Here you’ll learn everything you need to know to buy the best car insurance policy in Dallas for your particular situation. You’ll see which carriers are rated as the best car insurance companies for customer satisfaction and what the average car insurance rates are for your neighborhood.
You’ll also discover how much you can save from knowing how to make smart choices about coverage. And, find out how rates for Dallas drivers are affected by tickets, accidents and adding teen drivers.
- The average car insurance rate for Dallas drivers for minimum coverage is $592 a year, according to Carinsurance.com analysis.
- The liability coverage in Dallas, TX costs $874 per year.
- In Dallas, full coverage car insurance policy costs $2,073 a year.
- As per Carinsurance.com research, in Dallas, comparing quotes from companies can help you save an average $3,159 on your car insurance rates annually.
How Much Does Car Insurance Cost in Dallas, TX?
We all know that the cost of car insurance varies depending on your individual needs. But how much does it actually costs? CarInsurance.com analysed major insurers including Geico, Progressive Insurance Company (Progressive), State Farm, Allstate Co. and others, to determine average Dallas coverage costs for different levels and types.
The average rate for Dallas drivers for a year of minimum coverage is $592 according to our rate analysis. If you increased your coverage to 50/100/50, you would pay just about $23.50 more a month, or $282 more a year.
You can get full coverage (100/300/100) by paying $123.42 more a month, or an additional $1,481 a year more than minimum-level coverage.
Average Auto Insurance Rates in Dallas, TXThe following data shows, what you can expect to pay for car insurance in Dallas, on average.
- State Minimum Policy: $592 per year
- Liability Coverage (50/100/50): $874 per year
- Full Coverage (100/300/100): $2,073 per year
Who Has Cheapest Car Insurance in Dallas, Texas?
Colonial County Mutual Ins Co and State Farm Mutl Automobile Ins have the cheapest car insurance rates in Dallas, based on our rate analysis for three different coverage levels.
The driver profile is for age 40, with good credit and a clean driving record. You can see how major insurers rank for price in the chart below.
| Company | Liability Only – State Minimum BI/PD | Liability Only – 50/100/50 BI/PD | Full Coverage – 100/300/100 BI/PD – 500 Comp/Coll |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Farm Mutl Automobile Ins | $467 | $658 | $1,504 |
| GEICO County Mutual Ins Co | $488 | $687 | $1,655 |
| Auto Club County Mutl Ins Co | $523 | $778 | $1,758 |
| Mercury County Mutual Ins Co | $580 | $763 | $2,059 |
| Met Lloyds Ins Co of TX | $603 | $922 | $2,238 |
| Colonial County Mutual Ins Co | $653 | $876 | $1,446 |
| Allstate F&C Ins Co | $687 | $1,095 | $3,744 |
| Progressive County Mutl Ins Co | $736 | $1,005 | $2,038 |
| Foremost County Mutual Ins Co | $757 | $1,364 | $2,630 |
Who Has The Best Car Insurance in Dallas, TX?
Deciding who has the best car insurance to suit your needs depends on what is most important to you. For some it may be price, while others may value customer service the most. Still others may be looking for the convenience of mobile apps, or a company that offers the most car insurance discounts.
Below we list car insurance companies in Dallas, and who they are the best at serving, based on CarInsurance.com’s customer satisfaction survey of current policy holders and rate data analysis.
| Best for | Company |
|---|---|
| Claims | Geico |
| Value/Price | Geico |
| Customer Service | Geico |
| Websites/Apps | USAA |
| Recommend | Metlife |
| Low Annual Mileage | Allstate F&C |
| Good Student | Nationwide CCMIC |
| Bundle | Allstate F&C |
| Paid in Full | Allstate F&C |
How Much Car Insurance do I Need in Dallas, TX?
Below we’ll explain what coverage you need to drive legally, which is your state required minimum liability limits, and what types of car insurance you may need to be truly protected.
Minimum Car Insurance Requirements in Dallas, TX
Texas car insurance laws require only that you insure yourself against bodily injury and property damage liability, so it’s your choice whether to add coverage for yourself, your passengers, and your vehicle.
If you have a newer model car, it makes sense to get comprehensive insurance and collision coverage. In Texas, comprehensive costs $344 and collision costs $760, on an average per year, according to a rate data analysis done by CarInsurance.com.
These optional coverages come with a deductible. That’s the amount you pay before your insurance company pays. Typical deductibles amounts are $1,000, $500 and $250 – you choose which one you want. The higher the deductible is, the lower your rate will be.
