Florida insures cars differently than most states, so for the Personal Lines exam you have to learn the national Personal Auto Policy structure and the Florida twists layered on top. Florida is a No-Fault state, which changes what you must buy, how injury claims are paid, and what triggers liability requirements. This standalone guide covers the policy fundamentals quickly, then makes Florida law the spine.

The national PAP in 60 seconds

The Personal Auto Policy (PAP) is the standard contract that protects individuals and families for the vehicles they own and drive. It is organized into lettered parts:

• Part A — Liability (bodily injury and property damage you are legally liable for, plus a duty to defend).
• Part B — Medical Payments.
• Part C — Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists.
• Part D — Coverage for Damage to Your Auto (Collision and Other Than Collision).
• Part E — Duties After an Accident.
• Part F — General Provisions.

An insured generally includes the named insured, the resident spouse, resident family members (including a child away at school), and anyone using your covered auto with permission. Eligible vehicles are private passenger autos, pickups, and vans not used mainly for business. Florida modifies this national base rather than replacing it—on the exam, assume the standard PAP applies unless a Florida rule overrides it.

Florida is a No-Fault PIP state

Florida operates under the Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law (found in the §§ 627.730–627.7405 range of the statutes). "No-fault" means that after most crashes, your own policy pays your medical bills and lost wages regardless of who caused the accident, and in exchange your right to sue the other driver for minor injuries is limited.

The required no-fault coverage is Personal Injury Protection (PIP):

• PIP limit of $10,000 for medical and disability benefits.
• PIP typically pays 80% of reasonable medical expenses, 60% of lost wages/disability, and 100% of certain replacement-services costs, up to the $10,000 cap.
• A death benefit (commonly $5,000) is also part of the PIP package.
• PIP follows the insured person, covering the named insured, resident relatives, passengers without their own PIP, and even pedestrians struck by the vehicle.

The 14-day rule is a heavily tested Florida wrinkle: to receive PIP medical benefits, the injured person generally must obtain initial care within 14 days of the accident. Whether the full $10,000 is available also depends on whether a provider certifies an emergency medical condition (EMC)—without an EMC determination, the payable medical benefit is limited to a much smaller amount (commonly cited as $2,500).

What Florida requires you to carry

This is the single most tested Florida auto fact. To register a vehicle in Florida, an owner must carry:

• PIP — $10,000, and
• Property Damage Liability (PDL) — $10,000.

Florida's quirk: Bodily Injury (BI) liability is NOT required merely to register a car. Many states bundle BI into the minimum, but Florida does not. Instead, BI requirements are triggered later under the Financial Responsibility Law (Chapter 324) after an at-fault accident or certain serious violations, at limits commonly stated as 10/20/10 ($10,000 BI per person / $20,000 BI per accident / $10,000 PD). A DUI conviction triggers even higher mandatory limits.

So memorize the formula: PIP $10k + PDL $10k to register; 10/20/10 BI triggered after an at-fault loss or violation.

UM/UIM rules in Florida

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists (UM/UIM) coverage pays for bodily injury when the at-fault driver has no insurance, too little insurance, or flees (hit-and-run). Florida law adds consumer protections:

• Insurers must offer UM coverage equal to the BI liability limits the insured purchases.
• If the insured wants less UM than BI, or wants to reject UM entirely, that choice must be made in writing on the approved form. Without a valid written rejection, UM can be deemed to apply at the BI limit.
• Florida allows stacked vs. non-stacked UM. Stacking lets the insured combine limits across multiple vehicles for a higher payout; non-stacked is cheaper. The selection is documented.

Because Florida is no-fault, your own PIP pays first for your injuries; UM/UIM addresses the liability gap when a negligent driver cannot cover serious injuries that pierce the no-fault threshold.

Optional and physical-damage coverages

These mirror the national PAP, but lenders and Florida weather drive purchasing:

• Bodily Injury Liability — optional to register but strongly advised and often financed-vehicle required.
• Collision — damage from impact or overturn, regardless of fault; carries a deductible.
• Other Than Collision (Comprehensive) — fire, theft, vandalism, flood, hail, falling objects, and animal strikes. In hurricane-prone Florida, comprehensive is what responds to flood and storm damage to the vehicle, so it is commonly tested as the coverage for a car damaged by rising water.
• Medical Payments, rental reimbursement, and towing are available but secondary to PIP for injuries.

Remember the classic distinction: hitting an animal is Other Than Collision (comprehensive), not collision.

Cancellation and nonrenewal protections

Florida regulates how and when an auto insurer can end coverage, and the exam likes these timelines. The widely used Florida framework:

• During the first 60 days of a new policy, the insurer has broad ability to cancel.
• After that initial period, mid-term cancellation is restricted to specific reasons (such as nonpayment, license suspension, or fraud).
• Nonpayment cancellation generally requires about 10 days' advance notice.
• Other cancellations and nonrenewals generally require about 45 days' advance notice so the insured can find replacement coverage.

If you are not certain of an exact day count on the exam, anchor on the concept: short notice for nonpayment, longer notice (about 45 days) for nonrenewal and most other cancellations.

Key Florida numbers to memorize

Common exam traps

• Saying BI liability is required to register. It is not—only PIP $10k + PDL $10k are required to register in Florida.
• Forgetting the 14-day rule. Miss the window and PIP medical benefits can be denied.
• Ignoring the EMC limit. Without an emergency medical condition determination, payable medical benefits are capped well below $10,000.
• Thinking PIP pays 100% of bills. It pays 80% of medical and 60% of lost wages, up to the cap.
• Assuming UM auto-applies. It must be offered; a lower limit or rejection requires a written election.
• Calling flood damage to a car uninsurable. Vehicle flood loss is covered under Other Than Collision (comprehensive).
• Mixing up Citizens. Citizens is Florida's residual property insurer; the auto residual market is the FAJUA.

Quick recap

For the Florida Personal Lines exam, start from the national PAP (Parts A–F), then layer on Florida's No-Fault PIP system. To register, an owner needs PIP $10,000 + Property Damage Liability $10,000—bodily injury liability is not required to register and instead becomes mandatory at 10/20/10 under the Financial Responsibility Law after an at-fault crash or serious violation. PIP pays 80% of medical and 60% of lost wages up to $10,000, plus a $5,000 death benefit, but only if care is sought within 14 days, and the full amount usually requires an emergency medical condition finding. UM/UIM must be offered equal to the BI limits and can only be reduced or rejected in writing, with stacking optional. Finally, know the cancellation rhythm: short notice for nonpayment, roughly 45 days for nonrenewal and most other cancellations. Lock in "PIP $10k + PDL $10k to register, 10/20/10 later" and you own the hardest Florida auto question.