Arkansas Car Insurance

Car insurance rates in Arkansas are markedly more expensive in eastern areas of the state, along the Mississippi River. You can see comparable state car insurance rates for nearly every ZIP code mapped below, but even in the most costly cities, you’ll find a big difference in price between insurance companies. Enter your ZIP code and gender and choose among six age groups and three coverage levels to get a customized rate for your neighborhood.

Cheap car insurance in Arkansas

Arkansas car insurance requirements

Recommended car insurance coverage

The cheapest car insurance may not provide sufficient protection, so how much insurance should you buy? Bare-bones coverage may be a good choice if you have few assets or have an old car and don’t drive much. But if you have a home and investments, consider buying more insurance. If you don’t, you’re at risk for having your money and house taken to cover the cost of an accident. If you financed your car you will be required to get additional comprehensive and collision coverage.

Use our How Much Car Insurance Do You Need? tool to get a recommendation.

Liability

We recommend you buy more insurance than is required to legally drive a car in your state, especially if you have savings and assets. The more money you have, the more likely you are to be sued following a car accident should your insurance be insufficient to cover all the expenses. If your net worth is:

• less than $50,000, choose at least 50/100/50
• between $50,000 and $100,000, choose at least 100/300/100
• more than $100,000, choose at least 250/500/100

If you're leasing or financing your car, you must get coverage of 100/300/100 or higher.

Collision and comprehensive

Collision coverage pays for damage to your car after an accident that you cause. Comprehensive insurance pays to replace stolen cars and for damages from vandalism, flooding, hail, fire and animal strikes. If your car is:

• less than 10 years old, you should strongly consider buying collision and comprehensive.
• more than 10 years old, only buy collision and comprehensive if your car is worth $3,000 or more, if you couldn’t afford to replace your car if it’s wrecked, or if you just want more protection on your policy.

For drivers in Arkansas, collision costs an average of $573 yearly, comprehensive is $242, according to CarInsurance.com rate data. If you buy comp and collision, check our guide to choosing a deductible amount.

Medical coverage (MedPay)

Medical payments coverage can help pay for the medical or funeral expenses of covered drivers and passengers after an accident, regardless of fault, up to $25,000. In most states, including Texas, it's an optional addition to your car insurance policy. MedPay does the following:

• Covers you and your passengers’ medical expenses
• Pays for expenses after health insurance limits are exceeded
• Offers additional protection to insured drivers who are hit by a car while walking or biking

If you and your passengers:

• Don’t have health insurance, or have a plan that doesn’t cover car accidents or has low limits, we recommend that you add medical coverage of at least $5,000 to your car insurance policy.
• Do have health insurance, it’s still a good idea to have medical coverage if you want the best protection in your policy, as it can pay out after your health benefits are maxed out.

Gap insurance

If you don’t own your car outright and have an accident, gap insurance pays the difference between the cash value of your car and the current outstanding balance on your loan or lease.

• If you’re financing your car, your car is less than one year old and you’ve put less than 20 percent down on it, you should buy gap insurance. If not, you don’t need gap insurance.
• If you’re leasing your car, it’s a good idea to buy gap insurance if you aren’t already required to in your lease agreement.
• If you own your car outright, you don’t need gap insurance.

**The table shows the average annual rate of nearly every ZIP code in Arkansas from up to six major insurance companies. Rates are for a male driver, age 40, with a clean record and good credit for a 2016 Honda Accord. Data was provided for CarInsurance.com by Quadrant Information Services.

Cheapest car insurance in Arkansas by company

Below you'll see average annual rates for Arkansas, ranked cheapest to most expensive, for three coverage levels:

• State minimum liability requirements
• Liability limits of $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident and $50,000 property damage
• Liability of $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident and $100,000 property damage, with comprehensive and collision at $500 deductible

Low cost auto insurance for Arkansas drivers with recent accidents

Filing an accident claim means you are likely to pay more for your car insurance coverage. However, how much more you pay depends on several factors, and your car insurance company plays is one of those significant factors. Each company assesses risk differently, so that's why the increase after an accident will vary among insurers. Here is how major carriers compare after at-fault accidents for the average Arkansas driver with a full coverage policy:

*The table shows the average annual rate of nearly every ZIP code in Arkansas from up to six major insurance companies. Rates are for a male driver, age 40, with a clean record and good credit for a 2016 Honda Accord. Data was provided for CarInsurance.com by Quadrant Information Services.

Who has the cheapest Arkansas car insurance for drivers with speeding tickets?

