# Jacksonville car insurance explained

> Jacksonville car insurance: Florida's PIP and property damage requirement, uninsured drivers, storm and glass claims, lapse penalties and statewide costs.

Canonical page: https://statecover-guide.com/location/jacksonville/  
Last reviewed: October 28, 2026 by the StateCover Guide editorial team  
General information, not legal or insurance advice.

## Quick answer

To register a car in Jacksonville you need Florida's two required coverages: $10,000 of personal injury protection and $10,000 of property damage liability. Bodily injury liability is not required for most drivers, so a minimum policy does not pay for injuries you cause to others. Florida's estimated uninsured rate, 20.6%, is also well above the national figure. Cost averages are statewide; nothing official is published for Jacksonville alone.

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Population (city, 2025) | 1,017,689 |
| Workers who drive alone to work (city, 2020-2024) | 70.9% (US: 68.8%) |
| Mean travel time to work (city) | 24.1 minutes |
| Households with no vehicle (city) | 7.3% |
| Required to register (statewide) | $10,000 PIP + $10,000 property damage |
| Fault system (statewide) | No-fault |
| Estimated uninsured drivers (statewide, 2023) | 20.6% (US: 15.4%) |
| Vehicle thefts in Florida (2025) | 27,142, down 29% from the year before |
| Average yearly spending per insured vehicle (statewide, 2023) | $1,864.63 |

## Florida's unusual minimum coverage

Florida rules apply in Jacksonville; our [Florida car insurance guide](https://statecover-guide.com/location/florida/) explains them in depth. The short version:

| Coverage | Florida rule |
|---|---|
| Personal injury protection (PIP) | Required: $10,000 |
| Property damage liability | Required: $10,000 |
| Bodily injury liability | Required only after certain crashes or violations, at $10,000/$20,000 |
| Uninsured motorist | Included at bodily injury limits unless rejected in writing on an approved form |
| Collision and comprehensive | Optional unless a lender requires them |

Florida is a no-fault state. Your PIP pays 80% of necessary medical expenses after a crash, up to its limit, regardless of fault. Lawsuits for pain and suffering are limited to serious injuries. See [personal injury protection](https://statecover-guide.com/coverage/personal-injury-protection/) for what PIP does and does not pay.

### The bodily injury gap

Because bodily injury liability is not required to register a car, a minimum Florida policy has no coverage for injuries you cause to other people. They rely on their own PIP first, and if their injuries are serious, they can sue you for the rest. Many drivers add bodily injury liability for that reason; see [liability coverage](https://statecover-guide.com/coverage/liability/). If a court or the state requires you to carry it after a DUI, the higher FR-44 limits apply; see [FR-44 insurance](https://statecover-guide.com/drivers/fr-44/).

## Uninsured drivers in Florida

An estimated 20.6% of Florida drivers were uninsured in 2023, against 15.4% nationally. Add the drivers who carry PIP and property damage but no bodily injury liability, and the chance of being hit by someone who cannot pay for your injuries is real. Florida includes uninsured motorist coverage at your bodily injury limits unless you reject it in writing on an approved form, so the decision is yours. Read [uninsured motorist coverage](https://statecover-guide.com/coverage/uninsured-motorist/) before signing a rejection.

## A drive-alone city

Jacksonville is built around the car. 70.9% of workers drive alone to work, compared with 68.8% nationally, and just 1.0% use public transportation. The average trip to work takes 24.1 minutes. For most Jacksonville households, a car, and therefore a policy, is a necessity.

Crash data are statewide: IIHS counted 3,138 crash deaths in Florida in 2024, or 13.4 per 100,000 people, against 11.5 per 100,000 people nationally.

## Storms, glass and comprehensive coverage

Hurricanes and tropical storms can bring flooding, falling trees and flying debris. Damage to your car from those events is a [comprehensive coverage](https://statecover-guide.com/coverage/comprehensive/) claim, so a policy with only the state minimum pays nothing for it. Comprehensive also covers theft. Florida had 27,142 vehicle thefts in 2025, ranking number 4 among states, even after a 29% drop.

Florida law also helps with glass: under comprehensive coverage, the deductible does not apply to windshield damage, so a covered windshield claim costs you $0 out of pocket. See [windshield and glass claims](https://statecover-guide.com/claims/windshield-and-glass/) and our post on [hail, flood and hurricane damage](https://statecover-guide.com/blog/hail-flood-and-hurricane-damage/).

