The Florida Senate

¹627.733  Required security.--

(1)(a)  Every owner or registrant of a motor vehicle, other than a motor vehicle used as a school bus as defined in s. 1006.25 or limousine, required to be registered and licensed in this state shall maintain security as required by subsection (3) in effect continuously throughout the registration or licensing period.

(b)  Every owner or registrant of a motor vehicle used as a taxicab shall not be governed by paragraph (1)(a) but shall maintain security as required under s. 324.032(1), and s. 627.737 shall not apply to any motor vehicle used as a taxicab.

(2)  Every nonresident owner or registrant of a motor vehicle which, whether operated or not, has been physically present within this state for more than 90 days during the preceding 365 days shall thereafter maintain security as defined by subsection (3) in effect continuously throughout the period such motor vehicle remains within this state.

(3)  Such security shall be provided:

(a)  By an insurance policy delivered or issued for delivery in this state by an authorized or eligible motor vehicle liability insurer which provides the benefits and exemptions contained in ss. 627.730-627.7405. Any policy of insurance represented or sold as providing the security required hereunder shall be deemed to provide insurance for the payment of the required benefits; or

(b)  By any other method authorized by s. 324.031(2), (3), or (4) and approved by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles as affording security equivalent to that afforded by a policy of insurance or by self-insuring as authorized by s. 768.28(16). The person filing such security shall have all of the obligations and rights of an insurer under ss. 627.730-627.7405.

(4)  An owner of a motor vehicle with respect to which security is required by this section who fails to have such security in effect at the time of an accident shall have no immunity from tort liability, but shall be personally liable for the payment of benefits under s. 627.736 With respect to such benefits, such an owner shall have all of the rights and obligations of an insurer under ss. 627.730-627.7405.

(5)  In addition to other persons who are not required to provide required security as required under this section and s. 324.022, the owner or registrant of a motor vehicle is exempt from such requirements if she or he is a member of the United States Armed Forces and is called to or on active duty outside the United States in an emergency situation. The exemption provided by this subsection applies only as long as the member of the armed forces is on such active duty outside the United States and applies only while the vehicle covered by the security required by this section and s. 324.022 is not operated by any person. Upon receipt of a written request by the insured to whom the exemption provided in this subsection applies, the insurer shall cancel the coverages and return any unearned premium or suspend the security required by this section and s. 324.022 Notwithstanding subsection (6), the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles may not suspend the registration or operator's license of any owner or registrant of a motor vehicle during the time she or he qualifies for an exemption under this subsection. Any owner or registrant of a motor vehicle who qualifies for an exemption under this subsection shall immediately notify the department prior to and at the end of the expiration of the exemption.

(6)  The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall suspend, after due notice and an opportunity to be heard, the registration and driver's license of any owner or registrant of a motor vehicle with respect to which security is required under this section and s. 324.022:

(a)  Upon its records showing that the owner or registrant of such motor vehicle did not have in full force and effect when required security complying with the terms of this section; or

(b)  Upon notification by the insurer to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, in a form approved by the department, of cancellation or termination of the required security.

(7)  Any operator or owner whose driver's license or registration has been suspended pursuant to this section or s. 316.646 may effect its reinstatement upon compliance with the requirements of this section and upon payment to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles of a nonrefundable reinstatement fee of $150 for the first reinstatement. Such reinstatement fee shall be $250 for the second reinstatement and $500 for each subsequent reinstatement during the 3 years following the first reinstatement. Any person reinstating her or his insurance under this subsection must also secure noncancelable coverage as described in ss. 324.021(8), 324.023, and 627.7275(2) and present to the appropriate person proof that the coverage is in force on a form promulgated by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, such proof to be maintained for 2 years. If the person does not have a second reinstatement within 3 years after her or his initial reinstatement, the reinstatement fee shall be $150 for the first reinstatement after that 3-year period. In the event that a person's license and registration are suspended pursuant to this section or s. 316.646, only one reinstatement fee shall be paid to reinstate the license and the registration. All fees shall be collected by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles at the time of reinstatement. The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall issue proper receipts for such fees and shall promptly deposit those fees in the Highway Safety Operating Trust Fund. One-third of the fee collected under this subsection shall be distributed from the Highway Safety Operating Trust Fund to the local government entity or state agency which employed the law enforcement officer who seizes a license plate pursuant to s. 324.201 Such funds may be used by the local government entity or state agency for any authorized purpose.

History.--ss. 4, 6, ch. 71-252; s. 3, ch. 76-168; s. 8, ch. 77-118; s. 1, ch. 77-457; ss. 31, 32, ch. 77-468; s. 11, ch. 78-374; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; ss. 552, 563, ch. 82-243; s. 69, ch. 82-386; ss. 4, 6, ch. 86-182; s. 18, ch. 88-370; s. 57, ch. 89-282; s. 5, ch. 91-106; s. 4, ch. 91-110; s. 1, ch. 91-128; s. 77, ch. 93-120; s. 7, ch. 95-202; s. 30, ch. 95-211; s. 2, ch. 97-84; s. 362, ch. 97-102; s. 14, ch. 98-223; s. 34, ch. 99-3; ss. 63, 317, ch. 99-248; s. 1031, ch. 2002-387; s. 19, ch. 2003-2; s. 19, ch. 2003-411; s. 123, ch. 2004-5; s. 47, ch. 2006-290; s. 4, ch. 2007-150.

¹Note.--Section 19, ch. 2003-411, provides that:

"(1)  Effective October 1, 2007, sections 627.730, 627.731, 627.732, 627.733, 627.734, 627.736, 627.737, 627.739, 627.7401, 627.7403, and 627.7405, Florida Statutes, constituting the Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law, are repealed, unless reenacted by the Legislature during the 2006 Regular Session and such reenactment becomes law to take effect for policies issued or renewed on or after October 1, 2006.

"(2)  Insurers are authorized to provide, in all policies issued or renewed after October 1, 2006, that such policies may terminate on or after October 1, 2007, as provided in subsection (1)."

Note.--Consolidation of s. 627.733 and former s. 627.735.