Best Car Insurance Companies For High Risk Drivers Of 2024

Company	Company - Logo	Forbes Advisor Rating	Forbes Advisor Rating	Average annual cost for high risk drivers	Collision repair grade	Complaint level	Learn More CTA text	Learn more CTA below text	Learn More
USAA		5.0		$2,379	C	Average	Get Quotes	Compare rates via EverQuote’s website
American Family		4.5		$2,995	C+	Very low	Get Quotes	Compare rates via EverQuote’s website
Geico		4.0		$2,704	C-	Average	Get Quotes	Compare rates via EverQuote’s website
Nationwide		4.0		$3,049	C	Very low	Get Quotes	Compare rates via EverQuote’s website

Rates are based on an average of costs for drivers who have caused an accident with injury, drivers who have caused an accident with property damage, drivers with a DUI conviction and drivers with poor credit. Source: Quadrant Information Services. Collision repair grades are from the CRASH Network.

High-risk car insurance typically isn’t much different than an average car insurance policy. The main difference is the driver and the price they pay for car insurance. High-risk drivers appear more likely to make claims in the eyes of car insurance companies and, therefore, have higher car insurance costs.

Cheap high-risk car insurance can be hard to find. It takes shopping around with the best car insurance companies to find the most affordable price.

Besides cost, another difference in high-risk car insurance is that it sometimes requires an SR-22 to be filed with the state to prove the driver has car insurance. The reason you need SR-22 insurance places you in a high-risk category with car insurance companies, not the SR-22 itself.

A state can require an SR-22 for various reasons, such as after a DUI conviction or being in an auto accident without car insurance. If you need an SR-22, you’ll want to compare shops only with car insurance companies that offer SR-22 filings. All of our top picks for high-risk car insurance file SR-22s.

Car insurance companies examine many factors to determine how much risk you pose to them.

You’re deemed a high risk driver when you’re found more likely than most drivers to make a claim.

Certain driving and non-driving actions and issues lead auto insurance companies to see you as a high risk driver, such as serious violations like a DUI, a history of auto accidents and claims or even bad credit. Here are common factors that may make car insurance companies consider you a high risk driver.

At-Fault Accidents

If you’ve made at-fault car insurance claims, insurers see you as someone who may take risky moves on the roadway, resulting in accidents and claims. That makes you a high risk driver to car insurance companies.

Car insurance costs increase an average of 40% after an accident with injuries, according to Forbes Advisor’s research. That is over $800 more a year than a good driver with a clean driving record pays, according to our analysis of car insurance costs after an accident with injuries.

Car insurance prices increase an average of 38% after an accident with property damage. You’ll pay out around $776 more per year, on average, for auto insurance than a good driver, according to our analysis.

One minor accident may not affect your car insurance costs, especially if you have accident forgiveness coverage with your auto insurance company. And some car insurance companies don’t consider you a high-risk driver unless you’ve made multiple car insurance claims.

DUI

Auto insurance costs increase 72% on average for drivers with a DUI, according to a Forbes Advisor’s analysis. The cost difference between a good driver with a clean driving record and a high-risk driver with a DUI is nearly $1,400 per year.

Car insurance costs after a DUI are so high because drivers under the influence present a significant risk of being in a serious accident. Being under the influence of alcohol can impair your judgment, coordination and reaction times—all of which can vastly affect your abilities behind the wheel, making you more likely to be in an auto accident.

A study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found drivers with a breath alcohol concentration of 0.08 had around a four times greater risk of crashing than drivers with a BrAC of 0.00. And the CDC notes that almost one in three traffic deaths in the U.S. involve a driver with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08—the legal limit in most states—or higher.

Speeding Ticket

Car insurance costs increase 21% on average after a speeding ticket. That translates into paying over $400 more per year for auto insurance than a driver with a clean driving record.

Car insurance companies see speeding as risky behavior because if you get in an accident while speeding, odds are you’ll cause greater damage, resulting in higher claim payouts. An NHTSA report found that in 2020 speed contributed to 29% of fatal traffic collisions.

You’ll pay more for car insurance after a speeding ticket, but how much depends on if this was your first moving violation and how many miles over the limit you were going. Having multiple speeding tickets shows a pattern of riskier driving—and categorizes you as a high-risk driver.

Reckless Driving

Auto insurance costs increase 61% on average after a reckless driving ticket, according to our analysis. Car insurance costs after a reckless driving ticket increase by over $1,000 per year on average, showing how seriously car insurance companies take this offense.

