Cheap Car Insurance in Texas

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Cheap Car Insurance in Texas

Cheapest car insurance in Texas for all cars and drivers

Whether you are driving through El Paso, cruising around Houston or Dallas, the average full coverage car insurance rate in Texas is $2,631 per year.

While this is higher than the national average of $2,149, Insurance Navy can help find you the lowest rates.

Good auto insurance coverage in Texas does not have to be expensive. This guide breaks down everything you need to know when you are looking to buy cheap car insurance in Texas.

Enter your ZIP code below to view quotes for the cheapest Auto Insurance Rates.

Car insurance requirements in Texas

Before beginning the shopping process, understand that Texas law requires all drivers to carry liability insurance.

As with many other states, there is a mandatory minimum amount of coverage every driver must carry to be considered a legal driver in Texas.

Failure to meet these minimum coverage requirements will result in severe penalties.

Outlined below are the car insurance coverage laws in the state of Texas.

Minimum Liability Auto insurance limits in Texas

  • $30,000 for bodily injury liability per person

  • $60,000 for bodily injury liability per accident

  • $25,000 for property damage liability

In Texas, auto insurance companies must also offer drivers uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage along with personal injury protection (PIP). Personal injury protection helps cover medical expenses from a car accident.

However, Texas allows drivers to reject this coverage, but it must be in writing.

Penalties for Driving Uninsured in Texas

All drivers in Texas must carry car insurance coverage, and failure to do so will result in you facing penalties listed below.

  • First Offense: Fines ranging from $175 to $350

  • Subsequent offenses: Fines up to $1,000, vehicle impoundment, drivers license suspension, and SR-22 filing.

SR22 insurance is not insurance in the traditional sense. Instead, it notifies the Texas state government that drivers carry at least the required minimum amount of car insurance coverage.

Filing an SR22 reinstates your driving privileges so long as you fulfill all other requirements.

Cheapest Auto insurance in Texas for Minimum Coverage

Minimum coverage auto insurance policies contain liability insurance coverage only meet the Texas mandated minimum coverage limits. It is the most straightforward policy drivers can purchase to be considered legal drivers in Texas.

For these reasons, finding an affordable basic Texas car insurance policy is not too difficult.

The cheapest minimum coverage policy in Texas costs average of $620 per year. Depending on your personal factors, you may be paying below or above this average annual rate.

Minimum coverage is only liability coverage, which offers no protection to fix your car if at-fault in an accident. The state mandatory coverage limits are very low and anything not covered falls on the driver to pay out of pocket.

Cheapest Auto Insurance in Texas for Full Coverage

Full coverage auto insurance is a policy that includes comprehensive and collision on top of liability coverage required in Texas.

This kind of policy protects not only your finances but also your vehicle. The average Full coverage policy in Texas is $2,631 per year.

Comprehensive coverage protects your vehicle against non-collision related damage such as theft, vandalism, and flooding.

Collision coverage pays for damages to your vehicle from an accident, regardless of which driver was at-fault.

If you are financing or leasing a car, your lender will require you to have a full coverage policy.

Regarding the price tag, minimum car insurance coverage is much cheaper than full coverage. However, Full coverage insurance provides you with more robust protection and coverage options.

Factors that Determine Your Auto Insurance Premiums in Texas

When pricing your auto insurance rates, Texas auto insurers look at more than just your driving record. They use complex algorithms that take into account a variety of personal factors to determine your risk level for your driver profile.

Understanding these factors can help you find cheaper car insurance in Texas.

How Age Affects Auto Insurance Premiums in Texas

Age is a big factor in determining auto insurance rates. Statistics show that younger drivers have a higher likelihood of getting into an accident.

Due to this statistic, rates for younger drivers are almost always higher than older more experienced drivers.

For example, an 18 year old driver in Texas pays an average of $7,115 per year for a full coverage policy.

In contrast, a 40 year old driver in Texas with a clean driving record usually pays closer to the state average of $2,631 per year.

Rates usually decrease when the driver turns 25 years old. For younger drivers to reduce their rates, Insurance Navy recommends asking about good student discounts or telematics programs.

How Credit Score Affects Auto Insurance Rates in Texas

Texas is one of the states that is legally allowed to use a drivers credit score to determine their auto insurance rates.

Statistics show that drivers with better credit scores tend to get in fewer accidents, so insurers give them lower rates.

Texas drivers with a poor credit score pay car insurance rates that are 70% to 80% higher than those with good credit.

A driver with poor credit pays an average of $3,930 per year, while a driver with good credit pays only $2,340 per year.

If you have poor credit, it is best to try to get coverage for non-standard insurers who specialize in insuring bad credit drivers

How Marital Status Affects Texas Auto Insurance Rates

Insurance companies have found through actuarial data that married drivers take fewer risks than single drivers. This means that they are less likely to get into accidents and are a lower risk to insure.

