Car insurance rates in North Carolina are traditionally calculated based on a driver’s age, auto make and model, driving history and other personal information. However, for high-risk drivers in North Carolina, car insurance rates may be higher due to their increased risk to an insurance company.

High-risk drivers include those who have two or more traffic violations, at-fault accidents, DUIs, poor credit scores or no prior car insurance coverage. 

We have created this guide to make your search for car insurance for high-risk drivers hassle-free. It provides details on how auto insurance rates change based on infractions like speeding tickets, at-fault accidents and DUI convictions. It also reveals the cheapest car insurance companies for high-risk drivers based on driving profiles in North Carolina. 

Who is a high-risk driver in North Carolina?

Drivers of all age groups, those with or without experience, can be categorized as high-risk drivers by car insurance companies in North Carolina if they have minor violations like speeding tickets or major violations like DUI convictions or lapses in insurance coverage.

Car insurance rates for high-risk drivers by driving profile in North Carolina

The experts at CarInsurance.com have analyzed the rates for high-risk drivers based on driving profile for drivers with – speeding tickets, DUI offenses and at-fault accidents.

Here’s how each of the violations affect car insurance rates in North Carolina.

Speeding tickets

In North Carolina, car insurance rates increase based on the speeding limits you violate. For example, a driver who drives 1-10 MPH over the speed limit will pay 40% more for auto insurance than before having a speeding ticket.

North Carolina drivers with speeding ticket violations for driving 11-29 mph over the limit pay 54% higher rates than drivers without speeding tickets. Whereas North Carolina drivers with speed violations of more than 30 mph will pay 54% higher rates than drivers without speeding tickets.

Find out how much car insurance rates increase after a speeding ticket violation in North Carolina.

Violation Rates after speeding ticket Rates before speeding ticket $ Difference % Increase
Speeding ticket 1-10 MPH over limit $1,955 $1,396 $558 40%
Speeding ticket 11-29 MPH over limit $2,146 $1,396 $750 54%
Speeding 30+ over limit $2,146 $1,396 $750 54%

Learn more: How much your insurance goes up after a speeding ticket

Cheapest car insurance companies in North Carolina for drivers with speeding tickets

In North Carolina, Nationwide offers the cheapest car insurance for drivers with speeding tickets at $1,559 annually. The car insurance rates offered by Nationwide increase by $425 after a speeding ticket violation.

Company Rates before speeding ticket Rates after speeding ticket $ Difference % Difference
Allstate $2,339 $3,327 $988 42%
Erie $1,075 $1,646 $572 53%
Geico $1,034 $1,943 $909 88%
Kemper $1,071 $1,820 $749 70%
National General $1,539 $1,957 $418 27%
Nationwide $1,135 $1,559 $425 37%
North Carolina Farm Bureau $1,265 $1,751 $486 38%
Progressive $1,860 $2,599 $739 40%
State Farm $1,251 $1,797 $545 44%

DUI offense

If you are convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) or DWI (driving while intoxicated) or OUI (operating under the influence) in North Carolina, you can expect your car insurance rates to increase by 310% on an average, according to 2023 CarInsurance.com data.

Violation Rates after a DUI Rates without a DUI $ Difference % Diffrence
DUI/DWI first offense $5,726 $1,396 $4,329 310%
DUI/DWI second offense $5,872 $1,396 $4,475 320%

Here’s how much your insurance goes up after a DUI

Cheapest car insurance companies in North Carolina for drivers with a DUI

National General offers the cheapest car insurance rates for drivers with a DUI at $4,020 per year, in North Carolina. The rate increases by $2,480 after getting a DUI offense on your driving history.

The second cheapest car insurance for high-risk drivers with DUI is offered by Nationwide at $4,249 a year.

See below for the auto insurance premiums offered by companies in North Carolina for drivers with a DUI.

