What Does “Full Coverage” Car Insurance Mean in Florida?

If someone tells you that you have “full coverage” car insurance in Florida, that does not necessarily mean you are fully protected after an accident.

“Full coverage” is not a specific insurance coverage or a standardized policy defined by Florida law. It is an informal term commonly used to describe a combination of automobile insurance coverages. Exactly what is included depends on the policy you purchased.

This distinction matters because a driver can believe they have “full coverage” and later discover that their policy does not include an important coverage such as uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, sufficient bodily injury liability coverage, or other protection they expected to have.

In my personal injury practice, I recommend looking at the individual coverages and limits on your declarations page rather than relying on the phrase “full coverage.”

What Is Full Coverage Car Insurance in Florida?

There is no single Florida automobile insurance coverage called “full coverage.”

When people use the term, they may be referring to a policy containing some combination of:

• Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

• Property Damage Liability (PDL)

• Bodily Injury Liability (BI)

• Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UM/UIM)

• Collision coverage

• Comprehensive coverage

• Medical Payments coverage

• Rental reimbursement

• Roadside assistance

• GAP coverage or a separate GAP product

But policies differ. Two people can both say they have “full coverage” while actually carrying very different insurance protections and limits. That's why the better question isn't: “Do I have full coverage?” It's: “Exactly what coverages and limits are listed on my policy?”

What Car Insurance Is Required in Florida?

For most Florida drivers, the basic required automobile insurance includes:

• $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

• $10,000 in Property Damage Liability (PDL)

Florida's PIP law provides up to $10,000 in medical and disability benefits, subject to statutory requirements and limitations. Florida also requires applicable policies providing PIP to include property-damage liability coverage as required by Florida law. Online Sunshine

Meeting these minimum requirements, however, does not mean that a driver has every type of insurance that may become important after a serious accident.

For a more detailed explanation, read my guide to Florida minimum car insurance requirements.

What Does Personal Injury Protection Cover?

Personal Injury Protection, commonly called PIP, generally provides benefits for qualifying injuries arising from a motor vehicle accident regardless of who caused the crash.

Florida PIP generally pays 80% of reasonable expenses for medically necessary covered treatment, subject to the policy, statutory limitations, available benefits and other requirements.

Florida law generally requires initial medical services and care within 14 days after the accident for PIP medical benefits. Online Sunshine

PIP should not be confused with bodily injury liability or uninsured motorist coverage. Each serves a different purpose.

What Does Property Damage Liability Cover?

Property Damage Liability generally pays for property damage you are legally responsible for causing to another person.

For example, if you cause an accident that damages another person's vehicle, your applicable property-damage liability coverage can pay toward that loss up to the available policy limit.

It does not mean your own vehicle is protected against every type of loss.

What Is Bodily Injury Liability Coverage?

Bodily Injury Liability (BI) generally provides coverage when an insured becomes legally responsible for bodily injury caused to another person, subject to the policy and applicable law.

This can become extremely important after a serious crash because injuries can result in substantial medical expenses, lost income and other damages.

Drivers should not assume that simply having a Florida auto policy means they necessarily have the amount of bodily injury liability coverage they expect.

Florida even requires a conspicuous notice on certain automobile policies that do not contain bodily injury and property-damage liability coverage. Online Sunshine

What Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage?

Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM) can protect insured people when they are injured by someone who has no applicable bodily injury liability insurance or insufficient insurance to compensate them for their damages.

This is one of the automobile coverages I believe Florida drivers should understand most carefully.

Florida law generally requires UM coverage to be offered in connection with policies providing bodily injury liability coverage, but the named insured can reject UM coverage in writing or select lower limits as permitted by law. Online Sunshine

That means someone can believe they have “full coverage” while having no UM coverage at all.

For a detailed explanation, read my guide to uninsured motorist coverage in Florida.

What Does Collision Coverage Pay For?

Collision coverage generally helps pay for physical damage to your covered vehicle resulting from a collision, subject to the terms of the policy and your deductible.

For example, collision coverage may become important when:

• You cause an accident that damages your own vehicle.

• The person who damages your vehicle does not have sufficient applicable insurance.

• Responsibility for an accident is disputed.

• Your vehicle is damaged in a covered single-vehicle collision.

Collision coverage is different from property-damage liability. Property-damage liability generally protects against property damage you cause to others, while collision coverage generally concerns damage to your covered vehicle.

What Does Comprehensive Coverage Pay For?

Comprehensive coverage generally protects a covered vehicle from certain physical losses other than collision.

Depending on the policy, examples may include losses caused by:

• Theft

• Vandalism

• Fire

• Falling objects

• Hail or storms

• Certain animal-related damage

• Other covered non-collision events

Comprehensive coverage commonly has a deductible, so the policyholder may remain responsible for part of a covered loss.

Does “Full Coverage” Include Uninsured Motorist Coverage?

Not necessarily.

This is one of the most important misconceptions about the phrase “full coverage.”

A policy may contain PIP, liability, collision and comprehensive coverage while the named insured has rejected uninsured motorist coverage.

That's why I would never rely solely on an agent, dealership, lender or another person telling me that a vehicle has “full coverage.”

