Guide to Car Insurance in Florida

Florida is among the most expensive states for car insurance, largely due to its no-fault insurance framework — a system shared by only a handful of other states. Under no-fault rules, drivers file medical claims with their own insurer after a crash, no matter who caused it. For insurance companies, this creates exposure to higher payouts, since they must cover their policyholders’ injuries even when a riskier driver is to blame.

That framework is now changing. Florida lawmakers voted in 2025 to phase out the no-fault system, with a full transition to an at-fault model scheduled for July 2026.¹ The shift is already having an effect on what drivers pay, as premiums have begun declining statewide in anticipation.²

Current minimums (before July 1, 2026)

Florida drivers are currently required to carry at least $10,000 in property damage liability and $10,000 in personal injury protection (PIP) per person.

PIP is the cornerstone of no-fault coverage, stepping in to cover your own medical bills after a collision regardless of who caused it.

Updated minimums (effective July 1, 2026)

Once the at-fault system takes effect, PIP goes away and the required coverage changes:

• Bodily injury liability: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
• Property damage liability: $10,000 per accident

Keep in mind that these are legal minimums, not recommended limits. Given how quickly medical and repair costs add up, carrying only the minimum leaves you vulnerable to significant out-of-pocket costs if you’re found at fault in a serious accident.

The average cost of car insurance in Florida is significantly more expensive than the national average.

By Driver Profile

By City

What Happens if I Don’t Have Proof of Insurance?

If you are caught at the wheel without proof of insurance in Florida, the state will consider you uninsured. Your license will be revoked until you pay a $150 reinstatement fee.

If you are caught again, the fine can escalate up to $500, and your license could be revoked for longer periods. Always carry proof of insurance to avoid this scenario.

What Proof Is Required?

As in most states, the required proof of insurance in Florida is an ID card. It must contain your policy number, name, effective dates, and vehicle information. We recommend keeping it in your glove compartment so that it’s always there when you need it.

Paper or Electronic?

Nowadays, you don’t necessarily need a physical copy of your insurance card. All states except New Mexico explicitly allow digital cards as proof of insurance.

Ask your provider how you can get digital proof of insurance. Some insurers provide it through a mobile app, while others allow you to download digital ID cards.

Florida State Laws

Like every state, Florida has its own driving laws, in addition to its fault system.

Negligence Laws

You may be able to sue another driver for negligence if you get into an accident in Florida. Negligence is when a party involved in the incident did not behave reasonably and caused damages. Multiple parties can hold some level of responsibility for an accident, however, and Florida law takes this into account.

In Florida’s “pure comparative negligence” law, each party’s percentage of fault determines their amount of compensation. Car insurance companies conduct their own investigations to determine these percentages.

The good news is that you can win compensation for negligence even if you are determined to be somewhat at fault. Your degree of fault can even be higher than the defendant’s — as long as you can prove some negligence on their part, you could still file a suit. In some other states, you are no longer entitled to compensation at all if you acted negligently in any way.

Negligence is a complicated topic, so you should always talk to a legal professional if you are considering filing a suit.

Stacking Uninsured Motorist Coverage in Florida

Stacking allows you to combine the uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage limits across multiple vehicles on your policy — or across multiple policies — to increase the total payout available after an accident caused by an uninsured driver.

Florida is one of the states that permits stacking, but insurers are allowed to include anti-stacking language in their policies, which waives this right. If you sign such a waiver, your UM coverage is limited to the single-vehicle limit regardless of how many cars you insure.

There are two types of stacking to know:

• Intra-policy stacking: Combining coverage limits across multiple vehicles on the same policy. For example, if you have two cars each with $25,000 in UM coverage, you could stack them for a $50,000 limit.
• Inter-policy stacking: Combining coverage from separate policies — for instance, your own auto policy and a family member’s policy in the same household.

Given that roughly one in five Florida drivers is uninsured³, opting into stacking coverage — and avoiding that anti-stacking waiver — is worth serious consideration, especially as the state moves to an at-fault system where the at-fault driver’s insurance becomes the primary source of compensation.

You will need to know how to contact the auto institutions in your state. This section explains how to register your car, get a copy of your title, and contact the insurance department in Florida.

Florida Car Registration Information

As a Florida driver, you must register your car in the state. Follow these steps to register your car:

1. Locate your DMV by searching your county on the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles website. Here you can find your local DMV’s hours, address, telephone number, and other contact information: https://www.flhsmv.gov/locations/.
2. Gather the required documentation. You will have to show proof of identity, Florida insurance, and a Certificate of Title. In other words, you do need insurance to register your vehicle in Florida.
3. Visit your DMV and submit the documentation along with the $225 initial registration fee. You must do this in person at a local service center.

How to Get a Copy of Your Car Title in Florida

There are several situations in which you’ll need a copy of your car’s title (official proof of ownership). Perhaps you’re selling your car to a private party, you’ve changed your name, or you need to register your vehicle. Here’s how you can request a copy of your car title in person:

1. Go to your county tax collector’s office in person.
2. Fill out the Application for Duplicate Title.
3. Submit the application along with proof of identity, proof of lien satisfaction, and a title fee ($6, or $11 if you’re expediting).

You can also request a copy of your title online if you already have an electronic title:

1. Go to the Florida DMV website (GoRenew.com).
2. Submit digital versions of the required documents, which are the same as above.
3. Submit your payment with a credit card.
4. The paper title will be mailed to your address in seven to 10 business days.

How to Contact Your State’s Insurance Department

Florida’s official regulatory body for insurance is the Office of Insurance Regulation. Its physical office is in the state capital, Tallahassee, and it also has a hotline you can call. The insurance department is a good source for official information about insurance statutes in Florida.

• Email: consumer.services@myfloridacfo.com
• Toll-free helpline for in-state callers: 877-693-5236
• Out-of-state callers: 850-413-3089
• TDD line: 800-640-0886

A major reason that you need car insurance is to receive reimbursement for necessary repairs after an accident. The average repair cost in Florida is $410, which is slightly above the national average (by 4 percent).

In 2024, Florida was the third-most expensive state for car repairs in the nation.¹¹ The high cost of parts in Florida drove this increase, making it about $16 above the national average ($394).

In this section, we’ll explain what you need to know about auto theft and fatalities in Florida.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Florida saw 46,020 auto thefts in 2022, or 207 thefts per 100,000 inhabitants.¹² That’s 23 percent lower than the national average of 268 thefts per 100,000 inhabitants. The metropolitan areas encompassing Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Gainesville, Tallahassee, Orlando, and Jacksonville see the highest rates of theft in the state, which can lead to higher auto insurance premiums.

Traffic Fatalities

Florida’s traffic fatality numbers climbed sharply through the late 2010s, peaking at 3,741 deaths in 2021 before declining to 3,396 in 2023. Despite the improvement, Florida remains one of the most dangerous states for road users — particularly pedestrians, with a fatality rate of 3.41 per 100,000 people in 2023, well above the national average of 2.18.¹³

Alcohol and speed are leading contributors. In 2023, 25% of all fatalities involved a driver with a BAC of .08 or higher, and speeding was a factor in roughly 10% of deaths. At the city level, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, and Miami posted the highest fatality rates among major metros.

2023 Traffic Fatalities by Major Florida City

You should now have all the information you need to buy and manage your car insurance in the state of Florida. We’ve reviewed the best car insurance companies in Florida to help you find a provider for your needs.