As a former claims handler and fraud investigator, Jason Metz has worked on a multitude of complex and multifaceted claims. The insurance industry can be seemingly opaque, and Jason enjoys breaking down confusing terms and products to help others make well-informed decisions.
Jason Metz
As a former claims handler and fraud investigator, Jason Metz has worked on a multitude of complex and multifaceted claims. The insurance industry can be seemingly opaque, and Jason enjoys breaking down confusing terms and products to help others make well-informed decisions.
Les Masterson is a deputy editor and insurance analyst at Forbes Advisor. He has been a journalist, reporter, editor and content creator for more than 25 years. He has covered insurance for a decade, including auto, home, life and health. Before covering insurance, Les was a news editor and reporter for Patch and Community Newspaper Company and also covered health care, mortgages, credit cards and personal loans for multiple websites.
Fact Checked
Les Masterson
Les Masterson is a deputy editor and insurance analyst at Forbes Advisor. He has been a journalist, reporter, editor and content creator for more than 25 years. He has covered insurance for a decade, including auto, home, life and health. Before covering insurance, Les was a news editor and reporter for Patch and Community Newspaper Company and also covered health care, mortgages, credit cards and personal loans for multiple websites.
Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.
Not everything has to be big in Texas. You can find relatively cheap car insurance in Texas. We evaluated rates from large car insurance companies in Texas to help you find the lowest-cost options.
Read more
Best Car Insurance Companies
Show Summary
- Cheap Car Insurance in Texas
- Geico
- Germania Mutual
- Nationwide
- USAA
- National General
- Summary: Cheap Texas Car Insurance Ratings
- Finding Cheap Car Insurance in Texas
- No Required Car Insurance Discounts in Texas
- Least Expensive Vehicles for Car Insurance in Texas
- Required Car Insurance in Texas
- What Other Types of Car Insurance Should I Have in Texas?
- Summary: Required Car Insurance in Texas
- Can I Show My Insurance ID Card from My Phone in Texas?
- Factors Allowed in Texas Car Insurance Rates
- How Many Uninsured Drivers Are in Texas?
- Penalties for Driving Without Auto Insurance in Texas
- When Can a Vehicle Be Totaled in Texas?
- Get Help Solving Insurance Problems in Texas
- Methodology
Cheap Car Insurance in Texas
Summary: Cheap Texas Car Insurance Ratings
| Company | Forbes Advisor Rating | Average cost per year for good drivers | Average cost per year for drivers with a speeding ticket | LEARN MORE | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
5.0 |  |
$1,861 | $2,000 | Compare Rates | Compare rates via EverQuote’s website | ||
| Germania Mutual |  |
5.0 | |
$1,883 | $1,883 | Compare Rates | Compare rates via EverQuote’s website | |
| Nationwide |  |
4.5 |  |
$1,987 | $2,193 | Compare Rates | Compare rates via EverQuote’s website | |
 |
4.5 | |
$1,853 | $2,098 | Compare Rates | Compare rates via EverQuote’s website | ||
| National General |  |
4.0 |  |
$2,103 | $2,540 | Compare Rates | Compare rates via EverQuote’s website |
Finding Cheap Car Insurance in Texas
Shopping around to find cheap car insurance in Texas shouldn’t be a huge project. We evaluated insurers in Texas to find the lowest options.
Cheap Texas Car Insurance for Good Drivers
USAA and Geico are the cheapest Texas car insurance companies for good drivers, among the companies we analyzed.
Cheap Car Insurance in Texas for Drivers With a Speeding Ticket
A speeding ticket increases car insurance rates by 13% in Texas. The exact rate increase will vary by insurance company. Even though you’ll get hit with higher insurance rates, you can still shop around for the best car insurance.
Germania Mutual Group and Geico have the cheapest average rates for drivers with a speeding ticket in Texas, so make sure to get quotes from those companies if you’re shopping for Texas car insurance and have a speeding ticket on your record.
Cheap Texas Car Insurance for Drivers Who Caused an Accident With Injury
Causing a car crash that injures someone will make it harder to find cheap car insurance. Our analysis found an average increase of 46% in Texas compared to drivers with a good driving record.
If you cause an accident with an injury, Germania Mutual Group and Texas Farm Bureau Group may have the most competitive prices among the insurers in our analysis.
