What Is Florida PIP Insurance and Is It Required?

Personal Injury Protection is an auto insurance coverage that helps pay certain injury-related expenses after a covered motor vehicle accident. It can apply regardless of whether the covered person or another driver caused the crash. 

This is why Florida is commonly described as a no-fault state. “No fault” does not mean that nobody is responsible for an accident. It means eligible drivers generally look first to the applicable PIP policy for covered medical expenses and lost income. 

Florida vehicle owners or registrants generally must maintain PIP continuously while an eligible vehicle is registered. For PIP purposes, this usually applies to self-propelled vehicles with four or more wheels that are designed and required to be licensed for use on Florida roads. 

The standard minimum requirements are: 

• $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection 

• $10,000 in Property Damage Liability 

These coverages serve different purposes. PIP addresses eligible injuries and related financial losses. Property Damage Liability helps pay for damage the insured driver causes to another person’s vehicle or property. 

A nonresident owner may also become subject to the requirement when a vehicle has been physically present in Florida for more than 90 days during the previous 365 days. 

Drivers can review the current requirements in the Florida Legislature’s Personal Injury Protection statute and InsureBuyNow’s guide to PIP auto insurance in Florida.

What Does Florida PIP Insurance Cover?

PIP may provide medical benefits, disability benefits and a death benefit after a covered accident. 

Eligible medical expenses

Florida PIP generally pays 80% of reasonable and medically necessary expenses for eligible accident-related treatment. Covered services may include: 

• Emergency transportation 

• Hospital treatment 

• Medical and surgical care 

• Diagnostic imaging 

• Dental treatment 

• Rehabilitation 

• Nursing services 

• Certain medically necessary devices 

The injured person must receive initial medical services and care within 14 days of the accident. Treatment received after this period may not qualify for PIP medical benefits. 

Access to the full $10,000 benefit generally requires an eligible medical professional to determine that the injured person had an emergency medical condition. If the required determination is not made, medical benefits may be limited to $2,500. 

Lost income and replacement services

When a covered injury prevents someone from working, PIP may pay 60% of eligible lost gross income and loss of earning capacity. 

It may also help with reasonable expenses for essential household services that the injured person would normally have performed without payment. Supporting documents such as medical restrictions, employment records and proof of earnings may be required. 

Medical and disability benefits share the same applicable $10,000 limit. They do not each receive a separate $10,000 allowance. 

Death benefit 

Florida PIP includes a $5,000 death benefit when a covered person dies because of injuries arising from a covered motor vehicle accident. 

The death benefit is additional to the medical and disability benefit limit. 

Florida PIP Deductibles, Limits and Exclusions 

Florida insurers must offer PIP deductible options of: 

• $250 

• $500 

• $1,000 

The deductible is applied before PIP begins paying eligible benefits. A higher deductible may reduce the premium, but it can also increase the amount the insured must manage after an accident. 

The named insured may generally select a deductible for themselves alone or for themselves and dependent relatives living in the same household. The deductible does not automatically apply to every other person protected by the policy. 

The named insured may also be offered the choice to exclude lost income and earning capacity benefits. This may reduce the premium, but it can leave an employed driver without PIP wage-loss protection. 

PIP may exclude or deny benefits when: 

• The insured intentionally caused the injury 

• The injured person was committing a felony 

• The vehicle was used without the owner’s permission 

• The named insured or a resident relative was injured in another vehicle owned by the named insured but not insured under the policy 

• Treatment was unrelated, unnecessary or not lawfully provided 

• Medical care was not obtained within the required period 

Massage therapy and acupuncture are not reimbursable as PIP medical benefits under current Florida law. 

Who May Be Protected by Florida PIP? 

The applicable PIP policy depends on the injured person’s household, vehicle ownership and insurance status. 

The named insured

The person named on the policy may be protected while occupying an eligible motor vehicle or when struck by a motor vehicle while not occupying another self-propelled vehicle. 

Resident relatives 

Relatives who normally live in the named insured’s household may qualify, unless they have been lawfully excluded or must claim through coverage on a vehicle they own. 

Permitted drivers 

Someone driving the insured vehicle with permission may qualify for benefits, subject to their insurance status and the policy conditions. 

Passengers

A passenger may be protected, but the vehicle owner’s policy is not automatically responsible. A passenger who owns an insured vehicle or qualifies through a resident relative may need to use that applicable PIP policy first. 

Certain pedestrians

A Florida resident struck by an eligible motor vehicle while not occupying a self-propelled vehicle may qualify. The applicable policy will depend on whether the pedestrian owns an insured vehicle or qualifies through a resident relative.