Car Insurance in Florida vs. Massachusetts: Costs, Laws and Resources

If you are moving from Massachusetts to Florida or vice versa, remember that each state has different car insurance requirements. Florida law requires drivers to have property damage liability and personal injury protection. Massachusetts law requires drivers to have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, personal injury protection, personal liability and property damage liability.

MoneyGeek analyzed rates to find the cheapest companies. We also compared the requirements for car insurance in each state.

Florida car insurance laws require drivers to have property damage liability and personal injury protection. Car insurance laws in Massachusetts mandate uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, personal injury protection, personal injury liability and property damage liability.

Car insurance costs also vary between the two states, with a minimum coverage policy costing roughly $1,123 per year in Florida and $547 per year in Massachusetts. Population density and the frequency of accidents may cause car insurance to be more expensive in Florida.

Both Massachusetts and Florida are no-fault states, which means that if there is an accident, you are required to file a claim with your insurer regardless of who is at fault. No-fault states also require all drivers to carry personal injury protection, so they typically have higher car insurance premiums compared to at-fault or tort states.

On average, the most affordable companies for minimum coverage car insurance in Florida and Massachusetts are:

• Cheapest in Florida: GEICO ($590 per year)
• Cheapest in Massachusetts: State Farm ($323 per year)

USAA may be the cheapest option for you in Florida at around $406 per year if you have a military background.

Even with the same provider, rates can vary significantly between states. For example, State Farm is the cheapest option in Massachusetts. However, in Florida, it is one of the more costly car insurance providers at $1,085 per year for a state minimum policy.

Rates for car insurance in Florida and Massachusetts vary depending on the coverage level. If you buy a state minimum policy, you will pay an average of $1,123 per year in Florida and $547 per year in Massachusetts. Full coverage policies cost significantly more in both states, at roughly $2,208 per year in Florida and $1,112 per year in Massachusetts.

There are a variety of reasons why a state could be more expensive for car insurance than another.

For example, Florida has a much higher car theft rate compared to Massachusetts and also has a higher rate of uninsured motorists. These are some of the factors that make car insurance more costly in Florida compared to Massachusetts.

On average, the cheapest and most expensive cities in Florida for state minimum car insurance are:

• Cheapest city: Gainesville ($693 per year)
• Most expensive city: Hialeah ($1,461 per year)

The cheapest and most expensive cities in Massachusetts for state minimum car insurance are, on average:

• Cheapest city: Cambridge ($497 per year)
• Most expensive city: Springfield ($705 per year)

Although car insurance requirements are the same within each state, factors such as population density and rate of traffic accidents can vary from city to city, making some cities more expensive for car insurance than others.

When you move from Florida to Massachusetts or vice versa, you need to transition your driver’s license and registration. You may find that your current insurer offers coverage in the new state, so you can stay with the same provider.

However, even with the same insurer, rates may vary from state to state due to differences in risk factors and coverage requirements.

You can use MoneyGeek’s resources to find the best car insurance for your needs.

Car insurance in Florida and Massachusetts differ in terms of costs and minimum requirements. You can learn more about auto insurance in Florida vs. Massachusetts using our frequently asked questions.

To calculate average car insurance rates by company and across Florida and Massachusetts, MoneyGeek collaborated with Quadrant Information Services to collect auto insurance quotes from both locations. We used a sample profile for a 40-year-old driver with a clean driving record and minimum coverage unless modified by criteria like coverage level, age, driving offenses and credit score. Learn more about how costs are calculated in our MoneyGeek car insurance methodology.

Minimum car insurance requirements by state were sourced from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) of the respective state.