Cheap Texas Car Insurance for Drivers with a DUI
Car insurance costs in Texas go up an average of 52% if you have a DUI conviction on your record. You can still compare car insurance quotes to pinpoint better rates.
The cheapest Texas car insurance companies for drivers with a DUI are Esurance and National General, among the insurers we analyzed.
Cheap Texas Car Insurance for Drivers With Poor Credit
Texas auto insurance companies usually charge drivers higher rates if they have poor credit. People with bad credit pay an average of 64% more for auto insurance in Texas.
Esurance and National General may be good choices if you’re looking for cheap Texas auto insurance and you have poor credit.
Cheap Texas Car Insurance for Adding a Teen Driver
Adding a teen to your car insurance policy increases rates by an average of 87% in Texas, compared to rates for a married couple without a teen driver.
Consider getting quotes from Redpoint County Mutual and Chubb if you’re looking for cheap car insurance for teens in Texas.
Cheap Texas Car Insurance for Young Drivers Ages 18 to 25
Buying your own car insurance is a costly entry into adulthood. Our analysis found that Redpoint County Mutual and State Farm offer the cheapest Texas car insurance for young drivers.
Cheap Texas Car Insurance for Senior Drivers Ages 60-80
State Farm and Geico offer the best car insurance for seniors who are looking for cheap rates in Texas. Older drivers should also find out if there’s a discount for taking a defensive driver class.
Featured Car Insurance Partners
1
Geico
Auto insurance rates
Good
Collision repair
C-
Complaint level
Low
2
USAA
Auto insurance rates
Excellent
Collision repair
C+
Complaint level
OK
3
State Farm
Auto insurance rates
Very good
Collision repair
C
Complaint level
Low
No Required Car Insurance Discounts in Texas
States typically mandate certain car insurance discounts, but Texas is one of only a handful of states that don’t require any specific discounts. Insurers instead get to decide which discounts to offer and which ones to skip.
Common types of discounts include price breaks for insuring multiple vehicles, having a good driving record, bundling auto and home insurance, loyalty and student car insurance discounts.
Least Expensive Vehicles for Car Insurance in Texas
You can potentially save on car insurance depending on what type of car you own. In Texas, the Honda CR-V LX, Subaru Forester 2.5i and Hyundai Tucson SE are among the most affordable options for insurance, based on average rates for 50 top-selling 2021 models. The 20 least expensive are below.
The vehicles with the most expensive auto insurance in Texas among popular models are the Tesla Model S Performance ($3,346 per year) and Lexus ES 300H ($2,230 per year).
| Vehicle | Average annual premium in Texas |
|---|---|
|
Honda CR-V LX
|
$1,377
|
|
Subaru Forester 2.5i
|
$1,418
|
|
Hyundai Tucson SE
|
$1,439
|
|
Ford Escape S
|
$1,441
|
|
Jeep Wrangler JL Sport
|
$1,461
|
|
Subaru Crosstrek
|
$1,471
|
|
Jeep Compass Latitude
|
$1,473
|
|
Kia Sportage EX
|
$1,491
|
|
Chevrolet Trax LS
|
$1,497
|
|
Chevrolet Equinox L
|
$1,506
|
|
Toyota RAV4 LE
|
$1,517
|
|
Volkswagen Tiguan SE
|
$1,517
|
|
Ford F-150 XL
|
$1,521
|
|
Dodge Grand Caravan SE
|
$1,528
|
|
Ford Edge SE
|
$1,530
|
|
Toyota Tacoma SR
|
$1,534
|
|
Chevrolet Colorado
|
$1,540
|
|
Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring
|
$1,544
|
|
Subaru Outback 2.4I Limited XT
|
$1,557
|
|
Toyota Highlander LE
|
$1,572
|
Required Car Insurance in Texas
Liability insurance helps solve your problems if you cause a car accident. It pays for injuries and damage you cause to others, but only up to your policy’s limits. If you’ve bought a low level of liability car insurance, you can still be sued by others for their accident bills that exceed your insurance limits.
Car owners in Texas must buy liability coverage with at least:
- $30,000 for bodily injury to one person
- $60,000 for bodily injury to multiple people in one accident
- $25,000 for damage to property in one accident
These amounts won’t be enough if you cause an expensive auto accident. Medical bills for multiple people, for example, can quickly top $60,000.
