Best Car Insurance in Florida: Top Picks Under the Sun

The proper insurance coverage makes good sense in the Sunshine State.
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Whether you’re heading to the beach in Destin, driving across the Everglades, or making your way to Disney World for the fifth time this year, one thing’s for sure: The right car insurance coverage offers valuable protection if you’re involved in an accident or if your car overheats in Alligator Alley on a 105-degree day. Apart from the peace of mind car insurance offers, it’s also a necessity in Florida. You’ll need to prove that you meet specific minimum coverage levels to register your vehicle.

Fortunately, getting car insurance in Florida doesn’t have to be a hassle, and premiums can be reasonably affordable if you choose the right provider. Some insurance providers offer a simple online quote process and multiple discounts to help keep costs down. 

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Best Insurance Companies for Florida Drivers

Best for Discounts: Geico

Best for Customer Service: State Farm

Best for Military Service Members: USAA

Lowest Premiums: Travelers

Best for Overall Value: Progressive

Best for Accident Forgiveness: Allstate

Best for Roadside Assistance: Liberty Mutual

Best for Discounts: Geico

Pros

  • Several discounts available
  • Relatively low premiums
  • Easy to get a quote online, by phone, or in person

Cons

  • Doesn’t offer gap insurance

Summary

Geico is an established insurer offering relatively inexpensive coverage and several discounts to policyholders. 

If getting a low-cost car insurance policy is important to you, Geico is worth a look. This insurer offers relatively low premiums and several discounts. Drivers can take advantage of discounts for having certain safety features in their car or maintaining a safe driving record. But there are also special discounts for those who work at certain companies and drivers older than 50.

While Geico offers pretty much every type of coverage a car owner might need, gap coverage is not available. If you want that coverage, you’ll need to get it elsewhere. Despite this, Geico is a good company overall, and it has an AM Best rating of A++ (Superior), which signals financial strength. 

Best for Customer Satisfaction: State Farm

Pros

  • Large network of agents
  • High customer satisfaction ratings
  • Option to file claims online or by phone

Cons

  • Premiums can be high

Summary

With a large network of agents in Florida and high marks for customer satisfaction, State Farm makes it easy to get coverage and get help with your policy.

Drivers seeking an insurer with high customer satisfaction ratings may want to consider State Farm. On J.D. Power’s most recent U.S. Auto Insurance Study, this established provider was the top-ranked insurer in Florida for customer satisfaction. It also ranked well in other areas of the country.

In addition to receiving high marks from customers, State Farm has a convenient, time-saving online claim filing option, a large network of agents in Florida, and an AM Best rating of A++ (Superior). While State Farm has many positives, its monthly premiums are higher than some competitors, including Geico. 

Best for Military Members: USAA

Pros

  • Customized coverage for service members
  • Available nationwide
  • High marks for customer satisfaction

Cons

  • Exclusively for service members and their families

Summary

For active-duty military, veterans, and their qualifying family members, USAA offers specialized auto insurance coverage and affordable prices.

USAA ranks highly in terms of its customer service, it has an A++ (Superior) AM Best rating, and its policies are pretty affordable. According to a recent survey, drivers who switched from other insurers to USAA saved $725 a year on average. This provider is available nationwide.

The one major drawback of USAA is that you need to be a member to get a policy. Membership is only available to active-duty military, veterans, and their qualifying family members. If you fall into one of those categories, it’s worth getting a quote from USAA due to its many perks.  

Lowest Premiums: Travelers

Pros

  • Affordable premiums
  • Several discounts available
  • Convenient claims filing

Cons

  • Below-average customer satisfaction ratings 

Summary

Travelers is an established insurance provider offering relatively low-cost coverage and other convenient perks.

