Car Insurance for Seniors in Florida

The state of Florida requires property damage coverage and PIP. The first thing you need to do is make sure you’re hitting the minimum coverage requirements for driving in the state.

Coverages

The minimum car insurance in Florida is as follows.

• Property damage coverage: You must get at least $10,000 of property damage coverage, which covers the other party’s property damages in accidents you cause. On the other hand, if someone hits your car, you’d file a third-party claim with their auto insurance company to get your damages covered.
• PIP: PIP covers medical payments, lost wages, and child care costs that result from accidents, whether or not you were at fault. You must carry at least $10,000 of PIP per person and per accident.

Florida does not require bodily injury coverage, collision coverage, comprehensive coverage, or uninsured motorist coverage. If you want damages to your car or accidents with uninsured motorists covered, we recommend full-coverage car insurance with limits as high as you can afford.

Florida is a no-fault state, meaning each person is responsible for their own medical costs under PIP, while the at-fault party pays for the other party’s property damage.

However, there have been recent bills in the Florida House of Representatives and Senate that would repeal this no-fault law. House Bill 1525 and Senate Bill 150 are in the Judiciary Committee as of March 2022,⁴ so it remains to be seen whether these bills will pass. If they do, bodily injury coverage would replace PIP, so the at-fault party would be responsible for the other party’s medical costs.⁵

Many have warned that repealing Florida’s no-fault law would make car insurance even more expensive. In fact, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation estimates that costs would increase by 48 percent,⁶ causing higher numbers of uninsured motorists.

Florida is already sixth in the nation for the percentage of people driving without insurance, which is an estimated 1 in 5 drivers as of 2019.⁷ We will continue to monitor this legislation and see how it affects both auto insurance costs and the percentage of people driving without insurance.

Rather than the more common SR-22 forms that prove minimum insurance, Florida requires FR-44s for DUI convictions, forms that prove you have more than the minimum insurance. You would need to have the following.

• Bodily injury coverage: $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident
• Property damage coverage: $50,000

As of March 2022, PIP is still a requirement in Florida, with a $10,000 liability limit. These medical/disability benefits include $10,000 in these categories:

• Ambulance
• Dental
• Hospital
• Nurse
• Physical therapy
• Prosthetic devices
• Rehab
• Surgeries
• X-rays

PIP also includes $5,000 of death benefits.

Let’s say you’re a senior who uses Medicare. If you were injured in a car accident, your PIP would contribute to your medical costs before your Medicare coverage or any other health care coverage you have. In other words, Medicare is a secondary payer that will only contribute after you exhaust your PIP and health insurance benefits.⁸

If you’re ready to shop for car insurance in Florida, there are a few ways you can go about it.

1. Ask around. You could ask your friends or family for recommendations, but note that there’s no one-size-fits-all car insurance, so the best insurance for your friend may not be the best for you.
2. Find an agent or a broker. A better option is to find an insurance agent or broker. While an agent represents a company or multiple companies, brokers represent you, allowing you to shop the entire market. You can find an agent or a broker through local business directories like Yelp and the Better Business Bureau.
3. Look online. You can also compare car insurance quotes online to find the lowest rates. Additionally, read reviews of companies. See how real customers feel about companies’ customer service, and check customer service ratings from J.D. Power. Also see what the insurers offer in terms of coverages and discounts for a senior driver, such as accident forgiveness.
4. Go to a company directly. If there’s a company you already know and trust, you can call it directly or visit in person to get a policy. These are some of the best insurance companies for seniors in Florida:
   • AAA
   • Allstate
   • Esurance
   • GEICO
   • Mercury
   • Progressive
   • State Farm
   • The Hartford
   • Travelers
   • USAA

   If price is a major concern, consider the companies that offer the cheapest car insurance in Florida:

   • Allstate
   • GEICO
   • MetLife
   • State Farm
   • Travelers
   • USAA

Car insurance for seniors is auto insurance specifically for drivers 55 and older. Usually, the actual policies look similar regardless of age group, but we’ll point out some key differences below.

Aside from senior discounts, the main way car insurance is different for seniors is the higher cost. Car insurance costs more for seniors in all states, even though, in Florida, they are less likely to get into crashes than any other age group.

Learn more in our senior driving statistics.

Seniors are up against a lot when it comes to finding affordable car insurance in Florida, from the state’s high costs in general to the high costs for seniors in any state. However, with a little research, you can make your auto insurance rates as low as possible, while still protecting your financial interests.