Look at the declarations page.

Determine whether UM/UIM coverage is actually listed, what the limits are, and whether it is stacked or non-stacked.

Does Full Coverage Pay Off My Car If It Is Totaled?

Not necessarily.

When a financed vehicle is declared a total loss, the amount owed on the loan can be greater than the amount payable for the vehicle.

For example, suppose you owe $30,000 on a vehicle but its applicable value for an insurance total-loss claim is only $24,000.

Payment of $24,000 toward the vehicle does not automatically erase the remaining $6,000 loan balance.

This is where GAP protection may become important.

What Is GAP Coverage?

GAP protection is designed to address certain differences between what is owed on a financed or leased vehicle and the amount otherwise payable when the vehicle becomes a covered total loss.

The exact protection depends on the GAP agreement or policy.

Drivers financing vehicles—particularly vehicles that may depreciate quickly—should determine whether they have GAP protection rather than assuming “full coverage” automatically includes it.

Does Full Coverage Include a Rental Car After an Accident?

Not necessarily.

Rental reimbursement is generally a separate optional coverage.

Having collision and comprehensive insurance does not necessarily mean your policy will pay for a rental vehicle after every covered accident.

If having replacement transportation is important to you, check your declarations page for rental reimbursement coverage and its applicable limits.

What Should a Good Florida Auto Insurance Policy Include?

There isn't one policy configuration that's appropriate for every Florida driver.

Your assets, income, vehicle, family, risk tolerance, available coverage options and financial circumstances can all matter.

But I encourage drivers to understand the purpose of each coverage they purchase, particularly:

Bodily Injury Liability — protection when you become legally responsible for covered injuries to another person.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist — potential protection when you are injured by someone without adequate bodily injury insurance.

Collision — protection for covered collision damage to your vehicle.

Comprehensive — protection against certain covered non-collision losses to your vehicle.

PIP — Florida no-fault benefits for qualifying injuries, subject to statutory requirements and limitations.

Property Damage Liability — coverage for property damage you become legally responsible for causing.

The appropriate limits are an individual decision that should be discussed with a licensed insurance professional.

How Can I Tell If I Actually Have Full Coverage?

Find your automobile insurance declarations page.

Instead of looking for the words “full coverage,” look for each individual coverage and its limit or deductible.

Specifically, check for:

• Bodily Injury Liability

• Property Damage Liability

• Personal Injury Protection

• Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist

• Collision

• Comprehensive

• Medical Payments, if purchased

• Rental reimbursement, if purchased

• Roadside assistance, if purchased

Also check the limits and deductibles.

Having a coverage with a low limit may produce a very different result after a serious loss than having substantially higher limits.

My Perspective as a Florida Car Accident Lawyer

One of the recurring problems I see is a client telling me:

“My insurance agent said I had full coverage.”

Then we look at the declarations page and discover that the policy does not contain a coverage the client believed was included.

That can become particularly significant when the missing coverage is uninsured motorist coverage or when a serious accident produces damages far beyond the available insurance limits.

That's why I recommend Florida drivers stop thinking about automobile insurance simply as “minimum” versus “full coverage.”

Instead, understand what each coverage protects, whom it protects, and how much coverage you actually purchased.

The best time to answer those questions is before an accident occurs.

Florida Full Coverage Insurance FAQs

Is “full coverage” a type of insurance in Florida?

No. “Full coverage” is an informal expression rather than the name of a single standardized Florida automobile insurance coverage. The actual protection depends on the individual coverages and limits contained in the policy.

Does full coverage include UM insurance in Florida?

Not necessarily. Florida law permits a named insured to reject UM coverage in writing under circumstances governed by §627.727. A driver should verify UM coverage on the policy's declarations page rather than assuming it is included. Online Sunshine

Does full coverage include collision and comprehensive?

People frequently use “full coverage” to describe policies containing collision and comprehensive coverage in addition to liability or other required coverage, but the phrase itself does not guarantee that either coverage is present.

Does full coverage include GAP insurance?

Not necessarily. GAP protection may be a separate insurance product, endorsement or contractual waiver depending on how it was obtained. Check the applicable policy or agreement.

Does full coverage include rental reimbursement?

Not necessarily. Rental reimbursement is commonly an optional coverage with its own terms and limits.

How do I know what my Florida car insurance actually covers?

Review the declarations page of your policy. It should identify the coverages purchased, policy limits and applicable deductibles. If something is unclear, ask your insurer or licensed insurance agent to explain it.

Questions About Insurance After a Florida Car Accident?

If you have been injured in a Florida car accident and have questions about which insurance policies may apply, The Law Office of Logan T. Lawrence can review the accident and potentially applicable coverage.

Free consultation: (352) 222-4460

About the Author

Logan T. Lawrence, Esq. is a Florida personal injury attorney and founder of The Law Office of Logan T. Lawrence. He represents people injured in car accidents and other personal injury matters throughout Florida and provides clients direct access to the attorney handling their case.

This article provides general information about Florida law and automobile insurance and is not legal advice. Insurance coverage depends on the policy language, facts and applicable law.