Owner's vs. Lender's Title Insurance in Florida: What Each Policy Covers

Published October 9, 2026 · Recalde & Friedman, PLLC

Two policies at most closings

If you're financing a purchase, your lender will almost certainly require a lender's title policy. That policy protects the lender's lien, up to the loan amount, and it shrinks as the loan is paid down. As the CFPB puts it, the lender's policy protects the amount the lender lends, not your equity.

The owner's title policy protects you, usually in the amount of the purchase price, for as long as you or your heirs have an interest in the property. The CFPB describes owner's coverage as protection if someone later claims an interest in the home from before you bought it, such as an unpaid prior owner's taxes or unpaid contractors.

What title problems look like

• A forged signature in a prior deed or a deed signed by someone without authority.
• An heir or former spouse with an unrecorded claim.
• A prior mortgage or lien that was paid but never released, or never paid.
• Recording and indexing errors in the public records.
• Homestead conveyances signed without the required spouse's joinder.

Exceptions and the commitment

Every title policy has exclusions and exceptions. Before closing you'll get a title commitment that lists the requirements to be met and the exceptions the policy will carry. Read our guide to reading a title commitment. Some standard exceptions can be removed in Florida. For example, if a qualifying survey dated within 90 days of closing is certified to the insurer, the policy may except only the matters actually shown on the survey (§ 627.7842, Fla. Stat.(1)(a)).

Price

Florida title insurance premiums are set by rule of the Financial Services Commission (§ 627.782, Fla. Stat.). The CFPB notes it is usually less expensive to buy both policies from the same company at the same time. Who pays for the owner's policy, the buyer or the seller, is a matter of contract and local custom.

Bottom line

A lender's policy protects the lender's loan. If you want protection for your own equity, it comes from an owner's policy. More on our title insurance page.