Florida auto insurance has some unique qualities compared with insurance in other states, and we’ll help you understand it all. Here we provide Florida auto insurance requirements, our recommendations for the coverage you should buy, and insurance laws that are specific to Florida. Also, you can see average car insurance rates for nearly every ZIP code in Florida to help inform you as you shop for auto insurance in the Sunshine State.

The average car insurance rate in Florida is $1,823 a year. Car insurance companies use different formulas and weigh risks differently for each driver. This means rates can vary significantly by insurer, which is why you should compare rates. For example, in Coral Gables ZIP code 33135, the highest rate among six carriers is $5,710. That’s over $4,000 more than the lowest ($1,500).

Cheap car insurance in Florida

Florida car insurance requirements

Florida laws mandate that drivers carry $10,000 of personal injury protection (PIP). It covers you, your passengers and other authorized drivers of your car who are injured while in your insured vehicle. You also must have $10,000 of property damage liability to pay for damage to others’ cars.

You certainly can drive with just the minimum coverage mandated by the state. But we strongly recommend that you also purchase bodily injury liability coverage. This pays, up to your policy limits, for injuries others receive in an accident caused by you or other drivers listed on your policy. While not required by the state, many car insurance companies require it as part of any policy they issue in Florida. Here's why: Florida is a no-fault state. Treatment for any injuries you suffer is covered by your personal injury protection, up to its limit. This is regardless of who caused the accident. If bills exceed that limit, the at-fault driver is legally personally responsible unless he or she has bought bodily injury liability coverage.

If you buy bodily injury liability coverage, the smallest amount you can buy is $10,000 per person (up to $20,000 per accident). Homeowners and those with substantial assets need more than that.

Buying the recommended liability coverage with comprehensive insurance and collision coverage will cost more, but generally won’t break the bank. Increasing your insurance from the state minimum to full coverage with a $500 deductible costs, on average, $939 more, or $78 a month.

**The table shows the average annual rate of nearly every ZIP code in Florida from up to six major insurance companies. Rates are for a male driver, age 40, with a clean record and good credit for a 2016 Honda Accord. Data was provided for CarInsurance.com by Quadrant Information Services.

Recommended car insurance coverage

The best car insurance coverage may not be the cheapest, so how much insurance should you buy? Bare-bones coverage may be a good choice if you have few assets or have an old car and don’t drive much. But if you have a home and investments, consider buying more insurance. If you don’t, you’re at risk for having your money and house taken to cover the cost of an accident. If you financed your car you will be required to get additional comprehensive and collision coverage.

Use our How Much Car Insurance Do You Need? tool to get a recommendation.

Liability

We recommend you buy more insurance than is required to legally drive a car in your state, especially if you have savings and assets. The more money you have, the more likely you are to be sued following a car accident should your insurance be insufficient to cover all the expenses. If your net worth is:

• less than $50,000, choose at least 50/100/50
• between $50,000 and $100,000, choose at least 100/300/100
• more than $100,000, choose at least 250/500/100

If you're leasing or financing your car, you must get coverage of 100/300/100 or higher.

Collision and comprehensive

Collision coverage pays for damage to your car after an accident that you cause. Comprehensive insurance pays to replace stolen cars and for damages from vandalism, flooding, hail, fire and animal strikes. These are optional, and, typically affordable to add to a policy. The average annual rate for collision for Florida drivers is $242, comprehensive is $107, according to the Insurance Information Institute.  If your car is:

• less than 10 years old, you should strongly consider buying collision and comprehensive.
• more than 10 years old, only buy collision and comprehensive if your car is worth $3,000 or more, if you couldn’t afford to replace your car if it’s wrecked, or if you just want more protection on your policy.

If you buy comp and collision, check our guide to choosing a deductible amount.

Uninsured/underinsured motorist

These are both optional coverages and should match the liability limits you choose. Uninsured motorist coverage and underinsured motorist coverage pays for damages if you’re hit by a driver with no insurance or a driver with coverage that’s insufficient to pay for your repairs and medical expenses.

Medical coverage (MedPay)

Medical payments coverage can help pay for the medical or funeral expenses of covered drivers and passengers after an accident, regardless of fault, up to $25,000. In most states, including Florida, it's an optional addition to your car insurance policy. Because Florida requires you to carry PIP, you likely don't need MedPay coverage. That's because PIP provides coverage equal to and beyond MedPay. However, one benefit of MedPay is that there's no deductible. Another is that it covers passengers in your car who have no health insurance. Finally, Florida PIP pays only 80 percent of your medical expenses, so MedPay would cover the remaining 20 percent of costs for your injuries. MedPay does the following:

• Covers you and your passengers’ medical expenses
• Pays for expenses after health insurance limits are exceeded
• Offers additional protection to insured drivers who are hit by a car while walking or biking

If you and your passengers:

• Don’t have health insurance, or have a plan that doesn’t cover car accidents or has low limits, we recommend that you add medical coverage of at least $5,000 to your car insurance policy.
• Do have health insurance, it’s still a good idea to have medical coverage if you want the best protection in your policy, as it can pay out after your health benefits are maxed out. It is especially a good idea if your health plan has high deductibles you must pay before treatment is covered.

Gap insurance

If you don’t own your car outright and have an accident, gap insurance pays the difference between the cash value of your car and the current outstanding balance on your loan or lease.

• If you’re financing your car, your car is less than one year old and you’ve put less than 20 percent down on it, you should buy gap insurance. If not, you don’t need gap insurance.
• If you’re leasing your car, it’s a good idea to buy gap insurance if you aren’t already required to in your lease agreement.
• If you own your car outright, you don’t need gap insurance.

