The Florida Senate

627.7275  Motor vehicle property damage liability.--

(1)  No motor vehicle insurance policy providing personal injury protection as set forth in s. 627.736 shall be delivered or issued for delivery in this state with respect to any specifically insured or identified motor vehicle registered or principally garaged in this state unless the policy also provides coverage for property damage liability in the amount of at least $10,000 because of damage to, or destruction of, property of others in any one accident arising out of the use of the motor vehicle or provides coverage in the amount of at least $30,000 for combined property damage liability and bodily injury liability in any one accident arising out of the use of the motor vehicle. The policy, as to coverage of property damage liability, shall meet the applicable requirements of s. 324.151, subject to the usual policy exclusions such as have been approved in policy forms by the office.

(2)(a)  Insurers writing motor vehicle insurance in this state shall make available, subject to the insurers' usual underwriting restrictions, coverage under policies as described in subsection (1) of this section to any applicant for private passenger motor vehicle insurance coverage who is seeking the coverage in order to reinstate the applicant's driving privileges in this state when the driving privileges were revoked or suspended pursuant to s. 316.646 or s. 627.733 due to the failure of the applicant to maintain required security. The policy shall be issued for a period of at least 6 months and as to the minimum coverages required under this section shall not be cancelable by the insured for any reason or by the insurer after a period not to exceed 30 days during which the insurer must complete underwriting of the policy. After the insurer has completed underwriting the policy within the 30-day period, the insurer shall notify the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles that the policy is in full force and effect and the policy shall not be cancelable for the remainder of the policy period. A premium shall be collected and coverage shall be in effect for the 30-day period during which the insurer is completing the underwriting of the policy whether or not the person's driver license, motor vehicle tag, and motor vehicle registration are in effect. Once the noncancelable provisions of the policy become effective, the coverage or risk shall not be changed during the policy period and the premium shall be nonrefundable. If, during the pendency of the 2-year proof of insurance period required under s. 627.733(7), the insured obtains additional coverage or coverage for an additional risk or changes territories, the insured must obtain a new 6-month noncancelable policy in accordance with the provisions of this section. However, if the insured must obtain a new 6-month policy and obtains the policy from the same insurer, the policyholder shall receive credit on the new policy for any premium paid on the previously issued policy.

(b)  The provisions of this subsection shall control to the extent of any conflict with any other section.

History.--s. 16, ch. 88-370; s. 3, ch. 89-238; s. 1, ch. 89-296; s. 2, ch. 91-106; s. 114, ch. 92-318; s. 29, ch. 95-211; s. 359, ch. 97-102; s. 90, ch. 98-199; s. 1191, ch. 2003-261.