Car Insurance For An 18-Year-Old

What to Know

• When it comes to car insurance, teenager average rates are $333 per month or $4,000 annually.
• Car insurance quotes for girls are usually 20 percent lower than for guys.
• You can get cheap car insurance for young women drivers and young men drivers by comparison shopping and applying for discounts.

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Wondering how much is car insurance for an 18-year-old? The average auto insurance quotes for an 18-year-old male and female are around $333 per month or $4,000 annually unless the young driver is added to their parents’ policy or is seeking the cheapest coverage and rates allowed by the state. 

When combined with family plans, annual premiums drop to $150 per month or $1,800 per year. While the average auto insurance for an 18-year-old female is generally 20 percent lower than the average auto insurance cost for an 18-year-old male, there are many factors that affect car insurance rates and the monthly car insurance cost for an 18-year-old.

There are many ways to get cheap insurance for 18-year-old drivers. Read through our comprehensive guide and we’ll detail the average insurance prices for 18-year-olds and offer a comprehensive guide to getting the lowest quotes from the best car insurance companies for 18-year-olds.

Good car insurance for 18-year-olds is out there. Ready to compare affordable insurance for teenage drivers? Enter your five-digit ZIP code into our FREE instant car insurance calculator tool to get started.

How much is car insurance for an 18-year-old?

Can you get car insurance at 18? Yes, it is legally required. However, car insurance for 18-year-olds costs more than you might realize. In fact, car insurance prices for 18-year-olds are some of the highest on average.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Saftey, statistically, teenagers are involved in the most fatal accidents despite making up a low percentage of total drivers on the road. 

How much does an 18-year old teenager pay for car insurance? Many factors go into calculating the average 18-year-old car insurance costs. Therefore, answering how much is drivers insurance for 18-year-olds is a little tricky. 

For example, calculating car insurance quotes for 18-year-old males and females requires a few basic assumptions. Car insurance for an 18-year-old boy will almost always be higher than car insurance for an 18-year-old girl. 

While the only way to know exactly how much would insurance be for an 18-year-old is to complete a car insurance comparison and get quotes from the best companies in your state, we can provide you with the average car insurance for a teenager in your state. 

This information can be useful in giving you an idea of what average price for car insurance for an 18-year-old to expect, as well as encouraging families to shop around and compare rates before settling on a policy and provider. Teenage car insurance comparison can help lead to massive savings.

For starters, the following 18-year-old driver car insurance costs are based on buying separate policies from Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, Nationwide, Progressive, and State Farm. 

The car being insured is a 2017 Honda Accord because auto insurance for an 18-year-old male sports car driver would be incredibly high. The car has a $500 deductible, and the following coverage limits:

• $100,000 for injury liability on one person
• $300,000 for all injuries in a single accident
• $100,000 for property damage

Ready to find out how much is car insurance per month for a teenager? We’ll start with car Insurance for 18-year-old males. The following table shows insurance rates for an 18-year-old male by state. If you’re 18 years of age, quotes might look similar to the data below.

As you can see, how much is teenage car insurance per month changes depending on where you live. However, average teenage male car insurance costs about $375 per month or $4,500 annually. 

Among the states, teen drivers in California, Texas, Florida, New York, Connecticut, and Tennessee have some of the highest insurance quotes for 18-year-old males.

The cheapest car insurance for young males is found in North Carolina, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Iowa. As you can see, the insurance price for 18-year-old males changes a lot depending on where you live.

Now let’s look at the average car insurance cost for 18-year-old females. Find the best car insurance for young, new female drivers by state in the table below. 

On average, $300 is the insurance cost per month for an 18-year-old female driver, or about $3,600 annually. The cheapest car insurance for single females is found in Hawaii and North Carolina. Cheap car insurance for women is usually easier to secure.

Why is female car insurance cheaper? According to the Insurance Information Institute, statistically, young males tend to be faster, more aggressive drivers involved in more accidents.

Contrarily, teen females tend to be more defensive and conservative. Companies understand these fundamental differences in insurance statistics and award women lower rates.

Remember, these rates are for average liability car insurance costs, not full coverage. Full coverage car insurance per month for an 18-year-old would include collision and comprehensive insurance, and the rates would be much higher.

How much is liability insurance for an 18-year-old?

You now know how to answer the question of is car insurance cheaper for male or female. As we’ve discussed, it’s easier to secure cheap female car insurance. The best car for an 18-year-old male will still be higher than the various options for cheap insurance for 18-year-old females. 

If you need more affordable premiums, then you may just need to lower your coverage limits and buy a policy that just meets your state’s minimum car insurance requirements. 

To get the lowest average car insurance cost for 18-year-old females or males per month, you’ll need to settle for only liability insurance. While you’ll receive really cheap car insurance for 18-year-olds this way, know that liability insurance only pays for medical costs and damages incurred by others.

Using the same driver profile as before and assuming the teen buys his or her own policy, here’s how much is car insurance for an 18-year-old male annually using minimum coverage in each state.

The cheapest insurance cost per month or an 18-year-old male driver comes out to about $145, or $1,750 per year. 

This is by far one of the easiest way to get the cheapest car insurance for 18-year-old males. The cost of insurance decreases significantly when the amount of coverage purchased is just enough to meet state requirements.

Now that we’ve looked at cheap insurance for an 18-year-old male, let’s focus on cheap car insurance for 18-year-old females. Check out the following table of annual state minimum requirements.

With the average cost at about $125 per month or $1,500 annually, the best car insurance for women becomes much more affordable with minimum liability coverage. Even expensive states like California, New York, Texas, and Florida offer premiums low enough to purchase coverage independently. 

Nevertheless, we’d still recommend teens stay on their parents’ policy. You’ll get the best insurance for young drivers on a parent’s policy.

