Every Florida driver who registers a vehicle has to carry Personal Injury Protection. It is the coverage that makes Florida a "no-fault" state, and it is the reason a lot of drivers believe they're covered for injuries when they're mostly not.
PIP pays a portion of your own medical bills and lost wages after a crash, no matter who caused it. The limit is $10,000. That number has not moved in decades, and in a system where a single ambulance ride plus an emergency room visit can clear several thousand dollars, it is the first thing to understand about a Florida auto policy.
Key takeaways
- PIP covers your own injuries at 80%, up to $10,000, regardless of fault.
- You must get initial treatment within 14 days or benefits can be denied.
- Non-emergency conditions are capped at $2,500, not $10,000.
- PIP pays nothing toward injuries you cause to someone else — that's bodily injury liability.
What PIP pays for
PIP is medical-and-wage coverage for you, not liability coverage for the person you hit. Within the $10,000 limit, it generally covers:
- 80% of reasonable and necessary medical expenses from the crash
- 60% of lost wages if injuries keep you from working
- Replacement services — the household tasks you can't do while recovering
- A death benefit, paid in addition to the medical and wage benefits
The 14-day rule
Florida requires that you receive initial medical care within 14 days of the accident for PIP to pay anything at all. Miss that window and the benefit can be denied entirely, even for injuries that are clearly crash-related.
This is the single most common way drivers lose PIP benefits. Soft-tissue injuries often feel manageable for a week or two, and by the time the stiffness becomes a real problem, the deadline has passed. If you're in a crash, get evaluated promptly and keep the paperwork.
The $2,500 non-emergency cap
The full $10,000 is only available if a qualifying provider determines you had an emergency medical condition. If your condition is classified as non-emergency, PIP benefits are capped at $2,500.
That distinction is made by medical providers, not by you or the adjuster, and it is one more reason to be evaluated by an appropriate provider early rather than treating a crash injury casually.
Where the $10,000 runs out
Because PIP pays 80% of medical expenses, $10,000 of coverage absorbs roughly $12,500 of billed care before you're paying out of pocket — and it stops there. Imaging, a specialist, and a short course of physical therapy can reach that on their own.
This is why we rarely quote a Florida auto policy at PIP-and-property-damage minimums alone. Medical payments coverage (MedPay) can sit on top of PIP and cover the 20% PIP leaves behind, and bodily injury liability protects your assets when you're the one at fault. Neither is required by Florida law for most drivers, and both are inexpensive relative to what they do.
PIP is not liability coverage
This is worth stating plainly: PIP does nothing for the other driver's injuries. If you cause a crash that seriously hurts someone and you carry no bodily injury liability, you are personally exposed to that claim. Your assets and future wages, not your policy, are what answer for it.
Florida's financial responsibility law can require you to carry bodily injury liability after certain at-fault crashes or violations — but by then the damage is already done. Buying reasonable limits up front costs a fraction of what it protects.
See how Florida auto coverage fits together
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Frequently asked questions
This guide is general information for Florida consumers, not a policy or legal advice. Coverage terms vary by carrier and policy form — your declarations page controls. Last reviewed July 26, 2026.