The Best Cheap Idaho Car Insurance for 2024

All Idaho drivers need car insurance, and most want to score a good deal on their premiums. While costs vary depending on the individual, the Idaho auto insurance providers listed below tend to offer some of the lowest rates. Here's a look at which companies offer the best car insurance in Idaho for several common driver profiles.

• Cheapest for typical drivers: Geico
• Cheapest for drivers with prior accidents: Auto-Owners Insurance
• Cheapest for drivers with prior speeding tickets: Geico
• Cheapest for young drivers: Auto-Owners Insurance
• Cheapest for senior drivers: Geico
• Cheapest for drivers looking for minimum coverage: Geico
• Cheapest for drivers with poor credit: Geico

Cheapest for typical drivers

A female driver with a clean record typically pays about $1,496 per year for Idaho auto insurance while a male driver pays about $1,548 per year. But both can do much better by going with Geico, the best cheap car insurance provider. It charges female and male drivers with clean records $811 and $859 per year, respectively.

These companies also offer some of the cheapest car insurance in Idaho:

• Auto-Owners Insurance, where men and women pay about $1,006 per year
• Oregon Mutual Insurance, which charges females about $1,098 per year and males about $1,157 per year

Cheapest for drivers with prior accidents

Drivers with a single accident on their record see their Idaho auto insurance rates climb to $2,057 annually. This time, Auto-Owners Insurance offers the best rates, with its average annual premium for this group coming in at $1,152 per year.

These companies also offer some of the cheapest auto insurance in Idaho to drivers with an accident history:

• Geico, where drivers with one accident pay about $1,349 per year on average
• Travelers, where these drivers pay about $1,469 per year

Cheapest for drivers with prior speeding tickets

Speeding tickets bump up the average Idaho auto insurance premium to $1,825. But Geico only charges drivers with one speeding ticket about $990 per year.

These insurers also offer cheap car insurance quotes in Idaho to drivers with speeding tickets:

• Auto-Owners Insurance, where drivers with a single speeding ticket pay $1,534 annually
• Travelers, which has an average annual Idaho auto insurance premium of $1,539 for these drivers

Cheapest for young drivers

Teen drivers see the highest average Idaho auto insurance premiums at $4,892 per year. But those who choose Auto-Owners pay just over half that at $2,708 per year.

These companies also offer affordable car insurance in Idaho to teens:

• Mutual of Enumclaw Insurance, which charges the typical teen driver about $3,278 per year
• Geico, where teens pay about $3,371 per year for Idaho auto insurance

Cheapest for senior drivers

Seniors have reasonable Idaho auto insurance premiums that cost about $1,366 annually. But seniors who choose Geico only pay about $910 per year.

These companies also make the list of the best car insurance companies in Idaho for seniors:

• Auto-Owners Insurance, where seniors pay about $970 per year
• Oregon Mutual Insurance, which charges senior drivers about $1,101 per year on average

Cheapest for drivers looking for minimum coverage

Idaho minimum car insurance only costs about $476 per year. That's pretty good, but those who choose Geico can score an even more affordable $268 annual premium.

These insurers also offer cheap liability car insurance in Idaho:

• Progressive, where the average annual premium for minimum coverage is $344
• Oregon Mutual Insurance, where the average driver seeking minimum coverage pays $404 per year

Cheapest for drivers with poor credit

Poor credit is costly in Idaho, bumping the average car insurance premium up to $2,503 per year. Once again, Geico offers the best rate at $1,412 per year.

But these companies also offer low-cost car insurance to drivers with bad credit:

• Oregon Mutual Insurance, which charges these drivers about $1,666 per year
• Auto-Owners Insurance, where drivers with bad credit pay $1,816 annually on average

Average cost of car insurance in Idaho compared to the national average

How much is car insurance in Idaho? That depends on several factors, including the driver's history, their vehicle make and model, and where they live.

Here's a table showing how Idaho's average premiums stack up to the national average for some of the driver profiles listed above.

Idaho auto insurance laws

Here are some Idaho car insurance laws all drivers should be aware of:

Idaho is an at-fault car insurance state

Idaho is an at-fault state. This means in the event of an accident involving two or more vehicles, the driver who is found to be at fault must pay for the medical bills for all parties involved. This is different from no-fault states where each driver bills their own insurance for medical costs, regardless of fault.

Consequences for driving without insurance in Idaho

Drivers who don't have Idaho auto insurance could face the following consequences:

• Driver's license suspension
• Fines of up to $75 for a first offense and up to $1,000 for subsequent offenses within five years
• Up to six months jail time if caught driving without insurance more than once within five years

Idaho minimum coverage requirements

All drivers in Idaho must carry at least the following insurance coverage:

Bodily injury liability coverage

Drivers must carry at least:

• $25,000 of bodily injury liability coverage per person
• $50,000 of bodily injury liability coverage per accident

Property damage liability coverage

In addition, drivers must carry at least $15,000 of property damage liability coverage.

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage

Idaho requires its drivers to carry uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage in the same quantities as the bodily injury liability coverage listed above. This kicks in if a policyholder is hit by a driver without insurance or by a driver who doesn't have adequate insurance to cover all of the damages.

How to get cheap auto insurance in Idaho

Drivers looking to score the cheapest car insurance in Idaho should do the following:

• Shop around: Every company has its own algorithm for determining risk, which is why drivers get different prices from each one. Set aside a half hour to get quotes from a few different companies and compare them side by side to see which auto insurance company offers the best deal.
• Grab all possible discounts: While insurers automatically apply many discounts to drivers' premiums, there are some drivers have to opt into. For example, driver monitoring program discounts usually require a policyholder's consent. Those who want to be rewarded for their good driving might consider this.
• Choose a higher deductible: Deductibles are the out-of-pocket costs drivers pay when they file a claim. Choosing a higher deductible usually lowers monthly premiums.

Other things to consider when looking for car insurance in Idaho

Here are a few other things drivers ought to keep in mind when shopping for Idaho auto insurance:

Idaho minimum coverage is lower than average

Idaho requires its drivers to have $25,000 of bodily injury liability coverage and $50,000 per accident, plus $15,000 of property damage liability coverage. This is sometimes written as 25/50/15 coverage.

It's a little lower than average. Many other states require their drivers to carry at least 25/50/25 coverage. This provides a little extra protection for drivers if they cause an accident that damages another person's property. Without adequate property damage liability coverage, policyholders could end up paying for the rest of the damages on their own.

Minimum coverage doesn't protect the driver's vehicle

Those seeking protection for their own vehicles following a crash should add collision and comprehensive coverage. They're not required by state law, but many lenders require them of drivers who have a lease or loan on their vehicles.

Collision coverage pays to repair the policyholder's vehicle following an accident with another vehicle or a single-car accident, even if the policyholder is at fault. Comprehensive coverage takes care of weather damage, theft, vandalism, and animal-vehicle collisions, among other things.

RELATED: Buying a home? Check out The Ascent's guide to the best cheap homeowners insurance in Idaho.