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There's no getting around the need for auto insurance if you're a Maryland driver. In addition to protecting you (and your assets), adequate insurance helps protect passengers in your vehicle and other drivers on the road. If you're working with a tight budget, it's essential to know where you can find the lost-cost coverage you need. Here, we've broken down the best car insurance companies in Maryland by driver type.
- Cheapest for typical drivers: USAA
- Cheapest for drivers with one accident: USAA
- Cheapest for teen drivers: USAA
- Cheapest for drivers with one speeding ticket: USAA
- Cheapest for drivers looking for minimum coverage: USAA
Cheapest for typical drivers
USAA offers low-cost car insurance to current and former members of the military, as well as their families. A typical driver with a clean driving record can expect to pay an average annual premium of $1,016.
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Best for military members and their familiesUSAA
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For drivers who don't qualify for USAA coverage, the best car insurance in Maryland comes from:
- Geico, with an annual rate of $1,289
- Progressive, with a rate of $1,576
- Nationwide, with an average annual premium of $1,732
Cheapest for drivers with one accident
It can be tough to land affordable Maryland auto insurance with one accident on your driving record, but a couple of companies make it possible. USAA is the big winner, offering its customers an average annual rate of $1,632.
The best insurance companies in Maryland for drivers with one accident also include:
- Geico, with an average annual rate of $1,961
- Travelers, with an average premium of $2,063
- Cumberland, with a competitive average rate of $2,297
Cheapest for teen drivers
There are a couple of things about allowing a new teen driver out on the road. As a parent, you may find your heart in your throat more often than not. Also, it can be a challenge to find the best car insurance companies in Maryland offering low-cost car insurance for teens. When it comes to insurance for teens and young drivers, the term "low-cost" is relative. Providing a young driver with proper coverage is typically costly, no matter which insurance company you choose.
If you qualify for USAA, though, you're in luck. Their average annual premium will set you back around $2,704, or $225 per month. If you don't have access to USAA, here are several other options to consider:
- Progressive, with a young driver rate of $3,925
- Unitrin, offering an average annual rate of $4,148
- Travelers, with an annual premium of $4,706
Cheapest for drivers with one speeding ticket
Are you wondering, "How much is car insurance in Maryland if you have one speeding ticket on your record?" Again, your best bet is USAA, with an average annual rate of $1,208.
Some other Maryland auto insurance companies to explore include:
- Geico, with an average rate of $1,443
- Progressive, with an average annual rate of $1,820
Cheapest for drivers looking for minimum coverage
The most competitive cheap liability car insurance in Maryland comes courtesy of USAA, with an average rate of $419 for minimum coverage.
Don't qualify for USAA coverage? Here are two more options for cheapest car insurance in Maryland:
- Geico, with an average annual rate of $517
- Travelers, with an average annual premium of $842
Average car insurance cost in Maryland compared to the national average
The average cost of auto insurance across Maryland is $2,880, nearly 9% higher than the national average.
| Average Rate Category | Maryland | National Average |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | $2,880 | $2,646 |
| Young drivers | $7,099 | $5,988 |
| 1 accident on driving record | $3,253 | $3,092 |
| 1 speeding ticket on driving record | $2,743 | $2,766 |
What drivers in Maryland can expect to pay for car insurance compared to the national average
Maryland auto insurance laws
Maryland car insurance laws are clear. Drivers caught without adequate car insurance can face:
- $150 fine for the first 30 days without coverage, and $7 each additional day, up to $2,500 annually.
- Suspended registration.
- Failure to pay fines can land your case on a Central Collections Unit (CCU) desk. Once there, all penalties are subject to an additional 17% collection fee.
- If fees are not paid in full, your income tax return can be intercepted and used as payment.
Maryland minimum coverage requirements
All drivers must carry at least Maryland minimum car insurance, including:
- $30,000 per person/$60,000 per accident bodily injury liability coverage
- $15,000 property damage liability coverage
- $30,000 per person/$60,000 per accident uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage
- $15,000 uninsured motorist property damage coverage
- $2,500 personal injury protection
How to get cheap auto insurance in Maryland
Landing cheap insurance involves getting several Maryland car insurance quotes. While some companies (like USAA and State Farm) tend to land near the top of the pile, rates change, and you may find other companies that offer competitive rates. There are several factors that help determine your odds of finding cheap car insurance: your driving record, credit score, and the number of discounts you can snag.
Driving record
As you've likely noticed, the best rates are reserved for drivers with clean driving records. That doesn't mean that you can't find a reasonable rate if you've ever had a ticket or an accident, but it does mean that it's easier to find a low rate after an accident or ticket has fallen off your driving record. In the meantime, when you're in a hurry to get somewhere, remember how much a speeding ticket or accident could cost you.
Credit score
Insurance providers have found a connection between people with high credit scores and safe driving habits. Whether it seems fair or not, insurance companies will check your credit score to get a sense of how likely you are to drive carefully in order to keep their losses down.
Discounts
The number of potential car insurance discounts varies by company, but taking time to look through the options can save you money. Here are some of the discounts that help the average driver:
- Good student discount
- Defensive driver discount
- Pay-in-full discount
- Away-at-school discount
- Occupational discount
- Alumni discount
- Professional organization discount
- Safety feature discount
- Usage-based discount
- Multi-car discount
- Multi-policy discount
- New car discount
Other things to consider when looking for car insurance in Maryland
Maryland allows drivers to waive Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and opt for limited PIP instead. It's another way to keep costs down and worth asking an insurance agent about.
It's all about doing everything possible to keep your premiums low.
Our Insurance Expert
Dana George has a BA in Management and Organization Development from Spring Arbor University. For more than 25 years, she has written and reported on business and finance, and she's still passionate about her work. Dana and her husband recently moved to Champaign, Illinois, home of the Fighting Illini. And though she finds the color orange unflattering on most people, she thinks they'll enjoy Champaign tremendously.
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We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent, a Motley Fool service, does not cover all offers on the market. The Ascent has a dedicated team of editors and analysts focused on personal finance, and they follow the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands.
The data found on this page is a combination of publicly available quote data obtained directly from the carrier as well as insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services. These rates were publicly sourced from the top ten (10) to fifteen (15) carrier markets, within each state, based on annual written premium and should be used for comparative purposes only — your own quotes may be different.
Dana George has positions in Target. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Target. The Motley Fool recommends Progressive. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.