Here you will find out everything you need to know to buy cheap car insurance in New York, without sacrificing the coverage you need. We provide average New York auto insurance rates for your neighborhood, for various ages and coverage levels.

You’ll also learn how much car insurance you need for your particular situation. That means you’ll know what to expect when shopping for auto insurance in New York and you won’t overpay for it. You’ll also see rates for the following:

  • Low cost auto insurance for drivers with tickets
  • Companies ranked from cheapest to most expensive for drivers with accidents
  • Cheap car insurance for drivers with bad credit
  • Ranking of the best car insurance companies for New York drivers
Key Highlights
  • The average car insurance rate in New York is $172 a month, or $2,062 a year for a driver age 30 for full coverage, based on expert analysis by our team.
  • For liability limits of 50/100/50, New York drivers will pay $80 monthly ($960 annually). The average car insurance rate for state minimum coverage is $72 a month, or $867 a year.
  • Manhattan ZIP code 11212 is among the most expensive ZIP codes for full coverage insurance in the state.

car-insurance-rate
Average Car Insurance In New York (NY)
$172/mo.
Average monthly cost for NY drivers for full coverage

How much is car insurance in New York?

The average car insurance rate in New York is $172 a month, or $2,062 a year for a driver age 30 for full coverage, based on expert analysis by our team.  That’s $304 more annually than the national average ($1,758).  For liability limits of 50/100/50, New York drivers will pay $80 monthly ($960 annually). The average car insurance rate for state minimum coverage is $72 a month, or $867 a year.

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New York Car Insurance Rates by ZIP Code

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Coverage Types
*Please enter valid Zip
State Minimum: Required liability coverage to drive legally in your state; some states mandate additional coverage, such as personal injury protection, uninsured motorist, underinsured motorist. Liability Only 50/100/50: $50,000 per person/$100,000 maximum per accident for bodily injury; $50,000 for property damage. Liability pays for injuries/damage you cause others. Full Coverage 100/300/100: $100,000 per person/$300,000 maximum per accident for bodily injury; $100,000 for property damage; comprehensive and collision coverage with $500 deductible. Liability pays for injuries/damage you cause others. Comprehensive and collision pay for damage to your car.
11225, New York,  For 30 Year Old  Male  (Type:  Liability - Minimum )
Average Monthly Premium
$219
Highest Rate
$534/mo
Lowest Rate
$81/mo
Compare personalized quotes from up to 20 companies in New York now

When shopping for car insurance, use our average car insurance rates tool to compare rates. Enter a ZIP code to see the average premium for your neighborhood. You will also see the highest and lowest rates from the six major carriers surveyed to get an idea of what the most affordable price is in your area. For a more customized rate, choose from among six age groups and three coverage levels.

Who has the cheapest car insurance in NY?

Geico has the cheapest car insurance in New York, among insurers surveyed by our team of experts. Below you’ll see average annual rates for New York from major carriers, 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

CompanyState minimum average annual rate50/100/50 average annual rate100/300/100 average annual rate
Geico Gen Ins Co$501$562$1,385
New York Central Mut Fire Ins Co$757$843$2,123
Progressive Cas Ins Co$792$871$1,913
Allstate Fire & Cas Ins Co$993$1,109$2,181
State Farm Mut Auto Ins Co$1,027$1,146$2,130
Travelers Personal Ins Co$1,134$1,229$2,638

Who has the cheapest full coverage auto insurance in New York?

Geico is the cheapest  car insurance company for full coverage policies in New York, among those surveyed. Rates are for annual coverage. Here’s how much less Geico’s average rate is compared to others:

  • $738 less than New York Central
  • $528 less than Progressive
  • $796 less than Allstate
  • $745 less than State Farm
  • $1,253 less than Travelers

Who has the cheapest liability insurance in New York?