The best car insurance coverage usually isn’t the cheapest. You may be used if you’re in an accident and your insurance doesn’t cover all of the damages. That means your home or savings could be in jeopardy.
To protect your assets, you should buy liability insurance in the following amounts:
- $1,00,000 to pay for others’ medical bills
- $3,00,000 to pay for injuries to others in an accident you cause
- $1,00,000 to pay for damage to others’ property
You should also consider buying these optional coverages:
- Comprehensive, which replaces stolen cars and covers damage to your car from floods, fire, hail, vandalism.
- Collision, which pays for damage to your car from accidents.
Compare Car Insurance Quotes in Dallas, TX & Save Money
You can save an average of $3,159 annually on a full coverage policy in Dallas by comparing car insurance quotes, according to CarInsurance.com’s rate analysis. While savings will depend on your particular circumstances, this shows that there is a significant benefit to shopping your policy.
Dallas, TX Car Insurance FAQ’s
How much does insurance go up after a speeding ticket in Dallas, TX?
A speeding ticket in Dallas will hike your car insurance rates by an average of 23% , or about $700 yearly. CarInsurance.com’s rate analysis shows how much more drivers in Dallas can expect to pay, on average, for speeding and other common violations.
Minor traffic violations, such as speeding, typically stay on your record for about three years, and you can expect to see the rate increase upon your policy renewal date. More severe infractions, such as DUI, typically stay on your record much longer.
How much does insurance go up for tickets in Dallas, TX?
Dallas drivers can expect to see a hike in their rates in the range of 37% for minor moving violations such as tailgating or blowing through a stop sign, 52% for more severe infractions such as DUI.
Below you’ll see how much rates increase, on average, for common traffic violations.
Remember, though, that because insurance companies assess risk differently, you can still save by comparison shopping, because one carrier may ding you a lot for a citation, while another may spike your rate by much less.
| Violation | Average rate | Rate after violation | $ Increase | % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 speeding tickets 11 mph or over | $2,992 | $3,945 | $953 | 32% |
| Careless driving | $2,992 | $3,727 | $735 | 25% |
| Distracted driving ticket | $2,992 | $3,721 | $729 | 24% |
| Driving without a license or permit | $2,992 | $3,479 | $487 | 16% |
| Driving without insurance | $2,992 | $3,330 | $338 | 11% |
| DUI/DWI first offense | $2,992 | $4,762 | $1,770 | 59% |
| DUI/DWI second offense | $2,992 | $6,467 | $3,475 | 116% |
| Failure to stop | $2,992 | $3,568 | $576 | 19% |
| Failure to yield | $2,992 | $3,568 | $576 | 19% |
| Following too closely | $2,992 | $3,587 | $595 | 20% |
| Improper turn | $2,992 | $3,568 | $576 | 19% |
| Improper/illegal pass | $2,992 | $3,531 | $539 | 18% |
| Operating a vehicle in a race (highway racing) | $2,992 | $4,091 | $1,099 | 37% |
| Reckless driving | $2,992 | $4,400 | $1,408 | 47% |
| Seatbelt infraction | $2,992 | $3,392 | $400 | 13% |
| Talking on cellphone ticket | $2,992 | $3,488 | $496 | 17% |
| Texting ticket | $2,992 | $3,488 | $496 | 17% |
How much will an accident raise my insurance in Dallas, TX?
An accident will increase car insurance rates by 64% to 133%, on average, for drivers in Dallas. When you file a claim for an accident that’s your fault, typically your car insurance rates will increase.
However, claims under your comprehensive coverage, if you have it as it’s optional, typically won’t trigger an increase. That’s because comprehensive claims are for damage insurers consider to be beyond your control, for instance due to hail, fire, flooding, falling objects or collisions with an animal.
The table below shows how much for drivers in Dallas can expect to pay for common car insurance claims.
| Accident | Average Rate | Rate after claim | $ Increase | % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 At-fault property damage accident over $2K | $2,992 | $4,914 | $1,922 | 64% |
| 1 At-fault property damage accident under $2K | $2,992 | $4,914 | $1,922 | 64% |
| 2 At-fault property damage accident over $2k | $2,992 | $6,972 | $3,980 | 133% |
| At-fault bodily injury accident | $2,992 | $4,898 | $1,906 | 64% |
How much does it cost to add a teen driver to your insurance in Dallas, TX?