It can be hard to nail down what is considered reckless driving since its definition tends to vary by state. A common definition is driving your vehicle with a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property. In short, it’s driving dangerously and could result in a severe accident; thus why you’re labeled high risk if you have this offense on your driving record.

Credit

Car insurance prices increase 79% on average for drivers with bad credit, according to Forbes Advisor’s analysis. Our research finds that drivers with poor credit pay about $1,500 more per year than those with good credit.

Car insurance costs for drivers with poor credit run high because auto insurance companies assert that credit predicts the likelihood that a driver will make a claim. Drivers with bad credit are seen as having a higher chance of filing claims, so they’re considered a higher risk to insure—in most states.

California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan have banned using credit when setting car insurance prices.

Age

Auto insurance companies consider some drivers high risk because their age group tends to be in more accidents and file claims than others. Generally, teenagers and seniors pay more for car insurance than drivers of other ages.

Auto insurance costs increase 92% on average for parents adding a 16-year-old driver to their policy, according to our evaluation of annual teen car insurance prices. And an 18-year-old on their own policy pays 150% more a year on average for car insurance than a 25-year-old driver, according to our analysis.

Teen drivers are young, inexperienced and more likely to crash, so they pay higher car insurance costs. The fatal crash rate per mile driven for 16 to 19-year-old drivers is nearly three times the rate for drivers ages 20 or over, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The IIHS sees a notable increase again in fatal crashes among drivers ages 70 to 74 and the highest with drivers age 85 and older. Senior drivers aged 70 and older are experienced, but reaction times are slower, and they’re more susceptible to injuries causing them to be assessed as higher risks.

Car insurance prices are 34% higher on average for a senior driver aged 80 compared to costs at age 60, according to our analysis of annual auto insurance costs.

Due to state laws, age is not a factor in calculating auto insurance costs in California, Hawaii or Massachusetts.

Location

If the area you live in sees many claims, your location can bump you into a higher-risk category with car insurance companies.

For instance, if you live in a congested urban area prone to more car crashes or an area with a high rate of car theft, vandalism or even severe weather, those things can result in a higher-than-average rate of claims and make you risker to insure.

For instance, Florida is prone to severe weather, like hurricanes, and its average price of car insurance is over 300% more expensive than Idaho, which has milder weather.

You may typically be considered a high risk driver for three to five years, but this depends on the issue causing you to be classified as a higher risk to insurers.

Accidents and traffic tickets will usually fall off your driving record—and no longer affect rates with auto insurance companies—after three to five years. A DUI conviction may remain on your driving record longer, so it could possibly affect your car insurance costs longer if your state laws allow it.

If you have poor credit, raising your score should bring you some relief with car insurance prices. Be sure to shop around and compare car insurance quotes once you have a better score.

High risk car insurance costs an average of $3,217 a year, according to Forbes Advisor’s analysis of annual rates from top auto insurance companies.

Our analysis found that USAA has the cheapest high risk car insurance at an average of $2.379 per year. However, USAA has limited eligibility. To buy car insurance from USAA you must be a military member, veteran or a family member of either.

If you don’t qualify for USAA, Geico is the next cheapest at $2,704 per year and then American Family at $2,995 per year. These are some of the best car insurance companies to consider when looking for better rates.

The prices for high risk drivers are based on average car insurance costs for four types of drivers: drivers with a DUI, drivers with an at-fault accident with property damage, drivers with an at-fault accident with injury and drivers with poor credit.

Cheapest High Risk Car Insurance by Company

Company	Average annual cost	Average monthly cost
USAA*	$2,379	$198
Geico	$2,704	$225
American Family	$2,995	$250
Nationwide	$3,049	$254
National Average	$3,217	$268

Source: Quadrant Information Services. Averages are based on rates nationwide.
*USAA membership is limited to military personnel, veterans and their families.

