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Here you will find out everything you need to know to buy car insurance in Texas. We explain Texas car insurance laws and provide average Texas auto insurance rates for your neighborhood. You’ll also learn how much car insurance you need for your particular situation. That means you’ll know what to expect when shopping for auto insurance in Texas – and you won’t overpay for it. You'll also see rates for the following:
The average car insurance rate in Texas is $1,300 a year. Your age, your driving record, the model of car you have, the severity and frequency of claims in your neighborhood and other variables are used by insurance companies to figure out the cost of your policy. That’s why the price for the same coverage can vary significantly among insurance companies — and why you should compare rates. For example, in Dallas ZIP code 75242, the highest rate among six carriers is ($2,937) is nearly three times as much as the lowest ($1,072). If you want to compare car insurance quotes, use our tool. Enter a ZIP code to see the average premium for the location. You will also see the highest and lowest rates from the six major carriers surveyed. You can get a more customized rate by choosing from among six age groups and three coverage levels. This way you can tell if your quotes are too high and if you should keep shopping for a lower rate.
| State law requires the following coverages: | |
| Minimum bodily injury liability | $30,000/$60,000 |
| Minimum property damage liability | $25,000 |
| Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury | $30,000/$60,000 |
| Uninsured motorist property damage | $25,000 ($100 deductible) |
Texas car insurance laws mandate that drivers carry minimum liability coverage limits of 30/60/25 on their vehicle. Buying the state required limits to drive is definitely the cheapest way to go. But if you opt for the cheapest car insurance in Texas, you are only covered for damage you do to other drivers’ cars and for others’ injuries. That means your insurer won’t pay for damage to your car or for your injuries if you cause an accident. Still, buying just the minimum coverage required is a good idea if you have an old car or don’t drive much.
It does cost more to buy more protection, but as you’ll see in the chart below, additional coverage is typically affordable. Increasing your insurance from the state minimum to full coverage with a $500 deductible costs, on average, $835 more, or $70 a month. For higher liability limits, the extra cost is just $23 a year.
| Coverage limits | Average annual rate |
| Liability Only – state minimum | $465 |
| Liability Only - 50/100/50 BI/PD | $488 |
| Full Coverage - 100/300/100 BI/PD $500 Comp/Collision deductible | $1,300 |
*The table shows the average annual rate of nearly every ZIP code in Texas from up to six major insurance companies. Rates are for a male driver, age 40, with a clean record and good credit for a 2016 Honda Accord. Data was provided for CarInsurance.com by Quadrant Information Services.
The cheapest car insurance may not provide sufficient protection, so how much insurance should you buy? Bare-bones coverage may be a good choice if you have few assets or have an old car and don’t drive much. But if you have a home and investments, consider buying more insurance. If you don’t, you’re at risk for having your money and house taken to cover the cost of an accident. If you financed your car you will be required to get additional comprehensive and collision coverage.
Use our How Much Car Insurance Do You Need? tool to get a recommendation.
We recommend you buy more insurance than is required to legally drive a car in your state, especially if you have savings and assets. The more money you have, the more likely you are to be sued following a car accident should your insurance be insufficient to cover all the expenses. If your net worth is:
If you're leasing or financing your car, you must get coverage of 100/300/100 or higher.
Collision coverage pays for damage to your car after an accident that you cause. Comprehensive insurance pays to replace stolen cars and for damages from vandalism, flooding, hail, fire and animal strikes. If your car is:
If you buy comp and collision, check our guide to choosing a deductible amount.
These are both optional coverages and should match the liability limits you choose. Uninsured motorist coverage and underinsured motorist coverage pays for damages if you’re hit by a driver with no insurance or a driver with coverage that’s insufficient to pay for your repairs and medical expenses.
Medical payments coverage can help pay for the medical or funeral expenses of covered drivers and passengers after an accident, regardless of fault, up to $25,000. In most states, including Texas, it's an optional addition to your car insurance policy. MedPay does the following:
If you and your passengers:
If you don’t own your car outright and have an accident, gap insurance pays the difference between the cash value of your car and the current outstanding balance on your loan or lease.