What Other Types of Car Insurance Should I Have in Texas?
There are plenty of situations where you’d want extra coverage. A big one to be concerned about in Texas is flooding. More than 637,000 vehicles were damaged in Texas by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in 2017, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
If your car is damaged or destroyed in a flood, comprehensive coverage will pay.
Collision and comprehensive coverage cover many other situations, including car theft, hail, fire, falling objects, vandalism, and crashes with animals and birds.
They are usually required if you have a car loan or lease.
Personal Injury Protection
Texas auto insurance policies will automatically include $2,500 in personal injury protection (PIP), but you can reject it in writing. PIP insurance pays for medical bills for you and your passengers, no matter who caused the accident.
If you have good health insurance, you might consider rejecting PIP. But be aware that PIP also covers expenses that health insurance won’t: 80% of wages you lose because of the accident and “replacement services” for tasks such as child care.
Medical bills and lost wages can quickly rise above $2,500. You may want to increase PIP coverage to $10,000 or more.
Medical Payments Coverage
Medical payments (MedPay) insurance is also available in Texas. Like PIP, it pays medical bills for you and your passengers, no matter who caused an accident. It will also pay if you were injured in someone else’s car or while walking or biking.
But MedPay doesn’t cover lost wages or replacement services, as PIP does.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage
There are always going to be drivers out there who have no insurance or very little. You can build a defense against them with uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. This will pay for your medical and auto repair bills. It also pays out if your accident was from a hit-and-run driver.
Texas auto insurance companies must offer you uninsured motorist coverage but you can reject it in writing.
Summary: Required Car Insurance in Texas
| Coverage type | Required minimum in Texas |
|---|---|
|
Liability insurance
|
• $30,000 per person for bodily injury liability
• $60,000 per accident for bodily injury liability
• $25,000 for property damage
|
|
Personal injury protection (PIP)
|
You can reject the minimum of $2,500
|
|
Medical payments
|
Not required
|
|
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
|
You can reject this coverage
|
|
Collision coverage
|
Not required
|
|
Comprehensive coverage
|
Not required
|
Can I Show My Insurance ID Card from My Phone in Texas?
Texas lets you use your phone to show your auto insurance ID card. Many auto insurance companies have free mobile apps that give you access to your insurance ID card.
Factors Allowed in Texas Car Insurance Rates
Auto insurance companies usually look at your driving record, past claims, vehicle model and other information when setting your rate. In Texas, companies can also use these factors.
| Factor | Allowed in Texas? |
|---|---|
|
Age
|
Yes
|
|
Credit
|
Yes
|
|
Education & occupation
|
Yes
|
|
Gender
|
Yes
|
|
Marital status
|
Yes
|
|
ZIP code
|
Yes
|
Source: American Property Casualty Insurance Association.
How Many Uninsured Drivers Are in Texas?
About 8% of Texas drivers have no auto insurance, according to the Insurance Research Council. If an uninsured driver crashes into you, you try to sue them to get payment. Or you can use your uninsured motorist coverage for injuries and/or your collision insurance for car repairs.
Penalties for Driving Without Auto Insurance in Texas
If you’re caught driving without insurance, you can be fined $175 to $350, plus a $250 surcharge on your license for three years.
When Can a Vehicle Be Totaled in Texas?
A car is considered totaled in Texas when damage exceeds 100% of its actual cash value. This could happen from a crash, flood, fire or other cause.
If someone else crashes into your car and totals it, you can make a claim against their liability insurance or use your own collision insurance. If you total your own car or it’s washed away in a flood, you can use your collision or comprehensive insurance, depending on the cause.
Get Help Solving Insurance Problems in Texas
The Texas department of insurance offers help with insurance questions. They are also officially in charge of taking complaints. If you have an unresolved issue with your insurance company, contact the department.
Methodology
To find the cheapest auto insurance companies in Texas, 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 Texas are based on rates from Nationwide, Geico, Mercury, Germania Mutual, National General, Allstate, USAA, Esurance, Safe Auto, Texas Farm Bureau, Auto Club, State Auto, Foremost, 21st Century, Chubb, Home State Insurance, Sentry, Permanent General and State Farm.
