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Finding cheap car insurance in Florida doesn’t have to be a headache. To make the process as easy as possible, our team compared the lowest insurance rates from several leading insurance providers to find the best and most affordable carriers in The Sunshine State.
Cheapest Car Insurance Companies in Florida
Minimum Car Insurance Requirements
Penalties for Driving Without Auto Insurance
Cheapest Car Insurance Companies in Florida
If you want the cheapest auto insurance rates in Florida, you need to evaluate premiums from different providers. The table below outlines our suggestions for different driver categories:
| Cheapest Insurer | Driver Category |
|---|---|
| Liberty Mutual | Safe Drivers |
| USAA | Drivers in the Military |
| Esurance | Drivers Who Pay Their Premiums Upfront |
| Progressive | High-Risk Drivers |
| Geico | Drivers with a DUI |
Best Car Insurance Companies in Florida
Our Geeks analyzed complaint data and reviews to identify the best auto insurance providers in Florida. This table provides a breakdown of our findings:
| Rank | Company | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | A |
| 2 | Progressive | A |
| 3 | Allstate | A- |
| 4 | Esurance | B |
| 5 | Liberty Mutual | B- |
Minimum Car Insurance Requirements in Florida
Florida drivers are required by law to carry auto insurance that meets the following minimum coverage limits:
- $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection
- $10,000 in Property Damage Liability
Penalties for Driving Without Auto Insurance in Florida
In Florida, your insurance coverage must be in place and effective before you receive your registration and license plates. You also need to carry it through the registration period. At a later stage, if you wish to surrender your insurance for any reason, you must hand back your license plates to the state.
Driving without insurance is risky, as it could lead to serious fines and a suspension of your license.
Allowing your insurance policy to lapse is also unwise. A lapse is considered the period in which you are without insurance, or between insurers. If your policy is about to expire, you will need to renew your agreement or find another policy before the date of expiration. If your policy lapses for even a day, and even if this is your first offense, your insurer is legally required to make a report to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) – and you could be suspended from driving for up to three years.
The first time you are caught driving without mandatory minimum insurance, your license will be suspended until you are able to show the state you have secured the appropriate coverage, and have paid the $150 administrative fee.
The second time you are caught driving without proof of your insurance policy, that fee rises to $250, and by the third time you are pulled over without insurance or allow your policy to lapse, you are looking at paying up to $500 in order to get your license back.
Florida Car Insurance FAQs
Can My Florida Auto Insurance Provider Increase My Rates After an Accident That Another Person Caused?
Yes. You can expect your car insurance rates to increase after a wreck even if you were not determined to be at fault. The reason? Car insurance companies know that drivers often share fault in accidents, so they usually consider a person to be more of a liability after a collision no matter who was found to be liable.
What Are Some Common Reasons Why a Car Insurance Company Might Increase My Monthly Rates?
If you’re like most people, you’d welcome the opportunity to cut your monthly car insurance premiums. In the same vein, you’d prefer to avoid giving your provider any reason to increase your rates.
Here are a few scenarios when your insurance company might charge you more for coverage:
- You were in a recent collision;
- You committed a DUI;
- You committed a traffic offense;
- You’ve purchased a new car that has a higher claim rate or horsepower;
- You moved to a new zip code; or
- You’ve added another driver to your policy.
What Is the Most Critical Step to Take Following a Crash?
If you are involved in an accident, the most important step to take is to seek medical assistance for yourself and for anyone else involved in the crash. If you are able, you should exchange insurance and contact details with other drivers, write down the contact info of eyewitnesses, and document the scene, but those priorities take a back seat to getting medical attention. And don’t forget to notify your insurance company about the wreck as soon as possible. You should also contact an experienced personal injury law firm as soon as possible.
How Does Car Insurance Work in Florida?
Car insurance laws in Florida are unique. While all Florida drivers are required to carry insurance in order to drive legally, the nature of that coverage is far different from most other states.
Property damage liability (PDL) insurance pays for damage that you or someone in your family may cause to another person’s property while driving your vehicle. This coverage protects the other affected party’s property damage, and won’t pay for losses you incur in an accident you cause.
Personal injury protection (PIP) insurance protects you and your family members from the costs of physical injury. If you are in a crash and someone is hurt, this insurance option will pay for those medical expenses, regardless of who caused the accident.
PIP covers not only the drivers and passengers of a car accident but pedestrians and bicyclists too, as well as children traveling in school buses.
Why Does Florida Require No-Fault Insurance?
As kaweckilaw.com explains, if you are involved in a car crash in Florida, your insurance company pays the medical bills and other financial losses of anyone covered under the policy, regardless of who caused the accident. This is known as no-fault insurance. No-fault laws encourage insurance companies to sell insurance at lower premiums.
Do I Need Bodily Injury Liability Insurance?
PDL and PIP insurance protect you from costs relating to property damage and your own physical injury, but they do not cover costs related to injuries sustained by other drivers, in an accident you have caused.
Bodily injury liability (BIL) insurance pays for the medical and funeral costs incurred by the other affected party in a crash. Unlike most states, this is not required by law in Florida but is an additional coverage option that can extend your liability protection if you have caused a serious accident.
