What Happens If Your Car Insurance Lapses in Florida
A lapse is not only a gap in protection. In most states it is a reportable event with its own penalties.
- If you are under an SR-22
- License and registration suspended
There is no grace period built into the statute. The insurer reports the cancellation or nonrenewal to the department within 10 days and the department suspends both the registration and the driver license (§ 324.0221(1)–(2)).
- Reinstatement fee
- $150
$150 for the first reinstatement, $250 for the second, $500 for each subsequent reinstatement within 3 years of the first. Only one fee is charged even when both the license and the registration are reinstated (§ 324.0221(3)).
- Proof at a traffic stop
- Required
Proof of the required security must be in the driver's immediate possession at all times and shown on the demand of a law enforcement officer. Paper or electronic proof is accepted (§ 316.646(1)–(2)).