I keep seeing car insurance ads for $150 every 6 months. I pay twice that so I wondered what kind of coverage that buys. The breakdown is below but TLDR: Florida doesn’t require Bodily Injury Liability so if you’re at fault in a collision, BI liability pays ONLY for the OTHER parties’ expenses up to your policy limits. Fla law requires only $10k in Property Damage you cause to another person’s stuff. Collision and comprehensive pay for damage to YOUR stuff but is not required. Without these 4, you hafta pay everything out of pocket.

The long version: To legally drive in Florida, you must carry a minimum of $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and $10,000 in Property Damage Liability (PDL). Here’s the Mandatory State Coverage Breakdown: Florida is a no-fault state, meaning your own insurance pays for your medical bills regardless of who caused the accident. According to the Fla Dept of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), you must maintain continuous coverage on these two specific components as long as your vehicle has a valid Florida license plate:

Personal Injury Protection (PIP): $10,000 minimum. Covers 80% of necessary medical costs and 60% of lost wages for you or your passengers. Requires you to seek medical treatment within 14 days of an accident to activate the benefit.

Property Damage Liability (PDL): $10,000 minimum. Covers damage you cause to another person’s vehicle, fence, or building. Does not pay to fix your own vehicle.

What is NOT Required (But Strongly Recommended)
Florida does not require basic drivers to carry Bodily Injury Liability (BIL) coverage, which pays for serious injuries or death that you cause to other people. Bodily Injury (BI) Liability protects your financial assets and future income from being seized if you cause a car accident that injures someone else. Without it, you are personally responsible for paying massive out-of-pocket costs, which can result in lawsuits, drained savings, or garnished wages.

What Bodily Injury Liability Pays For If you are found at fault in a collision, BI liability pays for the other parties’ expenses (drivers, passengers, and pedestrians) up to your policy limits:
Medical Bills: Emergency room visits, surgeries, hospital stays, and ongoing rehabilitation.
Legal Fees: The cost of hiring a lawyer to defend you if the injured party sues you.
Lost Wages: Compensation for the time the injured person misses work due to their injuries.
Pain and Suffering: Financial compensation for the emotional and physical distress you caused.
Funeral Expenses: Costs covered in the tragic event of a fatal accident.

Note: BI liability NEVER covers medical expenses for you, your family, or passengers in your own vehicle—those are covered by health insurance, Medical Payments (MedPay), or Personal Injury Protection (PIP).

How the Value is Measured (Split Limits)
BI liability is typically written as a set of numbers like 100/300 (representing thousands of dollars):
$100,000 Per-Person Limit: The maximum your insurer pays for a single individual’s injuries.
$300,000 Per-Accident Limit: The maximum your insurer pays total for the entire accident, regardless of how many people are hurt.

Why State Minimums Are Insufficient |
Nearly every state requires drivers to carry a minimum amount of BI coverage. However, minimum limits are often dangerously low (e.g., 25/50 in many states).

The Risk: The average bodily injury claim alone is over $26,000.
The Reality: If you cause a severe accident involving multiple people or a permanent disability, medical bills can easily exceed $100,000. If your policy maxes out at $25,000, you must pay the remaining balance yourself.

How Much Do You Need? An excellent rule of thumb is to match your total liability limits to your net worth (the total value of your home, savings, and investments minus debts).

Standard Recommendation: Most experts recommend carrying at least 100/300 limits.

COLLISION pays for your car even if it’s your fault
Skipping Collision leaves you paying out of pocket for damage you cause.  If your car is an older model and paid off you can legally skip Collision and Comprehensive coverage to save money. However, if you cause a multi-car accident, a $10,000 property damage limit can be exhausted incredibly quickly, leaving you personally responsible for the remaining financial damage.

COMPREHENSIVE
Skipping Comprehensive leaves you paying out of pocket to fix or replace your car when bad luck happens OUTSIDE of normal driving crashes. It covers sudden acts of nature, theft, fire, hitting an animal and vandalism.

UNINSURED MOTORIST (UM) coverage pays for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering when an accident is caused by a driver who has no insurance, too little insurance (underinsured), or flees the scene in a hit-and-run. It acts as a safety net because Florida does not require drivers to carry bodily injury liability insurance

Consequences of a Coverage Lapse
If you cancel your insurance policy without first surrendering your license plate to a local tax collector office, the FLHSMV will automatically suspend your driver’s license. Reinstatement fees cost $150 for a first offense and up to $500 for subsequent offenses