What age does car insurance go down for females? No matter your gender, as soon as you turn 26, you’ll see a significant decrease in your rates.

Best Car Insurance For An 18-Year-Old

If you’re wondering do I have to insure my 18-year-old? The answer is yes, driving without car insurance is illegal in 49 states. Remember, you can find the cheapest car insurance companies for 18-year-olds in your area simply by comparison shopping.

Finding the best car insurance quotes for 18-year-olds ultimately comes down to comparing policies, coverage options, companies, and premiums. If you’re still wondering how to get cheap car insurance at 18, we have an easy solution. 

Although 18 year-olds are considered adults, the best way to get the cheapest car insurance for 18-year-olds is by adding them to their parents’ policy. 

Even if parents want their kids to pay for their own insurance coverage, adding an 18-year-old to car insurance makes more sense than having them purchase a policy independently. Your teenager can pay you for the increase in premiums, and it will be cheaper monthly insurance for young drivers than buying an individual policy.

If you decide to put your male or female 18-year-old on your plan, we’d still recommend you get a few free quotes online from other companies. Even the top auto insurance companies calculate premiums differently, so the price for the same policy and coverage at other carriers can vary greatly. 

For example, State Farm teenage drivers’ insurance costs will be different than Progressive Insurance for 18-year-olds. Depending on where you live, State Farm car insurance for 18-year-olds might be the cheapest option. In other states, Geico might be cheaper. 

In addition to showing you how much you could save with another company, these insurance quotes can be helpful in negotiations with your current insurer, and sometimes the threat of switching providers is all you need to obtain lower prices.

Check out the following video from eHowFinance for more details about securing lower rates for teenage drivers.

From encouraging good grades to helping your teen gain experience, there’s a lot that can be done to help you save on teenage car insurance rates.

Here are some of our tips for finding very cheap car insurance for 18-year-olds or for parents adding a teen to their family policy.

• Insure your teen under an older car. There is a connection between cheap cars and insurance for 18-year-olds. Old vehicles cost less to replace or repair, so insurers are inclined to charge lower premiums. If you want affordable rates, don’t buy your teenager a new sports car or luxury sedan, even if it’s a high school graduation gift. If he/she needs a car for transportation, buy used, or get yourself a new car and pass on the older vehicle to your kid. This will save you thousands of dollars over the years.
• Make sure the car has safety features. Safety features like airbags, anti-lock brakes, traction control, blind-spot monitor, alarms or anti-theft systems, and other technology can decrease the risk of an accident or minimize injuries and damages.
• Ask for the Good Student Discount. Your insurance company may offer discounts on car insurance for an 18-year-old college students or high school students who maintain a 3.0 or “B” average. The “Good Student Discount” can save you up to 15% off the cost of your 18-year-old’s coverage.
• Get the Defensive Driver Discount. By completing a driver education course, some insurers will discount your teen’s rates up to 5%. Ask a representative before enrolling to make sure the company offers the discount and whether they have a list of pre-approved driving schools you must take the class from.
• Maintain a clean driving history. Keeping a clean driving record is the smartest way to maximize discounts and get the cheapest rates. Because your driving history plays such a big role in determining your future risk and therefore the cost of insuring you, companies will look at a good driving record as a strong indicator of a low-risk driver they want to win over with low premiums. This means no traffic tickets or moving violations, at-fault accidents, DUIs, texting while driving, and racing. DUI car insurance exists but it can be incredibly expensive. 

What is the cheapest insurance for an 18-year-old in your area? Find out my comparison shopping. Enter your ZIP code into our FREE quote comparison tool to secure the lowest car insurance for 18-year-olds.

Frequently Asked Questions: Car Insurance for an 18-Year-Old

You’re now an expert on securing the best car insurance rates for 18-year-old drivers. If you hear anyone ask does car insurance go down at 18? Send them our way. In the meantime, check out our frequently asked questions below.

#1 – What is the best sports car for 18-year-old?

There really aren’t any. Sports cars are expensive to insure, therefor sports car insurance for 18-year-olds is going to be incredibly high. There are many other cars that have cheap insurance for 18-year-olds, like economy sedans.

#2 – What are some free insurance car deals for 18-year-olds?

There are many free insurance deals for 18-year-olds, like discounts you can qualify for just by being a safe driver or getting good grades.

#3 – What is the best way to get cheap car insurance for new drivers?

The best way to get cheap car insurance for new girl drivers or guy drivers is by comparison shopping and finding discounts you qualify for. Insurance for new drivers over 18 will be slightly lower than some of our estimates in this article.

#4 – Why does car insurance cost more for males than females?

Statistically, men cause more accidents than women. However, some states have banned using gender when calculating car insurance rates. Traditionally, some of the best insurers for young male drivers are Geico and USAA. 

#5 – Does Progressive accept defensive driving discounts?

Yes, Progressive does offer a safe driving discount.

#6 – Can an 18-year-old buy a car?

Yes, it is possible for an 18-year-old to buy a car.

#7 – What is the cheapest car for a teenager to insure?

Some cheap cars for 18-year-olds are economy sedans like the Honda Accord or Toyota Carolla. Investing in the best cars for 18-year-olds will help you receive lower insurance rates. The best car for teenage insurance will be low risk, reliable, and safe.

#8 – What’s the best car insurance for a single male?

The best car insurance company will change depending on where you live and your unique needs and circumstances. Compare quotes from multiple companies to see who is more competitive for you.

#9 – Can you get day insurance for 18-year-olds?

Yes, some companies offer temporary insurance for 18-year-olds, otherwise known as one-day insurance, for 18-year-olds. Primarily this is offered in the UK.

References:

1. https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/teenagers
2. https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-highway-safety