How much is car insurance for a 19 year old?

As drivers turn 19, they are becoming better at navigating the rules of the road. Insurance companies tend to reward those few years of driving experience with lower auto insurance rates.

The average car insurance rate for a 19-year-old on their own policy is $4,132 a year for full coverage. That rate is a little under $2,500 higher than the national average of $1,682 for 40-year-old drivers.

However, the rate for 19-year-olds is significantly lower than the cost for 16-year-old ($7,625), 17-year-old ($6,272) and 18-year-old ($5,565) drivers.

Teen drivers pay much more for insurance than most other policyholders because their inexperience on the road makes them a bigger risk for insurers, says Carole Walker, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association.

“Teen drivers pose a higher risk of crashes than any other age group and often don’t have the maturity and experience to respond to real-world road conditions and situations,” Walker says.

The risk of car crashes is highest among teens aged 16-19 than in any other age group, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. And per mile driven, teens ages 16-19 are almost three times as likely to be in a fatal crash than drivers 20 or older.

By the time a driver is 19, rates are coming down, as drivers both mature as people and gain more behind-the-wheel experience. Read on to find out more about what auto insurance companies charge 19-year-old drivers.

Car insurance for teens: What’s the average cost for a 19 year old?

Average Car Insurance Rates for Teens: 19 Year Old

The average car insurance rate for a 19-year-old who has their own policy is as follows per year:

• State minimum liability coverage: $1,295
• Liability coverage with limits of 50/100/50: $1,550
• 100/300/100 liability with a $500 comprehensive and collision deductible: $4,132

What you pay to insure a teen driver will vary, depending on many factors, ranging from the insurance company you choose to where you live and the coverage limits you want.

To give you an idea of what to expect to pay for coverage, we provide average annual rates by state in the charts below.

Car insurance cost for a 19-year-old female

The nationwide average cost for insurance for a 19-year-old female is $3,615 per year on their own policy. Teen female drivers age 19 pay $517 less than males their age.

Below you’ll see average insurance costs by state for a 19-year-old female, and how that compares to the price of a parent policy with the child added on.

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Car insurance cost for a 19-year-old male

Males age 19 pay, on average, $4,132 for their own full coverage policy. That’s about $516 more than their female counterparts. You can compare rates for a male 19-year-old with his own policy to that of being added to his parents’ policy.

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How much you save by adding a 19-year-old to your insurance vs. teen’s own policy

You’ll see in the chart below how much it costs to add a teen driver to a parent policy and how much you save doing so:

Car insurance for young drivers is much cheaper when parents add the teen to their existing policy. As young drivers gain more experience, their rates should drop.

Check out our detailed parents’ guide on the best and cheapest way to insure teenage drivers

Cheapest car insurance for 19-year-olds

Below you’ll see how major carriers compare on rates when you add a teen driver age 19 to your coverage.  For this scenario, North Carolina Farm Bureau, Island, New Jersey Manufacturers and USAA were the cheapest among insurance companies we surveyed for adding a female.

Parent policy with female, age 19

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Parent policy with male, age 19

North Carolina Farm Bureau, Island, New Jersey Manufacturers and USAA were the cheapest for adding 19-year-old male motorists.

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What’s the average annual car insurance rate for a 19-year-old driver with their own policy?

If your teen is buying her or his own policy, North Carolina Farm Bureau, Island, Erie and USAA came in with the lowest female rates for full coverage.

Average annual car insurance rates for a 19-year-old female

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Average annual car insurance rates for a 19-year-old male

For male drivers age 19 on their own, North Carolina Farm Bureau, Island, USAA and New Jersey Manufacturers are among the national carriers with the cheapest car insurance rates.

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What’s the best insurance for teenage drivers?

Start with liability car insurance, which pays for others’ injuries and damage you cause to their property in an accident. Typically, the state-minimum coverage isn’t enough – medical costs can quickly escalate if there are major injuries following an accident, as well as property damages.

If you’re financing a vehicle, states usually require comprehensive and collision coverage. If you paid off your car, you decide if you want these coverages, which cover your car following a crash and for damage due to fire, hail, vandalism and animal strikes.

If you opt for comprehensive insurance and collision coverage, consider higher deductibles to lower your rate. Keep in mind that you’d then have to pay for minor repairs following an accident.

When parents should add a teen to a policy (and when they shouldn’t)?

You may want to break away from your parents and get your own insurance policy. That may or may not be a good idea. Here are a few situations to help you decide how to handle auto insurance:

The 19-year-old lives with their parents and has a clean driving record

See if your parents add you to their policy if that’s an option as it’s less expensive than getting your own.

The 19-year-old has a good record but doesn’t live with their parents

A separate policy may be smart if you own a car and live on your own. You should also have coverage when you don’t own a car but drive another vehicle regularly, such as your roommate’s, through a non-owner car insurance policy.

That coverage provides protection, meets minimum state insurance requirements and offers continual coverage, resulting in lower premiums over time.

The 19-year-old lives with their parents but has a poor driving record

If you live at home and have multiple accidents and tickets, whether or not it makes more sense to get your own policy or not depends on the number and severity of the accidents and moving violations.

The 19-year-old has a poor record and doesn’t live with their parents

Parents should remove a teen with a poor driving record from the family policy if they are no longer living at home. That means you’re on your own and you should get a policy in your name.

Car insurance discounts for 19-year-olds

Some car insurance discounts may help 19-year-olds lower their rates, especially if they are still students. For example, if they remain good students, holding on to a 3.0 or “B” average might get a teen a discount of up to 16%.

“Many companies also offer teen driver safety courses that can qualify for discounts,” Walker says.

Other discounts also might be available, such as student-away discounts if a teen attends school away from their parents. Check with your insurer to see which discounts are offered and whether you are eligible for them.

Shopping around can lower the cost of adding a teen

As you gain more experience driving, your auto insurance rates should fall. Also, make sure to shop around and compare rates with several different insurers. This should help you get a great policy at the best prices.

Average car insurance rates usually begin a significant decline when drivers hit age 26. But car insurance for 19-year-olds is still cheaper than that for 16-year-old, 17-year-old or 18-year-old drivers.

Other ways to save on car insurance for your teen

If you keep a clean driving record, your rates should fall. Other ways to lower car insurance costs include not speeding, steering clear of accidents and being careful not to drive recklessly or to be distracted by things like cell phone use.

If you are at fault in a minor accident, it can make sense to avoid filing a claim and pay for the damage out of pocket, which can prevent your rates from rising.

What are the best cars for 19 year olds?

Sedans and small to midsize SUVs are usually cheaper to insure and are the best cars for teens. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has some advice about choosing safe vehicles for teens:

• Try to get Electronic Stability Control (ESC). This feature, which helps a driver maintain control on curves and slippery roads, is about as good at reducing risks as safety belts.
• Avoid high horsepower: Vehicles with more powerful engines can tempt (young drivers) to test the limits.
• Look for cars with the best safety reviews from the IIHS and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Another resource is CarInsurance.com, which provides guidance, including a rundown of the top teen-ready cars under $15,000 with high safety ratings.

Resources & Methodology

Sources:

1. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. “Teen Drivers: Get the Facts.” Accessed June 2022.
2. Governors Highway Safety Association. “Teen and Novice Drivers.” Accessed June 2022.
3. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Highway Loss Data Institute. “Teenagers.” Accessed June 2022.

Methodology

CarInsurance.com commissioned Quadrant Information Services in 2022 to field rates for full coverage auto coverage data by ZIP code for 19-year-old and 40-year-old drivers.

– Mark Chalon Smith contributed to this story.