How to Get Free Car Insurance Quotes 2024
A car insurance quote is more than the estimated cost of a policy you’re thinking of buying. It’s also a free tool you can use to get cheap car insurance.
Savings Tips
Most drivers can find the cheapest quotes from State Farm, Travelers, Geico and American Family.
Comparing car insurance quotes could save you $489 a year
Can receive an online quote in under 3 minutes
How do I get a car insurance quote?
Getting car insurance quotes online is easy and takes just a few steps.
1. Start by gathering personal info. Insurance companies may ask you for the following:
- Your name, address and date of birth
- Your driver’s license number
- Make, model and mileage of your car
- Your driving and car insurance history
- The names and dates of birth of anyone else the policy will cover
- The policy coverage options and limits you want
- Any car loan financing info you have
2. If you’re getting a quote directly from an insurance provider, you can usually get a quote from their website. The site will have you enter the info it needs to calculate your quote. If you have questions at any time, call the insurer and talk with an agent.
3. You’ll also need to figure out how much coverage you want when getting a quote. Your state will most likely require you to buy at least liability-only insurance, which is basic car insurance. You may also need comprehensive and collision coverage if you have a loan or a lease. Even if you aren’t required to buy comprehensive or collision coverage, you should still consider them since they’ll cover damages to your car.
4. Your quote should be emailed to you after you finish this process. Keep it on hand to compare with other car insurance quotes you request.
What are other ways to get car insurance quotes?
For quicker car insurance quotes, use auto insurance comparison sites. These sites ask you to share your info once, then get your quotes from multiple insurers.
You can also get car insurance quotes over the phone or in person. Call an insurance company’s 800 number or walk into one of its offices to talk with an agent. This will take longer than getting a quote online, but you’ll get all the help you need.
Where can I get cheap car insurance quotes?
Most drivers get the cheapest car insurance quotes from State Farm, which charges $1,487 a year for full-coverage car insurance, on average.
State Farm’s rate is 25% lower than the national average for full-coverage policies, which is $1,976 a year.
Cheapest car insurance companies for full coverage
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $1,487 |
| Travelers | $1,919 |
| American Family | $1,920 |
| Geico | $1,937 |
| Progressive | $2,032 |
| Nationwide | $2,226 |
| Allstate | $2,609 |
| Farmers | $3,091 |
| USAA* | $1,203 |
USAA has the cheapest quote overall, averaging $1,203 a year. However, USAA only sells insurance products to military members and their families.
State Farm has the cheapest liability car insurance quotes, too, at an average $597 a year. This is 23% cheaper than the national average rate for liability coverage ($773 a year).
Cheapest car insurance companies for liability coverage
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $597 |
| Geico | $727 |
| American Family | $728 |
| Progressive | $791 |
| Travelers | $835 |
| Nationwide | $963 |
| Allstate | $1,158 |
| Farmers | $1,188 |
| USAA* | $412 |
Geico and American Family also offer liability car insurance coverage for less than the national average, at $727 and $728 a year, respectively.
How do I compare car insurance quotes?
Comparing car insurance quotes helps you get the cheapest rate for the coverage you want and need. To compare car insurance quotes and get your best deal:
- Understand your coverage needs. Liability only covers injuries and damages you cause others. For your own injuries and vehicle damage, you need full coverage that includes comprehensive and collision insurance. Your state may require you to have uninsured and/or underinsured motorist coverage as well.
- Get quotes from several car insurance companies. This makes it easy to see which company offers the cheapest rate for the types and amounts of car insurance coverage you need.
- Look at the quotes you receive side by side. Make sure they all provide the same coverage options and amounts. If they don’t, correct any that are different.
- Consider the premiums of each quote. Keep in mind that some quotes may show a monthly rate, while others will show an annual rate.
- Do all of the quotes include one or more discounts? If not, they could make a big difference.
If all else is the same, the quote with the lowest premium is probably the best one for you.
What factors influence my car insurance quotes?
Companies consider many factors when coming up with your car insurance quote, such as your:
- Driving record
- Insurance claim history
- Car make and model
- ZIP code
- Age
- Gender
- Marital status
- Credit score
You’ll likely get a cheaper quote with a clean driving record than you will if you’ve been in multiple accidents, for example. And if you’re a teen who has just started driving, you’ll get a higher quote than you would if you were 35 and you’ve been driving for several years.
Driving history
You’ll likely get a cheaper quote with a clean driving record than you will if you’ve been in multiple accidents, for example.
| Record | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Clean | $1,970 |
| Ticket | $2,427 |
| Accident | $2,930 |
| DUI | $3,626 |
Age
If you’re a teen who has just started driving, you’ll get a higher quote than you would if you’ve been driving for several years. Adding a teen to a parent’s policy is generally cheaper than having separate policies for a teen and parent.
Average car insurance costs for a parent and a teenage driver
| Age of teen | Male teen | Female teen |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | $7,008 | $6,216 |
| 17 | $6,600 | $5,856 |
| 18 | $6,144 | $5,448 |
| 19 | $5,700 | $5,064 |
Monthly rates are for a 50-year-old parent and teenage child with clean driving records.
Credit history
Depending on the state you live in, car insurance companies can use credit scores when calculating your car insurance rate. If you have a poor credit score, your rate may be higher than someone with a good score.
| Credit | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Good credit | $1,970 |
| Poor credit | $3,705 |
Are car insurance quotes free?
Yes, car insurance quotes are free. A reputable company will not charge you for a car insurance quote.
You also aren’t obligated to buy a car insurance policy from a company that sends you a quote.
How do I get cheap car insurance quotes?
Besides comparing quotes, you can do the following to get cheaper quotes:
Take advantage of discounts: Discounts can help lower your car insurance rate significantly. Companies may offer these common car insurance discounts and more:
- Multi-policy discount
- Multi-car discount
- Good driver discount
- Good student discount
- Automatic payment discount
- Pay in full discount
Increase your deductible: Raising your car insurance deductible will lower your car insurance rate. However, we don’t recommend increasing your deductible if you can’t pay the deductible amount if you need to file a claim.
Reduce coverage for a cheap car: If you have a cheap used car, full-coverage car insurance may not be worth the cost. Comprehensive and collision coverage pay for damage done to your car. If your car isn’t worth much and you can afford to buy another car if it’s undrivable, it may not be worth paying extra for a full-coverage policy.
Methodology
LendingTree obtains rates from insurance company filings reported to Quadrant Information Services. Rates shown in this article are based on an analysis of more than 400,000 car insurance quotes for sample drivers in every state.
Unless stated otherwise, our sample driver is a 30-year-old male with good credit and no tickets, accidents or DUIs. Our sample vehicle is a 2015 Honda Civic EX.
Minimum-liability policies have the minimum amounts of coverage required by state law.
Full coverage includes:
- Bodily injury liability: $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
- Property damage liability: $25,000
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist: $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
- Collision: $500 deductible
- Comprehensive: $500 deductible
Prices are shown for comparative purposes only. Your rates may vary.
*USAA is only available to current and former members of the military and their families.