Florida Car Insurance Guide (Cheap Rates + Best Companies)

Florida is the land of amazing amusement parks, gator filled swamps, and sunny beaches. It’s no wonder that people have been moving to Florida in droves over the past decade.

With all of these new and excited Florida citizens, however, comes more traffic on the roads. Having all this traffic means you’ll want to make sure you have the best insurance coverage possible for you.

That’s where we come in! We’ve put together this comprehensive guide to help you navigate the car insurance process.

We’ll cover such topics as the specific insurance coverage you’ll need in Florida, the typical rates you’ll find (based on numerous factors), the different laws specific to Florida and driving, as well as some of the facts and statistics about driving in Florida.

So hang tight and let’s get started.

If you want to start comparing today, you can use our FREE online tool now. All you need is your zip code to get started.

Florida Insurance Coverage and Rates

Let’s get down to business. Getting started with the car insurance that you need, you’ll need to know what insurance coverage is required in the state of Florida.

In this section, we’ll cover topics on the minimum liability coverage required, what forms of financial responsibility you’ll need to have, and even the different insurance rates specific to zip codes and cities in Florida.

Keep reading to find out more.

Florida Minimum Coverage

Most states across the nation require drivers to carry something known as the minimum liability coverage. What is this coverage and why do you need to have it?

Liability coverage is insurance coverage that helps drivers pay for the costs of an accident after it has happened, for both yourself and the other driver (depending on what state you are in). Minimum liability coverage is essentially the lowest amount of this coverage you can take.

This coverage is required in Florida, but it’s also extremely important for your protection. Why? Florida is considered a “no-fault state”. This means that regardless of who caused the accident, you will have to rely on your own insurance to pay for any costs incurred from that accident.

If you don’t have this minimum liability coverage? You’ll have to pay out of pocket for those costs.

So what kind of minimum liability coverage are you going to need in Florida?

According to the Information Insurance Institute (III) and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Florida follows a 10/10 minimum liability coverage. What exactly does this mean?

We’ve broken it down for you below:

• 10 = $10,000 for the payment of any personal injuries (PIP)
• 10 = $10,000 for the payment of any property damage

Keep in mind that this is the minimum coverage that you are allowed to have in order to legally drive in Florida. Since you’ll be responsible for any costs from an accident you’re in, it’s always wise to consider getting above this minimum.

Forms of Financial Responsibility

You’ve likely heard of the term “proof of insurance” also know as a form of financial responsibility, but what exactly is it and why do you need it?

A form of financial responsibility, or proof of insurance, is a way for you to provide evidence that you carry this minimum liability coverage.

As it’s required for you to have the minimum liability coverage as we mentioned in the section above, you’ll need to make sure that you carry this proof with you.

So what kinds of proof of insurance are acceptable in Florida?

• Insurance ID card
• A copy of your insurance policy
• Certificate of self-insurance
• Form E, Uniform Motor Carrier Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability
• Insurance policy binder
• A surety bond or combination of a surety bond and insurance policy

As long as you have at least one of these types of proof of insurance, you’ll be good to go.

Premiums as a Percentage of Income

One thing that can play a factor in what kind of insurance premium you’ll pay is something known as the per capita disposable income.

A disposable income is essentially the amount of money that you’ll have after taxes have been paid. Per capita disposable income is the averaging of the citizens of an area (such as the state of Florida).

In Florida, the per capita disposable income is $38,350.00. Meaning that this is the average disposable income Florida citizens have after taxes have been paid.

Keep in mind with this disposable income, this is what you have to pay for all of your other expenses, such as health insurance, car payment, mortgage payment, etc.

In the table above, we’ve found the data over a three year period in Florida to see just how much Florida citizens tend to pay for their car insurance coverage compared to their per capita disposable income.

As you can see, on average, Florida citizens pay approximately 3.22 percent of this disposable income on insurance coverage.

Want to know how much of your own income is going to your insurance? Use the tool below in order to get the exact percentage.

