The auto coverage most Florida drivers have not looked at in years

Auto insurance is usually bought once and renewed indefinitely. For most Florida households, the limits set at that first purchase are still in place years later, long after they stopped being appropriate.

Liability limits deserve a second look

Liability coverage pays for injury or damage you cause to others. It is the part of the policy that protects your assets, and it is the part most likely to be underinsured.

State minimum limits are a floor set by legislation, not an assessment of what a serious accident costs. Medical costs and vehicle values have both risen considerably. A single accident involving injuries can exceed low limits quickly, and the balance above your coverage is yours.

If you carry an umbrella policy, or want to, this matters twice over. Umbrella carriers require specific underlying limits, commonly 250/500 on auto. Low auto limits block the umbrella entirely.

Uninsured and underinsured motorist

This coverage responds when the other driver is at fault and has no insurance or not enough of it.

Florida has a meaningful population of uninsured drivers. This coverage protects you and your passengers rather than someone else, and it is one of the more commonly declined coverages relative to how often it is needed.

Household changes nobody reports

Auto policies drift out of date faster than any other personal line, because households change constantly.

A teen starts driving. A child leaves for college in another state. Someone begins a long commute or stops commuting entirely. A vehicle is sold, gifted, or added. A car is garaged at a different address.

Each affects rating or coverage, and none update themselves.

Where to start

Look at your declarations page and find the liability limits. If they are at or near the state minimum, that is worth a conversation regardless of anything else on the policy.

Related: Florida auto insurance, personal umbrella coverage, and what changes between renewals.