Car Insurance in Fort Lauderdale, Florida [The Complete Guide]

Car insurance can be confusing, especially since there are different providers and rates in every city. If you live in or are thinking of moving to Fort Lauderdale, you may be overwhelmed by the car insurance options.

To help you save money and feel confident in your decision, we are going to guide you through Fort Lauderdale’s car insurance options. We will cover the main factors that raise rates, from zip codes to demographics, so that you can pick the provider that meets your budget.

We will also look at important aspects of living in Fort Lauderdale. Since the last thing you want is to live in a city you end up hating, we will look at everything from crime rates to living costs in Fort Lauderdale.

Hang on tight, because we are going to jump right into it. Enter your zip code above to start comparison shopping today.

 The Cost of Car Insurance in Fort Lauderdale

Car insurance can be expensive, but being in an accident without car insurance is even more expensive. The tip to avoid going bankrupt in an accident is to shop around for car insurance.

By shopping around for car insurance, you can find a provider that fits your budget and avoid the temptation to drive without insurance.

To help you find a provider, we are going to go through everything that affects your rates, from age to credit history.

Male vs. Female vs. Age

Gender and age are two things that insurers look at when determining rates. Age is probably the more important factor that insurers base rates on.

The median age in Fort Lauderdale is 42.2 years.

Why should you care what the median age is? Well, Fort Lauderdale’s median age tells us that most drivers will have average rates.

This is because younger drivers receive higher rates due to inexperience. Elderly drivers will also receive higher rates. Because most drivers in Fort Lauderdale are in their 40s, they are receiving normal rates.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at what each ages’ normal rates are in Fort Lauderdale by looking at Quadrant’s demographic data.

Drivers aged 35 have the second cheapest rate in Fort Lauderdale, meaning the majority of Fort Lauderdale’s median age drivers are receiving this rate. Besides age, gender also shows vast differences in cost.

• Male’s Average Premium: $5,863
• Female’s Average Premium: $5,544

Insurers consider males to be higher risk drivers based on accident data, which is why males have higher premiums than females in Fort Lauderdale.

The table below shows how gender and age combine in Fort Lauderdale to form rates.

Sometimes, being married results in not just a life partner but also a discount on car insurance. Insurers view married couples as more reliable, as two people are responsible for paying bills and accident costs.

Drivers aged 60 will also receive the cheapest rates regardless of marital status, whereas teens have the highest rates.

Cheapest Zip Codes in Fort Lauderdale

Even within a city, moving to a different location twenty minutes away can change your insurance rates. This is because some areas are simply riskier to insure a car in than others.

Accident rates, crime, and natural disasters can result in insurers raising rates, so make sure to check zip codes’ prices before moving as price differences will give you an idea of areas’ safety.

The good news is that the increase in rates between the most and least expensive zip codes is less than $400. In other cities across the U.S., a rate increase between zip codes can be in the thousands.

What’s the Best Car Insurance Company in Fort Lauderdale?

It can be hard to pick out a provider when there are so many available. One of the ways we can help you decide is by showing you the differences in providers’ rates.

We will go through everything you need to know about providers’ costs and how rates change based on factors like commute distance and driving records.

Cheapest Car Insurance Rates by Company

Cost is usually an important factor when people decide between two providers. Below, we’ve listed the cheapest providers available in Fort Lauderdale.

It is important to realize that while a company may have the cheapest overall rate, they could charge significantly more than other companies for your demographic.

Because of this, we recommend looking at the demographic rates of a company when shopping for car insurance.

Best Car Insurance for Commute Rates

Long commutes can be miserable. You get up earlier, spend more on gas, and miss out on valuable downtime. Unfortunately, some companies will also charge you more for a longer commute.

The average driver in Florida travels 14,465 miles a year. This mileage places most drivers in insurer’s category of a long commute distance.

The table below shows which Fort Lauderdale companies increase prices based on commute.

Nationwide and Progressive are the only companies on the list who DON’T increase prices based on commute. Other companies have high price increases.

For instance, Allstate charges drivers over $400 more if they have a longer commute.

If your provider is charging you extra, you may wish to switch to a company that doesn’t charge for a long commute. Of course, you will want to make sure that the overall cost at the new company is still less than your current premium.