Geico rates were cheapest for state minimum and liability insurance for New York drivers, compared to other carriers surveyed. Rates are for yearly coverage. Here is how much less Geico was than other insurance companies for state minimum liability insurance:

  • $256 less than New York Central
  • $291 less than Progressive
  • $492 less than Allstate
  • $526 less than State Farm
  • $633 less than Travelers

Cheap car insurance in NY

If you opt to buy the cheapest car insurance policy possible, buy the least amount of coverage you need to drive, as explained below:

Drivers must have minimum liability coverage limits of 25/50/10 under New York car insurance laws. This coverage pays for others’ injuries and damage to other drivers’ cars when you cause an accident.

Personal injury protection (PIP) is also required. It covers you, your passengers and other authorized drivers of your car who are injured while in your car. PIP also covers you and your family members if you are injured while riding in someone else’s car or if struck by another vehicle while on foot. PIP is sometimes called “no-fault insurance” because it kicks in regardless of who is at fault. You must have $50,000 in coverage.

Uninsured motorist bodily injury covers medical expenses for you and your passengers if injured when hit by a driver with no insurance. You must have 25/50 coverage. This means your insurer pays up to $25,000 per person and $50,000 in total if there are two or more people injured.

It does cost more to buy more protection, but as you’ll see in the chart below showing rates for annual coverage, additional coverage is typically affordable. Increasing your insurance from the state minimum to full coverage with a $500 deductible costs, on average, $1,195 more, or $96 a month. For just $93 a year – so only about $8 more a month — you can raise your liability limits.

Coverage limitsAverage annual rate
Liability Only – state minimum$867
Liability Only – 50/100/50 BI/PD$960
Full Coverage – 100/300/100 BI/PD $500 Comp/Collision deductible$2,062

Best car insurance in NY

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

  1. Auto Club of Southern California*98.13
  2. CSAA Insurance Group91.84
  3. USAA91.37
  4. The General89.22
  5. Mercury89.12
  6. Esurance87.25
  7. Travelers87.20
  8. State Farm87.17
  9. Allstate84.96
  10. Erie84.88
  11. Hartford84.85
  12. Progressive84.29
  13. Geico83.19
  14. Safeco82.86
  15. Liberty Mutual82.45
  16. Metlife80.48
  17. Nationwide80.40
  18. Farmers53.75

*Auto Club of Southern California(Auto Club Enterprise Insurance Group)

Car insurance quotes in NY

The most effective way to find low cost New York car insurance is to compare car insurance quotes from multiple carriers. Your age, your driving record, the model of car you have, the severity and frequency of claims in your neighborhood and other variables are used by insurance companies to figure out the cost of your policy. That’s why the price for the same coverage can vary significantly among insurance companies — and why you should compare rates.

 For example, Manhattan ZIP code 11212 is among the most expensive ZIP codes for full coverage insurance in the state. But you can still save on coverage by comparing rates. The highest monthly rate ($764) among six carriers is $504 more than the lowest ($260).

So over a year, that add up to over $6,000 you could save. You can save on car insurance costs, though, regardless  of where you live. In the state’s cheapest ZIP code for car insurance, Corning’s 14830, the difference between the highest rate ($143 monthly) and the lowest ($85 monthly) is $58, so the yearly savings there is nearly $700.

If you want to compare car insurance quotes, use our average rate tool above. You should comparison shop upon renewal, but also if you move, add a vehicle or teen driver to your policy, get married or divorced, or have a significant change in your credit score.

Other tips for garnering the most affordable New York car insurance include:

  • Maximizing discounts, for instance bundling your home and auto with the same company can trim an average of 10% to 12% from your auto rates.
  • Dropping comprehensive and collision for cars that are worth less than $3,000
  • Hiking your deductible amount, for instance, from $500 to $1,000

You can get New York auto insurance quotes online by researching multiple carriers.

