Florida Auto Insurance: Understanding PIP, Bodily Injury, and What You Actually Need

By Ricardo Alonso, Founder, Atesa Risk Advisors · February 16, 2026 · Updated September 27, 2026

Key Takeaways

• Florida requires every registered vehicle with four or more wheels to carry at least $10,000 of personal injury protection (PIP) and $10,000 of property damage liability (PDL) [1][2][3].
• Florida PIP coverage limits: 80% of medical bills and 60% of lost income, up to $10,000 combined, plus a $5,000 death benefit. Care must begin within 14 days, and medical reimbursement is limited to $2,500 without an emergency medical condition [1].
• Bodily injury liability (BI) in Florida is not required to register a car. After an at-fault injury crash the Financial Responsibility Law requires 10/20/10 limits (injuries: $10,000 per person, $20,000 per crash; property damage: $10,000), and after a DUI conviction 100/300/50 [11][12][13].
• PIP is still the law. The 2026 repeal bills, SB 522 and HB 769, died in committee on March 13, 2026 [4][15].
• The Insurance Research Council estimates that 20.6% of Florida motorists were uninsured in 2023, the seventh-highest rate in the country. Uninsured / underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage protects you from them [5].

Florida law requires $10,000 of personal injury protection (PIP) and $10,000 of property damage liability. Bodily injury liability becomes mandatory after certain crashes or a DUI conviction. What most Florida drivers actually need is bodily injury liability of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per crash, matching uninsured motorist coverage, and comprehensive and collision. The first two are statutory [1][2]. The rest is our recommendation as a Florida agency.

Florida has been a no-fault state since 1972, apart from a three-month lapse that ended January 1, 2008 [20][21]. It is one of 12 no-fault states, and the only state in the Insurance Information Institute's table that requires PIP and property damage liability without bodily injury liability [5][20]. A Florida driver who carries only the state minimums ($10K PIP / $10K PDL) is legal and has no coverage for the injuries he or she causes to others. This is the 2026 breakdown of what Florida requires, what each coverage does, and the limits we recommend.

A note on legislative motion. Florida's no-fault PIP system has faced repeated repeal proposals, most recently SB 522 and HB 769 in the 2026 session, both of which died in committee on March 13, 2026 [4][15]. None has become law, and PIP remains required under Florida Statute § 627.736 [1]. We track these bills in No, Florida's PIP Law Is Not Being Repealed in 2026 and update clients only if the law actually changes. This post reflects Florida auto coverage as it stands today.

Florida's Statutory Auto Insurance Minimums

Under the Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law (PIP benefits: Florida Statute 627.736) and Florida Statute 324.022 (financial responsibility for property damage), every motor vehicle with four or more wheels registered in Florida must carry [1][2][3]:

• Personal Injury Protection (PIP) — $10,000 minimum — Pays part of the insured's own medical expenses and lost income regardless of fault in an accident, up to the $10,000 limit. The Florida PIP coverage limits are in the table below [1].
• Property Damage Liability (PDL) — $10,000 minimum — Pays for damage you cause to someone else's property (vehicle, fence, building) in an at-fault accident [2].

That is the full statutory floor. Florida law does not require bodily injury liability coverage to register a private-passenger vehicle [5][9].

Bodily injury liability in Florida becomes mandatory after the fact, under the Financial Responsibility Law. A driver at fault in a crash with injuries, and charged with a moving violation, faces suspension unless he or she carried bodily injury liability of at least $10,000 per person and $20,000 per crash. The state then requires 10/20/10 limits, certified by the insurer on an SR-22 filing, for three years [11][12]. After a DUI conviction the required limits are 100/300/50 for at least three years [13]. Carry proof of the required coverage whenever you drive; paper and electronic proof both count [14].

What Florida Minimums Don't Cover

A driver carrying only the $10K / $10K Florida statutory minimums has no protection against:

• Bodily injury claims from at-fault accidents (medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering for the injured party)
• Lawsuits seeking recovery against the driver personally
• Damage to the driver's own vehicle (no comprehensive or collision)
• Your own injuries beyond PIP when the at-fault driver is uninsured, underinsured or flees (no UM/UIM)
• Your own medical bills beyond PIP: the 20% PIP does not pay and anything over $10,000

Accident costs can exceed the minimum limits, and the driver who is legally responsible pays the difference out of pocket [6]. Without BI coverage, that means everything the injured person's own PIP does not pay; PDL pays only for property. A judgment can be recorded as a lien on real property [22] and wages can be garnished [23], subject to Florida's exemptions, such as the one for a head of family's wages. The state motor vehicle agency (FLHSMV) also suspends the license, tags and registrations of a driver with an unpaid crash judgment for 20 years or until it is satisfied [12].

The Florida Auto Coverages That Actually Matter

Beyond PIP and PDL, six additional coverages structure a real Florida auto insurance program in 2026.

Bodily Injury Liability (BI)

Bodily injury liability in Florida pays for the other party's injuries when you cause an accident, and for your defense if you are sued [9]. It is sold in split limits: 100/300 means $100,000 per injured person and $300,000 per accident. Our recommended floor for any Florida driver: 100/300. Recommended for drivers with material assets or earning power: 250/500 or 500/500. Those higher limits do double duty: they are also the underlying limits an umbrella carrier requires before it will sit on top of your auto policy.

Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist (UM / UIM)

Pays for your injuries when the at-fault driver has no bodily injury coverage, has too little, or flees the scene [7]. A Florida policy with BI must include UM at the same limits unless you reject it or choose lower limits in writing [16]. Carry UM/UIM at limits matching your BI (100/300 BI = 100/300 UM).

Medical Payments (MedPay)

Pays medical and funeral expenses for you and your passengers that PIP does not cover. It is optional, and drivers often buy it to cover the 20% of medical bills PIP leaves to them, or a PIP deductible [9]. It is most useful for Florida drivers with high health insurance deductibles.

Comprehensive

Pays for damage to your vehicle from non-collision events: theft, vandalism, fire, windstorm, flood, hail, falling objects and hitting an animal [7][9]. Windshield claims carry no deductible in Florida, and most auto loans require this coverage [9]. Recommended deductible in Florida: $500 to $1,000.

Collision

Pays for damage to your vehicle from a collision with another vehicle or object [9]. Most auto loans require it as well. Recommended deductible in Florida: $1,000 for most drivers; higher if the vehicle is older or the driver has substantial cash reserves.

Rental Reimbursement

Pays for a rental car while your vehicle is in the shop after a covered claim. It is optional, normally sold only with comprehensive and collision [9], and worth buying mainly if you don't have a second vehicle.

What Florida Drivers Actually Pay in 2026

The ranges below are illustrative planning ranges, not quotes, for a clean-driving-record Florida driver in their 30s on a mid-sized sedan. Your specific cost depends on age, ZIP code, vehicle, driving record, credit profile, and which carrier writes the business. For a published benchmark, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners put Florida's average auto insurance expenditure at $1,864.63 per insured vehicle in 2023, the highest of any state [8].

For most Florida drivers the upgrade that matters most is adding 100/300 BI and matching UM/UIM to a minimum-limits policy. Our illustrative planning range for that step, before comprehensive and collision, is roughly $30 to $80 per month; it is not a quote.

Florida-Specific Considerations

Three Florida-specific items shape every Florida auto insurance decision in 2026.

Florida's No-Fault Framework

Florida operates under a no-fault auto insurance system, with the PIP benefits codified in Florida Statute 627.736 [1]. PIP pays the insured's own medical bills and lost income regardless of fault, up to policy limits, and an at-fault driver who carries the required coverage is exempt from liability for the amounts PIP pays. Pain-and-suffering damages require meeting a "verbal threshold": significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function, permanent injury, significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement, or death [10]. The system was designed to take small claims out of the courts [20].

Credit Scoring in Florida Auto Rating

Florida permits insurers to use credit reports and credit scores in rating personal auto insurance, within the limits of Florida Statute 626.9741 [17]. Credit alone cannot be the reason for a higher rate, and an insurer that used credit against you must generally review it again at least every two years, or sooner at your request, and adjust the premium for any improvement. Reviewing your credit report annually and disputing errors is a meaningful Florida auto premium lever.

Uninsured Driver Reality

The Insurance Research Council estimates that 20.6% of Florida motorists were uninsured in 2023, the seventh-highest rate in the country [5]. The estimate compares uninsured motorist claims with bodily injury claims, in a state whose compulsory coverage leaves out bodily injury liability. FLHSMV's own count of registered non-commercial vehicles without PIP and PDL was 5.06% in September 2026 [18]. UM/UIM pays for your injuries in either case, and we recommend carrying it at limits matching your BI.

How to Build the Right Florida Auto Insurance Stack in 2026

The full sequence from "decision to upgrade" to "bound coverage" is typically 21–30 days for a Florida driver.

Frequently Asked Questions for Florida Drivers

Q: Is Bodily Injury Liability legally required in Florida?

A: Not to register a car. Florida requires $10,000 of PIP and $10,000 of PDL; bodily injury liability becomes mandatory at 10/20/10 after an at-fault injury crash and at 100/300/50 after a DUI conviction [11][12][13]. We treat BI as essential for any driver with income or assets to protect.

Q: How much auto insurance should a Florida driver carry?

A: Our recommended floor is 100/300 BI, matching UM/UIM, and comprehensive and collision with $1,000 deductibles. With $250,000 or more in net worth, consider 250/500 limits and a $1M umbrella; at $750,000 or more, 500/500 and a $2M–$5M umbrella. Test the options in the Atesa Auto Coverage Calculator.

Q: Why is UM/UIM so important in Florida specifically?

A: The Insurance Research Council estimates that 20.6% of Florida motorists were uninsured in 2023 [5]. Florida also lets a driver register a car with no bodily injury liability at all. UM/UIM pays for your injuries when the at-fault driver has no BI coverage or too little.

Q: Can my health insurance replace PIP in Florida?

A: No. Florida requires $10,000 of PIP on every registered vehicle with four or more wheels, whatever health insurance the owner has [1][3]. PIP is primary, so it pays first after a crash, and health insurance may pay some of the bills that remain [9].