Best Car Insurance for Coverage Level Rates

While the increased cost of high coverage can make most people settle on medium or low coverage, high coverage is invaluable in an accident.

If you accidentally back into to someone’s car, high coverage will make sure you aren’t paying out of pocket for car repairs.

Below, we’ve listed the cost differences between coverage levels in Fort Lauderdale.

Generally, the leap from low to high coverage in Fort Lauderdale is about an extra thousand a year. If this is too much for your budget,  consider purchasing a medium coverage instead.

Best Car Insurance for Credit History Rates

Credit score impacts our eligibility for purchasing everything from houses to car insurance. Insurers will give higher rates to customers with a poor credit score.

If you have poor credit, make sure to shop around at providers. Some providers will charge you less for poor credit than others.

At most companies in Fort Lauderdale, the jump from poor to good credit is over $2,000. At Allstate, the rate is even more astronomical. Poor credit will cost you about an extra $6,000 a year.

Best Car Insurance for Driving Record Rates

Most people know that accidents, DUIs, and speeding tickets will raise their rates, but not everyone knows just how much their costs will increase.

To show you how important your driving record is to insurers, we are going to take a look at rate increases caused by driving records.

At all companies, a bad driving record raises rates. Though increases vary from company to company, generally speeding violations will raise rates less than accidents or DUIs.

The best way to make sure you aren’t paying thousands more on car insurance is to keep as clean a driving record as possible with careful and safe driving practices.

Car Insurance Factors in Fort Lauderdale

Other factors can also influence the cost of car insurance. From the prosperity of a city to employment levels, multiple environmental factors can influence how much insurers choose to charge.

So stick with us, because we are going to go through the main car insurance factors in Fort Lauderdale.

Growth and Prosperity

Why should you care about growth and prosperity? Well, growth and prosperity show how well a city is doing economically, which influence how successful you’ll be at finding a decent job.

• Growth —  Growth looks at a city’s economy, entrepreneurial activity, and the number of jobs.
• Prosperity — Prosperity looks at the average wealth and income in a city to measure the city’s productivity.

Let’s start by looking at Metro’s information on prosperity.

• Productivity: -3.5 percent (85th of 100)
• Standard of living: +2.5 percent (69th of 100)
• Average annual wage: +3.7 percent (60th of 100)

The good news is that while productivity has taken a slight dip, the average annual wage and standard of living have increased. Below, you will see further data on Fort Lauderdale’s growth.

• Jobs: +14.3 percent (21st of 100)
• Gross metropolitan product (GMP): +10.4 percent (42nd of 100)
• Jobs at young firms: +14.7 percent (15th of 100)

Once again, Fort Lauderdale’s numbers look good. The number of jobs has grown, as has the gross metropolitan product (the value of goods/services produced by a city).

Median Household Income

We pay a significant sum of our income on car insurance every month. To see what the average Fort Lauderdale resident earns each year, let’s take a look at the average median income.

Fort Lauderdale residents earn more than the average Florida resident, though less than the average United States resident. On average, Fort Lauderdale residents earn $52,315 a year.

Since the average Fort Lauderdale resident pays $4,809 a year on car insurance, the percentage of income going to car insurance is just over nine percent.

This percentage is fairly high, considering all the other things you have to spend money on — rent/mortgage, groceries, utilities, health insurance, and much more.

Depending on what you earn, your percentage could be less or more. If you want to find out what percentage of income you spend on car insurance, enter your income and car insurance premium into our free calculator below.

CalculatorPro

Homeownership in Fort Lauderdale

Generally, owning a home will help your car insurance rates. Why? Because most insurers view homeowners as more responsible than renters (insurers see homeowners as more likely to provide prompt payments).

With this in mind, let’s take a look at the number of homeowners in Fort Lauderdale.

52.4 percent of Fort Lauderdale residents owned homes in 2017, though this percentage decreased slightly since 2016 (when there was 52.6 percent ownership).

This number is low in comparison to Florida’s average of 64.8 percent homeownership. The average values of homes in Fort Lauderdale could have something to do with this, as the median value of homes is high.

The average value of a home in Fort Lauderdale is $297,200, which is high for Florida. These costs could be why fewer people own homes in Fort Lauderdale.

