Insurance, registration and vehicle equipment

Key points

1. You need at least $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection and $10,000 in Property Damage Liability coverage.

   Source: Handbook p. 23

   “have a minimum of $10,000 in PIP AND a minimum of $10,000 in PDL coverage;”
   Official Florida Driver License Handbook, Handbook p. 23

2. You must comply if your vehicle has been in Florida for 90 days during the last 365 days.

   Source: Handbook p. 23

   “You must comply if you own a motor vehicle that has been in the state for 90 days (consecutive or non-consecutive) during the last 365 days.”
   Official Florida Driver License Handbook, Handbook p. 23

3. Carry proof of insurance (a card or electronic proof on a phone) whenever you drive.

   Source: Handbook p. 23

   “You must have the card (or electronic proof on a smart phone) with you when you’re driving.”
   Official Florida Driver License Handbook, Handbook p. 23

4. To lift an insurance suspension, you must get insurance and pay a reinstatement fee of $150 to $500.

   Source: Handbook p. 24

   “In order to lift the suspension, you will have to get insurance and pay a reinstatement fee ($150 to $500).”
   Official Florida Driver License Handbook, Handbook p. 24

5. Driving with a suspended license is a first degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

   Source: Handbook p. 24

   “The officer may also take you to jail for driving with a suspended license, which is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.”
   Official Florida Driver License Handbook, Handbook p. 24

6. Letting an unlicensed person use your car is an offense that can bring jail or a fine.

   Source: Handbook p. 25

   “Allowing an unlicensed person to use your car, or renting a motor vehicle to someone without a license.”
   Official Florida Driver License Handbook, Handbook p. 25

7. Throwing up to 15 pounds of litter onto the road can bring a $100 fine.

   Source: Handbook p. 27

   “If you throw litter up to 15 pounds onto roadways, you can be fined $100.”
   Official Florida Driver License Handbook, Handbook p. 27

8. Non-residents who take a job in Florida or enroll children in a Florida public school must get a Florida registration and plate within 10 days.

   Source: Handbook p. 37

   “must obtain the registration certificate and license plate within 10 days after beginning employment or enrollment.”
   Official Florida Driver License Handbook, Handbook p. 37

9. A muffler that can be heard from more than 50 feet is not permitted.

   Source: Handbook p. 38

   “A very loud muffler (heard from more than 50 feet) or one that emits smoke.”
   Official Florida Driver License Handbook, Handbook p. 38

10. The horn must be heard from a distance of 200 feet.

    Source: Handbook p. 38

    “Horn Heard from a distance of 200 feet.”
    Official Florida Driver License Handbook, Handbook p. 38

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Florida practice test

1. 1. When must the owner of a vehicle kept in Florida carry Florida PIP and PDL insurance?

   1. Once the vehicle has been in the state 90 days, consecutive or not, during the last 365 days
   2. Only after one full year of residency
   3. Only if the owner has a Florida driver license
   4. Once the vehicle has been in the state 30 consecutive days
   Show answer

   Once the vehicle has been in the state 90 days, consecutive or not, during the last 365 days. The trigger is 90 days in Florida within the last 365 days, and the days do not have to be consecutive. A full year of residency is not required, and the rule attaches to the vehicle, not to whether the owner has a Florida license. Thirty consecutive days is the wrong number and wrongly requires the days to run together. Failing to keep proper insurance can lead to suspension of the driver license and license plate registration.

2. 2. What minimum insurance must every Florida vehicle owner carry?

   1. $25,000 in bodily injury liability only
   2. $10,000 in PIP and $20,000 in PDL
   3. $10,000 in PIP and $10,000 in PDL
   4. $100,000 in bodily injury liability and $50,000 in PDL
   Show answer

   $10,000 in PIP and $10,000 in PDL. Florida requires at least $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection and at least $10,000 in Property Damage Liability, shown at registration and kept in force throughout the registration period. Bodily injury liability alone is not the basic requirement. Twenty thousand in PDL is not the minimum. The $100,000 bodily injury and $50,000 PDL figures are the higher limits required after a DUI conviction, not the everyday minimum. PIP covers your own injuries no matter who caused the crash.

3. 3. What does Florida's handbook say about a very loud muffler on a passenger vehicle?

   1. It is allowed after dark
   2. It is allowed on trucks only
   3. It is not permitted
   4. It is required for inspection
   Show answer

   It is not permitted. Florida lists equipment that is not permitted on a vehicle: red lights visible from the front or blue lights, which are for emergency and law enforcement vehicles only; more than two spotlights or extra lights; a siren, bell or whistle; and a very loud muffler. The handbook gives no exception for nighttime driving or for trucks, and it describes a very loud muffler as one heard from more than 50 feet or one that emits smoke. Window tint is separately restricted by statute, and nothing in the handbook makes loud exhaust a requirement for any inspection.

Source: the Official Florida Driver License Handbook, Your Driving Privilege. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.