Key Takeaways
- State Farm offers the cheapest car insurance in Montana for most drivers.
- The average price of minimum car insurance in Montana is 23% lower than the national average.
- A speeding ticket increases the average price of car insurance by 25%. An accident bumps up rates by 50%.
In this article
The cheapest car insurance companies in Montana
State Farm: Cheapest overall
Progressive: Second-cheapest for most drivers
USAA: Cheapest rates for military families
State Farm has the cheapest rates for most drivers profiles in Montana, including those with clean records or prior incidents. It’s also cheapest for seniors and teens.
Progressive’s rates are lower than the state average for most Montana drivers. Progressive’s rate for full-coverage car insurance is 18% lower than the state average.
Although USAA has the cheapest rates for most of the driver profiles we analyzed, USAA is only available to the military community.
Since rates vary by customer, it’s best to compare auto insurance quotes from multiple companies when you shop.
Montana car insurance state minimums
Montana requires all motorists to be insured with liability coverage for bodily injury and property damage in the following amounts:
| Coverage type | Required minimum limit |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident |
| Property damage liability | $20,000 |
| Source: Montana Motor Vehicle Division | |
If you cause an accident, your bodily injury liability covers injuries to other people. Your property damage liability covers damage to other people’s vehicles or property.
These optional coverages are also available to provide additional protection for you and your vehicle:
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM): Covers injuries you or your passengers suffer in an accident caused by a driver with no insurance or not enough to cover your medical bills.
- Collision: Covers damage to your vehicle from a collision with another vehicle or object, as well as overturning of our vehicle.
- Comprehensive: Covers your vehicle for theft or damage from non-collision causes such as fire, flood, falling objects and vandalism.
- Personal injury protection (PIP): Covers injuries you or your passengers suffer in a car accident, regardless of fault, plus lost wages and essential services.
In Montana, car insurance companies are required to offer uninsured motorist coverage, but you can reject the coverage in writing.
Although collision and comprehensive are not required by law, both are often required for a car loan or lease.
Cheapest minimum-coverage auto insurance in Montana: State Farm
State Farm has the cheapest minimum-coverage car insurance in Montana, charging rates that average $35 a month. The next-best rates are available from GEICO, $56 a month, and Progressive, $58 a month.
| Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $35 |
| GEICO | $56 |
| Progressive | $58 |
| State average | $63 |
| Allstate | $85 |
| Farmers | $124 |
| USAA* | $18 |
| Rates are for minimum-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with a good driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
Get cheap car insurance in Montana
Cheapest full-coverage auto insurance rates in Montana: State Farm
State Farm and Progressive have the cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Montana, offering rates that average $83 a month and $123 a month, respectively.
Full coverage includes higher liability limits than a minimum-coverage policy, as well as collision and comprehensive coverage for your vehicle.
The average cost of full-coverage car insurance in Montana is $150 a month. That is 8% lower than the national average of $162 a month.
| Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $83 |
| Progressive | $123 |
| State average | $150 |
| GEICO | $172 |
| Allstate | $200 |
| Farmers | $259 |
| USAA* | $61 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with a good driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
Cheapest car insurance in Montana for drivers with bad credit: State Farm
State Farm has the cheapest car insurance for drivers with bad credit, $75 a month, which is more than double its rates for drivers with good credit.
In most states, insurance companies use your credit as a rate factor to determine how risky you may be to insure.
Statewide, the average rate for car insurance for drivers with bad credit is $244 a month. This is 63% higher than the rate available to those with good credit.
| Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $175 |
| Progressive | $190 |
| State average | $244 |
| GEICO | $245 |
| Allstate | $321 |
| Farmers | $415 |
| USAA* | $118 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with poor credit and a good driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a prior incident
A prior ticket or accident is bound to raise your future car insurance rates, but the exact amount of your rate increase depends largely on the severity of the incident.
Cheapest for drivers with a speeding ticket: State Farm
Drivers with a speeding ticket pay an average of 25% more for car insurance than those with a clean driving record.
State Farm has the cheapest car insurance for Montana drivers with a speeding ticket, $90 a month for full coverage. The next-best rate is $150 a month, available from Progressive.
The average cost of car insurance for a driver with a speeding ticket is $187 a month.
| Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $90 |
| Progressive | $150 |
| State average | $187 |
| GEICO | $222 |
| Allstate | $224 |
| Farmers | $356 |
| USAA* | $79 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with one speeding ticket on his driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
Cheapest for drivers with an at-fault accident: State Farm
An prior at-fault accident raised the average price of car insurance in Montana by 50% to $225 a month for full coverage.
State Farm offers the cheapest rate to drivers with an accident history, $96 a month. That’s less than half the statewide average.
