How does rideshare insurance work in Florida?
Rideshare indemnity in Florida for Uber and Lyft drivers, angstrom well as those who drive for other transportation network companies ( TNCs ), works similarly to the means it works in early states. If a driver purchases a rideshare policy policy or adds a rideshare second to their personal car indemnity policy, there are four stages during which coverage can differ .
- Period 0: During standard personal use, a driver’s regular auto insurance covers them while they’re driving and the app is off.
- Period 1: While the rideshare app is on and the driver is waiting to be paired with a passenger, their personal rideshare insurance would provide coverage. A limited amount of liability coverage is also provided by the rideshare company, such as Uber or Lyft.
- Period 2: The rideshare company’s auto insurance is typically in force while a driver has been paired with a passenger and is on their way to pick up the person. During this time, some personal rideshare insurance policies extend coverage as well.
- Period 3: Once a passenger is in the car, the rideshare company’s commercial auto insurance is in force. After the passenger is dropped off, you return to Period 1.
In Florida, there is no period of time during which a driver might not have policy coverage, since the law requires all TNCs to have a policy that can cover all periods when the app is on. however, not every rideshare company has the same commercial policy policy, and different coverage limits can be extended during different periods. We recommend confirming how your company ‘s policy behaves and whether there are times you would need extra rideshare insurance coverage .
even though you may be covered during all periods of drive, you should let your personal car policy company know that you ‘re a rideshare driver. otherwise, it may cancel your policy or decide not to renew it. You should besides notify your insurance company of any accidents, even if they were covered by your rideshare ship’s company ‘s policy, or your insurance company may contest a call late on.
Florida insurance requirements for rideshare drivers
Rideshare drivers in Florida first need their own car policy policies, since there are times you ‘ll be driving while not logged in to the app. At a minimum, you ‘ll need $ 10,000 of personal injury protective covering ( PIP ) coverage and $ 10,000 of property damage liability coverage to meet Florida ‘s car indemnity requirements .
This prerequisite can be fulfilled with either personal or commercial car insurance, but if you have a personal car policy policy, your insurance company can deny coverage during the clock your rideshare app is on. On the early pass, commercial insurance is more limited in coverage of personal use of vehicles for hire, and it ‘s typically more expensive than purchasing both personal car insurance and rideshare insurance policies .
once the app is on, Florida requires rideshare drivers to carry higher limits of policy. This mandate can be met by the driver, but the TNC, such as Uber or Lyft, is required to provide coverage for drivers with insufficient policy limits. In addition to the express ‘s personal car policy requirements, Florida law mandates that rideshare drivers are covered by the following while their app is on :
- When your rideshare app is on but you don’t have a passenger assigned, TNC’s insurance needs to provide at least $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $25,000 of property damage liability coverage per accident.
- Once you have a passenger assigned, you would be covered by the TNC’s third-party liability insurance policy, with at least $1 million coverage for bodily injury and property damage.
Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft may provide comprehensive examination and collision coverage angstrom good during Periods 2 and 3, but their policies typically have deductibles of at least $ 1,000. To qualify for this coverage, Uber and Lyft require that you have your own comprehensive examination and collision coverage. If you want full coverage during all periods and greater liability coverage during the times you do n’t have a passenger, you ‘ll need rideshare indemnity to supplement these policies .
Rideshare driver requirements in Florida
All prospective rideshare drivers are required by Florida law to submit to condemnable background and drive record checks before they ‘re approved to drive. once approved, the background check will be performed at least every three years. Florida wo n’t approve a rideshare driver if the company you ‘re applying to, such as Uber or Lyft, finds any of the following :
- You’re listed on the federal sex offender public registry.
- You don’t have a valid U.S. driver’s license or vehicle registration.
- In the last three years, you’ve been convicted of driving without a valid license (either suspended or revoked).
- In the past five years, you’ve been convicted of a serious driving offense, such as a DUI or hit-and-run.
Florida ‘s law besides has a zero-tolerance drug and alcohol policy for rideshare drivers, so your TNC will immediately suspend you from its course of study and investigate if it has any intuition that you drove while under the influence .
Lyft and Uber driver requirements in Florida
In summation to Florida ‘s requirements, Lyft and Uber have their own rules for drivers in the state. For both companies, drivers must be at least 21 years erstwhile, licensed in the U.S. for at least one year ( Uber requires three years if you ‘re under 23 ), and must provide a word picture that will be shared with passengers before tone arm .
Uber besides has its own rules with regards to specific programs. You must have a commercial license if you want to drive for Uber LUX or LUX SUV. And Uber requires all LUX, LUX SUV and UberSELECT drivers to maintain a denounce of at least 4.7 after 100 trips in order to remain in the programs .