See MoreSee Less

Cheapest High Risk Car Insurance by State

State	Cheapest company for high risk drivers	Average annual cost	Average monthly cost
Alabama	Travelers	$1,798	$150
Alaska	Umialik	$2,034	$169
Arizona	Root Insurance	$1,070	$89
Arkansas	Cameron Mutual	$1,972	$164
California	Wawanesa	$2,261	$188
Colorado	Colorado Farm Bureau	$2,055	$171
Connecticut	Travelers	$2,095	$175
Delaware	Travelers	$2,094	$174
Florida	Geico	$4,018	$335
Georgia	Country	$2,414	$201
Hawaii	State Farm	$1,540	$128
Idaho	American National	$826	$69
Illinois	Mercury	$2,480	$207
Indiana	Pekin Insurance	$1,263	$105
Iowa	Hastings Mutual	$1,203	$100
Kansas	Geico	$1,729	$144
Kentucky	Travelers	$2,242	$187
Louisiana	Southern Farm Bureau	$3,903	$325
Maine	Concord Group	$1,189	$99
Maryland	Travelers	$3,214	$268
Massachusetts	State Farm	$1,936	$161
Michigan	Secura	$1,767	$147
Minnesota	American Family	$2,576	$215
Mississippi	Safeway	$1,816	$151
Missouri	Umialik	$2,034	$169
Montana	Progressive	$1,868	$156
Nebraska	Geico	$1,532	$128
Nevada	American Access	$2,630	$219
Hampshire	MMG	$1,429	$119
New Jersey	NJM	$1,605	$134
New Mexico	Nationwide	$2,075	$173
New York	NYCM	$4,249	$354
North Carolina	North Carolina Farm Bureau	$1,898	$158
North Dakota	Nodak Mutual	$1,255	$105
Ohio	Hastings Mutual	$1,045	$87
Oklahoma	Oklahoma Farmers Union	$2,456	$205
Oregon	Oregon Mutual	$1,503	$125
Pennsylvania	American National	$3,427	$286
Rhode Island	State Farm	$1,673	$139
South Carolina	Travelers	$2,160	$180
South Dakota	Farmers	$2,061	$172
Tennessee	Tennessee Farmers	$1,659	$138
Texas	Geico	$2,671	$223
Utah	Geico	$2,088	$174
Vermont	Geico	$1,085	$90
Virginia	Virginia Farm Bureau	$1,350	$113
Washington	Pemco	$1,491	$124
West Virginia	Nationwide	$1,838	$153
Wisconsin	Secura	$1,500	$125
Wyoming	American National	$899	$75

Source: Quadrant Information Services. Rates are based on liability coverage of 100/300/100 ($100,000 in bodily injury liability per person, $300,000 per accident, and $100,000 in property damage liability) and collision and comprehensive insurance with $500 deductible. In some cases USAA is the cheapest company but membership is limited to military personnel, veterans and their families.

See MoreSee Less

Our analysis of the cheapest car insurance company in each state finds Geico and Travelers are the cheapest in six states each, but the wide variety of cheapest companies in various states highlights the need to compare car insurance quotes.

It’s wise to shop around with both big and small auto insurance companies when looking for the best insurance for high risk drivers so you can find the insurer that will offer you the best price and policy for your needs.

Shopping as a high risk driver often means you have fewer car insurance companies vying for your business. Consider these factors when choosing an auto insurance company for a high-risk policy:

• Coverage options. Just because you’re a high risk driver doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to buy optional coverage like gap insurance or new car replacement. And if you need to have an SR-22 filed, make sure the company offers that service.
• Customer service. Whether you’re considering a well-known national insurer or a smaller regional one, check out reviews to see what is being said about their customer service. You want someone attentive when you need them, such as after a claim or if you want to ask a question about coverage.
• Price. Your rates are going to run high already, so make sure to shop around so that you can find an insurance company that offers the best car insurance price for your specific situation.

When you’re categorized as a high risk driver it can be harder to get cheap rates for car insurance. Here are some ways to save on car insurance costs.

Compare Quotes

The easiest way to save is to comparison shop for the best car insurance for high risk drivers.

Car insurance company prices vary greatly, so it’s essential as a high risk driver to compare car insurance quotes with at least three auto insurance companies. Car insurance quotes are free and you can get them either online, by phone or in person, whichever option works best for you.

Request the same coverages and limits when shopping for car insurance to find the best-fitting auto insurance company for your needs. If you need an SR-22 filed or a non-owners car insurance policy, make sure the auto insurance companies you compare have these as choices.

Take a Defensive Driving Course

Some car insurance companies offer you a discount if you take a defensive driving course to improve your skills behind the wheel. This can help you save money on your car insurance and may also help you identify and correct driving behaviors that have placed you in the high risk category.

If you’re taking the defensive driving course specifically to obtain a discount, ask your car insurance company for a list of approved companies and be certain to send the insurer proof of your course completion.

