What car insurance costs in Florida

Florida's average bill against the nation's

Each year the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) reports what insurers collected per insured car in every state. Its latest state data, for 2023, show a Florida average expenditure of $1,864, 19% more than the $1,568 of 2022. Both the level and the one-year jump were the largest of any state or D.C. in that table. The expenditure figure mixes liability-only cars with fully insured ones; a car with all three main coverages averaged $1,994.

The table makes the story simple. Collision ($469) is within a few dollars of the U.S. average, and comprehensive ($230) is slightly below it. Liability, at $1,294, is about 76% higher than the national $737 and the highest in the 2023 table. So in Florida the expensive part of the policy is the one that pays for injuries and damage after a crash, not the one that fixes your own car. The NAIC doesn't explain the cause, and your quote will still turn on your record, car and ZIP code; see how your driving record changes the price.

What Florida's no-fault law requires

Florida asks for two coverages before you can register a car with four or more wheels. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) lists them:

• Personal injury protection (PIP), at least $10,000. It pays 80% of necessary and reasonable medical expenses from a covered injury, no matter who caused the crash.
• Property damage liability (PDL), at least $10,000. It pays for damage you, or someone driving your insured car, cause to other people's property.
• Bodily injury liability isn't part of that basic requirement for most drivers. A driver who has to file an SR-22 to get a license back under the Financial Responsibility Law must certify bodily injury and property damage liability.

The coverage has to stay in force even if the car isn't being driven, and you should turn in the plate before you cancel. A lapse can cost you your license or registration for up to three years plus a reinstatement fee of up to $500. Because so little is required, a minimum Florida policy leaves you exposed if you injure someone, and with about one driver in five uninsured in 2023, by the Insurance Research Council's estimate, uninsured motorist coverage is worth pricing. Our page on limits and deductibles covers how to choose.

How Florida rates get to market

Under section 627.0651 of the Florida Statutes, an insurer has two routes. In a file-and-use filing it submits rates at least 60 days before they take effect, and the Office of Insurance Regulation has 60 days to start disapproval or finish its review, or the rates are deemed approved. In a use-and-file filing the insurer starts charging first and files within 30 days; if the Office later finds the rates excessive, it must order the excess returned to policyholders as a credit or refund.

Insurers may use credit reports and scores, but section 626.9741 bars an adverse decision based only on credit without other underwriting or rating factors. If a divorce, the death of a spouse or a temporary job loss dragged your credit down, you can ask the insurer for an appeal; it must then treat your credit as neutral or leave it out, whichever helps you more. A credit-based decision against you must come with the main reasons, up to four. See credit-based insurance scores.

Coverage when no company will write you

The Florida Automobile Joint Underwriting Association (FAJUA) is the state's market of last resort. It serves licensed drivers and vehicle owners who haven't been able to buy auto insurance from other companies, and every insurer that writes auto coverage in Florida must be a member. You reach it through an insurance agent. Use it as a stopgap and keep shopping as your record improves; our guide to assigned risk plans has the details.

Paying less for Florida coverage

1. 1 Drivers 55 and older: take an approved course. State law requires an appropriate premium reduction on liability, PIP and collision for three years after the principal operator completes an approved accident prevention course. The law doesn't fix the amount, and an insurer may require you to stay free of at-fault accidents and moving violations to keep it.
2. 2 Compare quotes on the same limits. Since liability is where Florida prices run high, small differences in how each company prices bodily injury and uninsured motorist coverage add up. Match limits and deductibles before you compare.
3. 3 Revisit physical damage choices. Collision and comprehensive are close to national averages here; a higher deductible can still lower them, and the deductible break-even calculator tells you how long it takes to come out ahead.
4. 4 Ask the state for help. First try to settle a dispute with the insurer. If that fails, the Department of Financial Services takes insurance concerns through its online Consumer Assistance Portal, and lists (850) 413-3089 for insurance assistance, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern.

Questions drivers ask