Car Insurance for High-Risk Drivers in Florida (2024)

Carrying auto insurance is a legal requirement in all 50 states. But if you’re a high-risk driver in Florida, you may struggle to find affordable car insurance.

Some insurance companies may refuse to insure you because they’ve determined that you’re more likely to file a claim. Understanding which insurers cover high-risk drivers in Florida and how much their coverage costs can help you find a policy that fits your needs.

Here’s what you need to know about finding high-risk car insurance in Florida.

Factors that determine high-risk status in Florida

While you may be aware that certain driving behaviors like traffic violations and accidents can make you a high-risk driver, other factors may also increase your level of risk.

Drivers in Florida may also be considered high risk if they have a negative credit history; if they’re younger than 21 or older than 75; if they have a specialty vehicle; or if they put many more miles on their car than average.

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Traffic violations and tickets

Florida categorizes traffic violations into three types:

• Moving violations are non-criminal traffic offenses that occur while your vehicle is in motion. These may include failure to signal a lane change, driving without headlights at night, or toll violations.

• Nonmoving violations are offenses that occur when your vehicle is stationary and can include infractions like illegal parking or broken tail lights.

• Criminal traffic violations are the most serious and include offenses like DUI, reckless driving, speeding more than 30 miles over the posted limit, and driving with a suspended license.

The Sunshine State uses a point system to track traffic violations. If you receive 12 points or more within a 12-month period, it’ll result in the suspension of your license. The length of the suspension goes up with the number of points you receive. If you receive 15 point-generating violations or three major offenses within a five-year period, your license will be revoked.^[1]

Accidents and claims

If you have a history of collisions or insurance claims, you may find it more difficult to qualify for auto insurance. This is because insurance companies see you as more likely to file a claim.

Credit score and financial history

Many insurance companies have determined that drivers with low credit scores are more likely to file an auto insurance claim. This classifies them as higher risk and can often lead to drivers with lower credit scores paying higher premiums.

Age and driving experience

David Feather, an insurance agent with GreatFlorida Insurance of Coral Springs, Florida, explains that age and driving experience can affect insurance risk assessment. 

“Ironically, young drivers and mature drivers are both considered higher risk,” Feather explains.

“Youthful operators — meaning drivers under age 21 — have less experience behind the wheel and are also feeling invincible,” Feather says. “More mature drivers, like those over age 75 or 80, may also see their rates jacked up.” The latter is commonly due to reduced faculties as people age.

Vehicle type and usage

Vintage and high-performance cars are two types of vehicles that may qualify you as higher risk. Vintage vehicles may cost more to replace, while high-performance cars may tempt a driver into dangerous behavior on the road. Similarly, exceptionally high usage of your car can also increase your risk, since the risk of collision increases with more time spent driving.

Best Florida auto insurance companies for high-risk drivers by violation

If you’re considered a high-risk driver because of traffic violations, the cost of your insurance can vary depending on the type of violation on your record. It’ll also depend on whether you choose to get a liability-only policy or full coverage.

Liability-only auto insurance pays for the cost of personal injury and property damage of a third party when you’re at fault in an accident.

In Florida, the minimum liability coverage required is $10,000 in personal injury protection (PIP) and $10,000 in property damage liability (PDL). PIP coverage will pay for your medical expenses after a crash, no matter who caused it, while PDL coverage pays for damage to another person’s property caused by you or someone else driving your car.

While there’s no specific level of coverage defined as full-coverage auto insurance, it usually includes collision coverage, which pays for damage to your car caused by a crash. Full coverage may also include comprehensive coverage, which pays for damage caused by something other than a crash, and uninsured motorists coverage.

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Best car insurance for high-risk Florida drivers with an at-fault accident

Having an at-fault accident on your record means you were involved in a collision determined to be your fault. If you’re responsible for an accident, you’ll be seen as a higher risk to insurance companies, since you may be more likely to cause future collisions.

This isn’t prevented by Florida being a no-fault insurance state. A no-fault state means each driver’s insurance coverage is responsible for paying for their client’s minor injuries and not those of the other party.

If you have an at-fault accident on your record, the following insurers have policies available for you.

Best car insurance rates for high-risk Florida drivers with a DUI

Florida imposes fines starting at $500 for the first DUI offense and increasing with each offense to a maximum of no less than $2,000 for a fourth offense.

Drivers convicted of DUI may also face prison time, depending on the circumstances of the offense. For obvious reasons, insurers consider drivers with a DUI conviction to be high risk.

Here are several insurers that offer policies to high-risk drivers with a DUI.

Best auto insurance for Florida high-risk drivers with speeding tickets

Speeding can seem like a relatively low-risk activity to shorten your commute, but it’s a dangerous driving habit. This is why Florida levies fines starting at $25 for drivers exceeding the speed limit by six to nine miles per hour, all the way up to $250 for going 30 mph faster than the posted maximum speed. Each county also imposes civil penalties and surcharges for speeding within its borders.

You can also expect your insurer to potentially increase your risk level, with the likelihood increasing based on the severity of your speeding violation.

The following insurers offer policies to high-risk Florida drivers with speeding tickets.

Cheapest Florida car insurance companies for high-risk drivers with poor credit

Unfortunately, having poor credit can affect your insurance risk level. Even though your ability to drive may seem completely divorced from your ability to manage your finances and credit, many insurers determine that drivers with bad credit are more likely to file auto insurance claims. For that reason, simply having bad credit can classify you as a high-risk driver.

The following insurers offer lower-cost policies to high-risk Florida drivers with poor credit. Here are the average monthly costs for liability-only coverage with these insurance companies.

How to find affordable car insurance for high-risk drivers in Florida

Finding affordable car insurance can be challenging if you’re a high-risk driver in Florida. However, the following strategies can help you obtain auto insurance coverage you can afford:

1. Look for discounts. Many insurance companies offer discounts for a variety of different reasons. Some common ones include multi-policy discounts, association or affiliation discounts, autopay discounts, and loyalty programs.

2. Work with an independent insurance agent. An independent insurance agent can shop around for quotes on your behalf and may be able to find you a less expensive policy than you could find on your own.

3. Comparison shop. Different insurance companies can have very different premiums, and the best way to determine if you’re getting the best coverage at the best price is to compare quotes from multiple insurers.

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How to improve your driving record and lower your car insurance rates in Florida

In addition to looking for an affordable car insurance policy as a high-risk driver, you can also work on lowering your insurance costs by improving your driving record. You can reduce your high-risk status in a number of ways:

1. Drive safely. It sounds simple, but one of the best long-term ways to reduce your risk status and lower your insurance costs is by committing to driving safely. That means obeying posted speed limits, eliminating distractions, remaining calm, and maintaining a sense of situational awareness. This won’t have an immediate effect on your driving risk status, but it’ll pay off greatly in the long run.

2. Take a defensive driving course. Driver improvement courses can not only help reduce the cost of your auto insurance, but they may also help you avoid getting points added to your license, depending on the infraction.

3. Seek legal counsel. Hiring a reputable lawyer to represent you after you receive a traffic violation may help reduce the number of points on your license or reduce other factors that could increase your risk status and insurance costs.

4. Build and maintain a good credit score. Poor credit can increase your driver risk level, so working to improve your credit score can help lower your insurance costs over time. To improve your score, make sure you pay all your bills on time and lower your debt-to-income ratio. This ratio compares your monthly debt burden to your monthly income. Ideally, it should be 40% or lower. As with committing to safe driving, this process won’t be immediate, but it’ll have long-term benefits.

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