– Education in Fort Lauderdale

If you are thinking about attending school in Fort Lauderdale, you’re probably wondering what colleges Fort Lauderdale has to offer.

Fort Lauderdale has a total of six higher education colleges, which awarded 18,920 degrees in 2016.

The largest school is Broward College, as it awarded 13,141 degrees in 2016 (making up a majority of the students in Fort Lauderdale).

Fort Lauderdale’s colleges are as follows.

• Broward College
• Keiser University-Fort Lauderdale
• City College-Fort Lauderdale
• Atlantic Institute of Oriental Medicine
• The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale
• Sanford-Brown Institute-Fort Lauderdale

Broward College, the largest college in Fort Lauderdale, is a community college. They offer multiple two-year accreditation programs, as well as a few bachelor degrees like B.A.s in nursing.

If you find yourself struggling to make classes, Broward College also offers online courses.

Fort Lauderdale has a high percentage of people in management positions, and Broward College offers multiple accreditations in management, from office management to supply chain management.

Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

In every city, wages vary by race and ethnicity in job fields. To see what different races and ethnicities are earning in Fort Lauderdale and what they are paying for car insurance, we are going to look at wages for miscellaneous managers.

Even the highest paying race or ethnicity (Asians) spend 5 percent of their income on car insurance. In the lowest paid race or ethnicity, this percentage jumps to over nine percent.

Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

Despite the progress made in gender equality over the decades, a distinct wage gap still exists. Below are salaries for females and males in Fort Lauderdale in the SAME job fields.

In every job field, females earn considerably less than males. Below are the genders’ average salaries in Fort Lauderdale.

• Males’ Average Salary: $58,931
• Females’ Average Salary: $44,078

The difference in salaries means that while males pay eight percent of their income on car insurance, females spend almost 11 percent.

Poverty by Age and Gender

Just like wage differences between genders, poverty also tends to affect one gender more than the other. In Fort Lauderdale, more females than males are in poverty.

The most poverty-stricken gender and age are females aged 25 – 34 (3,280 females).

Out of the Fort Lauderdale residents determined to be living in poverty, there are 19.3 percent living below the poverty line. This number is higher than the national average living below the poverty line (13.4 percent).

Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Just like gender and age, race and ethnicity also show differences in the percentages affected by poverty.

In Fort Lauderdale, Blacks are the most poverty-stricken, with 17,742 Blacks living in poverty. The next poorest are whites (14,620 people) and Hispanics (6,397 people).

Employment by Occupations

If you are thinking of moving to a new city, you’ll first need a new job. The most common jobs in Fort Lauderdale are the following.

• Management Occupations (11,876 people)
• Sales and Related Occupations (11,672 people)
• Office and Administrative Support Occupations (9,856 people)

If you are looking for a job in Fort Lauderdale, these will be the most common occupations to be found. If you haven’t earned a degree yet, Broward College offers a number of degrees in the job fields above.

Driving in Fort Lauderdale

Driving around cities can daunt all but the most experienced and confident drivers. Even for experienced drivers, city driving can be frustrating.

Traffic, road repairs, and limited parking can make it difficult to find the best route to your destination. To help you navigate Fort Lauderdale’s roads, we are going to go through everything from major roads to traffic.

So next time you start your car’s ignition for a trip through Fort Lauderdale, you can feel confident that you’ll arrive with the least stress possible.

Stick with us, because we are going to dive right in Fort Lauderdale’s important driving facts.

Roads in Fort Lauderdale

The first thing we want to look at is Fort Lauderdale’s roads. The last thing you want is to drive around a city prone to numerous accidents and riddled with toll roads.

That’s why we are going to look at everything from major highways to the city’s use of speeding and red light cameras.

Let’s get started.

Major Highways

Highways are essential to ferrying traffic to destinations quickly and efficiently. The state of Florida has 12 active routes, which make up 1,497 miles of roadway in Florida.

Two of these major highways, I-595 and I-95, pass through Fort Lauderdale.

Other smaller highways run through Fort Lauderdale, but I-95 and I-595 are the largest.

Highways are usually the fastest way to get to work — unless there are accidents and traffic. Toll roads can slow the commute time down even more.

