Most states — except New Hampshire and Virginia — require drivers to carry at least the minimum liability car insurance to drive legally. Liability insurance in Iowa covers others’ injuries, property damage and legal expenses for accident-related lawsuits if you are at fault in an accident – up to your policy limits.
The average cost of liability insurance in Iowa is $315 a year — that’s $322 less than the national average of $637 .
Liability insurance does not cover damage to your vehicle or your or your passengers’ injuries. That’s why many Iowa drivers purchase additional coverage, such as collision and comprehensive insurance, to protect their own vehicles.
How much does liability insurance coverage cost in Iowa?
Liability insurance costs an average of $26 per month in Iowa for the coverage limit of 50/100/50, where $50,000 is for bodily injury per person, $100,000 is for bodily injury per accident and $50,000 is for property damage.
Liability insurance rates may vary based on your age, driving history, ZIP code, insurance company and if you purchase higher limits for added protection.
“As with any insurance policy, you need to assess the level of coverage you’re comfortable with relative to a cost you can afford,” says Rick Kautzer, director of product management at Dairyland Insurance.
You might also be interested in
- Non-owner car insurance in Iowa: Find affordable rates
- Minimum car insurance requirements in Iowa
- Iowa car insurance calculator: Get estimates by ZIP code and model
- How much is car insurance for a 25-year-old in Iowa?
- Cheap car insurance for seniors in Iowa
- Car insurance discounts in Iowa; 13% potential savings
- What’s the cheapest car insurance in Iowa
- How much does car insurance cost in Iowa?
How much auto liability insurance do I need in Iowa?
In Iowa, you are required to purchase state-mandated car insurance with liability limits of at least 50/100/50. These limits are the minimum legal requirement, but many experts recommend purchasing higher liability limits to protect your assets and provide greater financial security in case of an accident.
If you have significant assets or want more protection, you should consider buying liability auto insurance limits of 100/300/100. Most drivers also should purchase collision and comprehensive coverage.
“Minimum coverage limits are just that — the absolute minimum you’re required to carry, but perhaps insufficient to adequately protect you in the event of an accident,” Kautzer says.
Cheapest liability insurance in Iowa
Auto-Owners has the cheapest liability car insurance rates in Iowa at an average monthly rate of $18 . West Bend Mutual and IMT Insurance also offer cheap liability auto insurance rates to Iowa drivers.
Insurance rates can vary significantly among companies, so take the time to compare quotes to find the best deal. You may find that some insurers offer additional benefits or more robust coverage that better suits your needs.
Below are the liability car insurance rates from different carriers and their average annual and monthly premiums.
| Company | Liability Insurance Annual Rates | Liability Insurance Monthly Rates |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-Owners | $219 | $18 |
| West Bend Mutual | $227 | $19 |
| IMT Insurance | $229 | $19 |
| Progressive | $236 | $20 |
| State Farm | $258 | $21 |
| USAA | $261 | $22 |
| Iowa Farm Bureau | $296 | $25 |
| Geico | $302 | $25 |
| Travelers | $376 | $31 |
| Grinnell Mutual | $468 | $39 |
| Allstate | $591 | $49 |
Note: The coverage limit used is 50/100/50
Liability car insurance in Iowa for different age groups
Age is not just a number when it comes to car insurance. Your age affects how much you pay for insurance in Iowa.
The average monthly liability car insurance premium in Iowa for an 18-year-old driver is $80 . By age 25, the average monthly premium drops to $32 .
Car insurance rates in Iowa continue to decrease as drivers get older. Drivers around the age of 50 pay an average of $25 per month or $298 per year. However, rates for drivers start to increase again around age 65.
| Age Group | Liability Insurance Annual Rates | Liability Insurance Monthly Rates |
|---|---|---|
| Teens (16-19) | $1,134 | $95 |
| Young Adults (20-24) | $538 | $45 |
| Adults (25-55) | $322 | $27 |
| Seniors (60-75) | $336 | $28 |
Note: The coverage limit used is 50/100/50
Liability car insurance rates in U.S. states
Please enter the correct format
Our apologies, we cannot display the data due to availability or spelling errors. Please check the spelling and try again. For assistance, reach out us via Liability car insurance rates in Iowa for make and model
If you are a car enthusiast and drive an expensive BMW or an electric vehicle, you’ll pay higher car insurance rates in Iowa than someone driving a Honda or Chevrolet.
Liability car insurance rates for a Chevrolet Silverado 1500 are $532 a year or $44 per month, whereas drivers with a Ford F-150 pay $532 a year or $43 per month for the same coverage.
