Insurance requirements for Florida food trucks

Florida requires two things of a food truck's insurance

Florida law requires motor vehicle cover on the truck and, once you have four employees, workers' compensation. The food license itself does not require any insurance.

That surprises owners. The license application is built around tax numbers and ownership details. The insurance duties come from the vehicle and employment laws.

Everything beyond those two is a business choice, or a condition set by someone you deal with. Commissaries, event organizers and lenders often ask for more.

Florida motor vehicle owners must maintain personal injury protection security continuously throughout the registration period. — The Florida Senate, Florida Statutes s. 627.733, retrieved 2026-09-27

Florida personal injury protection on the truck

Every Florida-registered motor vehicle carries personal injury protection. A step van or box truck is no exception.

The required benefit covers 80 percent of reasonable medical expenses. It runs up to $10,000 in medical and disability benefits, plus $5,000 in death benefits.

PIP pays regardless of fault. It covers people injured in the vehicle crash, not customers hurt by your food.

$10,000Florida personal injury protection must cover 80 percent of reasonable medical expenses, up to $10,000 in medical and disability benefits and $5,000 in death benefits. — The Florida Senate, Florida Statutes s. 627.736, retrieved 2026-09-27

Florida property damage liability for the truck

Florida also requires proof you can pay for property you damage. The minimum is $10,000 per crash.

A food truck is heavy and often parked tight against other vehicles and buildings. $10,000 does not go far against a storefront or a new SUV.

The statute sets a floor, not a sensible limit. Price higher limits when you quote the policy.

$10,000Florida requires financial responsibility of $10,000 for damage to or destruction of the property of others in any one crash. — The Florida Senate, Florida Statutes s. 324.022, retrieved 2026-09-27

Florida workers' compensation at four employees

Outside construction, Florida requires workers' compensation once you have four employees. Full-time and part-time both count.

LLC members and corporate officers count toward the four. A sole proprietor is not counted unless they elect coverage.

Burns, cuts and slips are the everyday risks in a truck. Get the policy from a Florida-licensed insurer before the fourth person starts.

four or moreFlorida non-construction employers with four or more employees, including corporate officers and LLC members, must have workers' compensation coverage. — Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Workers' Compensation, retrieved 2026-09-27

Florida non-construction sole proprietors are not counted as employees unless they choose to be included on the policy by filing form DWC-251. — Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Workers' Compensation, retrieved 2026-09-27

The cover Florida does not require but others will ask for

General liability is not a state requirement for a food truck. It is the cover for a customer who falls at your window or gets sick from the food.

The state is silent on it, but the people you work with rarely are. Commissaries, event organizers, property owners and lenders often write a minimum into their contracts.

Ask each of them in writing what limit they need, and whether they must be named on your certificate. Then buy to the highest of those, not to the state minimum.

Remember that the owner of the truck carries these claims. The entity comparison covers how an LLC changes that.

Florida's license application for a food service establishment must require the applicant's federal employer identification number and sales tax identification number. — Florida Administrative Code, Rule 61C-1.002, retrieved 2026-09-27

Line up the policy before the opening inspection

Bind the vehicle policy before you register and drive the truck. Bind any other cover before the first event booking.

The workers' compensation trigger moves as you hire, so review it each season. Two members and two crew is already four.

Then read fire safety and propane for the fire side, and the licensing sequence for where the policy fits. The fee breakdown covers the license costs alongside.

4A Florida employer outside construction with four or more employees, full-time or part-time, is required to carry workers' compensation coverage. — Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Workers' Compensation, retrieved 2026-09-27

Questions