High-Risk Car Insurance in Florida

Whether you’re headed to South Beach for some spring break fun, trekking to Orlando for a family getaway, or commuting to Fort Lauderdale for work, it’s always essential to maintain the minimum legal auto insurance coverage required in Florida. Those who fail to maintain sufficient insurance coverage on their Florida car insurance policies may face legal penalties and may struggle to find an affordable policy in the future.

Those with a poor driving record or a history of risky behavior behind the wheel may require a high-risk auto insurance policy. Let’s take a look at how high-risk auto insurance works in the Sunshine State, who’s eligible, and how those requiring such a policy can go about finding one.

Florida high-risk auto insurance isn’t actually a specific type of policy or coverage but rather a category in which insurers place drivers with a higher risk of filing claims. While in many cases, these drivers have a poor driving record or insurance history, sometimes insurers use non-driving factors that contribute to a driver being categorized as high-risk. Certain non-driving factors, like one’s credit score or ZIP code, may land them in this category.

When insurers bind a policy with a driver, they use several factors to determine the driver’s risk, which determines the driver’s premiums. When a driver is at a higher risk of filing a claim, they often have higher premiums than other drivers. While driving factors are weighed more heavily in premiums determination, insurers also use non-driving factors like a driver’s age, gender, ZIP code, or credit score to determine their premiums. If a policyholder’s driving or non-driving factors lead to an insurer believing they will be at a high risk of filing a claim, the policyholder will likely have higher-than-average premiums.

The average premium for a full coverage policy in the Sunshine State is about $2,700 annually, high-risk drivers may end up paying double or triple that amount. For example, drivers in densely populated cities typically pay higher premiums because they’re more likely to get into an accident and file a claim. So, drivers in cities like Miami or Jacksonville may be considered high-risk by their insurers even if they have a clean driving record. 

Drivers with poor driving records are also more likely to pay higher-than-average premiums. For example, driving without insurance in Florida is illegal, so those who ‘ve previously failed to maintain sufficient coverage may be deemed high-risk by their insurer when they decide to bind a policy. Plus, those who commit traffic violations like driving while intoxicated, driving without insurance, or otherwise driving recklessly may need to file an SR-22. Those with a record of an SR-22 on file will likely pay higher-than-average premiums for several years.

Getting caught driving without the minimum legal insurance is one of the most significant ways drivers land themselves in the high-risk category. The minimum legal coverage in the Sunshine State is $10,000 of property damage liability (PDL), and, because Florida is a no-fault state, $10,000 of personal injury protection (PIP). Drivers who lease or finance their vehicles may also be required to have collision coverage and comprehensive coverage as a term of their legally binding contract.

Those who require specialized insurance policies due to their risk level may need to join the Florida high-risk insurance pool. The Florida Automobile Joint Underwriting Association (FAJUA) allows high-risk drivers rejected by standard and non-standard insurers to still get the necessary coverage. In some cases, if a driver has several driving infractions on their record, insurers will refuse to bind a policy with them because their risk level is too high. 

In Florida, assigned risk auto insurance is a pool in which drivers can be entered to be assigned an insurer at random. Standard and non-standard insurers must enter this pool to write policies for drivers at random. High-risk drivers are most likely to find a policy here if they have trouble finding one elsewhere. 

Finding short-term insurance in Florida can be difficult, but it isn’t impossible. Standard insurers often refuse to bind a policy with a high-risk driver because the risk of them filing a claim is too high. While some of the state’s top insurers, like Progressive and Travelers, boast their high-risk policies, drivers with especially poor records may struggle to bind a policy with a standard insurer. 

High-risk drivers should always start their search for an auto insurance policy with a standard insurer, as they often have the cheapest policies in the state and are highly reputable. However, those turned away from standard insurers still have a couple of options. 

Drivers with poor records who are rejected by standard insurers may search for a high-risk insurance company in Florida. These companies, often called non-standard insurers, specialize in binding auto insurance policies for certain types of drivers, so some non-standard insurers specialize in high-risk insurance. Non-standard insurers are a great option for drivers rejected by standard insurers. Still, they often come at a considerable expense, as policies with this type of insurer are often costly. 

The final option for high-risk drivers rejected from standard and non-standard insurers is the assigned risk auto insurance pool or the FAJUA. The FAJUA is the most expensive option for high-risk drivers, so it should be treated as a last resort. However, drivers in the state must maintain the minimum legal amount of coverage, so if that’s the only option, then drivers must enroll in this program to abide by the law.

Cheap high-risk auto insurance in Florida can take some research, but it’s out there if you know where to look. The most significant way to lower one’s premiums is to carry only the minimum legal amount of coverage. However, some drivers prefer a full coverage policy with additional coverages like bodily injury liability, uninsured motorist coverage (UM), collision coverage, comprehensive coverage, or GAP coverage, so they can tailor their policy to their needs. 

While full coverage policies are always more expensive than minimum coverage ones, the cost of the premiums is often worth the expansive range of benefits such a policy provides. Full coverage policies are especially beneficial for those with a history of at-fault accidents, as they provide much more coverage for the policyholder. 

All drivers, high-risk or not, should start their search for a policy with standard insurers. Standard insurers often offer the cheapest rates in the state, plus they may offer various stackable discounts for policyholders to further reduce their premiums. 

For example, many standard insurer offer criteria-based and enrollment-based discounts. Some companies offer criteria-based discounts for having multiple cars on one policy, bundling home and auto insurance policies, or having anti-theft safety features on your car. 

Some insurers offer enrollment-based discounts that require drivers to participate in a class or a program to receive a discount on their premiums upon passing. Others may offer usage-based discounts for those who consent to use a telematics device to track and share their driving data with their insurer to, in turn, receive discounts when they make safe choices behind the wheel. 

Car insurance for high-risk drivers in Florida may take some research to find and budgeting to afford, but it’s out there if you know where (and how) to look. All drivers, high-risk or not, should start their car insurance search by getting and comparing quotes online. Getting and comparing quotes allows drivers to see which insurers offer the best policies for their individual needs so drivers can make the most informed decision about their policy.

Lucky for you, we love quotes here at Clovered. You can use our free quoting tool right here to get and compare personalized quotes in minutes. If you prefer to chat with a licensed agent about your quote, you can contact our team at 833-255-4117 or [email protected] with any of your insurance needs.