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In an age when a few clicks are all it takes to get an insurance quote, you’d think that finding cheap auto insurance in Texas would be simple. Unfortunately, each company takes a different approach to calculating premiums, so the quotes you get from one provider could be substantially different from another. To help you find the best deal, our team crunched the numbers from top insurers to identify the most affordable rates in The Lone Star State.
Cheapest Car Insurance Companies in Texas
Minimum Car Insurance Requirements
Penalties for Driving Without Auto Insurance
Cheapest Car Insurance Companies in Texas
Our Geeks compared the top auto insurance carriers in Texas to find the most affordable rates for common driver profiles. The table below summarizes the results of our analysis:
| Cheapest Insurer | Driver Category |
|---|---|
| Liberty Mutual | Safe Drivers |
| USAA | Drivers in the Military |
Allstate | Teen Drivers |
| Progressive | High-Risk Drivers |
| State Farm | Senior Drivers |
| Esurance | Drivers with a DUI |
Best Car Insurance Companies in Texas
We considered complaint data and reviews to identify the best car insurance companies in Texas. When the dust settled, the following carriers made the cut:
| Rank | Company | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | State Farm | A |
| 2 | USAA | A- |
| 3 | Allstate | A- |
| 4 | Liberty Mutual | B |
| 5 | Esurance | B- |
Minimum Car Insurance Requirements in Texas
In Texas, drivers are required by law to purchase car insurance that meets the following minimum liability limits:
- $30,000 for Bodily Injury to One Person
- $60,000 for Bodily Injuries per Accident
- $25,000 for Property Damage
Penalties for Driving Without Auto Insurance in Texas
The penalties for driving without auto insurance in Texas depend on whether it is your first or subsequent offense. For a first offense, the penalties include a fine of $175 to $350. You will also have to pay an annual surcharge in the amount of $250 per year for the next three years, which means the total cost of a first offense is $925 to $1,100. If police catch you driving without insurance a second or subsequent time, your fine with jump to $350 to $1,000. The annual surcharge will still be $250 per year for three years.
Texas Car Insurance FAQs
How Can I Get My Car Insurance Premiums Reduced In Texas?
Nobody wants to overpay for car insurance, but many people are missing easy opportunities to get their premiums reduced. Before we break down the most effective ways to do so, it’s important that you’re familiar with the main factors that determine your monthly insurance rates, which include:
- Your accident history;
- Recent traffic citations you’ve received;
- Whether you’ve been convicted of driving under the influence;
- Your age and the age at which you received your driver’s license;
- Where you live and intend to drive;
- The car you’re getting insured;
- Your mileage each year; and
- Whether you’ll be driving the car for business, pleasure, or to commute.
Now you need to prove to insurance carriers that you deserve low rates. The following strategies are often effective:
- Avoid accidents for several consecutive years;
- Never break traffic laws;
- Never drive while impaired;
- Buy a car that is inexpensive to insure; and
- Lower your annual mileage by spending less time on the road.
Of course, you may also be able to slash your rates by changing to a different insurance company. Each insurer takes a different approach to calculating monthly premiums, so even if your current provider was your cheapest option a few years ago, that may not necessarily be true today.
Can My Texas Car Insurance Provider Increase My Premiums If Someone Else Causes a Collision?
Yes. Your car insurance company can and most likely will increase your insurance rates after a collision even if you were found not to be at fault. This is because it is common for more than one driver to be at least partially liable for a crash, so your insurer might see you as a greater risk.
When Could My Auto Insurance Company Increase My Premiums?
There are several reasons why your auto insurance provider might increase your premiums. Ultimately, the cost of your insurance depends on the probability that you’ll file a claim. So it should be no surprise that your rates may increase if:
- You were involved in a recent crash;
- You were convicted of DUI;
- You were cited for a major traffic violation;
- You purchased a vehicle that has a high claim rate;
- You moved to a new residence; or
- You added another driver to your policy.
What Is Low-Mileage Insurance?
Whether you’ve switched to public transport or you’ve scored a lucrative gig working from home, the bottom line is you’re not driving as much as you were in the past. But putting the brakes on your odometer will do more than just help you save on gas; many insurers are now offering discounts to drivers who don’t go the distance.
Using an app on your phone or a device installed in your vehicle, providers can track your mileage, scaling your premiums based on how often and how far you drive. In some cases, you could snag savings of up to 40% by switching to pay-per-mile or low-mileage coverage.
What Is Uninsured Motorist Protection?
Despite the strict penalties for getting caught, many motorists in Texas still choose to drive without insurance. It’s estimated that 14.1% of all drivers in the state do not have coverage meeting the state’s minimum liability limits. Unfortunately, if you’re involved in an accident with one of these reckless road users, it’s unlikely he/she will have the financial means to compensate you for any damages you sustained.
Uninsured Motorist Protection is an optional feature designed to protect you in the event of the worst, reimbursing you for any loss stemming from an accident involving an at-fault motorist who doesn’t have insurance.
Is Texas a Fault State?
Yes. In Texas, the driver responsible for causing the accident is liable for any damages sustained by the other parties involved.
