What Insurance Is Actually Required for a Florida Business?
Florida requires surprisingly little insurance by statute - but what the law doesn't demand, your landlord, clients, and lenders will. Here's the honest breakdown of required versus effectively required.
Required by Florida Law
Workers' compensation - required for non-construction employers with 4+ employees (including officers and LLC members), construction employers with 1+ employees, and agricultural employers at 6 regular / 12 seasonal workers.
Commercial auto - vehicles registered in Florida must carry state minimum coverage; vehicles used for business purposes need commercial policies because personal policies routinely exclude business use. Certain vehicle types and for-hire operations carry higher requirements.
Beyond these, Florida statute requires little general business insurance - no state mandate for general liability, property, or professional liability for most industries. Some licensed professions carry their own financial responsibility rules.
Effectively Required by Contracts
This is the list that actually governs most businesses:
- Commercial leases almost always require general liability (often $1M/$2M limits) and sometimes property coverage naming the landlord
- Client and vendor contracts increasingly require GL, professional liability/E&O, cyber, and umbrella limits before work begins
- Construction contracts require GL and workers' comp certificates as a condition of site access
- Lenders require property insurance on financed buildings and equipment
- Licensing boards in some professions require malpractice or E&O coverage
The Practical Baseline
For most Florida small businesses the working minimum ends up being: general liability (or a BOP bundling GL with property), workers' comp once you hit your threshold, and commercial auto for any business vehicle. From there, professional liability, cyber, and umbrella coverage get added based on what your contracts and risk actually look like - not a template.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-01. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Verify current requirements with official sources or ask us - the review is free.
FAQs
Is general liability required by Florida law?
For most businesses, no statute requires it - but leases, client contracts, and licensing frequently do, which makes it effectively mandatory to operate.
What are the penalties for skipping required workers' comp?
The state can issue a stop-work order and assess significant penalties based on uncovered payroll. Construction sites see routine compliance checks.
Do I need commercial auto if I use my personal car for work?
Your personal policy likely excludes business use, and your business can be liable for accidents during work errands. Hired and non-owned auto coverage - inexpensive and often added to a BOP - addresses exactly this.
Not sure which requirements apply to you?
Bring us your current policies and we'll do the comparison work - at no cost.