When comparing car insurance quotes, you will typically need to provide fairly basic information:

  • ZIP code
  • Basic personal information – name, age, birthday
  • Driving history
  • Current insurance company
  • Information on other drivers in your household
  • Vehicle make and model
  • Desired coverage types, limits and deductibles

More detailed quotes may also require:

  • All vehicles VIN (vehicle identification number)
  • If you own, lease or financed your vehicle
  • Annual mileage
  • All household driver’s license numbers
  • Amount of time you’ve been insured

Once you provide the information, you will typically get a quote that is in many cases an estimate of what you will pay. Generally, you won’t get the actual rate until you lock in a policy. If the difference between the quote and your rate is significant, you can opt out of buying the policy, though generally the estimate will be fairly accurate. 

Once you are ready to buy a policy you will for certain need to have handy specific information, such as your driver’s license number, VIN and so on.

Getting low cost auto insurance in NY based on driver profile

The severity and frequency of claims in your neighborhood, your driving record, the type of car you drive and other variables are used by insurance companies to figure out the cost of your policy. That’s why the price for the same coverage can vary significantly among insurance companies — and why you should compare rates. This holds true whether you have had recent accidents or moving violations or not and whether you have good or bad credit.

Below we’ll educate you more on the many different types of car insurance are required to drive in New York. Additionally, we’ll explain minimum New York car insurance requirements, how to buy the best coverage for your needs and how NY insurance laws work.

Low cost car insurance for NY 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 New York driver with a full coverage policy:

Company1 At-fault property damage accident over $2K2 At-fault property damage accident over $2kAt-fault bodily injury accident
Allstate F&C$1,471$2,085$1,471
GEICO General$1,127$1,127$1,127
Progressive Casualty$1,280$2,843$1,280
State Farm Mutual Auto$1,561$2,826$1,561

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

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 $582, on average, according to CarInsurance.com’s rate analysis. That’s how much you can save by comparing car insurance companies

CompanyAverage Rate
GEICO General$1,007
State Farm Mutual Auto$1,561
Allstate F&C$1,575
Progressive Casualty$1,589

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

No matter where you live, adding a new driver to your family policy will hike your rate significantly. In New York, you can expect your rate to go up by an average of 176 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 New York, and how major insurers compare on price. Geico had the lowest auto insurance cost for adding a driver age 16 to a full coverage family policy, among insurers surveyed.

CompanyAverage RateAverage Rate after adding female teen$ Increase (female)Average Rate after adding male teen$ Increase (male)
Allstate F&C$1,286$2,687$1,401$3,180$1,894
GEICO General$865$1,447$582$1,947$1,083
Progressive Casualty$1,280$3,318$2,038$3,690$2,410
State Farm Mutual Auto$1,426$3,704$2,279$4,572$3,146

Cheapest Car Insurance for Young Drivers in New York

Enter an age from 18 to 25 to see who has the best rates for young drivers in New York, 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.

Cheap Car Insurance for Senior Drivers in New York

Below you can see average rates by company, from least to most expensive, for drivers age 65 and over, buying a full coverage policy. In addition to comparing rates, qualifying for a mature driver discount can also trim costs.

Check out our detailed guide on cheap car insurance for seniors in New York

Car Insurance for Drivers with Bad Credit in New York

Car insurance for drivers with bad credit costs significantly more than it does for those with good credit. New York is among the worst states for drivers with bad credit, as CarInsurance.com’s data analysis shows it has the eighth highest percentage increase for bad credit drivers. Compared to good credit drivers, those in New York with bad credit pay 86 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 $2,290 for a full coverage policy for a driver with bad credit. That’s how much you can potentially save by comparing car insurance quotes.

CompanyPoor credit
GEICO General$1,234
Allstate F&C$1,439
State Farm Mutual Auto$2,827
Progressive Casualty$3,520

Cheapest car insurance in NY for new drivers

In the Empire State’s urban areas, many people don’t drive much – if at all – because they are able to use public transportation and taxis to commute, do errands, get to appointments and social activities and so on. For that reason, it’s not unusual for New Yorkers in the city to become new drivers at a mature age, as opposed to during their teen age years, as is common in many other states. That’s why cheap car insurance in New York for first time drivers differs a bit from other states.

