Best Car Insurance in Jacksonville, FL

Florida is known for its scenic drives, including the Big Bend and the Broward County highways. But did you know that Florida also has one of the highest percentages of uninsured vehicles at 26.7%? You don’t have to be a fan of scenic drives to appreciate the security and peace of mind that driving an insured car in Florida brings you. The good news is that getting the best insurance for your vehicle doesn’t have to be expensive.

If you are looking for cheap auto insurance Jacksonville, FL, you are in the right place. We’ll provide you with all the information about auto insurance for different classes of drivers and go through how you can make extra savings.

Jacksonville, FL Auto Insurance Overview:

• Average number of vehicles per household: 2
• Minimum state insurance requirements: $10,000 personal injury protection (PIP) and $10,000 property damage liability (PDL)
• The average rate for those with a clean driving record: $884 state minimum PIP and PDL, $930 liability only, $1,820 full coverage

Florida's Car Insurance Laws Explained

In Florida, all vehicle owners need to have an unexpired insurance policy with PDL and PIP coverage even if you’re not driving the car. You will have to surrender the license plate to be exempted.

$10,000 is the minimum insured amount for both PDL and PIP. You'll need to know that:

• Property damage liability (PDL) covers property damages from a motor vehicle accident caused by you or your family member.
• Personal injury protection, also known as Florida No-Fault Insurance, covers you and your family members even if you are at fault. It applies to certain passengers doesn’t have personal injury insurance.

Aside from the mandatory coverage, you can get Bodily Injury Liability (BIL). It pays for expenses in the event of death or serious injury in a crash that you are responsible for. You should also know that you cannot use the policy from your previous state of residence unless you’re just visiting or driving through. If you move to Florida, ask your agent to transfer the insurance when you register the car.

Vehicles in Florida need to be insured even if you live outside the state for 6 months every year. In fact, any person who has a vehicle in the state for 90+ days is required to have Florida insurance. Your driving privilege can be suspended due to improper insurance. In that case, you may have to pay a fine of up to $500 to reinstate it after showing proof of Florida insurance.

What You Can Expect to Pay in Florida

You won't really know how much you'll pay for insurance until you get a quote. But factors like your vehicle's make and model, your financial background and your driving record will play a big role in how much you'll end up paying.

Insurance Rates Per Vehicle

Needless to say, you can expect to pay more or less depending on the vehicle and your personal circumstances. In general, the vehicle’s value (based on production year, make, and model) and safety features affect the insurance rate. For example, you’re likely to pay less for a newer model 4-door sedan with current safety features than older cars with yesterday's safety standards or larger vehicles like SUVs and trucks that can cause more damage in a crash.

In addition, certain import cars may have much more expensive parts and your insurance rate would reflect that. 

If you are to look at sales records from used and new car dealerships, American brands like Chevrolet, GMC, Ford followed by Honda and Toyota. When it comes to insurance incentives, you are in luck if you own an electric car. There are no insurance surcharges and the Jacksonville Electric Authority offers a $1000 rebate for electric cars that feature a 15kWh (or larger) battery.

Insurance Rates by Credit Score

Besides the vehicle itself, your insurance credit score affects your car insurance rate. In the eye of insurance companies, your insurance credit score shows your financial stability and responsibility. You’re less likely to do something irresponsible and pay your premiums to your insurance company and so it can afford to charge you less.

For example, divers with average scores might pay up to 24% more than those with excellent credit scores. And those with bad credit might have to pay as much as 91%. And rest assured, the companies factor in every aspect of your credit history. These include delinquencies, late payments, types and number of credit accounts, length of history, credit utilization rate, etc.

Insurance for Drivers with a Clean Record

Having a clean driving record can significantly lower your insurance rate. It means your record shouldn't show any at-fault driving accidents or traffic violations.

Therefore, getting caught for speeding, reckless lane changes, using your phone while you drive, and not wearing the seatbelt can increase the cost of your auto insurance. Picking up a bunch of speeding tickets or other penalties tell the insurance company what kind of a driver you are on the road.

Assuming that your record is clean as a whistle, this is what you can expect to pay for car insurance in Florida. On average, a driver in Florida spends $1,098 a year on car insurance. However, with some companies, you may only have to pay a little bit more for full coverage if you have a clean driving record. The following table lists some of the best offers in Jacksonville.

Insurance Rates with Driving Infractions

Driving infractions can be divided into three categories: non-criminal, criminal misdemeanors, and felony traffic violations. Among other things, the first two include disobeying traffic regulations, reckless driving, first time DUI, and driving with a suspended license.

To get charged with a traffic felony, one needs to be a repeat offender or leave the scene of an accident which involves a fatality or serious injuries. As you may expect, these infractions negatively affect car insurance rates and you might need to look into high-risk auto insurance. If charged with a traffic felony, you might get your license suspended and won’t be able to get insurance at all.

You can expect to pay significantly more than safe drivers. Check out the table below.

The Best Auto Insurance Providers in Jacksonville

By now, it’s not hard to guess that a few companies come out on top as the best insurance providers in Jacksonville, Florida. They are Esurance, GEICO, USAA, State Farm, and Nationwide. You can hardly go wrong with any of them.

We’ve compiled a list of the best and most affordable insurance companies in Jacksonville.

It's Better to Be Safe Than Sorry

Despite the fact that insurance rates rose 9.7% in 2017, getting coverage in Florida is still affordable for most car owners and compared to the most expensive states. If you have an outstanding credit rating and a clean driving record, there is nothing to worry about.

You can get a quote with special privileges and discounts. However, even if your credit or driving record is less than pristine, there are still some options available from companies like State Farm.

Want to learn more about finding the best affordable insurance? Check out Benzinga's guides to the best home insurance in Florida, the best vision insurance companies in Florida and the best hurricane insurance companies.

*Quotes were obtained using the following profile: base 2015 Toyota Camry, male, 40-years-old. Policies reflect state minimum coverage options. We make every effort to provide the most accurate quotes based on the profile above. Due to the many combined variables involved in insurance quotes, the only way to get an accurate quote is to enter your own information through our partners’ secure websites.