The Cheapest Car Insurance in Washington State for 2024
Compare rates from different insurers to find cheap car insurance in Washington state.
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NerdWallet analyzed rates for 22 insurers to find the cheapest auto insurance in Washington. We reviewed rates for drivers of different ages, with different driving histories and coverage types to find the cheapest companies.
At a glance: The cheapest car insurance in Washington
Pemco offers the cheapest minimum coverage in Washington, with an average rate of $192 per year, according to NerdWallet's November 2024 analysis.
The absolute cheapest policies offer just bare minimum coverage. The average cost of minimum coverage in Washington is $626 per year, or $52 per month.
Full coverage in Washington costs an average of $2,014 per year, or $168 per month.
The cheapest minimum coverage insurance in Washington
Below is the cheapest car insurance in Washington for minimum coverage required by the state. Rates are based on a 35-year-old driver with good credit and a clean driving history.
| Company | Median annual rate | Median monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Pemco | $192 | $16 |
| CIG | $342 | $29 |
| State Farm | $375 | $31 |
| Grange Insurance Association | $399 | $33 |
| Travelers | $457 | $38 |
If you’re looking for top-of-the-line auto coverage, check out our list of the best car insurance companies.
More Nerdy Perspective
Think carefully about whether to drop collision coverage when it’s no longer required. When my car loan was paid off, I got into an accident before I got around to reducing my coverage. The insurance payout was enough to replace my totaled vehicle with a newer-model used car. Opting for less coverage can lower your premium, but in Washington, where car insurance rates are typically below the national average, some drivers may prefer to keep full coverage.
Live in Seattle and need an affordable auto insurance rate? Check out NerdWallet's analysis of the cheapest car insurance in Seattle.
See what you could save on car insurance
Easily compare personalized rates to see how much switching car insurance could save you.Keep reading to find the cheapest car insurance in Washington for different driver profiles and coverage types among:
Cheap auto insurance in Washington for young drivers
Young drivers may have to get a lot of quotes to find the best cheap car insurance. Prices can be sky-high in your 20s, but tend to come down as drivers get more experience on the road. Still, some companies routinely have better insurance rates for young drivers, so it's best to shop around to find them.
Cheapest minimum coverage car insurance in Washington for young drivers
For bare-bones coverage for 20-year-olds, these companies had the lowest average rates:
| Company | Median annual rate | Median monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Pemco | $422 | $35 |
| CIG | $796 | $66 |
| Geico | $988 | $82 |
| Progressive | $1,031 | $86 |
| Chubb | $1,056 | $88 |
Cheapest full coverage car insurance in Washington for young drivers
If you have a clean driving record consider the following companies, which had the lowest average rates for 20-year-old drivers:
| Company | Median annual rate | Median monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| CIG | $2,470 | $206 |
| Kemper | $2,751 | $229 |
| Progressive | $3,096 | $258 |
| Chubb | $3,544 | $295 |
| Geico | $3,626 | $302 |
Cheap auto insurance in Washington for senior drivers
Car insurance costs may start to rise for older drivers, so it’s wise to shop around for the cheapest rates. You can also check for senior discounts. For example, some insurers offer discounts to senior drivers who take a defensive driving course.
Cheapest minimum coverage car insurance in Washington for seniors
Drivers in Washington who want just the state minimum coverage may want to check with these insurers, which had the lowest average rates for 70-year-old drivers:
| Company | Median annual rate | Median monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Pemco | $269 | $22 |
| CIG | $370 | $31 |
| State Farm | $370 | $31 |
| Grange Insurance Association | $406 | $34 |
| Chubb | $424 | $35 |
Cheapest full coverage car insurance in Washington for seniors
Drivers in Washington with clean driving records may want to think about getting quotes from these companies, which had the lowest average rates for 70-year-olds:
| Company | Median annual rate | Median monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Kemper | $970 | $81 |
| CIG | $1,282 | $107 |
| Travelers | $1,472 | $123 |
| American Family | $1,499 | $125 |
| Chubb | $1,651 | $138 |
Cheapest car insurance in Washington by driving record
Having a driving violation on your record is likely to increase your car insurance premium. How much more you’ll pay depends on the type of violation, your car insurance carrier and your other personal characteristics.
NerdWallet found the companies offering the lowest car insurance rates for 35-year-old Washington drivers with different driving records. If you have multiple violations on your record, consider looking into the best high risk car insurance companies.
Cheapest car insurance in Washington after a speeding ticket
If you recently got a speeding ticket in Washington, check out these companies we found with the lowest average rates for minimum coverage:
| Company | Median annual rate | Median monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Pemco | $233 | $19 |
| State Farm | $438 | $36 |
| CIG | $460 | $38 |
| Grange Insurance Association | $474 | $40 |
| Chubb | $511 | $43 |
Cheapest car insurance in Washington after an accident
And here are the companies with the lowest average rates for minimum coverage and a recent at-fault accident in Washington:
| Company | Median annual rate | Median monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Pemco | $252 | $21 |
| CIG | $458 | $38 |
| State Farm | $500 | $42 |
| Chubb | $578 | $48 |
| Grange Insurance Association | $612 | $51 |
Cheapest car insurance in Washington after a DUI
For drivers with a recent DUI in Washington, here are the companies with the lowest average rates for minimum coverage:
| Company | Median annual rate | Median monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Pemco | $294 | $25 |
| Progressive | $567 | $47 |
| Chubb | $578 | $48 |
| State Farm | $588 | $49 |
| CIG | $633 | $53 |
» MORE: Getting an SR22 in Washington
Cheapest car insurance in Washington by credit history
Your credit history can impact your auto insurance rates in Washington. Insurers use a credit-based insurance score, which is different from your regular credit score, to determine the likelihood you’ll file a claim. Your credit score is likely a good indicator of your credit-based insurance score.
