The Garden State has the most expensive car insurance rates of any state, coupled with a complex system that offers drivers many choices about their policies. If drivers in any state could use help lowering their rates and finding the right policies for them, it’s New Jersey.
This page will show you which types of coverage are legally required in New Jersey. It also has driving cost information including average rates and insights about insurance risks.
How much is car insurance in New Jersey? You already know car insurance can be pricey in New Jersey. But did you know that New Jersey is the most expensive state in America for car insurance? The average cost of car insurance in New Jersey is $1,265.69 per year. The national average price is $889.01.
Prices may vary depending on your driving history and the number of claims filed in your zip code.
Coverage | Rates |
---|---|
Liability | $869.57 |
Collision | $381.86 |
Comprehensive | $131.35 |
Total Cost Per Year | $1,265.69 |
Price Per Month | $104.72 |
The graph below shows the change in average New Jersey insurance rates from 2011 to 2015, the most recent year the data is available. According to the III, New Jersey car insurance rates increased from $1,186 in 2011 to $1,263 in 2015, a jump of $79, or 6.70 percent.
If you want car insurance in New Jersey that offers reliable coverage at an affordable price, you have to shop around. To do this, you have to compare quotes from multiple insurance companies. But that can be a hassle if you do it on your own.
QuoteWizard will help you by introducing you to a number of top insurance companies. Then you can compare rates and decide which coverage options are the best for your situation. That means less legwork and, better yet, lower costs.
Last year, 61,377 people used QuoteWizard to get an auto insurance quotes comparison in New Jersey from top companies, and find the cheapest rates.
This is our list of the most common vehicles owned by New Jersey drivers requesting car insurance quotes through QuoteWizard in the past year.
This is our list of the car insurance companies reported by QuoteWizard users living in the state of New Jersey last year. Out of the 61,377 New Jersey drivers that used QuoteWizard to request insurance quotes last year, 5,303 had no car insurance.
New Jersey is one of the 12 US states that have a no-fault insurance system. In no-fault states, accident victims can collect benefits from their own insurance companies, regardless of whether the other party is insured. Liability coverage is meant to help pay for other peoples’ medical and repair bills if you're found at fault in a car accident. Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage is intended to pay for your medical expenses after an accident, regardless of who was at fault.
However, unlike most other no-fault states, New Jersey offers drivers a choice of two different types of policies: basic and standard.
A basic policy is less expensive than a standard policy, but also offers much less protection. A basic policy includes:
A standard policy costs more than a basic policy, but offers a great deal more protection. A standard policy includes a minimum of:
In addition, drivers may choose between several types of Personal Injury Protection coverage:
But wait, New Jersey drivers have another coverage decision to make...
If a driver selects a standard policy, they must choose a limited right to sue or unlimited right to sue. If a driver chooses a limited right to sue, they can only sue for one thing. pain and suffering. But only if related to an accident if they or a passenger has suffered a grievous injury like the loss of a body part, disfigurement, or death. In return for this limited right to sue, the policy will have lower premiums.
If a driver chooses an unlimited right to sue, they can sue even when car accident injuries are not severe. Drivers that select this option will have higher premiums than a policy with a limited right to sue, all other things being equal.
Any time you drive in New Jersey, you must be prepared to show your car insurance identification card to law enforcement upon request. You will get this identification card from your car insurance company when you buy a policy. The card must include all of the following:
Being convicted of driving without proof of insurance in New Jersey carries a fine of $150.
New Jersey residents that have had their driver’s licenses suspended due to drunk driving convictions or other violations must provide proof of financial responsibility by filing an SR-22 form. “SR” stands for safety responsibility and it certifies that a driver has the minimum amount of insurance required by state law.
New Jersey law requires that an SR-22 be carried for 36 consecutive months. If a driver fails to renew their policy 15 days before expiration, a letter is sent to the state resulting in suspension of their license. Once renewed, the license will be reinstated, but this can be a time-consuming process.