Almost every auto insurance company will give a cheaper auto insurance rate to a married driver than a single one with all of their other personal factors being the same.

How your Vehicle Type affects Auto Insurance rates in Texas

The type of car you drive also heavily affects the price you pay for your auto insurance.

The vehicles replacement value, repair costs, and safety ratings all affect your premium.

A small sedan like a Honda Civic will be cheaper to repair after an accident and will average around $2,250 per year for a full coverage policy.

Popular vehicles in Texas like Heavy duty pickup trucks such as the Ford F150 have an average full coverage rate of $2,600 per year. This is due to their size and potential for causing more damage in an accident.

Luxury vehicles and newer electronic vehicles like Tesla's have much higher repair costs than normal vehicles, so insurance rates are highly elevated for these vehicles. Their average full coverage premium is around $3,800 per year.

How Your Driving Record Affects Your Texas Auto Insurance Rates

Insurance companies use your driving history more than any other factor when pricing your auto insurance premiums . Having a clean driving record is the best way to get an affordable policy in Texas.

With just one minor violation like a speeding ticket, a moving violation, or an at-fault accident and you’ll be paying higher rates.

Texas drivers typically see increases in their premiums after common infractions like:

  • A speeding ticket for doing 16-20 mph over the limit will increase your rate by 20-25%

  • If you're found to be at fault in an accident, your premiums can increase by 42-45%

  • Getting found guilty of a DWI and your rate could go up by 54-67%

  • A reckless driving charge could give you a rate hike of 75-87%

Cheap Auto Insurance in Texas for Drivers with At-fault Accidents

After you've had an accident, the insurance companies are going to see you as a higher risk customer to insure. Texas drivers with accidents on their record can expect to see their rates go up by 42-45%.

This can increase the cost of full coverage over $3,500 a year. The good news is that this rate increase is temporary and most carriers will drop it after three to five years.

Best Auto Insurance Rates in Texas for Drivers with Speeding Tickets

One speeding ticket in Texas will increase the cost of your full coverage premium in the range of $2,990 to $3,081 a year. The state keeps these violations on your driving record for three years, so always try to avoid a ticket on your record.

If you’ve already got a speeding ticket on your record, there are ways to mitigate the effects. Taking a defensive driving course approved by the state can get a speeding ticket from ever appearing on your record.

If that's too late for that, though, Insurance Navy is here to help you find an insurance carrier that'll give you the best rates despite your driving record.

SR-22 insurance in Texas after a DWI

Texas SR-22 Insurance is mandatory after being convicted of a DWI. Being convicted of a DWI in Texas is severe, with penalties that go beyond the legal system.

You can face jail time, numerous fines, driver's license suspension, an an SR-22 requirement.

Even if this is your first offense in Texas, your insurance provider will likely consider you a high-risk driver and raise your rates.

Drivers also risk being dropped by their insurer, and getting coverage after that can be challenging.

Regarding drivers finding affordable car insurance in Texas after a DWI, car insurance premiums average around $1,100-$2,100 per year.

Much like vehicle insurance rates for Texas drivers with poor credit, be reassured that the cheapest coverage you can find is thousands of dollars.

Insurers worry they are risking a lot by providing high-risk drivers with coverage, meaning they must prepare for the worst possible accident. Your insurance premiums can be expensive for a few years following your conviction.

Cheap Car Insurance Rates by City in Texas

What part of Texas you live in is a huge factor in how much you'll pay for insurance. Carriers look at all sorts of things when evaluating your location.

Factors like auto theft rates, traffic congestion, the number of uninsured drivers, and how often places receive inclement weather like a flood or hurricane.

Average Annual Full coverage Premiums in Texas Metro Areas

Drivers in cities and near the coast will be paying higher rates for their auto insurance. Out in rural Texas, the rates are usually much lower. Average insurance rates in the state's biggest metro areas are listed below.

  • Houston: $3,153 to $3,191 a year, it's the most expensive in Texas because of all the traffic and flooding

  • Dallas: $3,146 to $3,184 a year

  • San Antonio: $2,782 to $2,817 a year

  • Fort Worth: $2,750 a year

  • El Paso: $2,646 a year

  • Austin: $2,616 a year

Even in places like Houston or Dallas, where the rates are more expensive, you still want to shop around for insurance.

Insurance Navy does the comparison shopping for you. We compare car insurance quotes among top Texas insurance carriers to find you the best coverage at the lowest possible price.

Get Your Free Texas Auto Insurance Quote Today

At Insurance Navy, our agents and customer service team are here to help you find customized and affordable Texas Auto Insurance coverage that you need. Please reach out for a free quote online anytime, give us a call at 888-949-7873, or stop by one of our convenient locations to speak with an insurance agent. We look forward to speaking with you about Car Insurance in Texas.