If you do not already know, Florida is a no fault state. This means that there are some requirements that Florida might have that other states do not. If you are currently looking into getting insurance to cover your teen that just got their license, here are some things to keep in mind. Some of us have not had to purchase insurance in a while!

Florida Requirements:

- Your teen must have a learners permit before being able to obtain an official license. Not only do they have to get a learners license before, they have to carry it for a whole year.

- After you have your license and ready to drive, you need to get the following:

1. PIP coverage, also known as personal injury protection.

2. Bodily Injury Liability: $10,000.

( Note: you must always check with an insurance agent to see if there have been any changes).

Although the minimum requirement is not that much, if you were to be in an accident, you could find yourself in a compromising position. Being that you are insuring a young, inexperienced driver, it is especially important to make sure you have all your ducks in a row and covered on all fronts in case of an accident. We hope our children and ourselves will not ever have to experience an accident. Often, more times than not, a person will experience an accident or “fender bender”. This is a higher risk with teens. Numbers show that teens are at a much higher risk for causing accidents due to negligence. Distraction such as friends, phones, etc. are very prevalent amongst kids that age. Finding the right balance for your teenager’s auto insurance coverage and your wallet is sometimes a challenge.

It is recommended that along with the required insurance, you should carry: Uninsured motorist, Comprehensive, Collision, and Bodily Injury Liability. If you are making payments on a financed car, it is already a requirement that you must carry full coverage. Depending on the year and condition of your car, it might not make sense to carry collision or comprehensive insurances. Sometimes, book value for cars is much less than the deductible it would cost to get the car fixed. Or, in another instance, if your car were totaled, you would have put more into coverage than your car is even worth. Check the specifics on all the different options available.

Also, make sure you take advantage of the money savers stated before. Good grades and a safe vehicle are a good way to reduce a teenager’s auto insurance rate. As a policy holder yourself, you can look into multi-car discounts, insuring your home and car through the same company, if applicable and making sure you are getting appropriate discounts for the safety features in your car. Another common money saver that people tend to over look is AAA. Although AAA is not the only auto club; it is the most recognized. Sometimes clubs can save you money on an auto insurance policy just as they do for an amusement park ticket!