Drivers seeking affordable coverage may want to put Travelers on their shortlist of companies to compare. This established insurer has an A++ AM Best rating and relatively low premiums compared to competitors. Drivers can also take advantage of several discounts, including unique ones like a homeowner’s discount and a hybrid/electric car discount. It also offers multiple options for claims filing, enabling policyholders to file claims by phone, online, or via the Travelers mobile app.

Though Travelers has some perks, it gets mixed customer satisfaction ratings and received below-average ratings on the most recent JD Power Auto Claims Satisfaction Study. Despite this, you may still want to put Travelers on the list if you’re comparing quotes.

Best for Overall Value: Progressive

Pros

  • Convenient online quotes
  • Tools and discounts to help you save
  • Option to file claims by phone, online, or via mobile app

Cons

  • Customer satisfaction scores are below average

Summary

Progressive offers easy claims filing, multiple ways to save, and other perks. 

We’ve all seen Flo on television talking about the array of discounts Progressive offers. Florida drivers can take advantage of over a dozen discounts, and this insurer also offers some unique tools that can help you save. For instance, its Name Your Price Tool lets you input your information and view a range of rates available to you through Progressive. This makes it convenient to compare premiums and coverage options.

There are a couple of drawbacks to be aware of. Progressive’s A+ (Excellent) AM Best rating is slightly lower than some other insurers on our list, but it’s still very high overall. And as with Travelers, it has below-average marks for customer satisfaction on the 2021 JD Power Auto Claims Satisfaction Study. 

Best for Accident Forgiveness: Allstate

Pros

  • Unique accident forgiveness perk
  • Large network of agents
  • Several discounts available

Cons

  • Premiums can be high

Summary

Getting into an accident can make your car insurance premiums skyrocket, but Allstate’s Accident Forgiveness program could prevent this from happening.

While nobody wants to get into an accident and see their premiums increase, accidents happen. Fortunately, Florida drivers enrolled in Allstate’s Accident Forgiveness program won’t see their premiums go up. Your rate will stay the same as long as you signed up for the program when you got your policy. In addition to this unique perk.

Allstate also offers other ways to save, including safe driving and multiple policy discounts. The one drawback with this A+ AM Best-rated insurer is that its premiums tend to be higher than competitors offer. But if you want the peace of mind Accident Forgiveness provides, it’s probably worth a look.

Best for Roadside Assistance: Liberty Mutual

Pros

  • 24/7 roadside assistance available
  • Customizable coverage to meet your needs
  • Quotes available online or by phone

Cons

  • Premiums can be high

Summary

Liberty Mutual’s reliable 24/7 roadside assistance coverage has your back if your car gets tired of the Florida heat. 

There’s only one thing worse than your car dying, and that’s waiting three hours for a tow truck in the Florida heat. Fortunately, Liberty Mutual is known for its 24/7 roadside assistance, so if you’re covered by one of its policies, your wait time should be minimal. Apart from its reliable roadside assistance, Liberty Mutual lets you customize your coverage and get a policy online, which is handy.

There are a couple of drawbacks to keep in mind. Liberty Mutual has an A (Excellent) AM Best rating, which is the lowest among the insurers on our list. That said, an A rating is still very good. This insurer also ranked below-average in customer satisfaction on J.D. Power’s recent Auto Claims Study. 

Average Cost of Insurance for Florida Drivers

According to insurance marketplace QuoteWizard, the average monthly cost for minimum coverage in Florida is $219. For drivers with full coverage, the average monthly cost is $347. The cheapest premiums available were around $86 a month for minimum coverage and $144 for full coverage.

While the lower premiums that come with minimum coverage may be enticing, getting full coverage is the better option. Full coverage car insurance generally includes collision, comprehensive, and liability coverage. These coverages offer valuable financial protection if you’re involved in an accident. 

How to Save on Insurance

If you’re registering a car in Florida, you’ll need car insurance. Insurance providers generally offer some helpful ways to save on coverage. As you shop around for the best car insurance in Florida, look for the following discounts. 