Q: What is the difference between BI and PIP in Florida?

A: PIP pays 80% of your own medical bills and 60% of your lost income, regardless of fault, up to $10,000 [1]. BI pays the people you injure when you are at fault. Florida requires PIP to register a vehicle, and BI only once the Financial Responsibility Law applies [11].

Q: Does my Florida auto insurance cover damage from a hurricane?

A: Yes, if your policy includes comprehensive coverage, which pays for windstorm, flood and falling-object damage to the vehicle [9]. The state minimums do not cover your own car. Buy comprehensive before hurricane season: the state warns that insurers stop taking new applications once a tropical storm or hurricane watch or warning is issued [24].

Q: Should I drop comprehensive and collision on an older Florida vehicle?

A: The Insurance Information Institute's rule of thumb: the coverage may not be cost effective once the car is worth less than 10 times the premium [19]. A vehicle worth $4,000 with $800 a year in comp/coll premium falls under that line. Keep PIP, PDL, BI, and UM/UIM regardless of vehicle age.

Q: How does my Florida credit score affect my auto insurance premium?

A: Florida lets insurers use credit information in auto rating, but not as the sole reason for a higher rate [17]. Pull your credit report at least annually and dispute any errors. If credit raised your premium, request a re-rate from your auto carrier when your credit profile improves.

Related Reading

• Florida Teen Driver Insurance Guide — Companion piece on adding teens to Florida auto coverage and the discount levers available.
• How Much Is Homeowners Insurance in Florida? The Surprising 2026 Reality — Many insurers discount auto insurance when it is bundled with a homeowners policy.
• Florida Auto Insurance for High Earners: Maxed Limits & an Umbrella — Why high-net-worth families need high bodily-injury limits and an umbrella, plus the $250K liquid-asset rule.
• Is 10/20/10 Enough Car Insurance If You Don't Own Anything? (2026) — what minimum limits actually leave exposed when the judgment-proof argument meets Florida's suspension statutes.

How Atesa Risk Advisors Can Help

Atesa Risk Advisors is an independent Florida insurance brokerage that shops auto insurance across more than 40 A-rated admitted Florida carriers. As a RamseyTrusted Pro, we follow Dave Ramsey's coverage guidance — appropriate liability limits, UM/UIM matching BI, and umbrella layers calibrated to net worth. We bundle auto with homeowners and umbrella across the same carrier when it produces savings, and we re-shop every client annually because the Florida market shifts every year.

If you currently carry Florida state minimums or have not been re-shopped in 24 months, we will pull your declarations, run the recommended stack against multiple Florida carriers, and quote both your current limits and an upgraded stack so you can compare side-by-side. We respond within 24 hours.

Carrying only Florida's minimum limits? Get your free quote and consultation at atesariskadvisors.com/get-quote or call (904) 900-5063.

Sources

[1] Florida Statutes § 627.736 — Required personal injury protection benefits

[2] Florida Statutes § 324.022 — Financial responsibility for property damage

[3] Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) — Florida Insurance Requirements

[4] The Florida Senate — SB 522 (2026), Motor Vehicle Insurance (died in committee)

[5] Insurance Information Institute — Facts + Statistics: Uninsured motorists

[6] Insurance Information Institute — How much auto coverage do I need?

[7] Insurance Information Institute — Auto insurance basics: understanding your coverage

[8] National Association of Insurance Commissioners — 2022/2023 Auto Insurance Database Report

[9] Florida Department of Financial Services — Automobile Insurance Toolkit

[10] Florida Statutes § 627.737 — Tort exemption; limitation on right to damages

[11] Florida Statutes § 324.021 — Definitions; minimum insurance required

[12] FLHSMV — Involved in a Crash?

[13] Florida Statutes § 324.023 — Financial responsibility for bodily injury or death

[14] Florida Statutes § 316.646 — Proof of security and display thereof

[15] The Florida Senate — HB 769 (2026), Motor Vehicle Insurance (died in committee)

[16] Florida Statutes § 627.727 — Uninsured and underinsured vehicle coverage

[17] Florida Statutes § 626.9741 — Use of credit reports and credit scores by insurers

[18] FLHSMV — Uninsured Motorist Rate

[19] Insurance Information Institute — Nine ways to lower your auto insurance costs

[20] Insurance Information Institute — Background on: No-fault auto insurance

[21] Florida Statutes § 627.7407 — Application of the Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law

[22] Florida Statutes § 55.10 — Judgments, orders, and decrees; lien of all, generally

[23] Florida Statutes § 222.11 — Exemption of wages from garnishment

[24] Florida Department of Financial Services — Natural Disasters: Are You Prepared?

Ricardo Alonso is the Founder of Atesa Risk Advisors, a Florida independent insurance agency. Licensed 2-20 General Lines Agent and 2-15 Health & Life Agent, with a Master of Liberal Arts in Finance from Harvard University. Atesa Risk Advisors is RamseyTrusted and follows Dave Ramsey's auto insurance guidance for Florida drivers, working with clients in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.