Because Fort Lauderdale is near Maimi (a major hotspot in Florida for visitors), there are toll roads on Fort Lauderdale’s highways. If you are traveling through toll roads frequently, you may want to purchase a SunPass.

A SunPass eliminates the need to pay with cash, as it is accepted at cashless toll booths across Florida. The SunPass device costs around $20, but the user then has to set up an account to which tolls can be billed.

Drivers with SunPass pay the lowest tolls available on Florida’s highways, which means that the toll savings will quickly offset the initial cost of purchasing the device.

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Popular Road Trips/Sites

Now that you are prepared for Fort Lauderdale’s highways and tolls, where should you venture to on Fort Lauderdale’s roads? Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding areas of Florida contain plenty of fun things to do, which is why we’ve compiled a list of enjoyable road trips.

Below are some fun road trips to take if you want to venture outside of Fort Lauderdale for entertainment.

• Florida Natural Wonders — If taking the perfect nature shot excites you, then you need to go on a road trip to see the best of Florida’s natural wonders.
• Florida Terrifying Locations — This trip isn’t for everyone, but if you enjoy haunted houses and scary movies, then this trip is perfect for you. From haunted hotels to mass graves, this trip is guaranteed to raise the hair on the back of your neck.
• Florida Lighthouses — A seaside state, Florida features numerous beautiful and historic lighthouses. If you want to spend an idle weekend driving up the coast, this trip is for you.

Even if you’ve lived in Florida your whole life, Fort Lauderdale and Florida offer plenty to see and do next time you are feeling bored.

Fort Lauderdale Speeding and Red Light Cameras

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Fort Lauderdale uses red light cameras but not speeding cameras.

Red light cameras detect if a car runs a red light and automatically take a picture so law enforcement can send the driver a ticket.

While the use of red light cameras is a subject of dissent among many Florida residents, they are still in use across Florida despite efforts to overturn the red light camera law.

Vehicles in Fort Lauderdale

Vehicles are most people’s method of transportation today. While some cities may have fewer vehicles (due to factors like city parking and ease of access to public transit), most cities show a high rate of vehicle ownership.

With vehicle ownership comes problems, such as vehicle theft. To see what vehicle ownership is like in Fort Lauderdale, and to see how safe your vehicle is, we are going to take a look at Fort Lauderdale’s data.

Let’s get started.

Fort Lauderdale Cars Per Household

Most households (36.1k) own two cars in Fort Lauderdale. The rest of the majority of households own one or three cars, which is common in most American households.

A minuscule number of households (1.24k) own five or more cars, which may result in higher resident parking costs if the owner lives directly in the city.

Households Without a Car

A small percentage of people in Fort Lauderdale depend entirely on public transportation or ridesharing to reach their destinations.

From 2015 to 2016, the percentage of households without vehicles dropped slightly. If more people continue getting cars in Fort Lauderdale, these numbers will keep dropping.

Speed Traps in Fort Lauderdale

Speed traps result in hundreds or thousands of speeding tickets handed out each year in cities. What is a speed trap? It’s when law enforcement is able to park out of view of the road, making it easier to catch people speeding.

The good news is that Fort Lauderdale isn’t one of the top 10 worst cities in Florida for speed traps.

There will still be speed traps throughout the city, though, so make sure to drive the speed limit to avoid a ticket.

Vehicle Theft in Fort Lauderdale

Imagine walking towards where you parked your car, only to stand in bewilderment as you look at an empty parking spot. It may take a few minutes of frantic searching to realize that you aren’t losing your mind, and your car was indeed stolen.

The FBI reported that in 2013, there were 567 vehicles stolen within the Fort Lauderdale area. Unfortunately, this number has grown over the years.

Neighborhood Scout found that in 2017, there were 936 vehicle stolen. That’s almost four hundred more vehicles stolen than in 2013.

Of course, your chances of having your vehicle stolen are slightly less if you live in a safer area of Fort Lauderdale. Neighborhood Scout lists the safest neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale as Riverland Rd/SW 34th Avenue.

Other safe neighborhoods include the following in Fort Lauderdale.

