The General Car Insurance With Points in Florida: Rates and Eligibility

The General underwrites non-standard auto insurance, which means they accept drivers other carriers decline or surcharge heavily. In Florida, where a single speeding ticket of 15 mph over adds 3 points and triggers a 20–40% rate increase at most preferred carriers, The General quotes drivers with 3–12 points on record without automatic declination. Standard-market carriers like State Farm or Allstate typically decline new applicants at 6 points or route them to subsidiary non-standard programs with higher premiums. The General's pricing reflects elevated risk but remains competitive within the non-standard tier. A Florida driver with one at-fault accident (4 points) and a clean prior record pays approximately $180–$240/mo for state minimum liability coverage through The General. The same driver quoted through Progressive or GEICO's standard programs would see either a declination or a quote routed to a non-standard subsidiary at $200–$300/mo. The General's advantage is direct non-standard underwriting without the preferred-carrier declination step. Florida operates a points-based suspension system under Florida Statutes 322.27. Accumulating 12 points within 12 months triggers a 30-day suspension, 18 points within 18 months triggers a 3-month suspension, and 24 points within 36 months triggers a 1-year suspension. The General insures drivers approaching but not exceeding these thresholds. Once a suspension occurs, reinstatement requires an FR-44 filing for three years if alcohol-related or an SR-22 equivalent for other serious violations, which The General also underwrites.

The General accepts drivers with speeding tickets, at-fault accidents, reckless driving citations, and license suspensions that have been reinstated. Eligibility depends on total point count, violation recency, and whether the driver currently holds a valid Florida license. A driver with 3–6 points from a single speeding ticket or minor at-fault accident qualifies immediately. A driver with 9–12 points from multiple violations qualifies if those violations occurred over an 18-month or longer period, signaling spacing rather than pattern acceleration. The General declines drivers with an active suspension, a DUI conviction within the past three years, or a lapsed insurance history exceeding 90 days in the past 12 months. Florida imposes additional penalties for coverage lapses: drivers who allow coverage to lapse for more than 30 days face license suspension and a $150 reinstatement fee under Florida Statutes 324.091. The General requires proof of prior insurance or a reinstatement confirmation letter if a lapse occurred. Drivers who have completed their suspension period and obtained reinstatement qualify for standard non-standard coverage. If the suspension was alcohol-related or involved a refusal to submit to testing, Florida requires FR-44 filing for three years. The General provides FR-44 certificates as part of the policy at no additional filing fee, though the underlying premium reflects the elevated risk category.

The General prices policies using a tiered surcharge model based on total points and violation type. A first speeding ticket of 15 mph over (3 points) adds approximately 25–35% to the base rate. A second speeding ticket within 12 months (6 total points) adds 50–70% to the base rate. An at-fault accident (4 points) typically increases premiums by 40–60%, and a reckless driving citation (4 points) adds 50–80% depending on the severity documented in the citation. Florida points remain on the driving record for 3–5 years depending on the violation. Speeding tickets and minor moving violations stay for 3 years. At-fault accidents stay for 3 years. Reckless driving and serious citations stay for 5 years. Points affect DMV suspension calculations only within their respective rolling windows: 12 months for the first threshold, 18 months for the second, 36 months for the third. Insurance surcharges typically last 3 years from the violation date, regardless of when points officially fall off the DMV record. The General reviews driving records at each renewal. If a violation ages past the 3-year surcharge window and no new violations have occurred, the surcharge drops at the next renewal. Drivers must request a rate review if the automatic renewal quote does not reflect the expired surcharge. Completing a Florida-approved Basic Driver Improvement course removes up to 3 points from the DMV record and can reduce The General's surcharge by 10–15%, but only if the course completion is reported to the carrier before renewal processing.

