Who isn’t looking for ways to save money these days? We evaluated the average rates for eight large auto insurance companies to find the most competitive rates for a variety of drivers in New York state.
Finding Cheap Car Insurance In New York
Comparison shopping to find cheap car insurance in New York shouldn’t be a huge project. We evaluated companies in New York to find the lowest costs.
Cheap New York Car Insurance for Good Drivers
New York Central Mutual Fire (NYCM) and USAA are the cheapest New York car insurance companies for good drivers, among the companies we analyzed.
Cheap Car Insurance in New York for Drivers With a Speeding Ticket
A speeding ticket increases car insurance rates by 16% in New York. The exact rate increase will depend on the insurance company. Even though you’ll see higher insurance rates, you can still compare quotes for the best car insurance.
New York Central Mutual Fire (NYCM) and USAA have the cheapest average rates for drivers with a speeding ticket in New York, so make sure to get quotes from those companies if you’re shopping for New York auto insurance and have a speeding ticket on your record.
Cheap New York Car Insurance for Drivers Who Caused an Accident With Injury
Causing a car crash that injures someone will make it difficult to find cheap car insurance. Our analysis found an average increase of 29% in New York compared to drivers with a good driving record.
If you cause a car crash with an injury, New York Central Mutual Fire (NYCM) and USAA may have the most competitive prices among the companies in our analysis.
Cheap New York Car Insurance for Drivers With a DUI
Car insurance rates in New York go up an average of 80% if you have a DUI conviction on your record. You can still compare car insurance quotes to pinpoint better rates.
The cheapest New York car insurance companies for drivers with a DUI are New York Central Mutual Fire (NYCM) and USAA, among the insurers we analyzed.
Cheap New York Car Insurance for Drivers With Poor Credit
New York auto insurance companies usually charge drivers higher rates if they have poor credit. People with bad credit pay an average of 78% more for auto insurance in New York.
New York Central Mutual Fire (NYCM) and USAA may be good options if you’re looking for cheap New York auto insurance and you have poor credit.
Cheap New York Car Insurance for Adding a Teen Driver
Adding a teen to your auto insurance increases rates by an average of 75% in New York, compared to rates for a married couple without a teen driver.
Consider getting quotes from 21st Century and New York Central Mutual Fire if you’re looking for cheap car insurance for teens in New York.
Cheap New York Car Insurance for Young Drivers Ages 18 to 25
Buying your own car insurance is a costly entry into adulthood. Our analysis found that Main Street America and Progressive offer the cheapest New York car insurance for young drivers.
Cheap New York Car Insurance for Senior Drivers Ages 60-80
Geico and Progressive offer the best car insurance for seniors who are looking for cheap rates in New York. Older drivers should also find out if there’s a discount for taking a defensive driver class.
Featured Car Insurance Partners
1
Progressive
OK
C
OK
2
Geico
Good
C-
Low
3
State Farm
Very good
C
Low
Required Car Insurance Discounts in New York
New York car insurance companies must offer at least these discounts and must disclose available discounts to policyholders.
Anti-lock brakes discount
New York requires that insurers offer a discount for vehicles with factory-installed anti-lock brakes.
Anti-theft device discount
New York car insurance must provide a discount for vehicles with anti-theft and recovery devices.
Previous damage discount
New York mandates a lower rate for vehicles with previous damage that would lead to a lower payment for a car insurance physical damage claim.
Window glass etching discount
Insurers must offer a discount for vehicles that have the VIN or identifying symbol etched in window glass.
Daytime running lamps discount
Insurance companies are required to offer lower rates to vehicles with daytime running lamps.
Defensive driving course discount
Drivers who take a defensive driving course are eligible for a discount, which lasts three years. The Department of Motor Vehicles offers a list of approved classroom course providers. The course is 320 minutes over one or more sessions and explores topics like driver attitude and behavior, traffic laws and defensive driving techniques.
Vehicles with the Least Expensive Insurance in New York
You can potentially save on car insurance depending on your vehicle. In New York, the Jeep Wrangler JL Sport, Subaru Crosstrek and Forester 2.5i are among the cheapest vehicles for insurance, based on average rates for 50 top-selling models. The 20 cheapest cars to insure are below.
Comparing the most and least expensive cars to insure before you decide on a vehicle, can bring substantial car insurance savings.
Required Auto Insurance in New York
Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
New York is a no-fault insurance state. That means you make most claims for injuries on your own insurance. For this purpose, New York car owners must buy basic personal injury protection (PIP) with coverage of $50,000.
PIP pays for your “economic” damages after a car accident, no matter who caused it. This includes medical bills, 80% of lost wages because of the accident, and up to $25 a day for other necessary expenses related to injuries, such as transportation. There’s also a $2,000 death benefit in addition to the $50,000 in basic PIP.
When you buy PIP on your car in New York it will cover the injuries of the driver and all passengers in your vehicle. Your PIP also covers pedestrians who are injured by your vehicle.
PIP insurance doesn’t cover any vehicle damage.
No-fault insurance doesn’t mean “no-lawsuit insurance” though. You can still sue someone who causes a car accident if:
- Your economic damages (medical bills, lost job income) are more than the $50,000 maximum paid by PIP.
- Or you can sue for pain and suffering if you have “serious” injuries, which New York defines as dismemberment; significant disfigurement; a fracture; loss of a fetus; death; permanent loss of use of a body organ, member, function, or system; permanent consequential limitation of use of a body organ or member; significant limitation of use of a body function or system; or an injury or impairment of a non-permanent nature, which prevents you from performing substantially all of the material acts that constitute your usual and customary daily activities for not less than 90 days during the 180 days immediately following the injury or impairment.
