Car insurance for 18-year-olds doesn’t come cheap—even for the bare minimum coverage required by law. That’s because insurers view young drivers as high-risk due to their limited experience behind the wheel.
While rates generally start to decline around age 25, teen drivers often face some of the highest premiums. In this guide, we’ll break down what 18-year-olds can expect to pay for car insurance, with average rates by state and company. Most importantly, we’ll share tips to help young drivers find affordable coverage, no matter their age.
What’s the cheapest car insurance for 18-year-olds?
Car insurance for 18-year-olds is expensive — especially when teens purchase their own individual policy. But there’s a smart way to save: Staying on a parent’s policy.
An 18-year-old female pays an average of $4,956 per year for her own policy, while joining a parent’s policy brings the cost down to $3,349 — a savings of more than $1,600.
For 18-year-old males, the difference is even greater, with an average annual savings of nearly $1,940.
In the table below, see how much full coverage car insurance costs for an 18-year-old on a parent’s policy costs in each state for males and females, on average.
| State | Parent policy with an 18-year-old male | Parent’s policy with an 18-year-old female |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $2,474 | $2,254 |
| Alabama | $2,595 | $2,394 |
| Arkansas | $2,742 | $2,471 |
| Arizona | $3,320 | $2,954 |
| California | $4,275 | $4,275 |
| Colorado | $3,366 | $3,190 |
| Connecticut | $2,511 | $2,294 |
| District of Columbia | $3,548 | $3,060 |
| Delaware | $2,983 | $2,706 |
| Florida | $5,631 | $5,208 |
| Georgia | $3,226 | $2,824 |
| Hawaii | $1,338 | $1,338 |
| Iowa | $2,055 | $1,918 |
| Idaho | $1,816 | $1,658 |
| Illinois | $2,889 | $2,494 |
| Indiana | $2,176 | $2,061 |
| Kansas | $2,526 | $2,353 |
| Kentucky | $3,163 | $2,940 |
| Louisiana | $6,496 | $5,630 |
| Massachusetts | $3,386 | $3,386 |
| Maryland | $3,739 | $3,169 |
| Maine | $2,486 | $2,167 |
| Michigan | $6,948 | $6,948 |
| Minnesota | $2,737 | $2,645 |
| Missouri | $4,296 | $3,760 |
| Mississippi | $2,472 | $2,281 |
| Montana | $3,077 | $3,077 |
| North Carolina | $2,490 | $2,490 |
| North Dakota | $2,007 | $1,828 |
| Nebraska | $2,918 | $2,726 |
| New Hampshire | $1,903 | $1,763 |
| New Jersey | $4,599 | $4,112 |
| New Mexico | $3,283 | $3,019 |
| Nevada | $4,304 | $3,940 |
| New York | $3,915 | $3,408 |
| Ohio | $2,131 | $1,964 |
| Oklahoma | $3,820 | $3,168 |
| Oregon | $2,563 | $2,411 |
| Pennsylvania | $2,256 | $2,256 |
| Rhode Island | $3,563 | $3,190 |
| South Carolina | $3,368 | $3,243 |
| South Dakota | $2,531 | $2,280 |
| Tennessee | $2,401 | $2,171 |
| Texas | $4,030 | $3,631 |
| Utah | $3,619 | $3,317 |
| Virginia | $2,656 | $2,342 |
| Vermont | $1,927 | $1,752 |
| Washington | $2,146 | $2,046 |
| Wisconsin | $3,191 | $2,834 |
| West Virginia | $3,287 | $2,852 |
| Wyoming | $2,974 | $2,490 |
Cheapest car insurance companies for an 18-year-old
Comparison shopping is one of the easiest ways to save on car insurance. Each insurance company uses different calculations to decide what you pay for coverage. That means the price for the same policy can differ significantly among insurers.
Below, you’ll see the average rate for male drivers insured on a parent’s full coverage policy with limits of 100/300/100 and $500 comprehensive/collision deductibles.
| Company | Parent’s policy with an 18-year-old male |
| Nationwide | $2,506 |
| GEICO | $2,566 |
| State Farm | $3,072 |
| Travelers | $3,603 |
| Progressive | $3,874 |
| Allstate | $4,111 |
| Farmers | $4,791 |
| USAA* | $2,270 |
*USAA is only available to military community members and their families.
How 18-year-olds can save money on car insurance
Shopping around is the best way to save on car insurance. Other ways to save on car insurance include the following:
- Your driving record: More than one violation or accident will hurt.
- Your credit: If it’s dismal, you’re seen as a more significant risk of a claim so you’ll pay more in many states.
- Your mileage: The less you drive, the less chance of your hitting someone.
- Your insurance history: If you’ve let your policy lapse, even for a few days, you’ll pay more for coverage.
- Your insurance company: No two insurers offer identical rates, and even on state-minimum policies, premiums can differ by hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars a year.
- Your car: If your vehicle has a significantly higher rate of claims than most (because, say, it’s driven mainly by young drivers), your liability rates will reflect that risk. Make sure to research any new car purchase on Kelley Blue Book to see if it’s a good car for a teen.
- Discounts: You may earn a good student discount, or other car insurance discount, for instance, for paying online or living far from home, so be sure to research which ones you can get and ask for them.
Final thoughts: Cheapest car insurance for 18-year-olds
Whether you’re a parent or a teen, read our guide to car insurance for young drivers and our guide to car insurance for an 18-year-old for plenty more information that can help you make the car insurance choices that are best for you.
Methodology
CarInsurance.com commissioned Quadrant Information Services to get car insurance rates for 18-year-old male and female drivers. The hypothetical drivers have a 12-mile commute and 10,000 annual mileage for a Honda Accord LX. The data come from 73 companies, 1,467 ZIP codes and 6,94,408 auto insurance quotes across all the states in the U.S.
The car insurance rate for the teen added to a parent’s policy includes coverage for one family car owned and insured by the parents. This data comprehensively compares car insurance costs for teenage drivers as independent policyholders and when added to a parent’s existing policy.
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Michelle Megna
Contributing Researcher