Below you'll see average annual rates for Texas, ranked cheapest to most expensive, for three coverage levels:
| Company | State minimum average annual rate |
| Geico | $348 |
| Farmers | $370 |
| State Farm | $438 |
| Allstate | $475 |
| Nationwide | $527 |
| Progressive | $629 |
| Company | 50/100/50 average annual rate |
| Geico | $346 |
| Farmers | $383 |
| State Farm | $489 |
| Allstate | $495 |
| Nationwide | $550 |
| Progressive | $667 |
| Company | 100/300/100 average annual rate |
| Farmers | $905 |
| Geico | $1,027 |
| Nationwide | $1,247 |
| Progressive | $1,328 |
| State Farm | $1,348 |
| Allstate | $1,949 |
Filing an accident claim means you are likely to pay more for your car insurance coverage. However, how much more you pay depends on several factors, and your car insurance company plays is one of those significant factors. Each company assesses risk differently, so that's why the increase after an accident will vary among insurers. Here is how major carriers compare after at-fault accidents for the average Texas driver with a full coverage policy:
| Company | Average rate after at-fault property damage accident |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $1,718 |
| Progressive | $1,745 |
| Geico | $1,966 |
| Nationwide | $3,030 |
| Allstate | $3,046 |
| Company | Average rate after two at-fault property damage accidents |
| State Farm | $2,032 |
| Geico | $2,737 |
| Progressive | $3,234 |
| Nationwide | $4,083 |
| Allstate | $4,558 |
| Company | Average rate after at-fault bodily injury accident |
| State Farm | $1,718 |
| Progressive | $1,745 |
| Geico | $1,966 |
| Nationwide | $3,030 |
| Allstate | $3,046 |
If you get a speeding ticket, chances are you'll see an increase in what you pay for car insurance, upon your policy renewal. Typically, you'll pay more for three years. But even with a traffic ticket, comparison shopping can save you money. For instance, you'll see that the difference between the highest rate and the lowest in the table below is $1,325, on average, according to CarInsurance.com's rate analysis. That's how much you can save by comparing car insurance companies.
| Company | Average rate with speeding ticket |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $1,166 |
| Geico | $1,757 |
| Progressive | $1,880 |
| Allstate | $2,186 |
| Nationwide | $2,491 |
Car insurance for drivers with bad credit costs significantly more than it does for those with good credit. Texas is among the worst states for drivers with bad credit, as CarInsurance.com's data analysis shows it has the fourth highest percentage increase for bad credit drivers. Compared to good credit drivers, those in Texas with bad credit pay 93 percent more, on average. The good news is that you can still shave some money off your coverage costs if you compare car insurance companies. You'll see below that the difference among major insurers is nearly $1,665 for a full coverage policy for a driver with bad credit. That's how much you can potentially save by comparing car insurance quotes.
| Company | Average rate with poor credit |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $2,338 |
| Progressive | $2,966 |
| Nationwide | $3,008 |
| Geico | $3,539 |
| Allstate | $4,001 |
No matter where you live, adding a new driver to your family policy will hike your rate significantly. In Texas, you can expect your rate to go up by an average of 167 percent when adding a driver age 16 to your coverage, according to CarInsurance.com rate data. You'll see in the table below how much it costs, on average, to add a teen driver in Texas, and how major insurers compare on price. State Farm had the lowest auto insurance cost for adding a driver age 16 to a full coverage family policy, among insurers surveyed.
| Company | Average rate | Average rate after adding male teen | $ increase male | Average rate after adding female teen | $ increase female |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Farm | $1,666 | $2,771 | $1,105 | $2,562 | $896 |
| Geico | $1,333 | $2,948 | $1,615 | $2,674 | $1,341 |
| Nationwide | $1,930 | $4,091 | $2,161 | $3,452 | $1,522 |
| Progressive | $1,604 | $4,607 | $3,003 | $4,154 | $2,550 |
| Allstate | $2,186 | $7,518 | $5,332 | $6,331 | $4,145 |
Enter an age from 18 to 25 to see who has the best rates for young drivers in Texas, by company. Our analysis shows that Geico offers rates that are, on average, the most affordable for young drivers buying a full coverage policy.
You can also search by company by entering one of these in the search field:
| Age | Company | Average rate | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Geico | $2,621 | $218 |
| 18 | State Farm | $3,438 | $287 |
| 18 | Allstate | $5,064 | $422 |
| 18 | Colonial | $6,559 | $547 |
| 18 | Progressive | $10,742 | $895 |
| 19 | Geico | $2,099 | $175 |
| 19 | State Farm | $3,115 | $260 |
| 19 | Allstate | $4,682 | $390 |
| 19 | Colonial | $5,300 | $442 |
| 19 | Progressive | $9,002 | $750 |
| 20 | Geico | $1,896 | $158 |
| 20 | State Farm | $2,761 | $230 |
| 20 | Progressive | $4,223 | $352 |
| 20 | Allstate | $4,326 | $361 |
| 20 | Colonial | $4,563 | $380 |
| 21 | Geico | $1,557 | $130 |
| 21 | State Farm | $2,236 | $186 |
| 21 | Colonial | $3,243 | $270 |
| 21 | Allstate | $3,669 | $306 |
| 21 | Progressive | $3,762 | $314 |
| 22 | Geico | $1,400 | $117 |
| 22 | State Farm | $2,120 | $177 |
| 22 | Colonial | $3,008 | $251 |
| 22 | Progressive | $3,070 | $256 |
| 22 | Allstate | $3,466 | $289 |
| 23 | Geico | $1,309 | $109 |
| 23 | State Farm | $1,972 | $164 |
| 23 | Progressive | $2,759 | $230 |
| 23 | Colonial | $2,819 | $235 |
| 23 | Allstate | $3,279 | $273 |
| 24 | Geico | $1,267 | $106 |
| 24 | State Farm | $1,842 | $154 |
| 24 | Progressive | $2,533 | $211 |
| 24 | Colonial | $2,649 | $221 |
| 24 | Allstate | $3,186 | $266 |
| 25 | Geico | $1,245 | $104 |
| 25 | State Farm | $1,537 | $128 |
| 25 | Progressive | $2,192 | $183 |
| 25 | Colonial | $2,277 | $190 |
| 25 | Allstate | $2,615 | $218 |
Geico, again, takes the checkered flag for offering low-cost auto insurance, this time for the senior set. Below you can see average rates by company, from least to most expensive, for drivers age 65 and over, buying a full coverage policy. Enter age 65, 75 or 85 in the search field to see what you can expect to pay.
