5 Best Car Insurance Companies in Florida for 2022
Florida is one of the most beautiful states in America with nice, balmy weather, hundreds of miles of open roads and lots of shoreline to explore. But before hopping into a car and heading to those white sand beaches, make sure you’re getting the best deal on your car insurance by choosing one of the five best car insurance companies in Florida.
Despite all the perks living in Florida has to offer, car insurance rates in Florida rank in the top three for most expensive car insurance in the entire country. It pays to do your research and compare as many rates as possible using our comparison tool below.
It’s also important to choose a car insurance company that caters to your specific needs, whether you’re an older driver, a homeowner or have a poor driving history you’re trying to improve.
The Best Car Insurance Companies in Florida
- Best All-Around Insurance: Progressive
- Most Affordable Coverage: GEICO
- Best Customer Satisfaction: Allstate
- Best for Those With a Less Than Perfect Driving History: The General
- Best Online Marketplace: The Zebra
Compare Auto Insurance Companies in Florida
Best All-Around Insurance: Progressive
Progressive Insurance is the best all-around car insurance company in Florida for a variety of reasons. Though its average statewide premium isn’t the lowest in Florida, it offers a combination of unique programs and discounts that might get you the most affordable policy possible.
Here are a few examples:
- Unique Programs: Progressive has two unique programs that help drivers save even more money. It has the Name Your Price Tool, where you share your budget and it tells you what policies fit into it.
- It also offers the Snapshot program, which has now evolved into an easy-to-use app on your phone that tracks your driving habits. If you are a good driver, you could save significant money on your policy.
- Accident Forgiveness: Statistically, most drivers will have at least one accident in their lifetimes, and whether it’s a small one or a big one, Progressive offers accident forgiveness if you meet certain criteria
- Great Discounts: Progressive offers numerous opportunities to receive discounts. It offers loyalty discounts, homeowner discounts, anti-theft discounts, multicar discounts, good student discounts and even teen driver discounts. (Yes, it is possible to get a discount for your teenage driver.
Customer and Claims Satisfaction: 834 (No. 5 on the J.D. Power Florida Survey)
Financial Strength Rating: A+ (superior)
Statewide Average Premium in Florida: $3,228
Coverage Options:
- Gap coverage (loan/lease payoff if you owe more than the car is worth)
- Rental car reimbursement (typically $40 to $60 per day)
- Custom parts and equipment value
- Ride-hailing coverage
- Roadside assistance
Discounts:
- Name Your Price Tool (enter your desired premium and Progressive will design a policy)
- Snapshot app ($145 average discount)
- Bundle auto and property (12% average discount)
- Multi-policy (5% average discount)
- Multicar (12% average discount)
- Small accident forgiveness (your premium isn’t raised for claims of less than $500)
- Large accident forgiveness (no premium increase in an accident if you have been a customer for a least five years with no accidents for the past three years)
- Continuous coverage (discount varies)
- Teen driver (18 or younger)
- Good student (discount varies)
- Distant students (more than 100 miles from home — discount varies)
- Homeowner (average discount nearly 10%)
- Online quote (7% average discount)
- Sign online (9% average discount)
- Paperless (discount varies)
- Pay in full (discount varies)
- Automatic payment (discount varies)
Most Affordable Coverage in Florida: GEICO
GEICO takes top honors for the lowest car insurance premiums in Florida. The company is also ranked second in the state for customer and claims satisfaction, indicating drivers covered by the company are pretty happy with the service.
It’s not hard to see why GEICO has the lowest premiums in Florida. The company offers deeper discounts than just about any other insurance company. Some of its more attractive discounts result in savings of between 20% and 25%.
Customer and Claims Satisfaction: 846 (No. 2 on the J.D. Power Florida Survey)
Financial Strength Rating: A+ (superior)
Statewide Average Premium in Florida: $1,509
Coverage Options:
- Roadside assistance coverage
- Ride-hailing
- Mechanical breakdown
- Collector vehicles
- Medical coverage
- Personal injury protection
Discounts:
- Multivehicle (25%)
- Bundling
- New vehicle (15%)
- Vehicle safety and anti-theft equipment (up to 23%)
- Good driver (accident-free for at least five years — up to 22%)
- Good student (15%)
- Driver education
- Federal employees (12%)
- Members of the U.S. military (15%)
- Membership in — or employee of — hundreds of groups and employers
- Customer loyalty
Best Customer Satisfaction in Florida: Allstate
There’s nothing more frustrating than being in a car accident, calling your car insurance company and getting poor customer service. In the most recent 2020 J.D. Power Auto Insurance Study, Allstate claimed the top spot for highest overall customer satisfaction in Florida.
It was closely followed by Esurance on the list, which is unsurprising because Allstate acquired Esurance in 2011. This shows that across all brands, Allstate ranks highly in Florida for customer service satisfaction.
It’s important to remember that while consumers tend to focus on price, other factors contribute to a positive experience with your car insurance company. Even though Allstate does have a higher average premium than Progressive in Florida, its commitment to customer satisfaction in Florida helped the company claim a top spot on this list.
If you’re a low-mileage driver, you may want to consider Allstate’s Milewise plan. It’s designed to base your premium on your actual mileage driven. You’ll pay a daily base rate, plus a per-mile rate.
For example, if your daily rate is $1.50, and your per mile rate is $0.06 — and you drive 20 miles per day — your combined daily rate will be $2.70. That comes to $985 per year, or just $82 per month.
Milewise is only available in 16 states, and Florida is one of them.