Purchasing only liability car insurance can make sense if you have an older car or don’t use your vehicle regularly. But if your car is newer or if you can’t afford to replace it, get full coverage car insurance with limits of 100/300/100 and collision and comprehensive coverage to protect your ride from unforeseen incidents.
Learn more in detail about liability vs. full coverage car insurance: which one to choose
| Rank | Popular Make Model | Liability Insurance Annual Rates | Liability Insurance Monthly Rates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | $532 | $44 |
| 2 | Ford F-150 | $515 | $43 |
| 3 | Chevrolet Equinox | $528 | $44 |
| 4 | RAM 1500 | $550 | $46 |
| 5 | GMC Sierra 1500 | $528 | $44 |
Note: The coverage limit used is 100/300/100
Is liability car insurance coverage enough in Iowa?
While liability coverage is required by law in most states, it only covers the property damage and bodily injuries of others up to the limits of your policy. Liability coverage does not protect your car or your body if you are injured. If you’re at fault in an accident and have only liability coverage, you’ll be responsible for your own medical bills and vehicle repairs – and those for others beyond the limits of your policy.
That’s why you might want to carry various other types of coverage, Kautzer says.
“They can provide protection for injury to yourself, damage to your own car, and other expenses you might incur as a result of an auto accident,” he says.
Iowa drivers can protect their vehicles by getting additional types of auto insurance coverage, such as collision coverage, comprehensive coverage, personal injury protection (PIP) and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage – in addition to increasing their liability limits.
Detail guide on what liability car insurance covers
Final thoughts on liability car insurance in Iowa
Buying the minimum amount of liability car insurance that your state requires — and nothing more — is usually the most affordable option in Iowa, but it may not be the best option for most drivers.
Carrying the minimum amount of liability coverage provides some financial protection when you are behind the wheel, but CarInsurance.com’s editors recommend that Iowa drivers opt for higher coverage levels for financial protection.
This can mean both higher levels of liability coverage with limits of 100/300/100 and other types of insurance, such as collision coverage, comprehensive coverage, personal injury protection (PIP) and uninsured/ underinsured motorist coverage.
Resources & Methodology
Methodology
CarInsurance.com commissioned Quadrant Information Services to get liability car insurance rates from a 2023 data set. The rates provided are based on a sample profile of a 40-year-old male driver with a good driving record for the coverage limit of 50/100/50.
Insurance company: After careful analysis, we compiled a list of companies that offer cheap liability car insurance rates. USAA is a part of this list, but it exclusively caters to current and former military members and their families.
Our dedicated team of insurance data experts compared 53,409,632 insurance quotes from 75 company groups across 34,588 ZIP codes in the U.S.
Age group: To calculate liability car insurance rates for different age groups: teens (16-19), young adults (20-24), adult drivers (25-55), and senior drivers (60-75).
CarInsurance.com’s experienced data analysts compared 51,08,8003 insurance quotes from 167 companies across 34,588 ZIP codes and 29,152 cities nationwide.
Make and model: Based on the sample profile of a 40-year-old male driver with a good driving record, we gathered liability car insurance rates with a coverage limit of 100/300/100 for popular makes and models.
We evaluated 28,561,720 insurance quotes from 58 companies for 1,439 makes and models to get these rates.
These are sample rates and should only be used for comparison purposes.
Ask the Insurance Expert
Laura Longero
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.
Ask the Insurance Expert
John McCormick
Editorial Director
John is the editorial director for CarInsurance.com, Insurance.com and Insure.com. Before joining QuinStreet, John was a deputy editor at The Wall Street Journal and had been an editor and reporter at a number of other media outlets where he covered insurance, personal finance, and technology.
Ask the Insurance Expert
Leslie Kasperowicz
Managing Editor
Leslie Kasperowicz is an insurance educator and content creation professional with nearly two decades of experience first directly in the insurance industry at Farmers Insurance and then as a writer, researcher, and educator for insurance shoppers writing for sites like ExpertInsuranceReviews.com and InsuranceHotline.com and managing content, now at CarInsurance.com.
Ask the Insurance Expert
Nupur Gambhir
Managing Editor
Nupur Gambhir is a content editor and licensed life, health, and disability insurance expert. She has extensive experience bringing brands to life and has built award-nominated campaigns for travel and tech. Her insurance expertise has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes Advisor, CNET, Fortune, Slate, Real Simple, Lifehacker, The Financial Gym, and the end-of-life planning service.
Guide to car insurance (with rates) in cities of Iowa