Rates for teen drivers are significantly higher than those for older drivers, because car insurance companies deem them as high-risk motorists due to their lack of experience behind the wheel. Rates start to decrease a bit as the driver matures and by age 25 are more in line with costs for mature drivers. But if you have no experience and are newly licensed at any age, you will also still pay more for coverage.

So, the advice for finding cheap car insurance as a new driver is the same as it would be for teen and young drivers – comparison shop to find the lowest rate. An analysis of rates for first-time drivers in New York showed that Geico had the lowest costs, among the companies researched.

List of largest car insurance companies in New York

Below you’ll see the largest car insurance companies in the state, by market share.

RankCompanyPremiums WrittenMarket Share
1Berkshire Hathaway Insurance Group4,233,52531.93%
2Allstate Insurance Group1,843,73013.90%
3State Farm Group1,758,37013.26%
4Progressive Insurance Group1,284,1329.68%
5Liberty Mutual Insurance Companies731,3965.52%
6Travelers Group529,6763.99%
7USAA Group392,3462.96%
8Nationwide Group302,8542.28%
9Farmers Insurance Group99,7590.75%
10American Family Insurance Group3,4000.03%

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

Learn more about largest auto insurance companies by market share

How To Get Cheap SR22 Auto Insurance Quotes in New York ?

In some cases if you’ve been convicted of moving violation such as DUI, reckless driving or driving without insurance, the state will require you to have an SR-22 form on file. An SR-22 is not an actual type of car insurance. The SR-22 is simply a form that your car insurance company files on your behalf with the state. It’s the company’s guarantee to the state that you have legally mandated car insurance coverage.

An SR-22 by itself doesn’t raise your insurance rates. Rather, it’s the conviction that triggered the requirement that causes your premiums to increase. So, getting cheap SR-22 auto quotes for New York drivers is the same process any driver would take to get the most affordable coverage. That means comparison shopping.

You’ll see below how insurance companies in New York compare for SR-22 policies. This shows that you can still get cheap SR-22 quotes in New York by comparing quotes from multiple carriers.

Rate with SR-22 and DUI

Company

Rate with SR-22 and DUI

Allstate

$1,795

GEICO General

$2,297

Progressive

$1,507

State Farm

$1,816

Average annual car insurance rates for major cities in New York

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.

Show Tabular Data
CityAverage Premium
Albany$1,591
Aurora$1,543
Buffalo$2,046
Mount Vernon$3,050
New Rochelle$2,440
New York$3,868
Rochester$1,577
Schenectady$1,539
Syracuse$1,684
Yonkers$2,776
New York$2,062
National$1,759

New York Auto Insurance Laws & Recommendations

New York car insurance requirements – How much insurance do I need in NY?

Drivers must have minimum liability coverage limits of 25/50/10 under New York car insurance laws. This coverage pays for others’ injuries and damage to other drivers’ cars when you cause an accident.

Personal injury protection (PIP) is also required. It covers you, your passengers and other authorized drivers of your car who are injured while in your car. PIP also covers you and your family members if you are injured while riding in someone else’s car or if struck by another vehicle while on foot. PIP is sometimes called “no-fault insurance” because it kicks in regardless of who is at fault. You must have $50,000 in coverage.

Uninsured motorist bodily injury covers medical expenses for you and your passengers if injured when hit by a driver with no insurance. You must have 25/50 coverage. This means your insurer pays up to $25,000 per person and $50,000 in total if there are two or more people injured.

Minimum CoverageMinimum Limit
Minimum bodily injury liability$25,000/$50,000
Minimum property damage liability$10,000
Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury$25,000/$50,000
Personal injury protection$50,000 limit

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

These are optional coverages and fairly affordable to add to a policy. 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. New York drivers pay an average of $700 a year for collision and $145 for comprehensive, according to CarInsurance.com rate data. 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.

If you buy comp and collision, check our guide to choosing a deductible amount.