Customer and Claims Satisfaction: 851 (No. 1 on the J.D. Power Florida Survey)
Statewide Average Premium in Florida: $4,261
Financial Strength Rating: A+ (superior)
Coverage Options:
- Accident forgiveness
- Sound system insurance
- Roadside coverage
- Personal injury protection
- Personal umbrella (covers liability in excess of standard auto policies)
- Rental reimbursement
- Classic cars
- Car insurance for travel to Mexico
- Ride-hailing coverage
Discounts:
- New car
- Multi-policy
- Smart student
- Vehicle safety equipment
- Early signing
- Responsible payer
- Smart Student (minimum GPA 2.7)
- EZ pay plan
- Paperless (Allstate ePolicy)
- Pay by automatic withdrawal and/or full payment
- Drivewise monitoring app
- Deductible Rewards ($100 reduction in your deductible for each year you’re accident free, up to $500)
Best for Those With a Less Than Perfect Driving History: The General
Car accidents happen. People go through hard times and are sometimes unable to pay their insurance bills. Job losses occur, which can lead to foreclosure and bad credit. But people can also turn those situations around and get a new lease on life.
The General is a car insurance company that understands that. It offers competitive auto insurance pricing for those who have a less than perfect driving or credit history. It provides prices that are affordable and work with you so you can make your payments.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Not ranked
Financial Strength Rating: A (excellent)
Statewide Average Premium in Florida: Not available
Coverage Options:
- Medical payments
- Rental reimbursement
Discounts:
- Homeowner
- Multi-policy (bundle)
- Paid in full
- Safe driver (three to five years with no moving violations or at-fault accidents)
- Defensive driver course completion
- Good student
- Vehicle safety equipment
- Transfer to The General from another company (continuous coverage)
Best Online Marketplace: The Zebra
Car insurance quotes are done on a case-by-case basis. So, even though the companies on this list are some of the best, you might find a better quote based on your age, driving history, credit score, homeownership status and more.
For that reason, it’s wise to run your information through an online marketplace like The Zebra. It takes your location and personal information and uses it to show you which car insurance options fit your profile the best.
How We Chose the Best Car Insurance Options in Florida
To find the best car insurance options in Florida, we considered more than just affordability. We poured through research that ranked car insurance companies based on customer satisfaction, company financial health, premium costs, savings for multiple ages and types of drivers, and more.
Some of the tools and research we considered include:
Financial Strength
We researched the average annual premiums of car insurance companies in Florida and which car insurance companies had the best financial strength. Poor financial health could lead to problems when paying claims in the future, so it’s an important indicator to consider when choosing a car insurance company.
All five car insurance companies on this list had either an excellent or superior financial rating, indicating the financial health of the company.
Customer Satisfaction
We considered data found in J.D. Power’s 2020 U.S. Auto Insurance Study. This study, released in June 2020, provides the most up-to-date information on the highest ranked auto insurance companies in Florida.
Premiums
We researched on reputable review websites, including ConsumersAdvocate.org, using a variety of different profiles of potential drivers in Florida to find the best all-around car insurance company in Florida.
We input ZIP codes from five different Florida cities. We tested for drivers of multiple ages with varying driving histories, including drivers with citations for driving under the influence and accidents within the last three years. We also tested for drivers who had different credit scores as well as those who rent and those who own their homes.
Discounts
We poured through discounts offered by over a dozen car insurance companies in Florida. Because discounts are important for a state with high insurance premiums, we paid special attention to companies that offered discounts outside the norm. Many car insurance companies offer discounts, but they typically cater to drivers who have excellent credit and perfect driving histories. By finding companies with a more diverse menu of discounts, we’re able to help a variety of different drivers find the best car insurance in Florida.
Lastly, we compared many online marketplaces for car insurance to find the most comprehensive one.
In the end, Progressive was the No. 1 choice as the most recommended car insurance company in Florida for the vast majority of driver profiles that our research team tested.
What You Need to Know About Florida Coverages
Florida car insurance laws are unique because Florida is a no-fault state. Be sure to understand what this means (see below for more information), and consider carrying insurance above the state minimums for more protection.
What Are Florida’s Car Insurance Minimums?
If you’re a Florida resident and own a vehicle, you’re required by law to have car insurance. Your car insurance coverage must include a minimum of $10,000 for personal injury protection insurance and $10,000 for property damage liability insurance. These minimums remain in effect as long as you have a Florida license plate on your car.
PIP insurance is sometimes called “no-fault insurance” in Florida. If you have PIP insurance, you’re covered for personal injuries even if you were not at fault in an accident.
Because Florida drivers are supposed to maintain their own PIP insurance, drivers’ PIP plans should cover them in case of injury. Property damage liability insurance covers damages you cause to other people’s personal property in the event of an accident.
What Is No-Fault Insurance?
Florida is one of 12states in the U.S. that has no-fault insurance. In these states, each driver’s insurance company covers them in case of injury. That means your insurance company will pay for any medical bills, surgery bills or physical therapy costs regardless of whether you’re at fault.
No-fault insurance is designed to reduce the amount of lawsuits filed. The threshold for filing a lawsuit in Florida includes loss of important body function, permanent injury, permanent scarring, or disfigurement or death.
What Are Florida’s Laws Regarding Non-Insurance?
If you do not carry car insurance in Florida, potential consequences include:
- Suspended driving privileges for up to three years (or until you acquire Florida insurance).
- After suspension, you’ll have to pay a license reinstatement fee of $150 (or up to $500 if this isn’t your first offense).
Final Thoughts
As with any major financial decision, it’s important to do your own research. Take the time to get at least five car insurance quotes from companies in Florida before deciding which one is best for you.
Be sure to ask about discounts you qualify for and whether the insurance company will raise your rates after you’ve been with them for more than a year. Ask what happens to your rate in case of an accident and whether the company offers programs to help you save in the future.
Compile your research and then make an educated choice based on quotes you receive after providing your driving history, age and data to various car insurance companies in Florida.
