North Dakota Car Insurance

Car insurance in North Dakota is cheapest in Red River country and more expensive toward the Montana border. Comparable state car insurance rates for every city and town in North Dakota are shown below. Average car insurance rates, as well as the maximum and minimum rate, for your neighborhood are provided once you enter your ZIP code, age group and coverage level.

Cheap car insurance in North Dakota

North Dakota 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 North Dakota, collision costs an average of $431 yearly, comprehensive is $333, 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 North Dakota 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 North Dakota by company

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

*The table shows the average annual rate of nearly every ZIP code in North Dakota 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 North Dakota 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 $992, 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 North Dakota?

No matter where you live, adding a new driver to your family policy will hike your rate significantly. In North Dakota, you can expect your rate to go up by an average of 139 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 North Dakota, 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 North Dakota 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 North Dakota, 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 North Dakota 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 North Dakota drivers with bad credit

Car insurance for drivers with bad credit costs significantly more than it does for those with good credit. North Dakota ranks 31st  among the worst states for drivers with bad credit, as CarInsurance.com's data analysis shows. Compared to good credit drivers, those in North Dakota with bad credit pay 67 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 $1,624 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 North Dakota

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 North Dakota

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

North Dakota Car Insurance Laws

North Dakota's minimum liability insurance limits of 25/50/25 may be adequate for motorists without many assets of his or her own. If you own a home and have savings you want to safeguard, we recommend you increase your coverage to 100/300/50 or higher. Remember, liability is what covers you when you harm others in an accident. It does not cover your car or your injuries.

North Dakota is a no-fault state, so you must carry at least $30,000 of personal injury protection (PIP). Regardless of fault, if you're injured in a car crash you claim first against your PIP coverage. Once that limit is exceeded, you would file against the at-fault driver's liability policy.

If you are injured by an uninsured or underinsured driver, you're covered by a mandatory uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury policy.

Incidents affect insurance for three years: Insurance companies in North Dakota will consider traffic offenses when generating rates for no more than three years.

Penalty for driving without insurance: It's a misdemeanor to be an uninsured motorist, and you will receive a fine of at least $150. If you are also in an accident, you will be responsible for the damages you caused others, plus get 14 points assessed against your North Dakota driver's license, which is enough to get your license suspended.

Drivers start earlier: Teens as young as 14 can obtain an instruction permit and at 15 can receive a restricted driver's license. Parents and teens can read up on the requirement and restrictions on the state's Department of Transportation website.

Driving under the influence: Penalties for a DUI in North Dakota are harsh. A first conviction comes with the immediate loss of driver's license, a minimum $250 fine and a mandatory alcohol addiction evaluation. DUIs stay on your record for seven years, but for insurance purposes they last only three years.

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

Average annual car insurance rates for major cities in North Dakota

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.