  • Multiple coverages: Many insurers will offer drivers a discount on auto insurance if they bundle multiple coverage options. For instance, if you have a homeowners insurance policy with State Farm, they might offer you lower premiums for bundling your home and auto coverage.
  • Safe driver: Certain providers offer special discounts for drivers who haven’t been involved in any accidents and don’t have moving violations.
  • Student discounts: Your high GPA could be an advantage if you need car insurance because many insurers offer good student discounts. Allstate offers a Smart Student Discount for full-time students who maintain good grades.
  • Military discounts: If you’re a service member or veteran, you may be eligible for a discount on your auto coverage through certain providers. Geico offers up to 15 percent off its policies for military members. 

Essential Cost Variables for Insurance

As with everything, there are a host of variables that will affect the cost of your insurance. 

Age

Your age will factor into the cost of your coverage. Younger drivers tend to pay higher premiums because they have less driving experience. While this is bad news if you’re a teen shopping for coverage, the good news is that monthly premium costs will decrease eventually if you maintain a good driving record.

Gender

While you might have an impeccable driving record, research from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety shows that men are more likely to be involved in serious accidents than women. Because of this, men typically pay higher premiums. 

Credit Score

Insurance companies may view your credit score as part of their process if you’re shopping for coverage. Your credit score can signal how financially responsible you are, and it can impact the cost of your car insurance. Those with a higher credit score may receive lower premiums. 

Location

Where you live can also affect the cost of your coverage. You’ll likely pay higher monthly car insurance premiums if you’re located in an area with high crime or vehicle theft rates. 

Vehicle/Model

If you drive a luxury car, you’re probably going to pay luxury car insurance premiums. Expensive cars are often more costly to fix than your everyday sedan, and insurance companies are aware of this.

Type of Coverage

There are many types of car insurance coverage and add-ons that can impact how much you’ll pay for coverage. The types of coverage you want or need and the amount of coverage you choose will affect the cost of your premiums. 

Key Features

  • Premiums and deductibles: A premium is how much you pay for insurance even if you never file a claim. A deductible is how much you pay before insurance coverage kicks in.
  • Customer service ratings: Reviews from past customers and ratings from reputable organizations like J.D. Power help you understand the customer experience before signing up.
  • Financial stability: If you file a large claim, you want to know that your insurer can pay the bills. Organizations like AM Best help assess the financial condition of large financial companies, including insurance providers.
  • Bundles and discounts: For convenience and savings, you may be able to sign up for auto, homeowners, renters, or other additional insurance policies to get a bundle discount. Also, look into other potential discounts for safe driving and other factors.

FAQs

You’ve got questions. The Drive has answers.

Q. Is it illegal to drive without car insurance in Florida?

A. Yes. The state requires personal injury protection (PIP) and property damage liability (PDL) coverage from a licensed insurer. If you’re caught driving without insurance, you could be fined and have your license suspended for up to three years.

Q. What’s the minimum amount of car insurance coverage in Florida?

A. To register your car in Florida, you’ll need at least $10,000 of both PIP and PDL coverage from a licensed insurer. PIP coverage can help offset the cost of your medical bills if you’re injured in an accident. PDL coverage can cover damage caused to another person’s property.

Q. Is Florida a no-fault state?

A. Yes. In no-fault states, you’re required to file a claim with your insurer following an accident, no matter who’s at fault. Your PIP coverage would pay for your qualifying medical expenses, even if the other driver caused the accident.

Q. What happens if you don’t have insurance and get into an accident in Florida?

A. If you’re involved in an accident in Florida and don’t have insurance, you’ll likely find yourself in hot water. Not only will you be responsible for covering medical bills and the cost of any damage you cause, but there may also be legal implications, such as fines or a suspended license.

Our Methodology

To choose the best companies and products for this list, I looked at a large number of financial products from various providers. I focused on cost, product features and options, ease of use, customer service, and past customer ratings as the most important factors in our ratings.