## Lapses are costly in Florida

If your PIP and property damage coverage lapse, Florida can suspend your license and plate for up to 3 years, and reinstatement can cost up to $500. Our guide to a [car insurance lapse](https://statecover-guide.com/blog/car-insurance-lapse/) covers how to avoid one.

## Your Jacksonville ZIP code and ways to pay less

Insurers rate each territory by its own claims: crashes, thefts, storm damage and repair costs. Moving within Jacksonville can change your quote. Read [ZIP codes and car insurance](https://statecover-guide.com/costs/zip-code/) for how it works, and compare with our [Miami](https://statecover-guide.com/location/miami/) page for a very different Florida city.

To lower your premium:

1. Compare quotes for the same coverage at renewal; see [shopping at renewal](https://statecover-guide.com/saving/shopping-at-renewal/).
2. If the principal driver is 55 or older, ask about the accident prevention course discount, which lasts 3 years; see [defensive driving courses](https://statecover-guide.com/saving/defensive-driving-courses/).
3. Choose comprehensive and collision deductibles you can afford; see [deductibles](https://statecover-guide.com/saving/deductible/).
4. Ask about [discounts](https://statecover-guide.com/saving/discounts/) for bundling and safety features.

## FAQ

### What car insurance is required in Jacksonville?

Florida requires $10,000 of personal injury protection and $10,000 of property damage liability to register a car. Bodily injury liability is required only in certain situations.

### Is Florida a no-fault state?

Yes. Your own PIP pays most of your initial medical bills and lost wages after a crash, regardless of who caused it.

### Does car insurance cover hurricane damage in Jacksonville?

Only if you have comprehensive coverage. It covers flooding, falling objects and storm debris.

### Do I pay a deductible for a cracked windshield in Florida?

Not under comprehensive coverage. Florida law says the deductible does not apply to windshield damage.

### What happens if my Florida insurance lapses?

The state can suspend your license and registration, for up to 3 years, and charge a reinstatement fee of up to $500.

## Sources

- [Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Insurance Requirements](https://www.flhsmv.gov/insurance/) — PIP, property damage, lapse penalties
- [Florida Department of Financial Services, Personal Automobile Insurance Overview](https://www.myfloridacfo.com/division/consumers/understanding-insurance/personal-automobile-insurance-overview) — coverage overview
- [Florida Statutes, section 627.7288](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0600-0699/0627/Sections/0627.7288.html) — windshield deductible rule
- [Insurance Information Institute, Facts + Statistics: Uninsured motorists](https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-uninsured-motorists) — uninsured driver estimates
- [NICB, U.S. Vehicle Thefts Experience Historic Decline](https://www.nicb.org/news/news-releases/us-vehicle-thefts-experience-historic-decline) — Florida theft total and change for 2025
- [U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year, Table S0801, Jacksonville city](https://data.census.gov/api/access/data/table?id=ACSST5Y2024.S0801&g=160XX00US1235000) — commuting
- [U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 city and town population estimates](https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals/sub-est2025.csv) — city population
- [U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, Table S0801 (Commuting characteristics)](https://data.census.gov/api/access/data/table?id=ACSST5Y2024.S0801&g=010XX00US), as of October 28, 2026
- [U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, Table DP04 (Selected housing characteristics)](https://data.census.gov/api/access/data/table?id=ACSDP5Y2024.DP04&g=160XX00US1235000), as of October 28, 2026
- [Florida Statutes (2026), Section 324.022 (financial responsibility for property damage)](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0300-0399/0324/Sections/0324.022.html), as of October 28, 2026
- [Insurance Information Institute, Background on: No-fault auto insurance](https://www.iii.org/article/background-on-no-fault-auto-insurance), as of October 28, 2026
- [Florida Statutes (2026), Section 324.021 (definitions; minimum insurance required)](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0300-0399/0324/Sections/0324.021.html), as of October 28, 2026
- [Florida Statutes (2026), Section 627.727 (uninsured and underinsured vehicle coverage)](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0600-0699/0627/Sections/0627.727.html), as of October 28, 2026
- [Florida Senate, Florida Statutes section 627.0652 (Insurance discounts for certain persons completing safety course)](https://m.flsenate.gov/Statutes/627.0652), as of October 28, 2026
- [IIHS, Fatality Facts 2024: State by state](https://www.iihs.org/research-areas/fatality-statistics/detail/state-by-state), as of June 1, 2026
- [NAIC, 2022/2023 Auto Insurance Database Report](https://content.naic.org/sites/default/files/publication-aut-pb-auto-insurance-database.pdf), as of February 13, 2026
- [Insurance Research Council, Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists: 2017–2023 (press release)](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250220231032/en), as of February 20, 2025