Cheapest car insurance in Washington for drivers with poor credit
NerdWallet found the companies offering the lowest car insurance rates for 35-year-old Washington drivers with poor credit. Drivers with poor credit in Washington can look at the following companies with the lowest average rates for minimum coverage:
| Company | Median annual rate | Median monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Pemco | $321 | $27 |
| CIG | $342 | $29 |
| Grange Insurance Association | $482 | $40 |
| Geico | $555 | $46 |
| Allstate | $594 | $49 |
Cheapest car insurance for military families in Washington
If you're an active member of the military or a veteran — or have an immediate family member who is — chances are you'll get a relatively cheap rate with USAA, a company that isn't available to the general public.
Because of that restriction, USAA isn't ranked with the others, but it was among the cheapest three auto insurance options for 60 of the 70 driver profiles we examined.
How we chose the cheapest companies in Washington
NerdWallet’s editorial team analyzed car insurance rates from 22 auto insurers in Washington and listed the five cheapest options for drivers in several age brackets and with different histories, all driving a 2021 Toyota Camry LE. For minimum coverage, we looked at rates that reflect the minimum requirements in Washington. For full coverage, we used the below coverage limits:
$100,000 bodily injury liability per person.
$300,000 bodily injury liability per accident.
$50,000 property damage liability per accident.
$100,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person.
$300,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident.
Collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible.
Comprehensive coverage with a $1,000 deductible.
- Why you can trust NerdWallet
Our writers and editors follow strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our writing and data analyses. You can trust the prices we show you because our data analysts take rigorous measures to eliminate outliers and inaccuracies in pricing data, which include rates from every locale in Washington where coverage is offered and data is available. When comparing rates for different coverage amounts, ages and backgrounds, we change only one variable at a time, so you can easily see how each factor affects pricing.
Minimum auto insurance limits required in Washington
Washington drivers are required to purchase liability insurance. If you’re ever found at fault in a car accident, liability coverage pays for others’ property damage and injury expenses so you don’t have to cover these bills out of your own pocket.
The minimum auto liability limits in Washington are:
$25,000 bodily injury liability per person.
$50,000 bodily injury liability per crash.
$10,000 property damage liability per crash.
Liability car insurance covers the cost of any damage, injuries or deaths you cause in a car accident, up to your policy’s predefined limits.
While this will be enough to drive legally, it’s usually wise to select more than the bare minimum, because a serious crash could easily leave you owing more than, say, $10,000 in property damage. You might also want common optional coverages such as collision, comprehensive and uninsured motorist protection.
Check out NerdWallet’s guide to car insurance requirements by state to learn more about how the parts of your Washington auto policy work.
Alternative car insurance in Washington
Drivers who are denied coverage on the voluntary market because of a spotty driving record or other factors can apply for a policy through the Washington Automobile Insurance Plan.
Or, you could forgo auto insurance entirely by posting a certificate of deposit with the state for at least $60,000 to prove your financial responsibility under Washington law.
For more help finding great rates on your Washington auto coverage, try NerdWallet’s tool for car insurance comparisons.
For our “good driver” profile, NerdWallet averaged insurance estimates for single male and female drivers with good credit and no tickets or violations. The analysis included 5-10 of the largest insurance companies in each state; smaller insurers were also included when rates were available. Liberty Mutual and its subsidiaries were excluded from our analysis as rates were not available.
For full coverage policies, we used the following coverage limits:
$100,000 bodily injury liability per person.
$300,000 bodily injury liability per accident.
$50,000 property damage liability per accident.
$100,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person.
$300,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident.
Collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible.
Comprehensive coverage with a $1,000 deductible.
In states where required, minimum additional coverages were added. Some policies include additional coverages at the insurer’s discretion.
We used a 2021 Toyota Camry LE for all drivers and assumed 12,000 annual miles driven.
We analyzed rates for drivers 20 to 70 years old in ten-year increments. For the average cost of full and minimum coverage in each state, we looked at 35-year-old drivers.
We used the same assumptions for all other driver profiles, with the following exceptions:
For drivers with minimum coverage, we adjusted the numbers above to reflect the minimum required coverage by law in the state.
We changed the credit tier from “good” to “poor” as reported to the insurer to see rates for drivers with poor credit.
For drivers with one at-fault crash, we added a single at-fault crash that happened six months ago, resulting in $10,000 in property damage and no bodily injury claim.
For drivers with a DUI, we added a single drunken driving violation that happened six months ago.
We looked at 35-year-old drivers to find the cheapest company overall, the cheapest company for minimum coverage and the cheapest company for drivers with poor credit in states where credit history is used to price rates. We looked at 20-year-old drivers to find the cheapest company for young drivers.
These are rates generated through Quadrant Information Services. Your own rates will be different. Some insurance companies included in this article may have made changes in their underwriting practices and no longer issue new policies in your state.
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