• N Ocean Blvd/Galt Ocean Drive
• SE 5th Ct/N Rio Vista Blvd
• Harbor Beach/Harbor Heights
• Nurmi Isles
• SW 4th Ave/SW 24th St
• Imperial Point
• Bayview Dr/NE 49th St
• Bayview Dr/NE 26th St
• Sunrise

These neighborhoods are the safest places to live in Fort Lauderdale, as the crime rates are lower. This doesn’t mean that your chances of being the victim of violent crime are completely eliminated, though.

In Fort Lauderdale, you have a one in 162 chance of being the victim of a violent crime.

Fort Lauderdale’s chance is much higher than Florida’s chance, where you have a one in 245 chance of being the victim of a violent crime.

The high number of violent crimes in Fort Lauderdale could be why Fort Lauderdale’s crime index rating is only two.

Why is this bad?

Because it means Fort Lauderdale is only safer than 2 percent of all U.S. cities. Let’s dig a little deeper and look at Fort Lauderdale’s annual crimes from 2017.

Fort Lauderdale has high crime rates, so make sure to live in one of the safer neighborhoods to lessen your chances of being a crime victim.

Traffic

Another major part of driving we want to cover is traffic. If you hate sitting in traffic, you’ll want to make sure your chosen city isn’t notorious for delays.

To give you an idea of what driving around Fort Lauderdale will be like, we are going to go through everything from traffic congestion to the best repair shops in case someone rear ends you in a rush to get to work.

So stick with us, because we are going to jump right into the details of Fort Lauderdale’s traffic.

Traffic Congestion in Fort Lauderdale

The good news is that Fort Lauderdale didn’t make it onto any major traffic scorecards (such as Inrix). Instead, cities like Jacksonville or Miami are listed as the worst cities for traffic in Florida. 

While Fort Lauderdale isn’t on the list, though, you will still have to deal with normal city traffic. As well, if special events are happening in Fort Lauderdale, expect to leave earlier to work to beat local and tourist traffic. 

Transportation

In Fort Lauderdale, most residents spend 24.6 minutes commuting to work (equaling 50 minutes a day). This is just slightly less than the U.S. average commute time of 25.1 minutes.

2.75 percent of Fort Lauderdale residents have super commutes (longer than 90 minutes).

Luckily, most Fort Lauderdale residents aren’t driving three hours every day to and from work. Below is how most Fort Lauderdale residents get to work.

While the vast majority of residents drive alone, other residents carpool or work at home (which significantly reduces transportation costs).

How Safe are Fort Lauderdale’s Streets and Roads?

Do you know how safe you are when driving around Fort Lauderdale? Sometimes, even if you drive perfectly, another driver can cause an accident.

To see how safe Fort Lauderdale’s streets and roads are, we are going to look at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) data on fatalities in Broward County.

Up first, we have the numbers for all fatal crashes.

The bad news is that the number of fatalities increased from 2013 to 2017. Let’s dig a little deeper into these numbers by looking at the main causes of fatal crashes in Fort Lauderdale.

In single-vehicle crashes and intersection/intersection-related crashes, Broward County has seen an increase in fatalities over the years. And car passengers aren’t the only victims.

Pedestrians and pedalcyclists are also at risk of being hit and killed by vehicles.

Since you can’t always depend on drivers to be paying attention, keep an eye on the road and wear bright, reflective clothing (especially at night).

So what are the most dangerous roads in Fort Lauderdale to be on? Below is the NHTSA’s data on the most dangerous highway types in Florida.

2,922

In 2017, there were 2,922 fatal crashes on Florida’s roads. Below are definitions for the road types in the table above.

• Arterial — Arterial roads are designed for large amounts of traffic. These roads can be classified as arterial (highways) or minor arterials depending on the volume of average traffic.
• Collector Road — These roads collect local traffic and bring it to arterial roads.

Make sure to stay alert on the roads that have the most crashes in Florida, such as arterial roads. Finally, we want to take a look at US DOT’s information on railroad and highway crash incidents.

If you are driving on one of the roads listed above, be aware that a number of crashes have occurred on them.

Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report

Allstate collected driving data to form a report on America’s drivers. Below is Fort Lauderdale’s safe driving report.

The average time between claims in Fort Lauderdale is nine years. This means that most Fort Lauderdale drivers only get into an accident every nine years, which isn’t terrible.