Learn When to File Collision Claims

Collision insurance coverage can pay for vehicle damage repairs from an accidental collision with another vehicle or object, regardless of fault. If you make an auto insurance claim for every minor issue, they can add up quickly and get you placed in a high risk category for making multiple claims.

Before placing an auto insurance claim, ensure the damage is above your deductible amount and worth making a claim for. Your deductible is the amount subtracted from the claim check for collision and comprehensive insurance claims.

Suppose you have a $1,000 deductible and the damage to your car is $1,250. Your car insurance company would only pay out $250 on a claim in this situation. Would getting that little amount be worth the increase in car insurance costs you may see for the next three to five years for placing a claim? Probably not.

If you have the money to pay for minor accidental damage to your vehicle, it’s a good idea to avoid using collision coverage. Wait to make a collision insurance claim for major damages with costly repairs.

Raise Your Deductible

A car insurance deductible is an amount deducted from car insurance collision and comprehensive claim checks. You can save by raising your car insurance deductible because your auto insurance company will pay less for claims.

For example, our analysis shows that you save 11% on average by going from a $500 deductible to a $1,000 deductible. A higher deductible may also help you keep down the number of claims you make with your car insurance company, which will also help you lower car insurance costs.

Look for Discounts

When getting car insurance quotes, ask about discounts that can help lower your costs.

You may not be eligible for a claims-free or accident-free discount depending on the reason you’re considered a high risk driver, but there are plenty of other car insurance discounts. Check on discounts for:

• Paying your car insurance in full upfront instead of monthly
• Going paperless
• Paying by electronic funds
• Insuring multiple cars with your car insurance policy
• Bundling your car and home policies with the same car insurance company
• Your car having anti-theft equipment
• Your vehicle having safety features such as anti-lock breaks and airbags
• Being a good student or having a child who is a good student on your policy

If you want to show your car insurance company that you have safe driving behaviors you can try out a usage-based car insurance program. With a usage-based insurance (UBI) plan, your driving is monitored. You typically get an automatic discount for participating in the program and can earn a bigger discount if you show good driving habits. Be aware that some UBI plans raise prices if you score low for driving behaviors, such as speeding and hard braking.

Lowering the risk you pose will help you lower your car insurance costs. Here are some steps that may help you find cheaper car insurance prices.

Be a Safe Driver

Work toward a clean driving record. That is one without traffic violations or accidents on it. While it may take three to five years for a previous traffic offense or accident to fall off your driving record, keeping a clean record otherwise will help build confidence with car insurance companies that you’re now a safer driver.

Improve Your Credit Score

Building up a better credit score will help you get lower car insurance prices in states that allow the use of credit as a rating factor.

Drive Less

If you drive less, you have less risk of being in an accident. If your situation has changed, such as working from home or retirement, inform your car insurance company that your annual mileage has decreased to see if your car insurance costs will also go down.

Don’t Have a Gap in Coverage

You can be considered a high risk driver if you’ve failed to keep car insurance in force or if it’s your first car insurance policy. To become less of a risk, get car insurance and keep it. Consistently having an active auto insurance policy can also lead to discounts, such as loyalty discounts, if you stay insured by the same company for a number of years.

If you’ve been denied coverage because you are high risk, your first step is to comparison shop with a wide variety of car insurance companies. Compare quotes with big companies, regional companies and nonstandard auto insurance companies known to work with high risk drivers, such as Direct Auto, National General and The General.

If you can’t find car insurance within the voluntary market—meaning you shop for your own policy—you can look to the “insurer of last resort” or non-voluntary market. That’s the state’s assigned risk pool that will help you find coverage.

All states have a form of assigned risk systems in place to guarantee that high risk drivers who’ve been denied coverage elsewhere can obtain auto insurance. The downside is these policies typically have very high rates.

