Florida’s insurance market is showing signs of steady improvement, according to Governor Ron DeSantis. Speaking at the APCIA Annual Meeting in Orlando on October 6, 2025, DeSantis credited recent legal reforms for helping stabilize the state’s insurance landscape, which had long struggled with high litigation rates and rising costs.
DeSantis pointed to a series of changes introduced in 2022 and 2023 aimed at cutting down on lawsuits and controlling expenses linked to property and auto insurance. Florida had been an outlier in the insurance world, with just 8% of the nation’s property insurance claims but a staggering 78% of the related lawsuits. This imbalance made insurance costly and scared many companies away from the state.
Since these reforms, things have started to shift. Seventeen new insurers have entered the Florida market, and existing insurers are putting more money into the state. Homeowners’ insurance rates are also easing, with regulators seeing more filings for rate decreases than increases. DeSantis noted that in 2024, Florida had the lowest homeowners insurance rate hikes among all 50 states, and early 2025 data shows continued declines, including a 1.4% year-over-year drop in requested rate changes over the summer.
The number of homeowners’ insurance lawsuits has fallen by about 30%, and the state-backed insurer Citizens Property Insurance Corporation has seen its legal cases drop by nearly half. This has allowed around 214,000 policies to move from Citizens to private insurers, reducing taxpayer risk by $33 billion.
Auto insurance rates have improved as well. The top five auto insurers in Florida have cut rates by an average of 6.5% in 2025. This comes as the national average saw double-digit increases the previous year. Florida also boasts the lowest personal auto liability loss ratio in the country at 53.3%.
DeSantis praised the judiciary changes he enacted early in his term, saying that curbing “judicial activism” encouraged investment and helped put the insurance market on a better footing. He described the situation Florida faced when he took office in 2019 as a “judicial hellhole,” with the legal system driving up costs and deterring businesses.
Despite the positive trends, DeSantis warned that risks like natural disasters, inflation, and reinsurance costs remain challenges beyond the state’s control. He emphasized the importance of maintaining the legal reforms passed in recent years and continuing to support efforts to make homes more resilient through programs like My Safe Florida Home. Infrastructure rebuilds after hurricanes have also been faster, which helps restore confidence.
There was an attempt in the 2025 legislative session to roll back some of the insurance reforms, but it failed to gain traction. DeSantis argued that reversing the changes would likely cause premiums to soar by as much as 50%. With little public support and Senate opposition, he sees no chance of undoing the reforms anytime soon.
Looking ahead, DeSantis wants the state to keep the progress steady by ensuring insurance companies pass on savings to consumers and completing pending resilience grants. While Florida can’t control hurricanes or inflation, he believes cutting down excessive lawsuits and fostering competition will help keep insurance affordable and the market stable.
The improvements in Florida’s insurance market come after years of turmoil and show that targeted reforms can make a real difference for homeowners and drivers. The state’s experience may serve as a useful example for others facing similar issues with high litigation and rising insurance costs.