Driving Without Insurance in Florida

If you’re going to drive in the Sunshine State, you need to understand its financial responsibility laws. Ignorance of the laws isn’t a valid excuse if you get stopped and can’t provide proof of financial responsibility.

You could be looking at fines and driver’s license suspension. If you let your policy lapse even for a day, you might end up paying higher premiums on your next policy. Read on to learn the basics about car insurance rules in Florida.

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Auto Insurance Laws and Requirements in Florida

– Why You Need Insurance

You need car insurance in Florida because it’s the law. You could face a long list of consequences if you were ever caught driving without insurance.

But more importantly, insurance protects you from financial ruin if you have a lapse behind the wheel and cause an accident.

– Minimum Requirements

The minimum car insurance requirements in Florida are as follows:

• $10,000 in personal injury protection (PIP) coverage.
• $10,000 in property damage coverage.

Florida is a no-fault state when it comes to injuries in car accidents. No matter who’s at fault, each driver pays for their own injuries if injured in an accident. Having the minimum required PIP coverage means your insurance covers you for up to $10,000 for injuries.

You also must carry $10,000 in property damage coverage. This protects you if you cause damage to another vehicle in an accident.

Before signing up for the state minimum, keep in mind that many cars driving on Florida roads are worth more than $10,000.

Minimum coverage might not offer all the protection you need. Paying a few more dollars each month in premiums for better coverage is worth it if it keeps you from having to pay tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket in an accident.

What happens if you’re caught driving without insurance?

If you drive without insurance in Florida long enough, you’re going to get caught at some point. At that point, a few potential consequences await you.

– Legal Fines

The fine the first time you get caught driving without insurance in Florida is $150. It goes up to $250 for your second offense. For the third or subsequent offense, the fee is $500.

– License Suspension

If you get caught driving without insurance and can’t prove by your court date that you’ve gotten insurance, the state immediately suspends your license.

If this happens, you’ll have to pay an additional reinstatement fee to get your license back. Not to mention, if you try to drive while your license is suspended, you could face additional charges.

– Jail Time

Florida doesn’t impose jail time for the crime of driving without insurance.

As previously mentioned, though, the state is quick to suspend your license if you can’t prove you have at least the minimum level of insurance required. It is possible to go to jail in Florida if you get caught driving without a valid license.

What are the effects of driving without insurance?

Fines and temporary license suspension represent the immediate consequences of driving without insurance in Florida. But it can have more lasting effects, too.

– Blemished Driving Record

Florida assesses points for the offense of driving without insurance. If you aren’t familiar with points, they get assigned to your license, and insurance companies use them to assess your risk.

Speeding, running red lights, DUIs — these all result in points getting added to your license, and it can take years to remove them. If you rack up points on your license, insurance companies view you as a high-risk customer.

– Insurance Premium Increases

Because driving without insurance result in points and points result in a high-risk classification, your insurance premiums will likely go up.

You might even have to apply for high-risk insurance. This is a special type of policy that includes a form called an SR-22.

This form lets the state monitor you to see that you’re carrying car insurance at all times. SR-22 policies, as you can probably guess, are more costly than traditional policies.

Don’t Let Your Policy Lapse

A policy lapse is defined as a period in which you aren’t covered by an auto insurance policy. Even a day without car insurance counts as a lapse. Common reasons for policy lapses include the following:

• Forgetting to pay the bill.
• Canceling a policy before a new one is firmly in place.
• Selling a car and buying a new one and forgetting to switch your insurance over.
• Moving to a new state and not switching your coverage.

Letting your car insurance lapse is bad for several reasons. If you get in an accident the day after you forget to pay your bill and your policy becomes invalid, it doesn’t matter that you had car insurance yesterday or even an hour earlier.

Also, insurers place a higher risk value on drivers who don’t keep continuous car insurance coverage. In some cases, even a short lapse in coverage can result in your premiums doubling when you reinstate your policy or try to buy one from a different company.

How to Avoid a Lapse

You can avoid a car insurance lapse by setting up auto pay and by prioritizing car insurance during big life changes, such as moving.

If you’re selling a car and not planning to buy a new one for a while, rather than going without insurance, try to get yourself listed as a driver on a friend or relative’s policy. It might cost you a little money, but you’ll save even more money the next time you apply for coverage.

Shopping for Car Insurance

You can ensure you always get the best deal on car insurance by practicing some due diligence in the shopping process.

– Compare Three to Four Policies

Instead of going with the first quote you receive, compare three or four policies before making your choice. That way, you know the policy you choose is better than several others currently available in the market.

– Review Your Coverage Regularly

Most car insurance policies cover a six-month term, at the end of which you’ll either renew your coverage or choose a different policy. This is a good time to review what you have and make sure it is still the best fit for you.

Driving without insurance is Florida is illegal and financially risky. Make sure you know the state’s laws before getting behind the wheel.

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