Cheap Car Insurance Rates in Mississippi

Cheap Car Insurance Rates in Mississippi

Friday, May 26 2017 By Adam Johnson

Mississippi is known as the Magnolia State. We’ve compiled useful insurance information from industry and government sources which you can use to make your car insurance savings blossom.

This page will show you which types of coverage are legally required in Mississippi, inform you about important insurance laws, and provide both information about the cost of driving, and some insights about insurance risk in Mississippi, all to help protect you and your family.

Average Mississippi Car Insurance Rates

Car insurance in Mississippi is cheaper than it is in most of the country. On average, Mississippi drivers pay 9% less for auto insurance than the average American. Your prices may vary depending on your car, driving record, zip code, limits, and the number of claims filed in your neighborhood.

The average cost of car insurance in Mississippi is $796.99 per year. The national average annual cost is $866.31.

Mississippi Average Annual Car Insurance Rates

Coverage	Rates
Liability	$448.60
Collision	$307.98
Comprehensive	$201.01
Total Cost Per Year	$796.99
Price Per Month	$66.41

Compare Car Insurance in Mississippi

Buying car insurance in Mississippi should be easy. Unfortunately, it can be the opposite when you shop for it on your own.

Instead of spending hours researching insurers by yourself, let QuoteWizard lend a helping hand. We’ll connect you to the top car insurance companies in the country so you can compare rates. In the end, you’ll not only save time, but also money!

Last year, 38,746 people used QuoteWizard to compare auto insurance quotes in Mississippi from top companies and find the cheapest rates.

Top 10 Vehicles in Mississippi

These are the most common vehicles owned by Mississippi drivers requesting car insurance quotes through QuoteWizard in the past year.

1. Ford F150
2. Chevrolet Silverado
3. Chevrolet Impala
4. Nissan Altima 2.5 S
5. Honda Accord EX/LX
6. Chevrolet Tahoe
7. Ford Taurus
8. Ford Ranger
9. Ford Mustang
10. Toyota Camry LE/XLE/SE

Best Car Insurance Companies in Mississippi

Last year, these were the most common car insurance companies reported by QuoteWizard users living in the state of Mississippi. Out of the 38,746 Mississippi drivers that used QuoteWizard to request insurance quotes last year, 7,771 had no car insurance.

Mississippi Auto Insurance Laws

Car Insurance Minimum Coverage

Legally, nearly all US drivers are required to carry a minimum level of insurance, but the required coverage levels vary from state to state. In Mississippi, drivers need to follow what is known as the 25/50/25 rule when it comes to their insurance policies.

This means that any policy must include the following:

• $25,000 of coverage for bodily injury liability per person
• $50,000 of coverage for bodily injury liability per incident
• $25,000 of coverage for property damage liability per incident

Remember you can purchase more inclusive plans that cover more, but if you want the bare minimum required to keep you legal on the road, make sure your policy has the above protection. And, if you’ve financed your car through a lender, they’ll require that you purchase collision and comprehensive coverage to protect their investment.

Required Proof of Car Insurance

Any time you drive in Mississippi, you must be prepared to show your car insurance identification card to law enforcement. You will get this identification card from your car insurance company when you buy a policy. The card must include all of the following:

• Name of the insurance company
• Policy number
• Effective date of the policy
• Expiration date of the policy

Penalties

If you’re convicted of operating a vehicle in Mississippi without insurance, you could face the following penalties on top of any punishment or fines imposed by a court of law:

• Up to a $1,000 fine
• A driver's license suspension of up to one year

SR-22 Requirements

If convicted of a DUI, an SR-22 is required when a driver seeks to reinstate their license. “SR” stands for safety responsibility and it certifies that a driver has the minimum amount of insurance required by state law. An SR-22 is not an insurance policy; it's evidence that you have a policy.

State of Mississippi Traffic Safety Laws

Implied Consent Law

Mississippi’s Implied Consent law requires that any driver submit to testing to determine the alcohol or drug content of their blood, breath, or urine when arrested by law enforcement for suspicion of driving while under the influence (DUI) of drugs or alcohol. Refuse the test and you’ll face the following penalties in addition to the penalties for a DUI:

• First Offense: 90-day driver’s license suspension
• Second Offense: 1-year driver’s license suspension
• Third Offense: 1-year driver’s license suspension

DUI Law and Penalties

If you drive or operate a motor vehicle in the state of Mississippi with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0.08% or higher, you are guilty of Driving While Under the Influence (DUI).

The penalties for a first offense DUI conviction are:

• Up to 48 hours in jail
• A fine of between $250 and $1,000
• 90-day suspension of driver’s license

The penalties for a second offense DUI conviction are:

• Between 5 days and 1 year in jail
• A fine of between $600 and $1,500
• 2-year suspension of driver’s license
• Installation of an ignition interlock device

The penalties for a third offense DUI conviction are:

• Between 1 and 5 years in jail
• A fine of between $2,000 and $5,000
• 5-year suspension of driver’s license
• Installation of an ignition interlock device

Distracted Driving Laws

Mississippi has fairly relaxed laws concerning distracted driving. Drivers are forbidden from texting while driving, but otherwise are free to use their cell phones in the car.