CalculatorPro

Average Monthly Car Insurance Rates in FL (Liability, Collision, Comprehensive)

Florida has the following core coverage costs according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC):

Your average monthly car insurance rates by coverage may be cheaper than expected for additional coverage like comprehensive. Review rates for car insurance coverage below:

Additional Liability

Additional liability coverage is the optional liability coverage types that are available for extra protection. Which, in Florida, as it is a no-fault state, they’re coverage types that can really help you out in the long run.

Medical Payments/Personal Injury Protection and Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage are the most common types of additional liability coverage.

Medical Payments and Personal Injury Protection essentially do similar things, as they both help provide coverage and payment for any injuries that you get from an accident.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is the coverage that will help cover you should you be in an accident with someone who does not have insurance, or who has less than the minimum liability coverage.

Why is Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage such an important option to consider?

Florida has an uninsured/underinsured motorist rate of 26.7 percent, ranking is as the number one in the nation for uninsured/underinsured drivers.

Now that we’ve covered these different types of additional liability coverage, we’ll now discuss the loss ratios for these coverage types.

What is a loss ratio? A loss ratio is a comparison of how much companies payout in insurance claims versus how much customers are paying in insurance premiums.

To break this down further, you want the loss ratio for an insurance coverage type to be just right. Not too high, and not too low.

If the loss ratio is too high (over 100 percent), that means that insurance companies are paying out too much in claims to their customers and are actually at risk of going bankrupt. Meaning that to counterbalance this, they’ll tend to raise insurance premiums.

If the loss ratio is too low, that means that insurance companies aren’t paying out enough in insurance claims to their customers.

In Florida, you have the following loss ratios:

This is very good, as these loss ratios aren’t too high, but aren’t too low either.

Add-Ons, Endorsements, and Riders

Getting the right coverage for you can be a stressful thing, but did you know that you could be getting extra coverage for really cheap prices?

There are additional add-on coverage types that you may not have even heard about, but could definitely benefit you in the future.

We’ve done the hard part of you and collected a few of some of the most valuable coverage types you might want to consider adding onto your policy:

• Guaranteed Auto Protection (GAP)
• Personal Umbrella Policy (PUP)
• Rental Reimbursement
• Emergency Roadside Assistance
• Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
• Non-Owner Car Insurance
• Modified Car Insurance Coverage
• Classic Car Insurance
• Pay-As-You-Drive or Usage-Based Insurance

Average Monthly Car Insurance Rates by Age & Gender in FL

A common myth in car insurance is that men tend to pay more for their insurance coverage. We wanted to see if this was true in Florida and found the following:

As you can see, age and marital status seem to play a bigger factor into what insurance rates are like in Florida more than gender.

Rates by Zip Code and City

ZIP codes affect auto insurance because of factors like traffic, crime to name a few. Find out how your ZIP code stacks up in FL.

If you want to find out what the insurance rates are like by zip code, check out the table below:

If you want to find out what your city’s insurance rate is like, check out the table below:

Read more: Oxford Car Insurance Review 

Explore Your Coverage Options: Car Insurance Cost in Florida by City

Compare car insurance rates in Florida cities including Bayonet Point, Fort Myers, Oneco, Big Pine Key, Fort Pierce, Tallahassee, Cantonment, Key Largo, Tamarac, Cape Canaveral, Madison, Tampa, Christmas, Mary Esther, Deltona, and North Port. Start now to find the best rates for your location!

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Best Car Insurance Companies in Florida

Finding the perfect car insurance coverage for you is already stressful, let alone the hundreds of insurance companies vying for your business. That can be really overwhelming.

To help ease your stress, we’ve done the hard part for you! We’ve collected data and information for some of the largest insurance providers in Florida for you.

In this section, we’ll talk about these companies’ financial ratings, their best customer ratings, their complaint indexes, and more.

Largest Companies Financial Rating

Just like companies like to know what your financial health is like, you’ll want to know what their financial history is like as well.

There’s actually an easy way for you to know this, and it’s known as the A.M. Best rating.

It’s an organization that essentially gives a grade to insurance providers on their financial health, based on numerous factors.

In Florida, the largest companies have the following A.M. Best ratings:

Companies with the Best Customer Ratings

One of the biggest indicators of how well you will work with an insurance company is by knowing how satisfied other customers are with that company. It’s easy to assume that if a company has a high customer satisfaction rating, you’ll probably be pretty satisfied with them as well.