The next-cheapest company is Progressive, which charges $209 a month.
| Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $96 |
| Progressive | $209 |
| State average | $225 |
| GEICO | $296 |
| Allstate | $305 |
| Farmers | $360 |
| USAA* | $81 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with one at-fault accident on his driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
Cheapest for drivers with a DUI: State Farm
State Farm has the cheapest car insurance for Montana drivers with a DUI, charging rates that average $90 a month. The next-best rate is $140 a month, available from Progressive.
A DUI raises the average price of insurance in Montana by 70% to $254 a month. However, State Farm’s rate is 65% less than this average.
| Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $90 |
| Progressive | $140 |
| State average | $254 |
| Allstate | $273 |
| Farmers | $346 |
| GEICO | $556 |
| USAA* | $118 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with one DUI on his driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
See how much you could save on car insurance
Cheapest car insurance for senior drivers: State Farm
State Farm has the cheapest car insurance for senior citizen drivers in Montana. It charges 65-year-olds an average of $75 a month for full coverage.
Progressive and GEICO also offer affordable rates to Montana seniors, at $103 and $179 a month, respectively.
Many insurance companies offer a discount to senior citizens who complete an approved defensive driving class. Find out which courses qualify for a discount with your insurance company before you enroll in one.
| Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $75 |
| Progressive | $103 |
| State average | $143 |
| GEICO | $179 |
| Allstate | $197 |
| Farmers | $246 |
| USAA* | $57 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 65-year-old male with a clean driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
Cheapest car insurance for young drivers: State Farm
State Farm has the cheapest car insurance rates for teens and young drivers in Montana. It charges 18-year-olds an average of $88 a month for minimum coverage and $218 a month for full coverage.
The average price of full-coverage car insurance for 18-year-olds is $545 a month, which is nearly triple the average rate available to drivers in their mid-30s.
Teens have the highest crash rates of any age group, and this is the primary reason why they pay so much for car insurance.
However, teens save 48% on car insurance when added to a parent’s policy, compared to how much they pay for an individual policy.
| Company | Minimum coverage | Full coverage |
|---|---|---|
| State Farm | $88 | $218 |
| GEICO | $175 | $563 |
| Progressive | $195 | $396 |
| State average | $231 | $545 |
| Allstate | $299 | $743 |
| Farmers | $401 | $807 |
| USAA | $60 | $190 |
| Monthly rates are for an 18-year-old male with a clean driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | ||
Cheapest car insurance for married drivers: State Farm
State Farm and Progressive have the cheapest rates for married drivers in Montana. Both companies charge an average of $83 a month and $123 a month per spouse, respectively, for full coverage.
Although married drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than single drivers, in Montana, the savings only adds up to 1%.
| Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $83 |
| Progressive | $123 |
| State average | $148 |
| GEICO | $172 |
| Allstate | $200 |
| Farmers | $251 |
| USAA* | $61 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a married 35-year-old male with a good driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
Car insurance laws in Montana
Montana requires vehicle owners to provide proof of liability insurance to register a vehicle and renew your registration each year.
The state also uses an online system to verify the insurance status of registered vehicles.
When you purchase auto insurance in Montana, make sure your name and your vehicle identification number (VIN) are listed accurately in your policy documents. Otherwise, the state’s insurance verification system may not be able to link your insurance policy to your vehicle.
The penalty for driving without insurance is a fine of $250 to $500 for a first offense and $350 for a second offense. A third offense is punishable by a $500 fine and/or up to 10 days in jail.
SR-22 insurance in Montana
Montana requires drivers convicted of certain offenses, including DUI, to obtain an SR-22 certificate to reinstate a suspended license or vehicle registration.
An SR-22 is a form your insurance company files on your behalf with the state. Most companies add a small filing fee to your bill to cover this service.
The exact cost of insurance with an SR-22 certificate depends on the severity of the offense that led to the filing requirement.
Frequently asked questions
State Farm has the cheapest rates on car insurance in Montana, charging $35 a month for minimum-coverage car insurance and $83 a month for full coverage.
Montana’s at-fault car accident laws hold drivers who cause a car accident financially responsible, or liable, for other people’s injuries and property damage. However, an at-fault driver’s share of liability costs may be reduced if the other driver is partially responsible for the accident.
Montana requires auto insurance with bodily injury liability limits of at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. It also requires a property damage liability limit of at least $20,000.
Methodology
The rates shown in this article are based on an analysis of more than 60,000 auto insurance quotes obtained from Quadrant Information Services for sample drivers from across Montana.
Unless otherwise noted, our sample driver is a single 35-year-old with good credit. All sample drivers own a 2012 Honda Accord LX that they drive for an average of 13,500 miles per year.
Our senior base driver is a 65-year-old male with a good driving record. Our young base driver is an 18-year-old male with a good driving record.
Minimum-coverage rates reflect the cost of policies meeting Montana’s 25/50/20 liability requirements.
Full coverage policies include the following coverages, limits and deductibles:
- Bodily injury liability: 100,000 limit per person/$300,000 limit per accident
- Property damage liability: $100,000 limit
- Collision: $500 deductible
- Comprehensive: $500 deductible
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