Delaware Car Insurance

Wilmington and its suburbs face Delaware's most expensive state car insurance rates. While every insurer will charge a different price, where you live is an important factor in the calculation. You can see how each ZIP code in Delaware stacks up in the map below.

Cheap car insurance in Delaware

Delaware car insurance requirements

Delaware's former minimum liability requirements of $15,000 per person, $30,000 per accident for bodily injury and $10,000 for property damage were rather low -- only a couple of states had lower minimum bodily injury limits. But that changed on Dec. 17, 2017, when the state hiked limits to $25,00 per person, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury.

A severe accident that you cause could send your finances reeling; if you own a home or have much in savings you should consider increasing those levels.

Personal injury protection (PIP) of $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident is required as part of a Delaware auto insurance policy, but this isn't a no-fault state. It's referred to as an "add-on" state, which means that these PIP benefits are added onto any other benefits you may receive for your injuries.

PIP benefits include payment of medical expenses and loss of wages for you and your passengers (up to your limit). It also includes up to $5,000 for funeral expenses.

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is offered together in Delaware, but you can reject adding it to your policy is you wish. However, when you do choose to carry uninsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI) coverage, you must also include uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD) on the policy. The UMPD portion comes with an automatic $250 deductible.

Motorcyclists: Motorcycle owners in Delaware are required to carry the same 15/30/10 liability coverage and PIP of 15/30. However, a motorcycle policy can have restricted PIP benefits. For example, a limited policy may only cover accidents on the highway and when there has been actual physical contact with another vehicle. You will have a lower premium if you choose this option, but you will have less protection.

Failure to carry insurance: Delaware isn't playing around if you fail to maintain your auto insurance coverage. A fine for a first offense is $1,500. Subsequent offenses carry a fine of $3,000 and a six-month suspension of your driver's license.

FR-19 form: The FR-19 form is used in some states, primarily Delaware and Maryland, as proof of insurance. In Delaware it is called the Insurance Certification Form, FR-19. The FR-19 is a certification that the vehicle has been continuously insured since the verification date and that coverage is presently in force. If you do not own a car you can still obtain insurance and an insurance certification.

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 Delaware, collision costs an average of $524 yearly, comprehensive is $101, 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 Delaware 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 Delaware by company

Below you'll see average annual rates for Delaware, 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 Delaware 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 Delaware driver with a full coverage policy:

*The table shows the average annual rate of nearly every ZIP code in Delaware 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 Delaware 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 $1,321, 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 Delaware?

No matter where you live, adding a new driver to your family policy will hike your rate significantly. In Delaware, you can expect your rate to go up by an average of 145 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 Delaware, 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 Delaware 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 Delaware, 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 Delaware 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 Delaware drivers with bad credit

Car insurance for drivers with bad credit costs significantly more than it does for those with good credit. Delaware ranks 25th  among the worst states for drivers with bad credit, as CarInsurance.com's data analysis shows. Compared to good credit drivers, those in Delaware with bad credit pay 70 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 $2,082 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 Delaware

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 Delaware

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

Delaware car insurance laws and resources

Average annual car insurance rates for major cities in Delaware

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.