How Much Is Car Insurance in 2026?

National average car insurance cost

There is no single price for car insurance, because every company uses its own data and sample driver. Here is what three well-known trackers report for 2026.

Source: NerdWallet, Oct 2026; ValuePenguin, Oct 2026; Experian marketplace data, Sep 2026.

NerdWallet’s figures are for a 35-year-old with a clean record and good credit. Experian’s come from policies actually sold through its marketplace, which helps explain why they run higher.

Full coverage usually means liability plus collision and comprehensive, which pay to fix your own car. Minimum coverage is only the liability insurance your state requires. Full coverage costs about 3.6 times as much as minimum in NerdWallet’s numbers (our calculation), but a lender or leasing company will almost always require it.

Rates also vary a lot by where you live. Our car insurance cost by state page shows how your state compares.

Car insurance cost by age

Age is one of the biggest factors. Teen drivers pay several times what a 30-year-old pays, and rates drop fast through the early 20s.

Source: ValuePenguin, Oct 2026, based on statewide averages in Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas.

In yearly terms, a 16-year-old male’s average of $738 a month works out to about $8,856 a year, compared with about $2,436 at age 30 (our calculation). The drop is steepest between 16 and 21, when the monthly average for men falls from $738 to $312, so rates often improve a lot within a few years.

Rates keep easing after 30. Experian’s marketplace data, which blends full and minimum policies, shows drivers in their 60s paying about $1,803 a year, compared with $3,197 to $3,410 for drivers under 20. Experian also shows a small uptick for men over 70.

Car insurance cost by driving record

A ticket or crash stays on your record for years, and insurers price that in. NerdWallet’s sample driver sees these annual rates:

Source: NerdWallet, Oct 2026.

ValuePenguin’s national numbers are close: about 24% more after a speeding ticket, 49% after an accident and 88% after a DUI. In dollars, a single DUI adds roughly $2,076 a year to a full coverage policy in NerdWallet’s data (our calculation).

Repeat problems cost more. Experian’s marketplace data, which blends full and minimum policies, shows drivers with a clean record paying about $2,110 a year, compared with $2,491 after one violation and $3,050 after three or more incidents. That is about 45% more for the drivers with the most incidents (our calculation).

If you do get a ticket or have a crash, NerdWallet suggests checking whether your policy includes accident forgiveness and shopping around, because each insurer weighs a crash differently. The company that was cheapest before the incident may not be cheapest after it.

Car insurance cost by credit

In most states, insurers use a credit-based insurance score. NerdWallet’s clean-record driver with poor credit pays $3,954 a year for full coverage and $1,030 for minimum, compared with $2,361 and $648 with good credit. That is about 67% more for full coverage (our calculation).

ValuePenguin puts the gap at about 50% nationally, and the state examples are striking. In Washington, D.C., good credit costs about $244 a month for full coverage versus $755 with poor credit.

California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan do not let insurers use credit to set car insurance rates.

How to lower your car insurance cost

1. Compare quotes every year or two. Each insurer weighs age, crashes and credit differently, so the cheapest company for your neighbor may not be cheapest for you. This matters most after a ticket or accident.
2. Raise your deductible. A higher deductible lowers your premium. Only do this if you could pay that amount after a claim, which is one reason to keep an emergency fund.
3. Drop coverage you no longer need. On an older, paid-off car worth little, collision and comprehensive may cost more than they would ever pay out. Extras like rental reimbursement can also go.
4. Ask about discounts. Experian lists bundling home and auto, a defensive driving course, low annual mileage and employer or group affiliations.
5. Work on your credit. Where credit is allowed in pricing, a better score can lower your rate over time.
6. Check smaller insurers. NerdWallet notes that regional companies can be cheaper, though many only sell in a few states.

How insurance fits your total car budget

Insurance is often the second-biggest car bill after the payment itself. Before you shop, add it to the loan payment in our car loan calculator to see the real monthly cost, and see the full picture in the true cost of owning a car. If you are weighing a lease, remember that leasing companies require full coverage, which matters in lease vs buy math.

See how we research every number on our method page, or browse more car costs.