Florida requires minimum liability coverage of $10,000 bodily injury per person, $20,000 bodily injury per accident, and $10,000 property damage (10/20/10). The General offers state minimum policies as well as higher-limit options. Drivers with points should consider liability limits above the state minimum because an at-fault accident while already carrying a pointed record can trigger both a civil judgment and additional points, compounding financial exposure. The General offers optional collision and comprehensive coverage, but availability depends on vehicle age and value. Vehicles older than 10 years or valued under $5,000 typically do not qualify for physical damage coverage through non-standard carriers. Uninsured motorist coverage is not mandatory in Florida but is available through The General at $15–$30/mo for 10/20 limits. Given that Florida's uninsured driver rate is approximately 20%, uninsured motorist coverage provides meaningful protection for drivers who cannot afford to absorb another accident-related rate increase. The General does not offer accident forgiveness or vanishing deductibles for drivers with pointed records. These features are standard-market perks reserved for preferred-tier drivers. The General's value proposition is access to coverage when other carriers decline, not premium reduction through feature layering.

The General provides quotes directly through their website, by phone, and through independent agents. Florida drivers should provide their driver license number, current insurance declaration page if available, and violation details including citation dates and disposition. The General pulls a motor vehicle report (MVR) during underwriting, which reflects all points and violations reported to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Quotes typically generate within 10–15 minutes for straightforward point histories. Complex histories involving multiple violations, prior suspensions, or coverage gaps may require manual underwriting review, extending the quote timeline to 24–48 hours. The General does not soft-decline by offering an unaffordable quote; if a driver qualifies, the quote reflects the actual underwriting tier and surcharge structure. Drivers with points should compare The General against other non-standard carriers operating in Florida: Safe Auto, Acceptance Insurance, Dairyland, and Direct Auto. Each carrier underwrites points differently. A driver declined by one non-standard carrier may qualify with another based on violation type, spacing, or claims history. Shopping at least three non-standard carriers typically surfaces a rate spread of 15–30%, with The General often competitive for drivers with 3–9 points but less competitive for drivers with 10+ points or multiple at-fault accidents.

The General handles claims through a direct phone line and online portal. Florida is a no-fault state for personal injury protection (PIP) claims, but property damage and liability claims follow traditional at-fault rules. If a pointed-record driver files an at-fault claim with The General, the claim adds 4 points to the DMV record and triggers an additional surcharge at renewal, compounding the existing point-related surcharge. The General's claims process requires a police report for any accident involving injury, death, or property damage exceeding $500 under Florida Statutes 316.066. Filing a claim does not automatically trigger non-renewal, but multiple claims within a 12-month period increase non-renewal risk. Drivers who file two at-fault claims within 18 months are typically non-renewed at the end of the policy term and must seek coverage from another non-standard carrier or enter the Florida Automobile Joint Underwriting Association (FAJUA), the state's assigned-risk pool. Drivers should document all accident details, collect witness information, and photograph vehicle damage before moving vehicles if safe to do so. The General's claims adjusters assess fault based on the police report, witness statements, and Florida's comparative negligence rules. If fault is disputed, the driver can request an independent appraisal, though this extends the claim resolution timeline by 15–30 days.

Points fall off the Florida DMV record after 3–5 years depending on violation type, but insurance surcharges typically last only 3 years from the violation date. Once the 3-year surcharge window closes and no new violations have occurred, drivers should re-quote with standard-market carriers. A driver who entered the non-standard market due to a single speeding ticket can often return to a preferred carrier once that ticket ages past 36 months, reducing premiums by 20–40%. The General does not automatically reduce rates to standard-market levels once violations age off. Their pricing reflects non-standard underwriting even after a driver's record improves. Drivers should request quotes from State Farm, GEICO, Progressive, and Allstate once their violation reaches the 3-year mark. If the standard-market quote is lower than The General's renewal offer, switching carriers immediately captures the savings without waiting for The General's renewal cycle. Florida drivers can cancel a policy mid-term without penalty under Florida Statutes 627.7263. The carrier must refund any unearned premium within 10 business days. Drivers should confirm the new policy's effective date matches or precedes the cancellation date of the old policy to avoid a coverage gap, which would trigger license suspension and a $150 reinstatement fee.