Florida Car Insurance

Florida Car Insurance: Easy Guide FL to Auto Insurance

The state of Florida has the most unique laws for car insurance. We strongly suggest you get a good idea on the minimum requirements of FL state law before you purchase a car insurance policy.

Florida is a No Fault state, which means your insurance company is required to pay for your injury claims regardless of who is guilty for causing the accident. Specific laws under No-Fault vary from state to state. Normally, under this system, you lose your right to sue the guilty driver.

Florida state law requires you to have property damage liability coverage with a lower limit of $10,000 and personal injury protection coverage (PIP) of the same amount. PIP pays for the treatment of injuries to you and your passengers, lost wages and death benefits. If the economic damages are less than PIP coverage, you lose the tort claim.

However, if the economic damages exceed the liability coverage, you are entitled to sue for permanent injury, significant disfigurement or death. This coverage also covers pedestrians hit by a car whose driver is insured. This is often referred to as PIP/PD.

Though it is not mandatory under the state law to buy a minimum coverage for bodily injury liability, you may have to get this if you have been involved in an accident in the past.

Many residents of Florida live in the state for only 6 months. They move to other states during summer and come back only when fall sets in. If you are one of these people, you need to maintain insurance of your car as per Florida laws for as long as the car is registered in Florida. If you don't want to do this, you can cancel your registration before leaving and simply re-register your vehicle again when you return to the state.

If you don't purchase the minimum insurance coverage as required by state law, you will not be able to either get your car registered or obtain a license plate. Driving your car without a proof of insurance can land you in major trouble. If you are caught, your license may be suspended for a period of three years and after the suspension period is complete, you will be required to pay anywhere between $150 and $500 to re-activate your license.

Under the state law of Florida, it is not mandatory for car insurance companies to offer Collision and Comprehensive coverage to customers.

More information on Florida auto insurance can be found through the Office of Insurance Regulation in Tallahassee by contacting their office at (800) 342-2762 or visiting their website at www.StateofFlorida.com.

The average car insurance premium for residents of Florida in 2009 is $1,715. The current rate is 8% higher than that of 2008. If you know the state requirements and your own needs for car insurance properly, finding a policy that fits your budget is not very difficult. The next step is getting quotes.