The Cheapest Car Insurance in D.C. Can Generally Be Found From Geico for About $185 per Month or $2218 per Year for a Full-coverage Auto Insurance Policy.
Discover if you are overpaying for car insurance below.
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The Cheapest Car Insurance in D.C. Can Generally Be Found From Geico for About $185 per Month or $2218 per Year for a Full-coverage Auto Insurance Policy.
Discover if you are overpaying for car insurance below.
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Washington, D.C., is a bustling place and its residents pay steep prices for car insurance. However, we at the MarketWatch Guides Team have researched the best car insurance companies and the cheapest rates available in the nation’s capital.
In this article, you will find cheap car insurance estimates broken down by coverage and driver profiles and a list of the top providers for auto insurance in D.C. We will also provide information about what you need to know regarding Washington, D.C., vehicle insurance laws and regulations.
Learn more about our methodology and editorial guidelines.
Even though Washington, D.C., car insurance can be quite expensive, there are many options for cheap coverage. Here, we’ll look at the cheapest car insurance companies and coverage options available beginning with the most affordable providers and coverage options.
The cheapest car insurance companies in Washington, D.C., are USAA, Geico, State Farm and Erie Insurance. In the table below we have broken down coverage and cost ratings and aggregated it into an overall rating for the company for you to compare.
Top Washington, D.C., Car Insurance Companies | Overall Rating | Coverage Rating | Cost Rating | Learn More |
---|---|---|---|---|
9.2 | 9.5 | 9.7 | ||
9.1 | 8.4 | 9.1 | ||
9.4 | 10.0 | 9.9 | ||
9.0 | 9.5 | 7.8 | ||
9.4 | 9.8 | 9.3 |
Top Washington, D.C., Car Insurance Companies | Overall Rating | Coverage Rating | Cost Rating | Learn More |
---|---|---|---|---|
9.2 | 9.5 | 9.7 | ||
9.1 | 8.4 | 9.1 | ||
9.4 | 10.0 | 9.9 | ||
9.0 | 9.5 | 7.8 | ||
9.4 | 9.8 | 9.3 |
*Our research team considers nationwide factors when scoring providers. The ranking of providers in this table is specific to car insurance in Washington, D.C.
Each car insurance company has different ways to calculate your premiums so no two quotes are the same. In light of this, we recommend comparing rates from multiple providers if you want to find the cheapest car insurance in D.C.
Depending on the coverage level you choose, car insurance rates may vary greatly. For most companies, quotes include estimates for minimum liability and full coverage car insurance. Minimum liability auto insurance is all that is required, but we recommend you consider full coverage as well.
Below are the cheapest car insurance options in D.C. for both coverage types.
Chubb Limited, Geico and USAA offer the cheapest rates for minimum liability coverage in the District of Columbia. Drivers in Washington, D.C., pay an average of $686 per year for minimum liability insurance. This figure is right around the national average of $627 per year.
Cheapest Car Insurance in Washington, D.C. | Average Monthly Cost | Average Annual Cost |
---|---|---|
Chubb | $30 | $359 |
Geico | $40 | $483 |
Erie | $42 | $506 |
USAA | $43 | $517 |
State Farm | $51 | $606 |
Progressive | $75 | $899 |
Nationwide | $98 | $1,170 |
Our rate averages show the cheapest full coverage car insurance in D.C. costs as little as $185 per month. The table below shows full coverage averages from the cheapest car insurance companies in the nation’s capital.
Cheapest Car Insurance in Washington, D.C. | Average Monthly Cost | Average Annual Cost |
---|---|---|
USAA | $121 | $1,447 |
Geico | $132 | $1,579 |
Erie | $138 | $1,650 |
Progressive | $147 | $1,770 |
State Farm | $147 | $1,761 |
Chubb | $213 | $2,555 |
Nationwide | $224 | $2,688 |
You can generally expect low car insurance rates from USAA, Geico, Progressive and Erie Insurance. While these companies tend to offer the cheapest coverage, your D.C. auto insurance rates will vary depending on your driver profile and your vehicle.
Many factors go into calculating your car insurance rates, including age, driving history and credit scores. Below we compare cheap car insurance estimates for Washington, D.C., drivers in each of these categories.
Compared to older adults, young drivers typically pay more on average for car insurance policies. However, there are still cheap options available in Washington, D.C. The tables below show the cheapest car insurance for young drivers in D.C., along with average monthly and annual costs.
Erie and USAA are among the cheapest providers in Washington, D.C., for 16-year-old drivers with their own policies.
Cheapest Car Insurance in D.C. | Average Monthly Cost | Average Annual Cost |
---|---|---|
Erie | $299 | $3,593 |
USAA | $536 | $6,426 |
Geico | $542 | $6,503 |
State Farm | $551 | $6,610 |
Chubb | $570 | $6,845 |
Allstate and Geico are also the cheapest car insurance providers for 25-year-old drivers in Washington, D.C.
Cheapest Car Insurance in D.C. | Average Monthly Cost | Average Annual Cost |
---|---|---|
Allstate | $141 | $1,693 |
Geico | $157 | $1,883 |
Nationwide | $164 | $1,963 |
State Farm | $172 | $2,065 |
Progressive | $178 | $2,132 |
Drivers with recent speeding tickets can expect to pay more for their car insurance policies. In general, annual premiums skyrocket to an average of $2,626 for drivers with speeding violations on their records in Washington, D.C.