As for hard-braking incidents, hard-braking isn’t always a result of inattention, where a driver isn’t paying attention and has to slam on the brakes to avoid rear-ending someone.

Hard-braking can also be indicative of drivers being alert, as they may slam on the brakes to avoid hitting wildlife or a car that suddenly stops without warning.

Ridesharing

Sometimes, a car that refuses to start or a night out with friends merits using a ridesharing service. Below are the main ridesharing services available in Fort Lauderdale, in order from least to most expensive.

• Taxi — Surprisingly, traditional taxis in Fort Lauderdale are generally cheaper than ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft.
• Curb — Curb, another traditional taxi system, is the next cheapest in Fort Lauderdale (although Uber X is less than Curb, other Uber options are more expensive).
• Uber — Uber is more expensive than traditional taxi rides, especially if you chose luxury rides.
• Lyft — Lyft’s rates are slightly more than Uber’s rates in Fort Lauderdale for most ride types.

Looking at rates for your destination on sites like RideGuru can help you bring your costs down.

EStar Repair Shops

Esurance rates repair shops through their EStar network so that people can find the best shop in their area to repair their car. Below is a list of the top 10 EStar repair shops in or around Fort Lauderdale.

Next time your car needs repairs, make sure to check out EStar repair shops to get the best service and prices possible.

Weather

Let’s face it: weather is important. It impacts everything from where you choose to live, and what kind of home you may decide to purchase. It can impact your physical health, all the way down to your hair and the hair products that you choose to use. And for the purposes of this piece, it may even impact what you choose to drive, when you choose to drive, and where you choose to drive.

The good news? Florida is known as the sunshine state, and Fort Lauderdale’s weather demonstrates why. Let’s take a look at U.S. Climate’s data on Fort Lauderdale’s average weather.

Even in December, Fort Lauderdale’s lowest average temperature is only 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of this, snowfall is incredibly rare, and sunny days are common.

Fort Lauderdale does see a bit of rain, though, with an average of 66 inches falling a year.

As for natural disasters, Fort Lauderdale has had numerous natural disasters occur. The number of natural disasters (24) in Broward County is MUCH higher than the US average of 13 natural disasters.

Broward County has experienced the following (in order of most to least occurrences): hurricanes, fires, floods, tornadoes, freezes, tropical storms, heavy rain, storm, and wind.

Freezes have only occurred twice in Broward County, while hurricanes have occurred 14 times. So what should you do to prepare for natural disasters?

Beyond following basic safety protocol, you should make sure to have comprehensive coverage on your vehicle. In the aftermath of a natural disaster, the last thing you want is to worry about repairing your car.

Comprehensive coverage will cover the costs of damages or replacement for your vehicle in case of natural disasters, theft, or vandalism. It will cover any damages caused by an accident that was NOT a collision with another vehicle.

In other words, if a store sign falls on your parked car from heavy winds, comprehensive coverage will pay for repairs.

Public Transit

If you don’t own a car, there are still plenty of transport options available in Fort Lauderdale, from buses to trolley systems.

The main bus system in Fort Lauderdale is Broward County Transit. Basic prices for adults on the standard bus system are listed below (rates do change for youth, seniors, and college students).

• One Way Pass — $2
• All Day Pass — $5
• 3 Day Pass — $12
• 7 Day Pass (or 10 Ride Pass) — $20
• 31 Day Pass — $70

Other transportation options include Amtrack, Brightline, River Walk Trolley, Sun Trolley, Tri-Rail, and Water Taxi. No matter where you want to go, Fort Lauderdale offers you a way to get there (whether on land or water).

Alternate Transportation

If you would rather get around the city on a bike or scooter than on a bus, Fort Lauderdale has plenty of options. Two well-known companies are Lime and Bird.

Lime offers both bike and scooter rentals, while Bird offers just scooters.

At both companies, you pay a small fee to unlock a scooter and then pay per minute for your ride. Both are activated through apps that you can easily download on your phone and use to pay.

Parking in Metro Areas

Wondering what the best places to park in Fort Lauderdale are? We are going to go through what parking is available in Fort Lauderdale, as well as where you can charge an electric vehicle.

Fort Lauderdale has street parking available all across the city, but street parking is metered and usually has a maximum limit (meaning you’ll have to add more money to the meter if you exceed the time limit).