If you get a speeding ticket, chances are you'll see an increase in what you pay for car insurance, upon your policy renewal. Typically, you'll pay more for three years. But even with a traffic ticket, comparison shopping can save you money. For instance, you'll see that the difference between the highest rate and the lowest in the table below is more than $1,413, on average, according to CarInsurance.com's rate analysis. That's how much you can save by comparing car insurance companies.

How much does it cost to add a teen to your policy in Arkansas?

No matter where you live, adding a new driver to your family policy will hike your rate significantly. In Arkansas, you can expect your rate to go up by an average of 158 percent when adding a driver age 16 to your coverage, according to CarInsurance.com rate data. You'll see in the table below how much it costs, on average, to add a teen driver in Arkansas, and how major insurers compare on price. GEICO General had the lowest auto insurance cost for adding a driver age 16 to a full coverage family policy, among insurers surveyed.

Cheapest Arkansas auto insurance for young drivers: Ages 18 to 25

Enter an age from 18 to 25 to see who has the best rates for young drivers in Arkansas, by company.

You’ll see in the chart below which car insurance companies have the lowest rates for young drivers buying a full coverage policy. Average car insurance rates by age data shows that drivers typically pay higher rates until age 26, when rates begin to drop as drivers gain more experience on the road. But even young drivers can save money by comparing car insurance rates to see which company has the lowest rates, by qualifying for student discounts and by staying on their parents’ policy as long as possible.

Senior drivers: Cheap auto insurance for Arkansas drivers age 65 to 85

Below you can see average rates by company for drivers age 65 and over, buying a full coverage policy. While comparing car insurance quotes is always one of the primary ways to save on coverage, you can also see if you qualify for a mature driver discount or if you can trim rates by taking a defensive driving course.

Car insurance for Arkansas drivers with bad credit

Car insurance for drivers with bad credit costs significantly more than it does for those with good credit. Arkansas ranks 28th  among the worst states for drivers with bad credit, as CarInsurance.com's data analysis shows. Compared to good credit drivers, those in Arkansas with bad credit pay 68 percent more, on average. The good news is that you can still shave some money off your coverage costs if you compare car insurance companies. You'll see below that the difference among major insurers is nearly $1,562 for a full coverage policy for a driver with bad credit. That's how much you can potentially save by comparing car insurance quotes.

Best car insurance companies in Arkansas

Scores are based on Insure.com’s “Best Insurance Companies” customer review survey of 3,700 customers. Policyholders ranked insurers on claims handling, customer service, value, mobile apps/website usefulness and were asked if they would renew their coverage and if they would recommend the company. All scores are out of 100.

Largest car insurance companies in Arkansas

Source: A.M. Best; State/Line (P/C Lines)  - P/C, US; Data as of:November 28, 2018

Arkansas Car Insurance Laws

Personal injury protection: While this is not a no-fault state, Arkansas auto insurance companies do offer personal injury protection (PIP). PIP here comes in three parts, which are:

1. Medical payments
2. Lost wages
3. Death benefits

You can decide to purchase any one part or all three together; however, if you determine that you don’t want any PIP coverage you must reject it in writing. If you don’t have health insurance, you might want to consider this option.

Discounts for seniors: Arkansas law helps senior drivers save by requiring car insurance companies to give a discount to drivers over 55 who have completed an accident prevention course approved by the state’s Office of Motor Vehicles.

Reasons for cancellation: After a policy has been in effect for over 60 days in Arkansas, an insurer can cancel only due to:

• Nonpayment of premium
• Fraud/misrepresentation in applying for the policy
• Homicide arising out of the use of a motor vehicle
• Three separate convictions of speeding and/or reckless driving within the policy period or three months prior to the beginning of the policy period
• Conviction of driving while intoxicated

Notice periods: An Arkansas car insurance carrier must give you a 20-day written notice if it intends to cancel, except for cases of nonpayment, which require only a 10-day written notice. If your policy is not renewed, your auto insurer must give you a 30-day written notice.

Uninsured motorist penalties for Arkansas: You may be fined $500 and your registration may be suspended.

Driving without a license penalty in Arkansas: The penalty for driving without a license in Arkansas can be up to $500 or 90 days in jail.

Electronic proof of insurance: Arkansas is one of 31 states that allow drivers to show proof of insurance during a traffic stop on a smartphone.

Average annual car insurance rates for major cities in Arkansas

Below you'll see how average annual rates for several of the largest cities in the state compare to state and national averages. Rates are for coverage of $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident in liability and $50,000 of property damage coverage, with comprehensive and collision carrying a $500 deductible.