Uninsured/underinsured motorist

These coverages are required in New York and should match the liability limits you choose. Uninsured motorist coverage and underinsured motorist coverage pays for damages if you’re hit by a driver with no insurance or a driver with coverage that’s insufficient to pay for your repairs and medical expenses.

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. MedPay is optional in New York and not a must-have coverage, because your PIP protection takes care of the same expenses as MedPay. However, one benefit of MedPay is that there is no deductible and it can help defray health insurance costs. 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.

Learn more about car insurance in NY

New York roads with the most fatal accidents

Here are the highways and roads where the most fatal accidents happened in 2017, according to the most recent data available from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System research compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

RoadsNumber of Fatal Accidents
SR-30A20
I-9013
US-2010
SR-2510
SR-59
US-9W8
SR-228
SR-178
I-878
SR-277

“No-fault” or PIP insurance in New York

No-fault doesn’t mean that no one is found at fault for an accident, but instead that someone who is injured in an accident looks first to his or her own coverage to pay for expenses. If PIP limits are exceeded, then the at-fault driver’s liability coverage can kick in.Basic no-fault PIP coverage includes:

  • Reasonable and necessary medical and rehabilitation expenses
  • 80 percent of lost earnings (up to maximum of $2,000 per month for three years)
  • Up to $25 per day for replacement services (e.g. household help)
  • Death benefit of $2,000, in addition to the $50,000 in liability death coverage

Exclusion to no-fault coverages

Most New York car insurance policies say that a person may be ineligible for PIP benefits if the individual was:

  • Driving while intoxicated or impaired by drugs and that contributed to the accident
  • Riding an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or motorcycle as driver or passenger
  • Intentionally causing his or her own injuries
  • Injured while committing a felony
  • Injured while in a stolen vehicle
  • An owner of an uninsured vehicle

New York driver point system

The New York Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) uses a license point system to track high-risk drivers. The DMV assigns points for certain traffic violations. If you get 11 points in an 18-month period, your driver license may be suspended. Points stay on your record for 18 months. Points are counted from the date of your violation, not from the date of your conviction.

Keep in mind that car insurance companies don’t use the DMV point system when assessing your rate. However, they do review your driving record periodically, usually upon policy renewal time, and then will use their own demerit system to hike your rates based on your infractions.

The Point and Insurance Reduction Program (PIRP)

The Point and Insurance Reduction Program (PIRP) in New York lets drivers take DMV-approved accident prevention/defensive driving classes to get a car insurance discount. You can get a 10 percent discount on the base rate of your liability and collision premium if you complete a PIRP class. The discount lasts for three years. You may also be able to take four points off your driving record.

Once you complete the class, you will receive a certificate within 45 days that proves you passed. You have to give your insurer a copy of the certificate within 90 days after completing the course to get your discount.The NY DMV has a list of companies that offer approved online accident prevention/defensive driving courses at its PIRP website.

Safety discounts

New York law requires insurance companies to give you a discount if your vehicle has the following safety features:

  • “Passive restraint” system, which means either automatic seat belts or air bags
  • Factory-installed anti-lock braking system (ABS)
  • Factory-installed daytime running lamps (DRL)

Of course, insurance companies also offer many additional discounts, even if not mandated by state law. These  include good student, safe driver, low-mileage and anti-theft device discounts, among others.

How long does an accident affect your insurance?

An accident normally remains on a New York motor vehicle record (MVR) during the year that the accident occurred and for the following three years. The accident is then removed on Jan.1 of the fourth year after the accident

No grace period

There is no grace period allowed in New York before you renew your insurance or obtain insurance on a new car. In fact, the law requires that you mail your insurance renewal forms at least 15 days before your cancellation date.

Age restrictions

If you are a minor, insurance companies normally require that a parent or guardian need to sign on your insurance policy since it is a legal and binding document. The New York DMV allows only ages 16 and up to apply for a title and registration.

 — Michelle Megna contributed to this story.

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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.