The good news is that you won’t have to run out to the meter to extend your time. If you download Fort Lauderdale’s meter app, you can pay the meter from anywhere.

If you don’t pay the meter and it expires, you risk getting a parking ticket. Because of this, some people may prefer using a parking garage for all day parking.

Fort Lauderdale only has a few parking garages, but the garages offer 12 to 24-hour parking, which makes things easier if you are going to be somewhere for a while.

As for satellite parking, this is offered at Fort Lauderdale’s airport, making it easy to leave your car in longterm parking.

If you have an electric vehicle, Fort Lauderdale has a total of 213 charging stations within a 15 km radius of the city. Out of these charging stations, 60 are completely free.

Air Quality in Fort Lauderdale

When cars were first invented, the makers didn’t know that someday vehicles would be one of the main contributors to air pollution. Today, we know that constantly breathing in smog can have a negative effect on people’s health, placing environmental focus on reducing cars’ emissions.

Cities tend to have worse air than other areas due to the higher amounts of traffic. To see what Fort Lauderdale’s air is like, we are going to take a look at data from EPA’s air quality study.

The good news is that within a three-year span, Fort Lauderdale saw no unhealthy or very unhealthy days. In 2017, though, Fort Lauderdale did have five days that were unhealthy for sensitive groups.

Make sure to pay attention to air quality warnings if you are sensitive to air changes.

Military/Veterans

The military is part of our nation’s core, which is why we want to look at Fort Lauderdale’s insurance options for military personnel and veterans that can make life a little easier.

Car insurance is expensive. If you are military personnel or a veteran, Fort Lauderdale insurers may help you out.

So hang tight, because we are going to look at everything from veterans in Fort Lauderdale to car insurance discounts.

Veterans by Service Period

Right now, most places in the U.S. have a high number of Vietnam veterans compared to other veteran types (such as WWII veterans). Fort Lauderdale is no exception. A total of 3,270 veterans in Fort Lauderdale served in Vietnam.

The Gulf War (1990s) has the second highest amount of veterans in Fort Lauderdale, totaling 1,156 veterans. 

Military Bases Within an Hour

If you are planning on serving in the military, you are probably wondering what bases are near Fort Lauderdale.

United States Southern Command is within an hour of Fort Lauderdale. The base is responsible for command of U.S. military in multiple areas on land and sea.

So if you are looking to serve in the military or simply want to pay a visit, the United States Southern Command is an easy drive away.

Military Discounts by Providers

Most insurance providers honor military personnel by offering discounts. Below is a list of known providers who offer military discounts, along with the percentages saved by the discounts.

USAA also offers a military garaging discount, where you can save more for parking in garages. If you don’t see an insurer on the list above, make sure to still ask about discounts.

Some insurers that are located only in a city or state (instead of the well-known, countrywide insurers on the list) may still offer discounts to military personnel and veterans.

USAA in Fort Lauderdale

USAA is an insurer that offers car insurance only to military personnel and veterans. USAA offers premiums at a reduced rate compared to other insurers, making it an excellent choice of provider.

Below are USAA’s rates compared to its competitors.

USAA has by far the cheapest rate in Florida. At over 60 percent less than the Florida average, you can feel confident that you are getting the best deal possible.

Unique Fort Lauderdale City Laws

Even in the same state, driving laws can vary from city to city. This makes following the law a little tricky. While talking on a cellphone may be legal in one city, another city may ban the use of cellphones altogether.

To keep you from getting a ticket, we are going to go through all of Fort Lauderdale’s unique laws.

From cellphone use to parking laws, keep reading to learn the must-know laws in Fort Lauderdale.

Hands-Free Law

Florida has banned texting while driving. This means that whenever you send or read a large body of text, you are breaking the law.

Drivers may still use hands-free devices, such as bluetooth, while driving.

Enforcement of hands-free laws is secondary in Florida, meaning officers need a reason other than seeing someone texting to pull over a driver.

Currently, Broward County doesn’t have stricter laws, meaning you’ll have to follow Florida’s hands-free laws.

In the future, Florida may pass stricter hands-free and distracted driving laws.

