Florida
Auto Insurance
If you are registering a vehicle with
four wheels or more, it must be insured by a company licensed by the
Florida Department of Insurance. Failure to maintain insurance on
vehicles can lead to having driving privileges suspended and/or having
a car's tags and registration suspended up to three years or until
proof of a valid Florida automobile policy is presented. Additionally,
one may be fined anywhere from $150 up to $500.
Florida's
state laws requires that motorists maintain at least the following
minimum coverage:
- $10,000 Personal Injury Protection. (PIP)
- $10,000 Property Damage Liability (PDL)
- You may be required to purchase Bodily
Injury Liability (BIL) if you have been involved in a crash, or have
been convicted of a certain offense.
Keep
in mind that this coverage does not include compensation for the
insured's vehicle in case of an at-fault accident.
Personal
Injury Protection (PIP)
- Compensates a loss due to injury
regardless of fault.
- Applies to bodily injury to the insured
and relatives residing in the same household and passengers who are not
required to have Personal Injury Protection.
- Protects the policyholder if you are
injured as a pedestrian or bicyclist as long as the injury is caused by
an accident with an automobile.
Bodily
Injury Liability (BIL)
- Pays for serious and permanent injury or
death to others when the insured causes a crash involving their
automobile.
- Pays for injuries up to the limits of
the policy and provides legal representation in the case of a lawsuit.
- Pays for injuries caused by policyholder
or family members residing in their household.
- May provide coverage for others who
drive the insured's vehicle with permission.
Property
Damage Liability (PDL)
- Pays for damages that the policyholder
or members of their family residing in the same household caused to
other people's property in an automobile accident.
What
is a SR22?
An SR-22 Filing is a document or
electronic certification issued by an auto insurance company that
verifies to the state that you have an auto insurance policy with the
state minimum liability limits. If you are required to maintain this
filing, you will be notified by the state.
An SR-22 is a financial responsibility
certification that is sometimes required for high risk auto insurance
customers by the state Department of Motor Vehicles or Public Safety
after you have been involved in an accident with no auto insurance, or
if an accident is due to excessive driving violations on your part.
How
long are SR-22 Filings Required?
This can vary by state and by severity
of the offense. The typical requirement is three years. If you cancel
your policy prior to the termination date, the Insurance Company is
obligated to file an SR-26 notifying the state that you no longer have
insurance.
SR-22
Filings from Florida Auto Insurance
We provide SR-22 Filings in most states.
Simply indicate that an SR-22 Filing is needed while getting your free
quote. The SR-22 insurance form will be included with your policy
documents after you have applied for and purchased your auto insurance
policy online. You can literally have your SR-22 form in a matter of
minutes.
What
is an FR44?
In some states, such as Virginia and
Florida, an FR-44 Filing may be required when you have a DUI/DWI/OVWI
or other alcohol related violation. An FR44 filing is similar in theory
to an SR 22, except that it may indicate that you maintain more than
just the minimum amount of coverage required by the state requesting it.
What
information do I need?
In many situations you may receive a
case number. Please make sure to provide us with your case
number so that we can have the FR44 form issued correctly. If
you have your DUI / DWI conviction date available, that would be
helpful as well.
To obtain an estimate for the price of
insurance with an FR44 only takes a few moments. When you are
ready to purchase your insurance, we can often provide you with a new
temporary ID card and FR44 in the same day.
How
long do I need to keep an FR44 Filing?
As long as your insurance policy is in
force (active), your FR44 should remain valid. If your policy should be
cancelled at any point while you are required to have an FR44 on file,
your insurance company will notify the appropriate authorities. If you
fail to maintain the appropriate filing, you driving privileges may be
suspended. It is very important to keep the proper filings in
place. Rules may vary by state.
Florida
FR44
In February 2008, the FR-44 became a
requirement, even for those convicted of a DUI prior to that
date. Until October first 2007, these individuals were able
to maintain an SR-22 with low limits of 10/20/10.
Today, these drivers are required to maintain higher limits.
The new limits required to obtain an
FR44 Filing are 100/300/50. Our agents can easily help you
compare the rates with these limits when you request a Florida FR44
Quote.