Since Uber and Lyft perform, or hire a third-party to perform, the criminal and driving history checks on drivers, they besides may reject you if they find certain violations. Florida ‘s laws for drivers act as a minimum, so Uber and Lyft can set and revise their own rules to ensure lone safe drivers are involved in their programs .
Uber and Lyft car requirements in Florida
Uber and Lyft car requirements for Florida rideshare drivers vary by city and course of study. For example, if you drive for Lyft in Miami, your car is required to be a newer model than if you drive in Tallahassee. It ‘s authoritative for rideshare drivers to be familiar with these requirements. Do n’t go through the process of buy and getting insurance for a vehicle, or applying to a platform, fair to be rejected .
In Florida, Lyft ‘s car requirements are coherent across most of the state .
- The car must have at least four doors.
- The vehicle must have between five and eight seats. This includes the driver, so the car needs to seat, at minimum, four passengers.
- The car needs to be registered with valid license plates. It also should be listed on a personal insurance policy or rideshare insurance policy issued in Florida.
- The car’s model year
Uber ‘s car requirements in Florida are determined by city, but the actual requirements are primarily based on the services offered. so if you ‘re driving for UberSELECT in Orlando, you ‘ll generally have the same requirements as an UberSELECT driver in Sarasota. If you rather were driving in Miami, Uber offers the LUX and LUX SUV programs, which have different requirements .
Uber has certain requirements for all its cars .
- The car must have four doors.
- There can be no cosmetic damage or commercial branding on the car.
- The car can’t be marked, salvage or rebuilt.
- No taxis, government vehicles, vans or box trucks.
- The car must have working windows and air conditioning, and it must be in good condition with no cosmetic damage to the vehicle.
- Aftermarket parts can’t be used in the seating area, such as nonfactory-installed seat belts.
In addition, Uber ‘s car requirements in Florida typically include the following for each course of study .
|
UberX |
UberXL |
LUX |
LUX SUV |
UberSELECT |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Car Model Year | Fewer than 16 years old | Fewer than 16 years old | 2010 or newer | 2010 or newer | 2008 or newer |
| Car Body | Any | Any | Sedan, Crossover SUV, SUV | SUV | Luxury sedan (specific models) |
| Seats | 5 factory-installed seats and seat belts | 5 factory-installed seats and seat belts | 5+ seats | 7+ seats | 5+ seats |
| Interior | Good condition | Good condition | Leather or vinyl, great condition | Leather or vinyl, great condition | Leather or vinyl, great condition |
The cars need to be registered and have a Florida car indemnity policy. merely drivers for UberSELECT in Florida need to have their full legal name listed on the car insurance policy tied to that vehicle. Cars drive for LUX, LUX SUV and UberSELECT must be maintained in pristine condition .
Rideshare insurance companies in Florida
Rideshare policy is available in Florida from Geico, State Farm, and Farmers through its Foremost brand. Some other indemnity companies may offer coverage in certain regions of Florida, but few provide rideshare policy throughout the state. Depending on the party, how the rideshare policy works and which periods it covers will change .
- Geico : Geico ‘s rideshare indemnity policy replaces your existing personal car indemnity policy by providing coverage throughout all periods. Since coverage extends during trips, if you include comprehensive examination and collision coverage as share of your Geico policy, you wo n’t be restricted to the deductible set by Uber or Lyft if your car is damaged. Deductibles that start at $ 500. The elementary downside is that the policy restricts the number of miles driven per day, then if you drive full-time, it may not offer sufficient coverage.
Read more: The 7 Best Car Insurance Companies (2022)
- State Farm : State Farm ‘s rideshare insurance is sold as an endorsement, so it can be added alone if you have an existing State Farm car policy policy. Its rideshare insurance similarly extends through all periods, and it can include comprehensive, collision, medical and tow coverages .
- Farmers/Foremost : Farmers ‘ rideshare insurance is besides sold as an endorsement, but it ‘s more limited in coverage than the policies from Geico or State Farm. Farmers ‘ rideshare insurance only extends during Period 1, when your app is on but you have however to be paired with a passenger .
Depending on your policy, insurance company and how regularly you drive, the cost of rideshare indemnity can vary between an extra $ 30 per calendar month to an extra $ 300 per calendar month. once you ‘ve determined your coverage needs, we recommend gathering quotes from at least two to three insurers to help ensure you get the cheapest rates. If you own multiple vehicles, you should confirm that those not used for ride-sharing are either listed on a disjoined policy or categorized differently by your insurance company. differently, you may end up paying for unnecessary coverage .