In Dallas, adding a 16-year-old daughter to your policy will hike your rates by $2,689 annually, or 130% It’s more for boys. Insuring your 16-year-old son will increase your yearly rate by $3,135, or 151% according to CarInsurance.com rate data.
Teen drivers are inexperienced, and are involved in more accidents than older drivers, according to federal research, and insurance companies categorize them as high-risk drivers, so they cost more to insure.
If you’re insuring a teen driver of any age, you can get expert tips, more rate data by age and details from our “Parents guide to insuring a teen driver.”
How much is SR-22 insurance in Dallas, TX?
CarInsurance.com data show that for drivers in Dallas, your rate will go up by an average of $1,384 or 46%. If you’re convicted of a serious offense, such as DUI or reckless driving, you may be required to have your insurance company file an SR-22 form on your behalf.
An SR-22 is a car insurance company’s guarantee to the state that you are carrying the legally mandated coverage. If you are required to have an SR-22 filed, your car insurance rates will increase.
Dallas Commuters
According to the U.S. Census, the average drive time for Dallas workers 16 and older to their job is 27 minutes, which is just about the national average of roughly 27.1 minutes (the 2018 national average).
The mean time (based on figures from 2014-2018) includes time spent waiting for public transportation, picking up passengers in carpools and on other activities related to getting to work.
Data compiled by Data USA showed that 2.13% of the workforce in Dallas are “super commuters,” meaning they drive an excess of 90 minutes to their job.
Of the Dallas commuters (top three, as measured in 2018):
- Drive alone: 76.7%
- Carpooled: 11.1%
- Worked at home: 5.05%
Census data shows a similar breakdown, and also indicate that just 4% of Dallas workers take public transit and 2% walk to work.
Pedestrians/Cyclists Killed or Seriously Injured in Dallas Crashes
Dallas has the fifth-highest rates of traffic and pedestrian traffic fatalities in the United States, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics collected between 2014-2018. The city’s 2018 fatality rate was 1.94 per 100,000.
Dallas pedestrian deaths:
- 2014: 85
- 2015: 109
- 2016: 123
- 2017: 120
- 2018: 119
Only New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix and Atlanta surpassed Dallas In this “urbanized areas with 25 highest pedestrian” ranking. Other Texas cities that made the Top 25 list were Houston, San Antonio and Austin.
Between 2008 and 2017, drivers struck and killed 49,340 people who were walking on streets in the U.S. That equates to more than 13 people per day — or one person every hour and 46 minutes.
There were 4,831 pedestrian deaths between 2008 and 2017 in Texas, which has been ranked the eighth most-dangerous state (plus Washington, DC) in the country for pedestrians, according to a 2019 report called “Dangerous By Design” from Smart Growth America.
The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area ranked as the 28th most dangerous in the country for pedestrians, with 1,037 deaths during that time period. That’s an annual pedestrian death rate of 1.49 per 100,000 people.
Walk Score rates any address in the United States, giving it a “walkability score.” The score determines how walkable a particular street or intersection may be. With a population of nearly 1.2 million, Dallas is the 26th most walkable large city in the U.S.
Calling it a “car-dependent city,” Walk Score gave it a 46 score for walking, 40 for transit and 51 for biking.
Dallas Congestion
It’s no Los Angeles or Boston, or even Austin, but Dallas holds its own in terms of congestion.
In an annual report released by INRIX, Dallas, TX, ranked as number 21 in 2018 on the “most congested urban areas in the U.S.” list. Dallas lagged behind list-toppers Boston, Washington, DC., Chicago, NYC and, of course, Los Angeles.
In the world, Dallas ranked 122nd, which is where it also landed in 2017. According to the study, Dallas drivers spent an average of 76 minutes of time in congestion in 2018. They crawl at about 17 mph during the last minute of inner city driving time.
Dallas drivers lost up to $1,065 per year on average due to congestion. That’s less than half of what Boston drivers face. Those motorists lost up to $2,291 on average.
Dallas isn’t nearly as congested as other large cities, as is evidenced by another traffic congestion measurement report. GPS giant TomTom releases an annual traffic index, ranking the most congested cities by country, continent and the world. With a 19% congestion level, Dallas-Fort Worth earned the 44nd spot in North America (35 in the United States) in a 2019 list that was topped by Mexico City, Los Angeles, Vancouver and New York.
The city’s congestion level climbed 1% from 2018. Dallas-Fort Worth ranked as the number 304 most traffic-congested by world’s standards on the TomTom list.
Christmas day saw the least amount of traffic in 2019 in Dallas with 1% average daily congestion. Oct. 24 had the most (38%).