A study conducted by J.D. Power was done to find out, based on what region of the country you live in, what the top companies in that region were for customer satisfaction.

Below is the results found just for Florida alone:

Companies with Most Complaints in Florida

It’s reasonable to assume that by wanting to know how satisfied customers are with a company, you’ll also want to know how unsatisfied customers are with that company as well.

The table below is the complaint indexes for the various insurance providers in Florida.

Florida Car Insurance Rates by Company

Commute Rates by Companies

How far you travel on a regular basis can affect how much you’re paying for your insurance coverage. Some companies will charge more the farther you commute, so we found the commute rates by company for you:

As you can see, several larger companies in Florida charge more for your commute. Companies like Progressive and Nationwide, however, charge the same rate regardless of your commute.

Coverage Level Rates by Companies

No one likes paying more to get less, right? So why do it for insurance coverage? You could actually be paying more for your coverage level than if you were to compare company rates by coverage level.

As you can see, for instance, a low coverage plan with Nationwide would cost $3,427.69, while a high coverage plan with USAA would only cost you $3,145.87. That’s $281.82‬ more for a lower coverage plan.

Credit History Rates by Companies

Yes, companies check your credit history when you are purchasing car insurance coverage. Think of it this way, they want to help give you the best coverage possible, but they also want to get paid at the end of the day.

Therefore, the worse your credit history is, the higher your insurance rate will tend to be.

Driving Record Rates by Companies

Kind of like with your credit history, companies also factor in your driving record as well. The more violations and accidents on your record, the higher the risk of a customer you are to them, therefore they’ll charge you more.

The best way to keep your rates low in this category is to make sure you keep as clean of a driving record as you can.

Number of Insurers in Florida

When it comes to car insurance providers, there are specifically two distinct classes of providers; domestic providers and foreign providers.

A domestic provider is a provider who is local to the state it offers coverage for, and can only provide insurance coverage for that particular state. Think of it as that local little ‘mom and pop’s’ kind of shop that’s only unique to your area.

A foreign provider is a provider who is located in many different states and can offer insurance coverage for many states in the nation. These would be the bigger insurance companies you’ve heard of like Allstate or Geico. (For more information, read our “Can you have car insurance in two different states?“).

So how many do you have to choose from in Florida?

• Domestic Providers = 114
• Foreign Providers = 953
• Total Providers = 1,067

That’s a lot to choose from.

Florida State Laws

Florida is the land of sunny beaches and gator-filled swamps, so it’s reasonable to assume that it’s a very unique place. Such a unique place would then have some unique state laws to match that.

In this section, we’ll discuss state laws in Florida regarding such topics as car insurance laws, safety laws, and more.

Car Insurance Laws

It is required in Florida for all drivers to have at least the minimum liability coverage. Due to this, Florida has some pretty specific laws about car insurance in order to ensure that all drivers are following this.

High-Risk Laws

If you have a less than stellar driving record, you’ve probably been labeled as something known as a high-risk driver.

This label can make it pretty difficult for you to obtain the proper insurance coverage that you need, but since you are legally required to have at least the minimum liability coverage, what are you to do?

If you are one such person to have a DUI on your record and let their insurance lapse, you will be required to file an FR44 form. Filing this form requires that the driver will carry increased limits on their policy as follows:

• $100,000 – Bodily Injury Liability per person
• $300,000 – Bodily Injury Liability per accident
• $50,000 – Property Damage Liability

If you do not have a DUI on your record but have been labeled as a high-risk driver, you’ll have to get an SR-22 Certification. (For more information, read our “Guide for Non-Owner SR-22 Insurance“).

You will then have to carry the SR-22 for three years if:

• You have been in a car accident that causes injuries or property damage.
• Your driver’s license has been suspended due to excessive traffic violation points.
• Your driver’s license has been habitually revoked.

Low-Cost Insurance

Florida currently does not have any low-cost government programs available, but this shouldn’t discourage you if you’re trying to save some cash on your insurance.

Do you know what one of the easiest ways for you to save money on your car insurance is, aside from having a clean driving record and good credit history? Car insurance discounts.