Child Restraint Law

• Any child under 4 years old must be in an approved child safety seat
• If a child is between 4 and 6 years of age, less than 4 feet 9 inches tall, and weighs less than 65 pounds, they must be seated in a booster seat
• All children over seven years of age, or measuring 4 feet 9 inches in height or taller, or weighing 65 or more pounds, must be secured in a seat belt

Proper use of child safety seats reduces fatalities by 71%

Graduated Driver’s License Program

Mississippi has implemented a 3-tier graduated driver’s license program beginning with a learner’s permit and ending with full driver privileges once all conditions are met.

Learner’s permit minimum requirements:

 

• 15 years of age
• Pass written and vision exam
• Social security card
• Proof of identity
• Proof of enrollment in school
• Application signed by parent or legal guardian
• Pay a $4 fee

Unlike most states, obtaining an intermediate license does not require a minimum number of supervised hours of driving. However, it does require the driver to:

• Be 15 years old
• Pass a written and vision exam
• Have held a learner’s permit for at least 6 months
• Provide proof of identity
• Pay a $6 fee

Unlike most states, Mississippi has no restrictions in the intermediate license phase, such as a limit to the number of young people in the car, or a minimum number of hours that must be driven under supervision.

To obtain a full driver's license you must:

• Be 16 years old
• Have held an intermediate license for at least 6 months
• Provide proof of identity

Senior Drivers in Mississippi

Mississippi residents may renew their driver's license every 4 or 8 years, at the option of the driver.

Seat Belt Laws

Anyone in the front seat of a moving vehicle, age 7 or older is legally required to wear a seat belt. The maximum fine for failing to do so is $25.

The Cost of Driving in Mississippi

Average Mississippi Car Insurance Rates

The average cost of car insurance in Mississippi in 2014 was $796.99, which ranks as the 25th most expensive in the United States. The national average in 2014 was $866.31.

Fuel Taxes

As of January 2016, Mississippi taxes gasoline at 18.79 cents per gallon and diesel fuel at 18.40 cents per gallon. This is in addition to the Federal fuel tax of 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline, and 24.4 cents per gallon on diesel. This works out a total tax on regular fuel of 37.19 cents per gallon, and a total tax on diesel fuel of 42.80 cents per gallon.

Car Insurance Risk in Mississippi

Traffic Fatalities

In 2014, Mississippi recorded 607 traffic fatalities, an 1% decrease from the 613 traffic fatalities in the state in 2013.

Vehicle Thefts in Mississippi

Mississippi reported 4,519 vehicles stolen in 2014 (150.9 per 100,000 people). 2013 saw a 3% increase in vehicle thefts with 4,387 (146.6 per 100,000 people).

Mississippi was significantly below the national average rate of vehicle theft which was 216.2 per 100,000 in 2014.

Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles in Mississippi

Some cars are more prone to theft than others, be sure to check the list below to see if your car is a target on the streets.

Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau - Hot Wheels Report 2014

1. 2013 Ford Pick-Up (Full Size)
2. 1999 Chevrolet Pick-Up (Full Size)
3. 2005 Chevrolet Impala
4. 1999 Chevrolet Pick-Up (Small Size)
5. 2013 Nissan Altima
6. 2012 Honda Accord
7. 1997 GMC Pick-Up (Full Size)
8. 1997 Toyota Camry
9. 2001 Dodge Pick-Up (Full Size)
10. 2012 Chevrolet Malibu

Mississippi Auto Insurance Company Market Share

Source: Insurance Information Institute

Rank	Market Share	Company
1	12.5%	Farm Bureau
2	9.7%	Progressive
3	9.5%	Allstate
4	5.8%	Berkshire Hathaway (GEICO)
5	5.7%	Nationwide
6	4.6%	USAA
7	4.3%	Liberty Mutual
8	3.4%	Alfa
9	2.7%	Shelter

Uninsured Motorists

In 2012, an estimated 22.9% of Mississippi drivers were uninsured, which was the 3rd highest percentage in the nation! The national average was 12.6%. Given how many drivers in the state are uninsured, Mississippi drivers should seriously consider adding uninsured/underinsured coverage to their car insurance policy.

Mississippi Insurance Department

Website:

https://www.mid.ms.gov/

Insurance Commissioner:

Mike Chaney

Phone:

(601) 359-3569

Email:

info@mid.ms.gov

Address:

Mississippi Insurance Department
1001 Woolfolk State Office Building
501 North West Street
Jackson, MS 39201

File a Complaint:

Complaint Page

Sources:

• FBI Uniform Crime Report
• NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System
• Insurance Information Institute – Minimum Coverage Levels by State
• American Petroleum Institute
• National Insurance Crime Bureau
• Governors Highway Safety Association
• Insurance Information Institute – Insurance Expenditures by State
• Mississippi Department of Public Safety
• Mississippi Auto Insurance Market Share

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