If you’re really into PIP, you can buy more than $50,000 of coverage.
New York PIP Choices
Liability Insurance in New York
New York also requires liability car insurance for both injuries and property damage. So if you’re sued by someone who has “serious” injuries, as defined by New York law, your liability insurance would pay for your legal defense and the lawsuit judgment (up to your policy’s limits). Liability insurance also pays for property damage you cause to others, such as mowing down someone’s fence.
New York requires minimum liability coverage of:
- $25,000 for bodily injury per person (not resulting in death), or $50,000 for any injury resulting in death for one person in any one accident.
- $50,000 for bodily injury (not resulting in death) sustained by two or more people in any one accident, or $100,000 for any injuries resulting in death sustained by two or more people in any one accident.
- $10,000 for property damage in one accident.
This is commonly written as 25/50/10.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage
New York also requires uninsured motorist (UM) coverage. UM in New York pays only for injuries, not car damage. You can use your UM coverage if you’re hit by an uninsured motorist or injured in a hit-and-run.
The minimum UM required is an amount that matches your liability limits, such as 25/50, or $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident.
It covers only accidents in New York, but you can add an endorsement that will extend your UM coverage to out-of-state accidents.
Supplemental Spousal Liability Insurance
An unusual twist in New York is the availability of “supplemental spousal liability” insurance. This gives you liability coverage under your own auto insurance policy if you cause serious injury or death to your spouse in a car accident.
Essentially, this coverage kicks in if your own spouse sues you for economic loss (such as medical bills) and pain and suffering if you were negligent and caused them serious injury in a car accident.
Normally you can’t sue a spouse who’s on the same insurance policy because you can’t be liable to yourself.
Your insurance company must offer this coverage if you request it in writing.
Related: Cheap Liability Only Insurance
What Other New York Car Insurance Should I Have?
Buying only the required auto insurance types in New York leaves you with a big gap: Your own vehicle. What if you sideswipe a guardrail or back into a pole? What if you drive through a big puddle and realize it’s actually 2 feet deep after your car stalls out? What if your car is stolen and never seen again?
For these and other problems, you want collision and comprehensive coverage. They also cover damage from fire, vandalism, falling objects, and collisions with animals such as deer.
Summary: Required New York Auto Insurance
Extra Lawsuit Protection
If you have a high income and assets, you should consider adding at least $1 million in umbrella insurance. It provides an extra layer of liability insurance on top of your auto and homeowners insurance.
If you’re facing an expensive lawsuit against you over a car accident or an incident covered by homeowners insurance, umbrella insurance protects your finances by paying lawsuit judgments and settlements after you’ve maxed out the base policy, up to your umbrella policy limit.
Can I Show My Insurance ID Card from My Phone in New York?
New York allows you to show proof of auto insurance from your mobile phone. If you can’t access your insurance ID card on your phone through an app from your insurer, keep a paper copy with you or in the vehicle.
Factors Allowed in New York Car Insurance Rates
Car insurance companies use many factors to calculate rates. It’s important to shop around because rates can be very different among insurers for the same coverage. Your past insurance claims, driving record, vehicle model and more are used in the price calculation. In New York, companies can also use these factors.
How Many New York Drivers Are Uninsured?
About 4% of New York drivers have no auto insurance, according to the Insurance Research Council. It’s the third-lowest uninsured rate in the nation, after New Jersey and Massachusetts.
Penalties for Driving Without Auto Insurance in New York
If you’re caught driving without the required auto insurance in New York you can be fined $150 to $1,500 and/or jailed for up to 15 days. You could also have to pay a civil penalty.
When Can Your Car Insurance Be Canceled in New York?
New York law says car insurance can be canceled for these reasons:
- You didn’t pay the premium.
- There was fraud or material misrepresentation when you bought the policy or submitted an insurance claim.
- You or a regular driver of your car has had your driver’s license revoked or suspended.
When Can a Vehicle Be Totaled in New York?
Under New York law, a vehicle is totaled when repair costs will exceed 75% of its value.
New York No Longer Requires Photo Inspection for Car Insurance
New York car insurance companies no longer must conduct a photo inspection of a vehicle before granting a car insurance policy with comprehensive and/or collision coverage. The New York legislature approved a bill in June 2022 that lets insurers waive the requirement.
Insurance companies viewed the photo requirement as costly and they are using other avenues to combat insurance fraud. The change also relieves drivers from scheduling time for the review, according to the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.
Solving New York Insurance Problems
The New York Department of Financial Services is responsible for monitoring insurance companies in the state. If you have an issue with your insurance company that you haven’t been able to resolve, the department of insurance may be able to help, or you can file a complaint.
Methodology
To find the cheapest auto insurance companies in New York, we used rates from Quadrant Information Services, a provider of insurance data and analytics. Except where noted, rates are based on a 40-year-old female driver with a clean record insuring a new Toyota RAV4 with $100,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per person, $300,000 per accident and $100,000 in property damage liability (known as 100/300/100), uninsured motorist coverage and any other coverage required in the state. Rates also include collision and comprehensive insurance with a $500 deductible.
State averages for New York are based on rates from Allstate, Chubb, Erie, Geico, Mercury, New York Central Mutual Fire (NYCM), Preferred Mutual, State Farm, Sterling Insurance, Travelers, Kemper, USAA and Utica National.