Assigned Risk Auto Insurance Plans

State	Assigned risk auto insurance plan name
Alabama	Alabama Automobile Insurance Plan
Alaska	Alaska Automobile Insurance Plan
Arizona	Arizona Automobile Insurance Plan
Arkansas	Arkansas Automobile Insurance Plan
California	California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan
Colorado	Colorado Motor Vehicle Insurance Plan
Connecticut	Connecticut Automobile Insurance Assigned Risk Plan
Delaware	Delaware Automobile Insurance Plan
Florida	Florida Automobile Joint Underwriting Association
Georgia	Georgia Automobile Insurance Plan
Hawaii	Hawaii Joint Underwriting Plan
Idaho	Idaho Automobile Insurance Plan
Illinois	Illinois Automobile Insurance Plan
Indiana	Indiana Automobile Insurance Plan
Iowa	Iowa Automobile Insurance Plan
Kansas	Kansas Automobile Insurance Plan
Kentucky	Kentucky Automobile Insurance Plan
Louisiana	Louisiana Automobile Insurance Plan
Maine	Maine Automobile Insurance Plan
Maryland	Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund
Massachusetts	Massachusetts Alaska Automobile Insurance Plan
Michigan	Michigan Automobile Insurance Placement Facility
Minnesota	Minnesota Automobile Insurance Plan
Mississippi	Mississippi Automobile Insurance Plan
Missouri	Missouri Automobile Insurance Plan
Montana	Montana Automobile Insurance Plan
Nebraska	Nebraska Automobile Insurance Plan
Nevada	Nevada Automobile Insurance Plan
New Hampshire	New Hampshire Automobile Insurance Plan
New Jersey	New Jersey Personal Automobile Insurance Plan
New Mexico	New Mexico Motor Vehicle Insurance Plan
New York	New York Automobile Insurance Plan
North Carolina	North Carolina Reinsurance Facility
North Dakota	North Dakota Automobile Insurance Plan
Ohio	Ohio Automobile Insurance Plan
Oklahoma	Oklahoma Automobile Insurance Plan
Oregon	Oregon Automobile Insurance Plan
Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania Assigned Risk Plan
Rhode Island	Rhode Island Automobile Insurance Plan
South Carolina	Associated Auto Insurers Plan of South Carolina
South Dakota	South Dakota Automobile Insurance Plan
Tennessee	Tennessee Automobile Insurance Plan
Texas	Texas Automobile Insurance Plan Association
Utah	Utah Automobile Insurance Plan
Vermont	Vermont Automobile Insurance Plan
Virginia	Virginia Automobile Insurance Plan
Washington	Washington Automobile Insurance Plan
West Virginia	West Virginia Automobile Insurance Plan
Wisconsin	Wisconsin Automobile Insurance Plan
Wyoming	Wyoming Automobile Insurance Plan

Source: AIPSO

See MoreSee Less

Check with your state’s department of insurance if you need help connecting with your state’s assigned risk insurance plan.

Forbes Advisor’s ratings of the best car insurance companies for high risk drivers are based on the following factors.

Auto insurance rates: 50% of score. We used data from Quadrant Information Services. To calculate average rates for a high risk driver we average costs from each company for drivers who have caused an accident with injury, drivers who have caused an accident with property damage, drivers with a DUI and drivers with poor credit.

Average rates are based on a female driver, age 45, insuring a Toyota RAV4 with a policy of 100/300/100 coverage ($100,000 bodily injury liability per person, $300,000 bodily injury liability coverage per accident, $100,000 for property damage liability), plus collision and comprehensive coverage with a $500 deductible.

Car insurance coverage non-owners option: 20% of score: Auto insurance company’s for high risk drivers need to include coverages that are important to this segment of drivers. One such coverage is non-owners for when the driver needs car insurance—perhaps to keep their driver’s license or reinstate it— but doesn’t own a car. Also, all of the car insurance companies we evaluated offer to file SR-22 certificates of financial responsibility for drivers in need.

Complaints (20% of score): We used complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Each state’s department of insurance is in charge of logging and monitoring complaints against the companies that operate in their states. Most auto insurance complaints center on claims, including unsatisfactory settlements, delays and denials.

Collision repair (10% of score): Auto body shop professionals have an insider view of each company’s approach to repairs. The best car insurance companies don’t apply pressure to cut costs or install lower-quality repair parts. Some insurers also have processes that help speed up repair and claims processes, making for more happy customers. We used data provided by CRASH Network, a weekly newsletter covering the collision repair and auto insurance market segments. CRASH Network’s Insurer Report Card used grades from more than 1,100 collision repair professionals to gauge auto insurers on the quality of their collision claims service.

Read more: How Forbes Advisor rates car insurance companies

• Best Car Insurance Companies
• Cheap Car Insurance
• Best Car Insurance For Seniors
• Best Cheap Car Insurance For Teens
• Cheap Car Insurance for 17-year-olds
• Cheap Car Insurance for 18-year-olds
• How Much Car Insurance Do You Need?
• Compare Car Insurance Quotes