Florida car insurance rates by company

Below you'll see average annual rates for Florida, ranked cheapest to most expensive, for three coverage levels:

• State minimum liability requirements
• Liability limits of $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident and $50,000 property damage
• Liability of $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident and $100,000 property damage, with comprehensive and collision at $500 deductible

Best car insurance companies in Florida

Scores are based on Insure.com’s “Best Insurance Companies” customer review survey of 3,700 customers. Companies not in the top 10 of market share do not qualify. All scores are out of 100.

Best customer service:

1. USAA – 100
2. State Farm – 92
3. Allstate – 91.8
4. Travelers --  90.6
5. Geico – 88.7

Best claims service:

1. USAA – 100
2. Travelers – 97.5
3. Liberty Mutual – 96
4. Geico –93.9
5. Progressive – 92.5

Best value for the price:

1. USAA – 91.3
2. Travelers – 88.8
3. Progressive – 86.3
4. State Farm – 84.6
5. Geico – 81.1

Largest car insurance companies in Florida

Source: A.M. Best market share rankings are based on direct premiums written in 2015.

Customer review rankings based on Insure.com's 2016 "Best Insurance Companies" survey of 3,700 customers. Scores are out of 100.

Car insurance for cities in Florida 

Find out what the most expensive and the cheapest car insurance rates are by ZIP code, as well as how they compare statewide.

Tampa car insurance

Jacksonville car insurance

Miami car insurance

Orlando car insurance

Florida laws and resources

Florida mature driver discount

Florida law says that drivers age 55 and older get a 10 percent discount on their rates if they pass a state-approved driving course. The discounted rate applies to the liability (bodily injury and property damage), personal injury protection, and collision portions of your policy. You will get the discounted rates for three years if you don’t cause an accident and have no moving violations on your record.

How much will a speeding ticket raise my car insurance rates?

Typically insurers review your driving record upon renewal, and will raise your rates if you have a speeding ticket. This higher rate typically lasts for three years. A speeding ticket in Florida will raise your rates, on average, by 15 percent, according to our analysis of rates based on Quadrant Information Services data.

Hurricane warning

Hurricanes and tropical storms threaten Florida each year. Comprehensive coverage will repair the damage to your vehicle for hail and flooding -- but you can't wait too long to buy it. Make sure to get the coverage in effect before a storm warning is issued. Otherwise you may be out of luck. Most insurers will not allow you to buy extra insurance once a tropical storm or hurricane watch/warning is issued. You’ll have to wait 48 to 72 hours after it’s lifted to buy more coverage.

No-deductible windshield repair or replacement

In an effort to get drivers to repair cracked or damaged windshields, Florida state law says that your comprehensive coverage deductible isn't applicable for windshield damage.

Snowbirds

If a vehicle is in Florida for more than 90 days during a 365-day period (the days do not have to be consecutive), you must purchase personal injury protection and property damage liability limits. You must get at least the state minimum limits. See "Car insurance for snowbirds" for more information.

Uninsured motorist coverage and penalties for driving in Florida without insurance

Florida is second in the nation for the percent of uninsured drivers on the road – 24 percent. (Oklahoma is No. 1 with 26 percent.) That’s why it’s wise to carry uninsured motorist coverage. It helps pays for damages when you’re in an accident with an uninsured driver.

If you’re the one driving without coverage and you’re busted, you may have to pay a $30 fine and your registration and license may be suspended and your plates confiscated. You may also be required to file an SR-22 form. If your license and registration are suspended, you will have to pay a $150 reinstatement fee upon renewal.

Seat belt law

If you're a driver or passenger and are ticketed for a seat belt violation, you will not get a point on your record; however, if the ticket is for a child restraint offense, it comes with three points. The fine is $30 per adult and $60 per child, plus administrative and court costs.

Expired registration

Registrations issued in your name expire at midnight on the day of your birth date, except for mobile homes and commercial vehicles. The fine for a tag that is expired for less than six months is around $100 and a tag expired six months or more can come with jail time up to 60 days and/or a fine of up to $500.

Insurance fraud

Florida is notorious for car insurance fraud. It has more questionable claims than any other state, with con men frequently taking advantage of its no-fault insurance law, which requires all drivers to carry $10,000 in personal injury protection coverage for injuries suffered in a car crash.

Florida senior driver law

Drivers over age 80 must renew their license every six years, compared with every eight years for younger people. Additionally, people 80 and older must pass an eye exam with every renewal.

Florida also allows confidential reporting of a possibly unsafe driver by anyone – doctor, law enforcement, relative or bystander. Officials may ask those drivers to submit medical reports from their doctor or to undergo testing at a driver license office.

Florida FR-44

In order to have your Florida driver’s license reinstated after a DUI, you must bump up your coverage and submit proof that you did so. You must submit verification that you are carrying increased liability insurance ( 300/100/50). Proof of this increased insurance coverage must be provided by filing a form. It is called the Florida Uniform Financial Responsibility Certificate. It is commonly known as the “FR-44 form.” You will have to keep FR-44 coverage in place for three years.

Your insurer will file the form with your state motor vehicle department for you. Be aware, however, that not all insurers will process FR-44 forms. Contact our call center toll-free at 1-855-430-7753. Our agents will help you obtain a quote for the coverage you need. Most companies we work with can provide immediate proof of insurance via e-mail or fax.