Check out the list below of some of the most common car insurance discount to see if you qualify for any:

• Good Student
• Safe Driver / Accident-less Driver
• Homeowners
• Multiple Vehicles
• Paperless / Green (discounts offered if you opt for a paperless insurance policy)
• Auto-Payments
• Safety Devices

Windshield Coverage

As you know, things can happen when you’re out on the road that you may never expect. One of which is any damage happening to your windshield where you would need to repair or even replace it. In certain states in the nation, there are particular laws regarding windshield coverage.

Luckily for those in Florida, there are no specific laws regarding windshield coverage.

Should you decide to add windshield coverage to your policy, however, according to Florida Statute 627.7288, as long as you have comprehensive insurance coverage, you will not have to pay a deductible.

Read more: Free Windshield Replacement With Insurance

Automobile Insurance Fraud in Florida

According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), insurance fraud accounts for approximately $30 billion in losses, each year! That is a substantial amount of money being taken by fraud.

This, as well as many other reasons, is precisely why every insurance fraud is illegal in every state across the nation. The state of Florida is no different.

Statute of Limitations

Should you ever be in an accident, and you need to file a claim or a lawsuit, you’ll want to be aware of something known as the statute of limitations.

What is the statute of limitations? It’s essentially the legal amount of time that you have in order to submit any claims or file any lawsuits after an accident.

If you don’t meet this time cap, any claim or lawsuit you are trying to present will be immediately thrown out! So how long do you have in Florida?

• Personal Injury: Four years (Two years for wrongful death)
• Property Damage: Four years

Check out the video below if you want a better explanation of the statute of limitations pertaining to Florida.

Vehicle Licensing Laws

Just like with car insurance, Florida has some vehicle licensing laws that you’ll want to familiarize yourself with in order to hop behind the wheel.

Penalties for Driving without Insurance

As we’ve mentioned a few times in this guide, you are required by Florida law to have at least the minimum liability coverage. But what would happen to you if you were caught without this coverage?

Well, if you are caught driving without insurance, you’ll be facing the following penalties:

• First offense: Suspension of license and registration until reinstatement fee is paid and non-cancelable coverage is secured; $150 fee for first reinstatement
• Second offense: Suspension of license and registration until reinstatement fee is paid and non-cancelable coverage is secured; $250 fee for second reinstatement

If you take anything away from this comprehensive guide, we hope that you take away the importance of having at least the minimum liability coverage in Florida.

Read more: Is driving without a license a felony?

Teen Driver Laws

One of the biggest milestones of a teenager’s life is the day you get your driving license and are free to hit the road. Well, before teens hit the road, they’re going to want to adhere to the following rules and regulations:

License Renewal Procedures

Florida has the following license renewal procedures according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

New Residents

Considering moving to the sunshine state? You aren’t alone. But if you are a new resident, you’ll want to make sure to add the following to your checklist.

You will want to get your Florida driver’s license at the local Florida DMV. If you already have a valid out-of-state license, you’ll be able to get a Florida driver’s license without taking a driving or written test.

You will need to register your vehicle within 30 days if any of the following applies:

• becoming employed
• placing children in public school
• establishing residency

To get your vehicle registered, you will need to get the vehicle’s identification number (VIN) physically inspected and verified by one of the following:

1. A law enforcement officer from any state.
2. A licensed Florida or out of state motor vehicle dealer.
3. A Florida DMV Compliance Examiner/Inspector, DMV or tax collector employee.
4. A notary public commissioned by the state of Florida.
5. Provost Marshal or a commissioned officer in active military service, with a rank of 2nd Lieutenant or higher or an LNC, “Legalman, Chief Petty Officer, E-7”

Rules of the Road

Now that you’ve gotten your insurance and licensing taken care of, you’re going to want to know some of the specific rules of the road.

Fault Versus No-Fault

In previous sections, we’ve discussed the fact that Florida is considered a “no-fault” state.

As a refresher, no-fault states are states in which regardless of who is at fault of a car accident, you will have to rely on your own insurance coverage for the costs of that accident.

This is precisely why having the minimum liability coverage is so important! Not only will you get into trouble just because you don’t have it (which will cost you as we mentioned in an earlier section), but you will also have to pay out of pocket for the costs of that accident.