| Age | Company | Average rate | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 65 | Geico | $1,111 | $93 |
| 65 | State Farm | $1,230 | $103 |
| 65 | Colonial | $1,599 | $133 |
| 65 | Progressive | $1,643 | $137 |
| 65 | Allstate | $2,362 | $197 |
| 75 | Geico | $1,224 | $102 |
| 75 | State Farm | $1,368 | $114 |
| 75 | Progressive | $1,953 | $163 |
| 75 | Colonial | $2,104 | $175 |
| 75 | Allstate | $2,688 | $224 |
| 85 | Geico | $1,372 | $114 |
| 85 | State Farm | $1,499 | $125 |
| 85 | Progressive | $2,280 | $190 |
| 85 | Colonial | $2,460 | $205 |
| 85 | Allstate | $3,632 | $303 |
Scores are based on Insure.com’s “Best Insurance Companies” customer review survey of 3,700 customers. Policyholders ranked insurers on claims handling, customer service, value, mobile apps/website usefulness and were asked if they would renew their coverage and if they would recommend the company. All scores are out of 100.
| Ranking | Auto insurance company | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Family | 93.80 |
| 2 | CSAA Insurance Group | 91.63 |
| 3 | Farmers | 90.59 |
| 4 | USAA | 88.45 |
| 5 | Erie | 88.30 |
| 6 | Progressive | 87.32 |
| 7 | The General | 87.22 |
| 8 | Nationwide | 86.88 |
| 9 | The Auto Club Group (ACG) - AAA | 86.09 |
| 10 | Metlife | 85.58 |
| 11 | State Farm | 85.56 |
| 12 | Allstate | 85.37 |
| 13 | Geico | 85.22 |
| 14 | Esurance | 85.16 |
| 15 | Liberty Mutual | 84.52 |
| 16 | Auto Club of Southern California (Auto Club Enterprise Insurance Group) | 84.50 |
| 17 | Mercury | 83.31 |
| 18 | Travelers | 82.32 |
| 19 | Hartford | 81.66 |
| 20 | Safeco | 80.54 |
| Rank | Company | Premiums written | Market share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | State Farm | 3,563,120 | 16.83% |
| 2 | Geico | 2,637,489 | 12.46% |
| 3 | Allstate | 2,362,584 | 11.16% |
| 4 | Progressive | 2,041,345 | 9.64% |
| 5 | Farmers | 1,842,735 | 8.70% |
| 6 | USAA | 1,712,949 | 8.09% |
| 7 | Liberty Mutual | 1,195,735 | 5.65% |
| 8 | Texas Farm Bureau Group | 693,004 | 3.27% |
| 9 | Consumers County Mutual Insurance | 541,825 | 2.56% |
| 10 | Nationwide | 473,342 | 2.24% |
Source: A.M. Best; State/Line (P/C Lines) - P/C, US; Data as of:November 28, 2018
Find out what the most expensive and the cheapest car insurance rates are by ZIP code, as well as how they compare statewide.
Here are the highways and roads where the most fatal accidents happened in 2017, according to the most recent data available from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System research compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
| Road | Number of fatal accidents |
|---|---|
| I-20 | 96 |
| I-35 | 94 |
| I-10 | 88 |
| I-45 | 41 |
| US-59 | 33 |
| US-77 | 30 |
| US-281 | 30 |
| US-287 | 29 |
| US-83 | 29 |
| US-290 | 29 |
You may be fined $350 and you may be required to file an SR-22 form.
Texas requires a 5 percent discount when the principal driver on a policy completes a drug and alcohol awareness training class.
A first-time offense will get you a fine of up to $200. Third-time offenses can bring the penalty to $500 plus jail time of 72 hours to six months. In addition, Texas' Driver Responsibility Program will charge you an additional $100 per year for three years.
In Texas, there is no 30-day grace period after buying a car before you have to obtain insurance.
In Texas, there is no age restriction to own and register a car, but proof of financial responsibility (liability insurance) is required to obtain registration.
Texas' mandatory motorcycle helmet law was repealed in 1997, but exceptions remain for riders under 21 or those who lack health insurance.
Texas is one of 48 states that allow drivers to show proof of insurance during a traffic stop on a smartphone.
Texas gets more hailstorms than any other state in the country, and only comprehensive coverage will handle hail damage claims.