What Should I Do After an Accident in Texas?
After any accident, your top priority is to seek medical attention for yourself and anyone else who was injured. Contact the police and, if necessary, request emergency medical assistance. If you are physically able, take photos of the crash scene to document any injuries, property damage, skid marks, traffic signs, and the weather. You should also exchange contact and insurance information with all drivers involved, and be sure to record the full names, email addresses, and phone numbers of eyewitnesses. You should also notify your insurance company as soon as possible.
What Are Some Tips to Give My Car Insurance Claim the Best Chance of Success?
If you file a car insurance claim, it is important that you have proof to show who caused the crash and why the damage should be covered by your insurance carrier. Here are a few tips to improve your claim’s chance of success:
- Be honest with your insurance carrier;
- Take photos of the crash scene;
- Get a copy of the accident report to show your insurance company; and
- Write down the contact information of eyewitnesses to help with your insurance company’s investigation.
What Traffic Regulations Should I Know Before Driving in Texas?
Texas Drunk Driving Laws
If you get behind the wheel under the influence, Texas’ strict penalties will sober you up in seconds. The Lone Star state pulls no punches when prosecuting people caught driving while intoxicated (DWI), strapping drunken drivers with jail time, fines, and license suspensions.
The blood alcohol limit in Texas is 0.08% for drivers over the age of 21. To put it simply, most people would be considered over the limit after knocking back a whole glass of wine or a shot of hard liquor. If you are under the age of 21, you could be penalized if tests pick up any detectable proportion of alcohol in your system.
Here are the penalties for driving while intoxicated in Texas:
First Offense
Between 72 hours to 6 months behind bars;
Up to $2,000 in fines; and
License suspended for up to a year.
Second Offense
Between 30 days or 12 months in prison;
Up to $4,000 in fines;
License suspended for up to 2 years; and
Ignition Interlock Device installed in vehicle for 1 year.
Third Offense
Up to 10 years in jail;
Between $2,000 and $10,000 in fines;
2-year license suspension; and
Ignition Interlock Device installed in vehicle for 1 year.
Texas Child Safety Seat Laws
Children’s bones and muscles are still developing. Even minor crash forces can cause damage that may never heal. As a result, Texan authorities have implemented numerous important safety provisions to ensure kids are protected in a collision.
Kids under 1 year old or weighing less than 35 pounds must be buckled in a rear-facing child car seat fixed to the rear seats of your vehicle. Kids under the age of 4 and weighing between 20 to 40 pounds can make use of a front-facing seat, but it’s best to seat your child in a rear-facing unit as long as he or she is still within the manufacturer’s prescribed height and weight limits.
Children under 5 are still required to use a safety seat while on the road. However, if your child is more than 36 inches tall, your little one can be buckled into a booster seat instead. In Texas, children must always be seated in a booster seat on the road until they are at least 5 feet tall.
Texas Texting and Driving Laws
Until 2017, Texan drivers were given carte blanche to use their phones any time while driving. But a new law has closed the tap on tarmac texting, prohibiting drivers in the state from shooting off or reading texts, emails, or chat messages while they are behind the wheel. If you’re caught violating this new rule, you could be charged with a misdemeanor and fined up to $200. However, drivers can still use their phones to play music, report crimes, follow a GPS, call emergency services, and make calls as long as they are using a hands-free kit.
What Terms Should Car Insurance Policyholders Know in Texas?
Do you speak insurance? While providers have developed their own comprehensive lexicon in an effort to simplify the elements of your policy, this dictionary of new jargon can still be difficult to understand. Use our glossary of common Texas car insurance terminology to demystify the language around purchasing coverage in the state:
Collision Coverage: A common add-on to your basic policy, collision coverage is your safety net in the event of a crash with any object or another vehicle. This can include, but isn’t limited to, accidents involving walls, other motorists, fire hydrants, or potholes.
Declarations Page: The first page of your printed policy document is a concise summary of the particulars of your coverage. Often this will include your personal details, your coverage amount, the model and make of your vehicle, your rate, and any other important information about your auto insurance. Our advice: Keep a copy of this page in your car at all times.
Deductible: Calculating the perfect deductible is an artform few have taken the time to master. Your deductible is the amount of money you will have to fork over to cover the cost of repairs and treatment for damage and injuries sustained in a crash before your coverage kicks in. A high deductible will help reduce your rate but will put you at risk of severe financial loss in a crash. A low deductible will ensure you have the funds to cover damages but will increase your premiums.
Third Party: A third party is anyone other than yourself (or your insurer) listed as part of your policy. This may include other people in your household such as members of your family or anyone else who is covered as either a driver or passenger when using the insured vehicle.
Texas Car Accident Statistics
In 2017, 3,721 people were killed in accidents across the Lone Star State. This marked a slight decrease from the previous year which saw 3,794 fatalities during the same period, according to an official report released by the Texas Department of Transport.
More than 28% of those deaths resulted from accidents involving one or more drunk drivers. Alcohol impairment-related fatalities were most common during the early hours of the morning.
Browse through our blog to find answers to frequently asked car insurance questions.