What Optional Car Insurance Is Available in Florida?
Florida requires you to purchase mandatory minimum amounts of coverage, though in many cases it may be beneficial to purchase higher limits of property injury protection and property damage liability coverage than what is legally required.
Car insurers in Florida should offer these 4 kinds of optional insurance:
- Comprehensive: for damages to your car that do not result from accidents;
- Collision: for accident-related damages to your vehicle;
- Towing, labor, and rental car: for getting you home after a crash; and
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist: for damages incurred by drivers who are either uninsured or have inadequate insurance.
What If I Don’t Have Insurance and I’m in an Accident?
You need to report an accident to law enforcement in Florida if it involves:
- An injury or death;
- A hit-and-run;
- An intoxicated driver; or
- Property damage that could be over $500.
If you cause in an accident in Florida and are unable to provide proof that you are insured, you could be on the hook for the medical expenses and property damage costs of the other driver. What’s worse, you could have your license suspended until you have paid for those damages.
As per the Florida Financial Responsibility Law, uninsured drivers who cause a crash that results in injury or death will be required to purchase bodily injury liability coverage in addition to PDL and PIP.
You will also need to file an SR22 Certificate. This is a certification of financial responsibility that proves you comply with Florida’s insurance requirements. The SR22 Certificate needs to be regularly updated for a period of time established by the court. During this time, you will likely be charged far higher insurance premiums, and may even find it difficult to find the proper insurance, as you will be considered a high-risk driver.
You may be forced to maintain an SR-22 Certificate for up to three years if:
- You caused a crash that led to injuries or property damage;
- You have had your license suspended as a result of too many traffic violation points; or
- You have a pattern of having your license revoked.
How Do I Keep My Car Insurance Premiums Low in Florida?
Car insurance companies are allowed to take a number of criteria into account when calculating your insurance premiums. Some of these are out of your control, but others will be determined by your driving history. Being a safe, defensive, and considerate driver will go a long way to ensuring your premium is as low as possible.
When calculating your premium, car insurers look at the following 7 factors:
- Your age, gender, and marital status;
- Where you live;
- The make and age of your vehicle;
- How much time you spend in your car;
- Your driving history, including all traffic violations;
- Your deductible; and
- Your credit score.
Do I Need Collision Coverage?
Differing from PIP and PDL coverage, collision insurance is not a requirement in the state of Florida. Collision coverage accounts for any situation in which something hits your car and causes damage, whether it be a tree, a curb, or another car. It is usually set up by insurance companies so there is a fixed deductible and the rest is covered,
While not legally mandated, this type of insurance can be greatly beneficial since the average car repair bill was $2,452 in Florida, according to the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America.
What Should I Do If I’m the Victim of a Hit-and-Run in Florida?
Fleeing the scene of an accident is a serious offense in Florida, and punishable by law, as it is throughout most of the country. Most hit-and-run accidents occur because the driver who caused the accident is concerned he or she may be caught without insurance.
The aftermath of a hit-and-run crash can be chaotic. Stay calm and remember these common-sense rules of thumb:
- Move your vehicle to a safe space out of the road;
- Call the police immediately;
- Do not pursue the fleeing driver;
- Make a note of the car: make, model, and color;
- Memorize the car license plate, if possible;
- Examine the scene for debris that may help identify the driver;
- Look for witnesses who may have seen what happened;
- Give all the information you have to the police, however minor;
- Call your insurance company to report the incident; and
- Take careful notes detailing your injuries and property damage.
What Driving Laws Should All Florida Drivers Know?
It’s important to be aware of the rules of the road in the state you’re driving in. Knowing them is the best way to avoid breaking them, which in turn ensures insurance premiums do not increase.
What Is a SunPass?
When driving on toll roads, you can now pay with a SunPass, or Florida’s prepaid toll program. This switch to electronic, cash-free tolling is designed to reduce hassle. Note that some tolls take pictures of your license plate and send the bill via mail, so don’t try to skip out on paying. Take care of it before more fines are added.
Florida’s Emergency Vehicle Laws
If you have to pass a law enforcement vehicle on a two-lane road, you must slow down to 20 mph under the posted speed limit. On a larger road, you must get into the lane farthest from the law enforcement vehicle as soon as it’s safe. Law enforcement vehicles include police cars, ambulances, and firetrucks.
Florida’s Cell Phone Laws
While it is legal to talk on your cell phone while driving, keep in mind that if it plays a factor in you getting into a car accident, you will be charged with distracted driving. It would be in your best interest to plan for the worst-case scenario and avoid the situation altogether.
It is illegal to text and drive under any circumstance.
Car Accidents in Florida: By the Numbers
Florida saw a total of 3,174 people killed on the road in 2016, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Just over a fifth of those fatalities occurred in alcohol-related accidents.
Between 2003 and 2012, 8,476 people were killed in crashes involving a drunk driver in Florida, according to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Over 550 motorcyclists were killed in Florida in accidents in 2016 (NHTSA).
Over 620 pedestrians were killed in road accidents in Florida in 2015 (NHTSA).
Visit our blog to find helpful FAQs about auto insurance.