Seat Belt and Car Seat Laws

In Florida, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the following seat belt and car seat laws are in effect:

Keep Right and Move Over Laws

Keep Right and Move Over laws are two sets of laws in Florida that will be the easiest for you to follow. We’ll show you what we mean.

Keep Right laws state that if you are driving slower than the traffic around you, you need to keep to the right lane. Easy right?

Move Over laws are just as easy. If you are driving and see another vehicle that has flashing lights, move over. Types of vehicles like this would be law enforcement, fire trucks, ambulances, utility vehicles, and more. So if you’re driving and see one of these vehicles that have their lights flashing, you’ll want to safely move to another lane.

Read more: Car Insurance for Truck Drivers

If you can not move over to another lane safely, you will need to reduce your speed to 20 mph less than what the posted speed limit sign states.

Speed Limits

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Florida has the following speed limits:

• Rural Interstates = 70 mph
• Urban Interstates = 65 mph
• Limited Access/Other Roads = 70 mph
• Other Roads = 65 mph

Safety Laws

At the end of the day, we want all drivers out on the road to be as safe as possible. After all, accidents can happen. But in order to help cut down on this likelihood, Florida has a few safety laws you’ll want to know.

DUI Laws

One of the most preventable causes of car accidents in the nation is drinking and driving.

Because of this, states are cracking down on those who choose to drink and drive. Florida has the following DUI laws in place:

If you don’t adhere to these laws, you could be facing the following penalties:

Moral of the story, don’t drink and drive, it’s not worth it.

Distracted Driving Laws

Since the dawn of the age of technology, particularly the invention of the smartphone, distracted driving has increased. It’s dangerous as it only takes a second of your attention away from the road in front of you for an accident to occur.

Florida has set the following distracted driving laws in place to help cut down on this:

Driving in Florida

Now that you’ve gotten your insurance needs taken care of, you’ll want to know exactly what you’re going to deal with out on the road, right?

In this final section, we’ll discuss the various facts and statistics about driving in Florida that you’ll want to arm yourself with before you hit the open road.

Vehicle Theft in Florida by Vehicle Type

Road Fatalities in Florida

In this section, we’ll discuss some of the road fatality statistics for Florida. We know, it’s the rougher side of driving, but we feel it’s important that you know this kind of information.

The various factors below that contribute to the road fatalities in Florida are according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Fatal Crashes by Weather Condition and Light Condition

All Fatalities by County

Road Type Fatalities

Person Type Fatalities

Crash Type Fatalities

Five-Year Trend for the Top 10 Counties

Speeding Fatalities by County

Alcohol-Impaired Fatalities by County

Teen Drinking and Driving

What’s one of the worst parts of the statistics above? This includes teen drivers.

According to Responsibility, the following data for teen drinking and driving in Florida has been found:

Read more: Teens Drinking & Driving [15 Worst States]

Transportation

It’s the final countdown. Or section, we should say! Here, we will tackle some of the facts and statistics of transportation in the state of Florida.

The data for this section (for Car Ownership, Commute Time, and Commuter Transportation) was taken from the Census Bureau via DataUSA.io.

Car Ownership

On average, Florida citizens tend to own two vehicles per household.

Commute Time

When it comes to commute, the usual American citizen spends approximately 25.5 minutes in traffic, while in Florida, citizens tend to spend 26.1 minutes in traffic.

Meaning that Florida citizens tend to spend more time in traffic compared to most citizens in the nation.

Commuter Transportation

Most in the nation prefer to drive alone in their commute, which is definitely true for Florida citizens as well with an astounding 79.4 percent.

Traffic Congestion in Florida

One of the most frustrating parts of driving? Getting stuck in traffic.

Unfortunately for those of you cruising the Florida roads, you have a few cities you’ll want to steer clear of in rush hour!

According to the INRIX Scorecard, Florida has the following traffic congestion data:

TomTom has the following traffic information on Florida:

Finally, according to Numbeo, Florida’s traffic congestion has the following data:

You did it, you made it to the end. We sincerely hope that this comprehensive guide was able to help you select the perfect insurance coverage for your needs.

If you’re ready to start comparing today, don’t forget to use our FREE online tool, all you need is your zip code.

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