Car Insurance For An 18 Year Old

Wondering how much is car insurance for an 18 year old? The average cost of car insurance for an 18 year old male and female is about $4,000, unless the young driver is added to their parents’ policy or is seeking the cheapest coverage and rates allowed by the state. However, when combined with family plans, those annual premiums drop to $1,800, or $150 per month. And while 18 year old females have, on average, 20% lower rates than males, there are a number of factors that affect car insurance prices, including the state you live in, the minimum coverage requirements by law, the vehicle you want to insure, whether you choose to buy full coverage or not, the potential to get a good student discount, and the insurance company itself.

There are many ways to get cheap insurance for 18 year-olds. Below, we’ll detail the average car insurance cost for an 18 year old male and female as well as offer a comprehensive buyer’s guide to getting the lowest quotes from the best companies for teenage drivers!

How Much Is Car Insurance For An 18 Year Old?

Calculating car insurance for an 18 year old requires a few basic assumptions. While the only way to know exactly how much you’ll pay for premiums is to complete a car insurance comparison and get quotes from the best companies in your state, we can provide you with the average annual rates paid by other male and female 18 year olds in your state. This information can be useful in giving you an idea of what prices to expect as well as encouraging families to shop around and compare rates before settling on a policy and provider.

For starters, the insurance rates below are based on an 18 year old buying a separate policy from Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, Nationwide, Progressive and State Farm. The car being insured is a 2017 Honda Accord with 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

Here’s how much car insurance costs for 18 year old males and females in each state.

Car Insurance For 18 Year Old Male

Car insurance for an 18 year old male driver costs, on average, about $4,500. Among the states, teen drivers in California, Texas, Florida, New York, Connecticut, and Tennessee have some of the highest rates whereas 18 year olds in North Carolina, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Iowa get the lowest premiums.

Car Insurance For 18 Year Old Female

Car insurance for an 18 year old female driver costs, on average, about $3,600. This is generally because, statistically, young males tend to be faster, more aggressive drivers, while teen females tend to be more defensive and conservative. Companies understand these fundamental differences in insurance statistics and award women lower rates.

Just a reminder, these rates are for liability insurance, not full coverage. Full coverage auto insurance for an 18 year old would include collision and comprehensive insurance, and the rates would be much higher!

Cheapest Car Insurance For 18 Year Old

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 cheapest car insurance for an 18 year old, you’ll need to settle for only liability insurance, which only pays for medical costs and damages incurred by others.

Using the same driver profile as before and assuming the teen buys his/her own policy, here’s how much minimum coverage car insurance costs per year in each state.

Cheap Car Insurance For 18 Year Old Female

With the average cost at about $1,500 per year, cheap car insurance for an 18 year old female 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 teen female drivers stay on their parents’ policy for even cheaper rates.

Cheap Car Insurance For 18 Year Old Male

Similarly, cheap car insurance for an 18 year old male comes out to about $1,750 per year. Even for teen male drivers, the cost of insurance decreases significantly when the amount of coverage purchased is just enough to meet state requirements.

Best Car Insurance For 18 Year Old

Finding the best car insurance for an 18 year old ultimately comes down to comparing policies, coverage options, companies, and premiums. However, it is important to note that, although 18 year-olds are considered adults, the best way to get really cheap rates is if the teen is added to their parents’ policy. Even if parents want their kids to pay for their own insurance coverage, it makes more sense for your teenager to pay you for the increase in premiums than it is for him/her to go out and buy 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. 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.

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

• Insure your teen under an older car. 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 air bags, 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 a discount for young drivers who maintain a 3.0 or “B” average in high school or college. 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 preapproved 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.

If you’re ready to start an insurance comparison, either with the intention of switching companies for lower rates and better coverage or using the online quotes as a negotiating tool, just enter your zip code below to see some of the top insurers in your area.