Dallas’s Most Dangerous Intersections
The Dallas-Fort Worth metro area often comes near the top of “most car crashes” lists across the country. Based on collision statistics, Fears Nachawati Law Firm put together its 10 most dangerous intersections in Dallas:
- Inwood Road at Lemmon Avenue
- Dallas North Tollway at Spring Valley Road
- Belt Line Road at Meandering Way
- West Illinois Avenue at S. Vernon Avenue
- South Beckley Avenue at W. Claredon Drive
- South Hampton Road at West Kiest Boulevard
- East Ledbetter Drive at S. Marsalis Avenue
- West Camp Wisdom Road at S. Hampton Road
- South Cockrell Hill Road at E. Red Bird Lane
- North Carroll Avenue at Gaston Avenue
Dallas crashes
Make sure your insurance is up to date. According to a best drivers report from Allstate Insurance Co., Dallas drivers get into more collisions than those in many other large cities.
Dallas sits in the bottom 15% of cities for safe-driving records, based the company’s analysis of 200 major cities. Commuters in Dallas are about 46% more likely to get into a crash than the average driver in the United States, the study said.
There were a total of 31,950 crashes on Dallas’s streets and roads in 2018, a decrease from 2017, which saw 32,089 wrecks in the city, reported the Texas Department of Transportation data. While there were fewer fatal crashes overall in Dallas between 2017 and 2018, the fatal crash number increased, with 194 fatal crashes in 2018, up from 182 in 2017.
2018 traffic crashes in Dallas:
- Fatal crashes: 194
- Number of fatalities: 202
- Suspected serious crashes: 867
- Suspected serious injuries: 1,038
- Non-incapacitating crashes: 3,359
- Non-incapacitating injuries: 4,575
- Possible injury crashes: 7,149
- Possibly injured in crashes: 12,103
- Non-injury crashes: 18,375
- Total in crashes not injured: 58,147
- Unknown severity crashes: 2,006
- Unknown injuries: 9,432
- Total crashes: 31,950
2017 traffic crashes in Dallas:
- Fatal crashes: 182
- Number of fatalities: 197
- Suspected serious crashes: 909
- Suspected serious injuries: 1,102
- Non-incapacitating crashes: 3,900
- Non-incapacitating injuries: 5,333
- Possible injury crashes: 7,429
- Possible injuries: 13,119
- Non-injury crashes: 17,750
- Total in crashes not injured: 57,659
- Unknown severity crashes: 1,919
- Unknown injuries: 9,041
- Total crashes: 32,089
DUIs in Dallas and Texas
In a 2019 report based on 2018 data, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities were highest in Texas with 1,439, followed by California with 1,069 and Florida with 814. The lowest was the District of Columbia, which had nine.
There were 3,303 fatal crashes in the state of Texas in 2018, with 850 of those fatal crashes involving driving under the influence. In those DUI fatal crashes, 940 were killed. Texas saw 405 fatal DUI crashes in 2018, with 51 fatal DUIs in Dallas, causing 57 deaths.
Using data compiled from 2013-2017, County Health Rankings found that Dallas County, of the 1,319 driving deaths in that time period, 439 of those fatal crashes were alcohol-impaired. That’s 33% of the fatal crashes.
Dallas fared third in a 2017 city-based study on Texas DUIs, with Dallas drunk driving death rate of 5.88 per 100,000, according to the Right Step.
Auto thieves prefer pickup trucks in Dallas
The Dallas Police Department estimated that there were 7,400 vehicles stolen in the Big-D in 2016. That is an average of 616 vehicles per month.
DPD recognized the top 10 stolen vehicles in Texas:
- Ford Pickup
- Chevrolet Pickup
- Dodge Pickup
- Chevrolet Tahoe
- Honda Civic
- Honda Accord
- GMC Pickup
- Toyota Camry
- Ford Taurus
- Chevrolet Impala
Dallas police addressed the particularly-pesky issue of auto thievery in the area by creating the North Texas Auto Theft Task Force (NTATTF).
The task force consists of experienced auto theft, auto burglary and insurance fraud detectives that strive to reduce auto thefts, auto burglaries and insurance fraud. The areas that are covered in Dallas County consist of four major highways that can “lead anyone across the country. “
They are northbound and southbound Interstate 35 and Interstate 45, as well as east and westbound Interstate 20 and Interstate 30. These areas are prime targets for auto theft and their related crimes in Texas, according to the Dallas County Sheriff.
