If you're on a Galaxy Fold, consider unfolding your phone or viewing it in full screen to best optimize your experience.
Kailey Hagen has been writing about small businesses and finance for almost 10 years, with her work appearing on USA Today, CNN Money, Fox Business, and MSN Money. She specializes in personal and business bank accounts and software for small to medium-size businesses. She lives on what's almost a farm in northern Wisconsin with her husband and three dogs.
Car insurance can be a little pricey in our nation's capital city, but it's still necessary to legally hit the roads. Fortunately, drivers don't have to settle for above-average rates if they know where to find the cheapest car insurance in Washington D.C. Here's a look at which companies offer the best Washington D.C. auto insurance rates for several common driver profiles.
The typical female driver with a clean record pays about $2,352 per year for Washington D.C. auto insurance, while male drivers with clean records pay about $2,393 per year on average. But with Geico, males and females without an accident history pay about $1,226 and $1,312 per year, respectively.
2024 Award Winner
These companies also offer some of the best car insurance in Washington D.C.:
Drivers with prior accidents pay about $3,294 per year for Washington D.C. auto insurance. But once again, Geico offers these drivers a much lower rate. Its average annual premium for drivers with a single accident was just $2,296.
These insurers also make the list of the best car insurance companies in Washington D.C. for drivers with a single accident:
Drivers with a single speeding ticket pay about $2,806 per year for Washington D.C. auto insurance, but those who go with Geico save about $1,200 per year. Its customers with one speeding ticket only pay $1,602 per year.
These drivers also offer cheap auto insurance in Washington D.C. for drivers with one speeding ticket:
Teen drivers have the highest Washington D.C. auto insurance rates, with the average annual premium coming in around $7,907. Geico also offers affordable rates to these drivers, with the typical 18-year-old male with a clean record paying about $4,012 per year.
These companies also have cheap car insurance quotes in Washington D.C. for teens:
Senior drivers see Washington D.C. auto insurance rates that are well below average. The typical 65-year-old only pays $2,290 per year, but those who choose Geico can get the same coverage for an even better $1,223 per year.
These insurers also offer affordable car insurance in Washington D.C. to senior drivers:
Cheap liability car insurance in Washington D.C. will run the average driver about $933 per year. But those who choose Chubb can get the same coverage for just $388 annually.
These insurers also offer great deals on Washington D.C. minimum car insurance:
Geico once again stands out as the most affordable option for drivers with poor credit. Its average annual premium of $2,540 was well below the city's average rate of $4,009 per year.
Drivers with bad credit may also want to take a look at these companies:
How much is car insurance in Washington D.C.? That depends on several factors, like the driver's record, vehicle make and model, location within the city, and more. But typically, Washington D.C. drivers pay a little more than the national average. Here's a closer look at how its rates stack up to the rest of the country for several common driver profiles.
| Average Rate Category | Washington D.C. | National Average |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | $3,040 | $2,646 |
| Young drivers | $7,907 | $5,988 |
| 1 accident on driving record | $3,294 | $3,092 |
| 1 speeding ticket on driving record | $2,806 | $2,766 |
Here are some Washington D.C. car insurance laws all drivers should be familiar with:
Washington D.C. is a no-fault auto insurance district. This means that in the event of an accident that causes injuries, each driver bills their own insurance provider for the medical costs, regardless of who caused the accident. This is different from at-fault states where the driver who is found to be at fault for the accident pays for the medical bills for all parties.
Washington D.C. drivers who choose to skip car insurance could face the following consequences:
All Washington D.C. drivers are required to carry at least the following coverage:
Drivers must have at least:
Drivers must also have at least $10,000 of property damage liability coverage.
In addition, drivers must have uninsured motorist bodily injury and property damage coverage in the same quantities outlined above. This coverage kicks in if a driver is hit by another driver that doesn't have insurance.
Drivers seeking low-cost car insurance in Washington D.C. should do the following:
Here are a few other things Washington D.C. drivers ought to keep in mind when shopping for car insurance:
Washington D.C. has the ninth-highest rate of uninsured drivers in the country, according to the Insurance Information Institute, with nearly 1 in 5 drivers lacking insurance. This is illegal and can lead to fines and penalties, but it also poses a problem for drivers who do have insurance. That's why they need to make sure they have adequate uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. Uninsured motorist applies when the driver who caused the accident has no insurance while underinsured motorist coverage applies when the driver doesn't have enough coverage to pay for the full cost of the accident.
Washington D.C. minimum car insurance coverage doesn't include any protection for the policyholder's own vehicle. Drivers who want financial help replacing their own vehicle after a wreck need to invest in collision and comprehensive coverage. Collision coverage kicks in when the policyholder gets into an accident with another driver. Comprehensive coverage protects against animal-vehicle collisions, bad weather, theft, vandalism, and more.
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.
