How to Find Out If Someone Has Car Insurance

Florida uses a no-fault car insurance system. After a minor car accident, you will work with your auto insurer to pay for your medical expenses and cover your lost income. But after a severe car accident, you may need the insurance information for the at-fault driver.

Using this information, you can file a claim against that driver’s bodily injury liability coverage (if they have such coverage). Florida’s no-fault law allows you to seek compensation from the at-fault driver if you suffer a serious injury

Here are some of the best ways you can find out whether someone has car insurance in Florida.

What to Do After a Car Accident

After an injury accident, you need to stop at the accident scene. If you fail to stop at the scene of the accident, prosecutors can charge you with a hit and run. In Florida, punishment for a hit and run can include a jail term of up to five years and a fine of up to $5,000. If anyone dies, the penalties are even more severe.

While at the scene, you must:

  • Report the accident to the police if it involves injury, death, or $500+ property damage
  • Render assistance to anyone injured in the crash
  • Show your driver’s license to the other drivers involved in the crash and to the police

In most situations, drivers will voluntarily exchange insurance information along with their driver’s licenses. But occasionally, the drivers may sustain injuries that prevent them from exchanging insurance information. The drivers may forget to gather insurance information from each other in the chaos surrounding the accident.

Florida requires you to disclose to the other driver:

  • The name and address of the driver and vehicle owner
  • The vehicle license plate number
  • The vehicle insurance liability carrier

If the other driver has not volunteered this information, ask for it. Florida law entitles you to this information in case you need to file an insurance claim.

Other ways you can get the information if you cannot ask for it include:

Ask the Police for the Information

You can get the other driver’s insurance information from the police officers tasked with investigating the accident. Florida law requires you to call the police after an accident that causes an injury, a death, or more than $500 in damage.

Under Florida law, the officers who respond to an accident must instruct the drivers to exchange insurance information. If you have concerns about a confrontation with the other driver, you can ask the officer for help. Officers will usually act as a go-between to minimize the risk of conflict.

Get It from the Crash Report

Florida requires the investigating officers to prepare a crash report for all car accidents that cause death, injury, or significant property damage. The officers must complete the crash report within ten days after the accident.

The crash report includes the insurance information from each driver. You can get a copy of the crash report from the crash portal operated by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV).

Ask FLHSMV for the Information

You can request another person’s insurance information from the FLHSMV after an accident. You must fill out an online form and provide a copy of the crash report. The FLHSMV will review the request and mail the results to you.

Using the Insurance Information

You need the other driver’s name and insurer to file an insurance claim. Most insurers do not require the policy number, but having the policy number can often minimize delays. 

Next, the insurer will assign an adjuster to your claim. You and your lawyer can then work with the insurer to try to reach a fair settlement based on your injuries.

Contact a Clearwater car accident lawyer for help determining whether another driver has car insurance.

Contact the Pinellas County Car Accident Law Firm Of Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers for Help

For more information, please contact the Clearwater and St. Petersburg car accident law firm of Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers at the nearest location to schedule a free consultation today.

We serve in Pinellas County, and its surrounding areas:

Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers – Clearwater
1875 N Belcher Rd. STE 201,
Clearwater, FL 33765,
United States
727-796-8282

Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers – St. Petersburg
2560 1st Ave S,
St. Petersburg, FL 33712,
United States
(727) 349-1728