New Jersey prohibits drivers from using hand-held cell phones while driving. It also prohibits school bus drivers, and novice drivers in New Jersey from using cell phones in any way while driving. All drivers are also banned from sending or receiving text messages while driving.
This law requires that any driver submit to blood, breath, or urine testing. These tests check for alcohol or drugs when arrested by law enforcement for suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI). Refuse the test and you’ll face the following penalties in addition to those for a DUI:
Click here to see the Penalties for DUI in New Jersey
Children under 8 years of age and weighing under 80 pounds must ride in child safety or booster seats. These seats must be in the rear seat of a vehicle. If there is no rear seat, the child may sit in the front seat, but they must be secured by a child safety seat or booster seat. Children under 8 years of age who weigh more than 80 pounds must be properly secured in a seat belt. A rear-facing infant seat should never be placed in a front seat with a passenger-side airbag unless it is disabled.
New Jersey has implemented a 3-tier graduated driver’s license program beginning with a learner's permit and ending with a license with full driver privileges.
Teens are allowed to apply for a learner's permit once they’re 16 years old and have completed an approved driver's education course. They must pass a written and vision test in order to obtain a permit. All driving with a learner's permit must be supervised by a licensed adult who is at least 21 years old and has been driving for at least three years. Drivers with learner’s permits are forbidden to drive between 11:00 pm and 5:00 am. No passengers are allowed in the vehicles of drivers with a learner’s permit except for parents, guardians, or dependents.
Once the driver has reached the age of 17, they can take the driver’s test. If they pass the test, a probationary driver’s license is issued. Drivers may now drive unsupervised, but the other driving restrictions are all still in place. A driver with a probationary license must have a parent or guardian’s supervision if they have more than one passenger in their vehicle. Drivers obtain their full driving privileges, and free from driving restrictions once they complete the above requirements and turn 18.
All New Jersey drivers are required to renew their driver’s licenses every 4 years. There are no special provisions for senior drivers.
New Jersey requires that all passengers in a moving vehicle aged 7 or younger and over 80 pounds wear seat belts. It also requires that anyone in a moving vehicle age 8 or older wear a seat belt. Children are required to use approved child seats as described above. The maximum fine for a first offense is $46, including court costs.
When you drive a vehicle in New Jersey that is required to be registered in another state, you must have the type of insurance required by that state. You must be able to provide proof of this insurance to law enforcement if requested.
The average cost of car insurance in New Jersey in 2015 was $1,265.69 compared to a national average of $889.01. New Jersey is the most expensive state in America for car insurance.
The state of New Jersey taxes gasoline at 14.5 cents per gallon and diesel fuel at 17.5 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. The total tax on regular gasoline is 32.9 cents per gallon. For diesel fuel, the total tax in New Jersey is 41.9 cents per gallon.
In 2014, there were 556 traffic fatalities in New Jersey, a 2.5% decrease from the state’s 542 traffic fatalities in 2013.
New Jersey had 11,705 vehicle thefts reported in 2014, a 14.8% decrease compared to 2013. In 2014, the vehicle theft rate was 131 per 100,000, a decrease of 15.1% from the 2013 rate of 154.3 per 100,000.
The vehicle theft rate in New Jersey is significantly below the overall US vehicle theft rate, which was 216.2 per 100,000 in 2014.
Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau - Hot Wheels Report 2014
Rank | Market Share | Company |
---|---|---|
1 | 17.4% | Geico (Berkshire Hathaway) |
2 | 13.4% | NJ Manufacturers Insurance |
3 | 13% | Allstate |
4 | 9.8% | Progressive |
5 | 7.8% | Plymouth Rock |
6 | 7.6% | Liberty Mutual |
7 | 3.6% | USAA |
8 | 3.2% | Travelers |
9 | 2.9% | Farmers |
The percentage of New Jersey residents estimated to be driving without insurance is 10.3%. That ranks New Jersey as #30 among US states and the District of Columbia, slightly better than average.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation maintains a large amount of car crash-related data on this website: http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/accident/
http://www.state.nj.us/dobi/division_insurance/
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