Dallas has a lead foot
If this report is any indication, Dallas drivers need to slow down.
The Texas Department of Transportation reported that in 2018, there were 87 fatal crashes, resulting in 94 deaths, in 2018 in Dallas County that can be attributed to speed. There were a total of 2,315 speed-related crashes in 2018 in Dallas County.
Dallas fares much worse than other cities and counties in Texas in this category. Houston, for instance, had only one fatal crash in the county that year that was related to speed.
Dallas vehicle ownership
Compared nationally, Dallas households are within the average range for car ownership. The largest share of households in the city has two cars, followed by one car, according to recent statistics from Data USA. The 2018 results also showed that roughly 4% of Dallas households had zero cars; three percent had five cars.
A Census survey in 2016 showed that there were estimated to be 1.8 vehicles available per household nationwide.
The study showed, in Dallas:
- 2015 Households Without Vehicles: 10.2%
- 2016 Households Without Vehicles: 9.1%
- 2015 Vehicles per Household: 1.56
- 2016 Vehicles per Household: 1.59
How many vehicles are there on the streets of Dallas?
There were approximately 832,391 vehicles on Dallas streets in 2018 that were owned or rented by the city’s residents, according to census data.
Here’s how the estimates break down:
- Total vehicles: 832,391
- Owner occupied: 431,422
- Renter occupied: 400,969
The Texas Department of Transportation showed that in FY2019, there were 2,155,832 cars registered in Dallas County.
Dallas highway construction projects are almost always late
The joke is that any construction project in any city is going to not only go over budget, but fail to be completed by the target date. Dallas County is no different.
Just 8% of all highway construction projects for FY2019 in Dallas County were completed on time. That’s a whole lot better than every other county in Texas, though, which all had zero projects completed on time.
Distracted driving
Statistics show that distracted driving traffic deaths continue to skyrocket in the U.S, despite growing efforts to strengthen the laws banning or curbing hand-held device behavior when behind the wheel.
Nationwide, Zendrive found more driver phone use in its 2018 study than in its 2017 study. All but one state “got worse” in Zendrive’s distracted driver study for 2018. The Lone Star State was the worst in terms of distracted drivers.
In June 2017, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 62, which prohibits texting while driving in Texas, making it the 47th state to pass such a law. The prohibition, dubbed the “Talk. Text. Crash.” campaign, went into effect on Sept 1 of that year, carrying a fine of up to $99 for first-time offenders.
Texas has also banned the use of hand-held phones in school zones. The state law prohibits drivers from reading, writing or sending electronic messages on mobile phones while driving.
“Distracted driving continues to be a problem in Texas as data indicates drivers are not changing their behaviors,” said a release from the Texas Department of Transportation.
” With one in five crashes involving distracted driving, a ratio that has not changed in the past four years, TxDOT aims to raise awareness and educate drivers about the dangers associated with distracted driving and encourage them to put away their cellphones while behind the wheel.
According to the DOT, there were 540,561 motor vehicle crashes on Texas roadways in 2018. Of those, 95,572, or 18%, were caused by distracted driving (driver distraction, inattention or cell phone use). The 95,572 distracted driving crashes resulted in 394 deaths and 2,340 serious injuries.
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Laura Longero
Executive Editor
Laura is an award-winning editor with experience in content and communications covering auto insurance and personal finance. She has written for several media outlets, including the USA Today Network. She most recently worked in the public sector for the Nevada Department of Transportation.
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John McCormick
Editorial Director
John is the editorial director for CarInsurance.com, Insurance.com and Insure.com. Before joining QuinStreet, John was a deputy editor at The Wall Street Journal and had been an editor and reporter at a number of other media outlets where he covered insurance, personal finance, and technology.
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Leslie Kasperowicz
Managing Editor
Leslie Kasperowicz is an insurance educator and content creation professional with nearly two decades of experience first directly in the insurance industry at Farmers Insurance and then as a writer, researcher, and educator for insurance shoppers writing for sites like ExpertInsuranceReviews.com and InsuranceHotline.com and managing content, now at CarInsurance.com.
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Nupur Gambhir
Managing Editor
Nupur Gambhir is a content editor and licensed life, health, and disability insurance expert. She has extensive experience bringing brands to life and has built award-nominated campaigns for travel and tech. Her insurance expertise has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes Advisor, CNET, Fortune, Slate, Real Simple, Lifehacker, The Financial Gym, and the end-of-life planning service.
Guide to car insurance (with rates) in cities of Texas