Full coverage auto insurance is a car insurance policy that has liability, collision and comprehensive coverage. Here's a look at what these three coverage types include.
Liability insurance: Covers damage you cause to others, including property damage (dented cars, crushed mailboxes, etc.) and injuries. Most states require that car owners buy a certain minimum level of liability insurance.
For example, do you ever hear about people who have crashed into a convenience store? Their liability insurance would cover the store's damage, up to the coverage limits they bought.
Collision insurance: Covers damage to your own car if you crash into something. For example, if you crash through the door at Circle K, this would cover your car dents and scrapes.
Comprehensive insurance: This covers a theft of your car, vandalism, crashes with animals like deer, weather damage such as hail, flood damage, fire, and problems such as falling trees.
Average cost of full coverage car insurance
It costs an average of $1,684 for full coverage car insurance. The cheapest states for premiums are Maine, Idaho and South Dakota. Drivers in Louisiana, Washington, D.C. and New York pay the most.
| Rank | State | Average annual premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $1,342 |
| 2 | Idaho | $1,367 |
| 3 | South Dakota | $1,406 |
| 4 | Iowa | $1,408 |
| 5 | Vermont | $1,430 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | $1,447 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $1,460 |
| 8 | Hawaii | $1,468 |
| 9 (tie) | North Dakota | $1,485 |
| 9 (tie) | Indiana | $1,485 |
| 11 | Ohio | $1,496 |
| 12 | Illinois | $1,522 |
| 13 | Wyoming | $1,530 |
| 14 | Kansas | $1,533 |
| 15 | New Mexico | $1,535 |
| 16 | Nebraska | $1,545 |
| 17 | Montana | $1,548 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $1,557 |
| 19 | Utah | $1,566 |
| 20 | Arizona | $1,584 |
| 21 | Oklahoma | $1,588 |
| 22 | Tennessee | $1,590 |
| 23 (tie) | California | $1,596 |
| 23 (tie) | Virginia | $1,596 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $1,603 |
| 26 | Oregon | $1,610 |
| 27 | Washington | $1,612 |
| 28 | Missouri | $1,615 |
| 29 | Alabama | $1,626 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $1,637 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $1,661 |
| 32 | Colorado | $1,694 |
| 33 | Alaska | $1,709 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $1,760 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $1,772 |
| 36 | Texas | $1,773 |
| 37 | Nevada | $1,813 |
| 38 | Florida | $1,839 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $1,850 |
| 40 | Massachusetts | $1,893 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $1,897 |
| 42 | Connecticut | $1,928 |
| 43 | Georgia | $1,939 |
| 44 (tie) | Delaware | $2,003 |
| 44 (tie) | Rhode Island | $2,003 |
| 46 | New Jersey | $2,021 |
| 47 | Maryland | $2,068 |
| 48 | Michigan | $2,077 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $2,108 |
| 50 | District of Columbia | $2,122 |
| 51 | New York | $2,153 |
| Source: EverQuote, from premiums reported by users from Jan. 1, 2017, to Dec. 31, 2018. Users had liability limits of 100/300/50 ($100,000 bodily injury per person, $300,000 bodily injury per accident, $50,000 property damage) and uninsured motorist limits of 100/300 ($100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident). Rates are for a single driver with one vehicle and no accidents or violations. Your own rates will be different. | ||
Ways to find cheap full coverage car insurance
- Shop around: If you're looking for cheap car insurance, the biggest potential savings comes from making a car insurance comparison of quotes from multiple companies. That's because rates can vary by hundreds of dollars for the same coverage among companies.
- Ask your insurance agent to review discounts: Make sure you're getting all the car insurance discounts you're eligible for.
- Raise your deductible on collision and comprehensive coverage: Ask your agent for the price difference for raising your deductibles. Deductible choices often range from $500 to $2,000 and up. A deductible is the amount subtracted from your insurance check if you make a claim on collision or comprehensive insurance.
- Keep your driving and claims records clean: Causing a car accident or making certain claims can lead to a rate increase at renewal time.
- Improve your credit: Poor credit can have a bigger impact on your rates than causing an accident.
Find cheap car insurance in your state
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