Cheapest Car Insurance in D.C. | Average Monthly Cost | Average Annual Cost |
---|---|---|
Erie Insurance | $144 | $1,729 |
USAA | $150 | $1,798 |
State Farm | $160 | $1,925 |
Geico | $176 | $2,113 |
Progressive | $196 | $2,355 |
Increased car insurance rates are inevitable after an at-fault car accident in Washington, D.C. Across the city, drivers with an accident on their record pay about $3,235 per year on average for insurance policies.
Cheapest Car Insurance in D.C. | Average Monthly Cost | Average Annual Cost |
---|---|---|
State Farm | $174 | $2,088 |
Erie Insurance | $177 | $2,120 |
USAA | $178 | $2,141 |
Progressive | $251 | $3,012 |
Geico | $252 | $3,023 |
Motorists caught driving under the influence will likely be flagged as high-risk drivers by their insurance providers. D.C. drivers with a recent DUI conviction pay an average of $3,744 per year for car insurance coverage.
Cheapest Car Insurance in D.C. | Average Monthly Cost | Average Annual Cost |
---|---|---|
State Farm | $160 | $1,925 |
Progressive | $175 | $2,102 |
Erie Insurance | $209 | $2,508 |
USAA | $219 | $2,628 |
Geico | $336 | $4,029 |
The average rate for Washington, D.C., car insurance coverage is $3,977 per year for those with poor credit. Car insurance companies weigh your credit score as a factor when providing car insurance quotes.
Cheapest Car Insurance in D.C. | Average Monthly Cost | Average Annual Cost |
---|---|---|
USAA | $245 | $2,945 |
Progressive | $285 | $3,422 |
Geico | $308 | $3,697 |
State Farm | $310 | $3,718 |
Chubb | $311 | $3,736 |
Below we have go into more detail about the best car insurance companies in Washington, D.C., their coverage, ratings and services offered:
Our rate averages show that Washington, D.C., drivers pay an average of $185 per month or $2,218 per year for full coverage car insurance. The average cost of D.C. car insurance is 10% higher than the national average of $2,008. According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), Washington, D.C., is the fourth-most expensive area in the nation for car insurance.
Car insurance rates are higher for younger drivers. Here are some average full coverage rates for drivers of different ages with clean driving records.
Age | Monthly Cost Estimate | Annual Cost Estimate |
---|---|---|
16 | $789 | $9,465 |
25 | $217 | $2,605 |
35 | $185 | $2,218 |
45 | $180 | $2,158 |
55 | $168 | $2,020 |
As we’ve illustrated, factors like age, location and driving history play big roles in the cost of car insurance policies. Auto insurance rates in Washington, D.C., are hard to pin down because of these influences.
Your car insurance rate will depend on how insurance providers weigh certain factors, such as:
Washington, D.C., requires drivers to carry liability car insurance and uninsured motorist coverage. Here are the minimum coverage details, according to the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles:
If you want extra insurance coverage for your vehicle, consider purchasing a full coverage policy that includes liability insurance, comprehensive coverage and collision insurance.
If you drive without car insurance in D.C., you will be fined. The first offense is $500 if you are caught driving without insurance. It will then increase by 50% for every subsequent violation, making the second offense $750 and the third $1,125.
Drivers can purchase auto insurance policies online or over the phone in Washington, D.C. If you have questions about a plan or provider, call the provider directly.
The easiest way to shop for car insurance in Washington, D.C., is to request car insurance quotes. This will allow you to compare coverage and price for the providers you’re interested in. We recommend reaching out to USAA, Geico, State Farm and Erie Insurance to find quality coverage at an affordable price.
In this article we went over the best low-cost car insurance options in Washington, D.C., and broke down the cheapest providers by driver profile, age and coverage. We also provided information regarding average rates for car insurance in D.C. as well as laws and regulation surrounding vehicle policies in the area.
Washington, D.C., drivers must have $10,000 in property damage liability and uninsured motorist property damage coverage for $5,000 subject to a $200 deductible. Drivers in our nation’s capital also need third party liability coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident, as well as uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident.
Yes, car insurance in D.C. is among the highest in the nation. This is due in part to the fact that Washington, D.C., has the highest population density in the country.
D.C. drivers are required to carry the state minimum car insurance, which includes bodily injury liability, property damage liability and uninsured motorist coverage. Coverage limits must be purchased at 25/50/10 for liability coverage and 20/50/5 for uninsured motorist coverage.
In our review of the best car insurance companies, Geico and USAA came out on top as the best providers in the United States based on their costs, coverage, reputations, availability and customer experience. These providers were followed closely by Progressive, State Farm and Liberty Mutual.
Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best car insurance companies. We collected data on dozens of auto insurance providers to grade the companies on a wide range of ranking factors. The end result was an overall rating for each provider, with the insurers that scored the most points topping the list.
Here are the factors our ratings take into account:
Our credentials:
*Data accurate at time of publication.
If you have feedback or questions about this article, please email the MarketWatch Guides team at editors@marketwatchguides.
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