Car insurance shoppers should shop around for better insurance rates as many times as you are comfortable with. If you want to run some quotes every six months, go ahead. Many insurance companies will check your credit, but it is a soft inquiry, not a hard inquiry, so it does not count as much on your FICO score as it would if you opened a new credit card account. The most important thing to understand is your household’s driving history and how changes in your family affect your insurance rates.

An accurate quote requires a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) report and a credit report so if something has happened to either one of those recently it may affect your rates. If a previous minor ticket or at-fault accident drops off your DMV report the time is right to get updated quotes to reflect your new status. Most infractions affecting car insurance rates drop off of a person’s DMV report five years from the date of the incident. Although some insurance companies will check your credit occasionally, they may not have checked it since your improvement. When you have significantly improved your credit score in the previous year the time is right to get new quotes that reflect your improved credit score.

If you get insurance after a lapse, stay with the same company for a year before looking for other insurance. Insurance companies use your history to judge risk, and they want to see you retain coverage before reconsidering how you are rated. Many companies give discounts for three years of continuous coverage, so that would be another mile-point to look at in getting rate quotes.