Food Trucks

Thinking of going into the food truck business? Food trucks are a common sight in most cities, selling everything from ice cream to hotdogs on busy streets.

Before you can jump into your new business venture, though, you’ll need to make sure you carefully follow Broward County’s regulations. The last thing you want is to be shut down because you didn’t fill out the proper forms or follow health code regulations.

So what do you need?

Fort Lauderdale allows food trucks to operate year-round in the city (not just for special events), but you will need to make sure you have the following.

• Business tax application
• Permit application for a street vendor
• Proof of insurance
• Business name and phone number must be on the vehicle
• Submit pictures of the vehicle

Some other common sense requirements are having a driver’s license and a copy of the vehicle’s registration. You will also need to make sure you follow the county’s health code regulations and parking laws.

For instance, you aren’t allowed to park in front of fire hydrants or block intersections. Doing so will result in a parking ticket.

Tiny Homes

Tiny homes have become attractive to people who want to cut down on clutter and have a home that can move anywhere. Before you reject regular house living, though, you should be aware that tiny homes do have specific regulations.

Generally, a tiny home is considered a mobile home and must follow the same laws.

If you choose not to park in a mobile home park, you will need to file the proper permits and follow zoning ordinances for Fort Lauderdale.

Below is an example of a tiny home that meets Florida’s building requirements.

If you are on a plot of land, you will need access to a septic tank, water, and other utilities before you can be approved to legally live on the land.

Don’t let all these laws discourage you from owning a tiny home. Once you become familiar with Fort Lauderdale’s requirements, you’ll be set for when you want to move your tiny home around.

Parking Laws

In Florida, parking the wrong way is illegal and will result in a parking ticket. Why is wrong way parking against the law?

Because it places both you and other drivers at risk. To get in and out of a wrong way parking spot, you’ll have to pull into oncoming traffic.

Play it safe and avoid a ticket by parking on the right side of the street — facing the direction of traffic. While you can’t reserve spots on the street, some parking garages will allow you to reserve a spot.

So if you find yourself tempted to park the wrong way to snag a spot, try a parking garage instead.

Fort Lauderdale Car Insurance FAQs

If you still have questions about living in Fort Lauderdale, hang in there. We are going to go through a list of must-know FAQs about Fort Lauderdale.

After all, if you are new to Fort Lauderdale, everything is probably still a little confusing.

So take a look at the questions below to see the major questions people are asking about Fort Lauderdale’s living atmosphere and car insurance facts.

• What happens if I am in a car accident in Fort Lauderdale? Car accidents are sometimes unavoidable, even with perfect driving. In Florida, it doesn’t matter who caused the accident as Florida is a NO-FAULT state. Your insurer will cover your accident costs instead of the at-fault driver, which is why it’s important to have good coverage.
• Do I need Personal Injury Protection (PIP)? You are legally required to have PIP coverage in Florida. You need a minimum of $10,000 PIP coverage, but you may wish to purchase more in case of an accident. Remember, Florida is a no-fault state. Your insurer will be paying your medical bills, so the more coverage the better.
• What other types of car insurance should I have/need? Florida requires all drivers to have minimum liability insurance to cover the cost of damages to your vehicle. You should also consider other coverages, such as comprehensive coverage (for natural disasters/theft/etc.) or MedPay (covers medical expenses for you and your other passengers).
• Can I swim at Fort Lauderdale’s beaches year-round? Fort Lauderdale’s beaches are part of South Florida’s beaches bordering the Atlantic Ocean. While the water is generally cooler in the dead of winter, these beaches are considered some of the warmest in Florida.
• How safe is Fort Lauderdale to live in? Opinions are different, but generally, Fort Lauderdale does see more crime than most Florida cities (though police say crime decreased slightly in 2018). Fort Lauderdale is not one of the safest cities in Florida, which is why it’s important to pick a good area to live in and purchase comprehensive coverage.
• Does Fort Lauderdale have any seasonal events? Fort Lauderdale has an annual boat show that has made the city famous for hosting the largest yacht show worldwide for almost 60 years. If you enjoy boats and want to spend a fun day at the harbor, make sure to add this event to your calendar.

Now that you’ve finished our guide on driving and living in Fort Lauderdale, you are more than ready to drive around Fort Lauderdale’s seaside city.

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