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

Are you relocating from Florida to Pennsylvania or vice versa? The regulations for car insurance in Florida differ from those in Pennsylvania. Florida requires $10,000 in property damage liability per accident, but Pennsylvania only requires $5,000. Pennsylvania drivers also need medical payments coverage. Florida drivers do not.

MoneyGeek analyzed costs and determined the cheapest insurers. We also compared the differences in requirements and laws between the states.

Florida car insurance laws mandate that motorists have a minimum of property damage liability per accident and personal injury protection per person. Meanwhile, the minimum car insurance laws in Pennsylvania include 15/30/5 in liability insurance and personal injury protection coverage.

A minimum-coverage car insurance policy in Florida costs an average of $1,123 per year. In Pennsylvania, the same coverage costs around $912. Pennsylvania requires more insurance than Florida, but it is less expensive. This could be due to factors like population density and accident frequency.

There are 12 no-fault states in the United States, including Florida and Pennsylvania.

Florida and Pennsylvania are called no-fault states because they have a law requiring car insurance that pays regardless of who was at fault for the accident. This type of insurance coverage is called no-fault insurance. Keep in mind that this type of coverage might increase your premiums.

Car insurance rates differ from company to company and state to state. Shopping around can help you save money.

On average, the following are the cheapest companies in Florida and Pennsylvania:

• Cheapest in Florida: GEICO ($590 per year)
• Cheapest in Pennsylvania: GEICO (at $543 per year)

MoneyGeek found USAA to be the cheapest company in both Florida and Pennsylvania, at roughly $406 and $374 per year, respectively. However, these policies are only available to military families.

While the same company provides the cheapest premiums in both Florida and Pennsylvania, the pricing changes for each state. For example, GEICO policies in Pennsylvania are $47 cheaper compared to GEICO Florida.

The level of coverage you purchase determines the cost of your auto insurance.

The average cost of state minimum coverage in Florida and Pennsylvania is $1,123 and $912, respectively. This means that drivers in Pennsylvania save an average of $211 on the state's minimum coverage compared to Florida drivers. The average cost of full coverage is $2,208 in Florida and $1,818 in Pennsylvania.

These rates are average rates. Your actual rates might be more or less depending on the level of coverage you choose.

There are several factors that might contribute to Florida's higher premiums when compared to Pennsylvania. It’s impossible to attribute rate variations to any specific factor. Impacting criteria include the state's high theft rate, the state's high rate of uninsured drivers and more.

Auto insurance costs vary by state, and your premiums are determined by the city in which you live. MoneyGeek researched and found the cheapest and most expensive cities in Florida and Pennsylvania for car insurance, on average.

Florida

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

Pennsylvania

• Cheapest city: Pittsburgh ($497 per year)
• Most expensive city: Philadelphia ($1,068 per year)

In any given state, the car insurance requirements stay the same regardless of the city you live in. Therefore, this is not a cost factor. Areas with larger populations can lead to higher rates.

Moving from Florida to Pennsylvania or vice versa requires updating your driver's license, vehicle registration and car insurance coverage.

If you're relocating to a state where your existing insurance provider is available, you may be able to maintain it. However, you should be aware that your premiums may rise to reflect the increased risks and coverage requirements.

MoneyGeek has a variety of resources to help you choose the insurance coverage that best suits your requirements.

The regulations and rates for auto insurance in Florida and Pennsylvania vary. MoneyGeek answers some frequently asked questions regarding car insurance in both states to help you get the best coverage.

To calculate average car insurance rates by company and across Florida and Pennsylvania, 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 the state were sourced from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) of the respective state.