If you hit a parked car in Florida and drive off, you have committed a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail, a fine of up to $500, and 6 points on your license. Florida hit and run law for a parked car requires you to stop, identify yourself to the owner or leave a written note, and notify police, and skipping any one of those steps is enough to turn a minor scrape into a criminal charge. If you are on the other side of this, coming back to a damaged car with no driver in sight, your own insurance is usually where the repair money comes from, because Florida’s mandatory coverage does not pay to fix your vehicle.
What the Law Requires If You Hit a Parked Car
Florida Statute 316.063 sets three duties for any driver who collides with an unattended vehicle or other property.1Justia Law. Florida Code 316.063 – Duty Upon Damaging Unattended Vehicle or Other Property Stop right away. Locate the owner and give them your name, address, and vehicle registration number, or, if no one is there, leave that same information in writing in a visible spot on the damaged car. Notify the nearest police authority.
All three obligations are cumulative. Leaving a note without calling police still violates the statute, and so does calling police without leaving a note.
Separately, Florida Statute 316.066 requires a written crash report filed with the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles within 10 days when a law enforcement officer did not investigate at the scene.2The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 316.066 – Written Reports of Crashes That is a separate state filing, not the same thing as a police report taken at the scene.
Criminal Penalties for Driving Away
Leaving the scene after hitting an unattended vehicle is a second-degree misdemeanor.1Justia Law. Florida Code 316.063 – Duty Upon Damaging Unattended Vehicle or Other Property The maximum jail sentence is 60 days3Justia Law. Florida Code 775.082 – Penalties; Applicability of Sentencing Structures;டrequests for Departure and the maximum fine is $500.4Justia Law. Florida Code 775.083 – Fines
First-offense cases involving a minor parking-lot scrape are often resolved with fines, probation, or community service rather than jail. The lasting consequence tends to be the misdemeanor conviction itself, which appears on background checks and can affect employment, licensing, and housing.
These penalties cover property-damage-only situations. If someone was inside the parked car and was injured, different statutes apply and the charge can escalate, potentially to a felony.
Points and License Suspension
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles assesses 6 points against your driving record for leaving the scene of a crash involving an unattended vehicle.5Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Points and Point Suspensions Florida suspends licenses on a sliding scale:
- 12 points within 12 months: 30-day suspension
- 18 points within 18 months: 3-month suspension
- 24 points within 36 months: 1-year suspension
A driver already carrying 6 or more points from earlier violations can trigger an automatic suspension from this single offense.6Florida Senate. Florida Code 322.27 – Authority of Department to Suspend or Revoke Driver License Points also tend to raise insurance premiums for years after the conviction.
What to Do If Your Parked Car Was Hit
Check the windshield, dashboard, and under the wipers for a note. Florida law requires the other driver to leave their name, address, and registration in a visible place.1Justia Law. Florida Code 316.063 – Duty Upon Damaging Unattended Vehicle or Other Property Photograph the note before it blows away or fades.
If no one left one, gather what you can. Look for security cameras on nearby buildings, dashcams in neighboring cars, and witnesses. Take photos from several angles, including any paint transfer, debris, or tire marks. This is what police and your insurer will use to identify the other driver or support your claim.
Call local police to report the incident. Most insurers require a police report before they will process a hit-and-run claim, and the report protects you if the other driver is later identified or if the repair estimate comes in higher than expected. Then notify your insurance company with the report number, your photos, and any witness information in hand.
Which Insurance Actually Pays
Florida’s mandatory auto insurance will not cover damage to your own parked car. The state requires only $10,000 in personal injury protection and $10,000 in property damage liability, and property damage liability pays for damage you cause to someone else’s property, not your own.7The Florida Bar. Consumer Pamphlet: Automobile Insurance Collision coverage, the one that pays for your repairs after a hit-and-run, is optional.
If you carry collision, it generally pays for repairs minus your deductible whether or not the other driver is ever identified. Uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD) coverage, if you have it, can apply when the at-fault driver is uninsured or unknown, but policies vary and some contain conditions or exclusions for hit-and-run situations. Read your policy or ask your agent. If you carry both, compare the deductibles, since UMPD sometimes has a lower one.
If the other driver is eventually identified, their property damage liability coverage becomes responsible for the repair costs, and your insurer may go after them through subrogation to recover what it paid out, including your deductible.
How Long You Have to Sue
Florida Statute 95.11 sets the deadline for property damage lawsuits at four years from the date of the incident for causes of action that accrued before March 2023, and two years for those accruing afterward. If you plan to pursue the driver in court for repair costs that insurance did not cover, the clock runs from the date of the crash whether you know who hit you on day one or find out months later.