Company Rates before DUI offense Rates after 1st DUI offense Rates after 2nd DUI offense
Allstate $2,339 $9,938 $9,938
Erie $1,075 $4,492 $4,492
Geico $1,034 $6,904 $6,904
Kemper $1,071 $4,571 $4,571
National General $1,539 $4,020 $5,507
Nationwide $1,135 $4,249 $4,249
North Carolina Farm Bureau $1,265 $4,747 $4,747
Progressive $1,860 $7,147 $7,147
State Farm $1,251 $5,078 $5,078

At-fault accident

After an at-fault collision, your car insurance premiums could spike in North Carolina – unless you’ve added endorsements like accident forgiveness to your coverage.

According to a 2023 rate analysis by CarInsurance.com, on average, after an at-fault accident, car insurance rates increase by 57%.

However, there are states where car insurance companies provide coverage to the policyholder regardless of who was responsible for the collision or cover the medical expenses of the other driver. They are referred to as no-fault states and tort states.

Learn more: How much does car insurance go up after an accident?

Cheapest car insurance companies in North Carolina for drivers with at-fault accidents

If you are looking for the cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident, Kemper is your best bet. It offers insurance at $1,619 per year.

Company Rates before an at-fault accident Rates after an at-fault accident
Allstate $2,339 $3,862
Erie $1,075 $1,646
Geico $1,034 $2,341
Kemper $1,071 $1,619
National General $1,539 $2,186
Nationwide $1,135 $1,883
North Carolina Farm Bureau $1,265 $1,751
Progressive $1,860 $2,599
State Farm $1,251 $1,797

Reckless driving

Reckless driving is a grave offense with serious consequences. Unlike other traffic violations, it is usually classified as a misdemeanor. It carries severe penalties such as hefty fines or even imprisonment, depending on the state laws, according to Findlaw, an online legal information resource.

Compare the car insurance rates for drivers with and without a reckless driving violation in North Carolina.

Violation Rates after a reckless driving Rates before a reckless driving $ Difference % Increase
Reckless driving $2,571 $1,396 $1,175 84%

Cheapest car insurance companies in North Carolina for reckless driving violation

Company Rates before a reckless driving violation Rates after a reckless driving violation
Allstate $2,339 $4,255
Erie $1,075 $2,059
Geico $1,034 $2,698
Kemper $1,071 $1,998
National General $1,539 $2,595
Nationwide $1,135 $1,865
North Carolina Farm Bureau $1,265 $2,187
Progressive $1,860 $3,260
State Farm $1,251 $2,174

Cheapest car insurance options for high-risk drivers in North Carolina

Use the calculator below to see the cheapest companies for high-risk drivers in North Carolina by violation.

Average cost of car insurance in North Carolina for high-risk driver

Select your state and risk factor below to see the insurance company and its
average annual full coverage rates.

Average Annual Car Insurance Rate for At-fault bodily injury accident in North Carolina, NC is $2,696
Show Graph View
Company Name Insurance Rates
Kemper $1,860
Erie $1,865
North Carolina Farm Bureau $1,982
Nationwide $2,044
State Farm $2,058
National General $2,346
Progressive $2,949
Geico $3,781
Allstate $5,227

How to lower your car insurance rate if you are a high-risk driver

There are ways to lower car insurance rates even if you are a high-risk driver.

Resources & Methodology

Sources

Findlaw. “Reckless driving laws by state.” Accessed January 2023.

Methodology

Data is sourced from the Auto Problems Report 2022. Rates are based on the driving profile of a 40-year-old male driver who drives a Honda Accord LX and opts for a full-coverage policy with coverage limits of 100/300/100 and a $500 comprehensive and collision deductible across around 1500 ZIP codes with 50,00,736 records from 27 companies.
Note: In most states, USAA is the cheapest company for drivers with traffic violations, but it is only available to military members, veterans, and their immediate families.

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Contributing Writer

Prachi is an insurance writer with a master’s degree in business administration. Through her writing, she hopes to help readers make smart and informed decisions about their finances. She loves to travel and write poetry.