liability covers any property damage the policy holder causes to himself or the other driver in the event the policy holder caused the accident.
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Out of State
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Florida residents cannot carry insurance from out of state carriers. That means if someone moves to Florida from out of state, that person cannot keep their existing insurance coverage. That person must obtain insurance from a licensed Florida agent. However, many large insurance companies have licensed Florida agents and can simply transfer the coverage upon request. Even business persons who reside out of state but keep their vehicle in Florida for more than 90 days in a year must purchase the minimum Florida insurance coverage (even if the 90 days is not consecutive).
Taxi Drivers
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Taxi drivers who are self employed must meet higher minimum requirements than regular drivers. Taxi drivers must carry $125,000 in bodily injury liability, $250,000 per occurrence and $50,000 in property damage liability. Bodily injury liability coverage is for serious or permanent injury or death resulting from an accident caused by the policy holder. This coverage extends to paying for a policy holder's legal defense in case the policy holder gets sued by someone or a family member of a seriously injured person.
Penalties
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If Florida law enforcement catch a person driving without insurance (or proof of insurance), they can issue a citation for that offense alone. The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles may then suspend all driving privileges of that person. The suspension can last for three years or until the person provide proof of insurance that meets Florida law. To reinstate their driving privileges, the person may have to pay a fee of between $150 and $500. Florida automobile insurance regulations provide no provision for issuing a temporary or restricted driver license regardless of any person's financial situation.
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