Carriers Writing Drivers-With-Points Policies in Florida

Preferred carriers — State Farm, GEICO, Progressive's standard tier, Allstate, and USAA for military families — typically retain existing customers after a first violation of 3 to 4 points. New business underwriting is stricter: most preferred carriers decline applications from drivers with any points on record at the time of quote. If you already have coverage with a preferred carrier when you receive your first ticket, expect a surcharge of 20 to 40 percent at your next renewal, but you will likely remain in preferred pricing. State Farm and USAA have the highest retention rates for single-violation drivers in Florida. Both carriers apply tiered surcharges rather than immediate declination, and both offer accident forgiveness programs that waive the first at-fault accident or minor violation for drivers who meet eligibility criteria. GEICO and Progressive move single-violation drivers to standard pricing more quickly, but their standard tiers remain competitive with other carriers' preferred rates for clean-record drivers. Preferred carriers begin declining renewals at 6 points. If you receive a second ticket within 36 months and cross the 6-point threshold, your current preferred carrier will typically non-renew your policy at the end of the term. You will receive a non-renewal notice 45 to 120 days before your policy expires under Florida law, giving you time to shop standard-market carriers before your coverage lapses.

Standard carriers write the majority of Florida drivers with 6 to 11 points. This tier includes Progressive's standard and mid-tier placements, Kemper, Bristol West, National General, and The General. Monthly premiums for liability-only coverage in this tier typically range from $180 to $280 for a driver with 6 points and one at-fault accident in the past three years. Full coverage with collision and comprehensive adds $120 to $200 per month depending on vehicle value and deductible selection. Kemper and National General specialize in multi-violation drivers and offer the most flexible underwriting in Florida's standard market. Both carriers quote drivers up to 11 points and will write policies for drivers with two at-fault accidents in three years, a combination that triggers automatic declination at most preferred and many standard carriers. Bristol West operates as a non-standard carrier in most states but functions as a bridge-tier carrier in Florida, writing drivers who fall between standard and full non-standard risk. Standard carriers apply violation-specific surcharges that stack with point-count surcharges. A driver with 6 points from two speeding tickets will pay a base rate increase for the point count plus individual surcharges for each ticket, typically 25 to 35 percent for the first ticket and 40 to 50 percent for the second. These surcharges decrease annually as violations age, but they do not drop to zero until the violation falls outside the carrier's lookback window, which ranges from 3 to 5 years depending on the carrier and violation type.

Non-standard carriers write drivers who have been suspended, have 12 or more points, or carry three or more violations in a three-year window. The General, Infinity, Acceptance, Direct Auto, and Safe Auto operate Florida's non-standard market. Monthly liability premiums in this tier range from $240 to $450 depending on violation count, suspension history, and county. Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties command the highest premiums due to higher uninsured motorist rates and elevated claim frequency. The General writes more multi-violation drivers in Florida than any other non-standard carrier. Their underwriting accepts up to three at-fault accidents in three years and will write policies immediately after license reinstatement following a points suspension. Infinity and Acceptance focus on drivers transitioning out of SR-22 filing periods or recovering from DUI convictions, but both will write standard points violations without SR-22 if the driver has been suspended. Non-standard premiums decrease faster than standard-market surcharges when violations age off. Most non-standard carriers re-tier drivers annually based on updated MVR pulls, and a driver who enters non-standard pricing with 12 points but accumulates no new violations will typically see a 15 to 25 percent rate reduction at each annual renewal as points fall below re-tier thresholds. After three years with no new violations, most non-standard carriers will refer the driver to a standard-market placement or write them at standard rates within the same company group.

Florida removes points from your driving record 3 years from the violation date, but carriers apply surcharges based on their own lookback periods. Most carriers surcharge moving violations for 3 years, at-fault accidents for 5 years, and major violations like reckless driving for 5 to 7 years. A speeding ticket received in January 2023 will drop off your Florida driving record in January 2026, but your carrier may continue applying a surcharge until January 2028 if their lookback period runs 5 years. Surcharge amounts decline annually at most carriers. A violation that triggered a 30 percent surcharge in year one typically decreases to 20 percent in year two and 10 percent in year three before dropping to zero. Progressive, GEICO, and Kemper all use declining surcharge schedules. State Farm and Allstate apply flat surcharges that persist for the full lookback period and then drop to zero at the end of the window. Completing a Florida-approved traffic school course removes up to 3 points from your record once every 12 months, but this does not automatically trigger a rate reduction. You must request a re-rate from your carrier and provide proof of course completion. Some carriers re-rate immediately upon receiving documentation; others apply the adjustment at your next renewal. If your carrier does not re-rate after a point reduction, shop competitors — a 3-point reduction often moves you from standard to preferred pricing at a new carrier even if your current carrier has not adjusted your rate.

Pull your Florida driving record from the FLHSMV website to confirm your current point total and verify which violations appear on your record. Carriers pull your MVR at application and renewal, and discrepancies between what you report and what appears on your record trigger automatic declination at most carriers. Knowing your exact point count and violation dates allows you to target carriers who write your specific risk profile rather than applying broadly and accumulating declinations. Shop at least three carriers in your tier. If you have 6 to 11 points, quote Kemper, National General, and Progressive's standard placement. If you have 12 or more points or a recent suspension, quote The General, Infinity, and Acceptance. Premium variation between carriers at the same risk tier ranges from 30 to 60 percent in Florida's non-standard market, and the lowest quote is rarely the carrier with the largest advertising budget. If you are within 6 months of a violation falling off your record, consider whether a short-term non-standard policy bridges you to preferred pricing. A driver currently at 6 points from two tickets, with one ticket expiring in 4 months, may pay less over 12 months by accepting a non-standard 6-month policy and then re-shopping at preferred rates after the point reduction than by locking into a 12-month standard-market policy that cannot be re-rated mid-term.