Florida’s Uninsured Driver Rate Adds Pressure to Auto Claims

Florida’s uninsured motorist rate has climbed above 20%, while the state continues to require just $10,000 in PIP and property damage coverage. In Miami-Dade, more than 13,000 hit-and-run crashes in 2025 show how quickly those coverage gaps can become claims problems.

Monday, October 5th, 2026 — Florida continues to rank among the states with the highest share of uninsured motorists, creating added exposure for insurers, claims professionals and policyholders when serious crashes occur.

The Insurance Research Council estimates that 20.6% of Florida motorists are uninsured, up from 16% in 2022. Mark Friedlander, director of communications for the Insurance Information Institute, described the figure as alarming, noting that roughly one in five Florida drivers has no auto insurance.

The problem is especially visible in Miami-Dade County. The county recorded 13,122 hit-and-run crashes in 2025, including 20 fatalities and 2,242 injuries, according to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles data cited in reporting on the issue. That works out to about 36 hit-and-run crashes per day.

Those numbers matter to claims handlers because Florida maintains unusually low mandatory auto insurance requirements. Motorists generally must carry $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection coverage and $10,000 in property damage liability coverage. Florida does not broadly require motorists to purchase bodily injury liability coverage.

PIP pays covered medical expenses regardless of fault, but the $10,000 limit can be exhausted quickly after a significant injury. When an at-fault driver has no applicable liability coverage or cannot be identified after a hit-and-run, uninsured motorist coverage can become an important source of recovery for an injured insured.

Florida lawmakers have repeatedly considered changing the system. Legislation that would have repealed the state's no-fault framework passed the Legislature in 2021 but was vetoed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Similar efforts introduced during the 2025 and 2026 legislative sessions did not become law.

South Florida illustrates the financial pressure. Average full-coverage premiums have been reported at about $242 per month in Miami and $267 per month in Miami Gardens. By comparison, 2026 estimates place average full coverage in Los Angeles at approximately $196 per month.

For adjusters handling Florida auto losses, the coverage investigation can become particularly important when an accident involves an uninsured driver or a hit-and-run. Determining available PIP benefits, uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, liability coverage and any applicable policy limitations can directly affect what recovery remains available after the initial benefits are exhausted.

Absent legislative changes to Florida's required coverage limits or no-fault system, uninsured motorist exposure is likely to remain a significant part of the state's auto claims environment.