Compare Auto Insurance Quotes in Texas to Get the Best Rates

Compare Auto Insurance Quotes in Texas to Get the Best Rates

Tuesday, September 12 2017 By Steve Bowen

Average Texas Car Insurance Rates

How much is car insurance in Texas? Texans shouldn't be surprised that average car insurance rates here are higher than the national average. Prices may vary depending on your driving record and the points on your driver's license, age, gender, policy limits, coverage (liability or comprehensive), and the number of claims filed in your zip code.

The average cost of auto insurance in Texas is $905.64 per year. The national average annual cost is $866.31.

Texas Average Annual Car Insurance Rates

Coverage	Rates
Liability	$516.26
Collision	$357.61
Comprehensive	$192.33
Total Cost Per Year	$905.64
Price Per Month	$75.47

Shopping for car insurance in Texas can seem like a lot of work. From researching companies to comparing rates, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

Let QuoteWizard help. Fill out our easy to use (and understand) form and you’ll be well on your way to finding affordable car insurance. How? We’ll put you in touch with top insurance companies so you can compare quotes and get the best rates.

Last year, 247,646 people used QuoteWizard to get an auto insurance quotes comparison in Texas from multiple companies and find the cheapest rates.

Top 10 Vehicles in Texas

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

Best Car Insurance Companies in Texas

This is our list of the most common car insurance companies reported by QuoteWizard users living in the state of Texas last year. Out of the 247,646 Texas drivers that used QuoteWizard to request insurance quotes, 28,644 had no car insurance.

Texas State Auto Insurance Laws

Car Insurance Minimum Coverage

If you drive a vehicle registered in Texas, you must maintain a minimum level of insurance coverage of 30/60/25. This means that you must have a policy with at least the following:

• $30,000 of coverage for bodily injury liability per person
• $60,000 of coverage for bodily injury liability per incident
• $25,000 of coverage for property damage liability per incident

Required Proof of Car Insurance

Any time you drive in Texas, you must be prepared to show your car insurance identification card to law enforcement upon request. You'll 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
• Description of the year, make, or model of the insured vehicles, or the name of the insured driver

Penalties

Failure to show proof of insurance at an accident or traffic stop may result in a fine of up to $350. In addition, a surcharge of $250 will be added to your annual driver’s license fee for each of the next three years. You may also have your license and registration suspended until you're able to show proof of insurance

SR-22 Requirements

Texas 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.

Texas State 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.

State of Texas Traffic Safety Laws

Distracted Driving Laws

Texas prohibits school bus drivers and novice drivers, who are under 18, from making or receiving cell phone calls and text messages while driving.

DWI Law and Penalties

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

The penalties for a first offense DWI conviction are:

• Between three and 180 days in jail
• A fine of up to $2,000
• Driver's license suspended up to one year
• Annual fee of $1,000 to $2,000 for three years to keep your driver's license

The penalties for a second offense DWI conviction are:

• Between one month and one year in jail
• A fine of up to $4,000
• Up to two-year driver's license suspension
• Annual fee of $1,000, $1,500, or $2,000 for three years to keep your driver's license
• Installation of an ignition interlock device

The penalties for a third offense DWI conviction are:

• Between two and 10 years in jail
• A $10,000 fine
• Up to two-year suspension of driver’s license
• Annual fee of $1,000, $1,500, or $2,000 for three years to keep your driver's license
• Installation of an ignition interlock device

And the fun doesn’t stop there. Your insurance rates will climb each time you’re convicted of a DWI, that is, if you can find a company willing to insure you.

DWI with a Child Passenger

If you're caught driving while intoxicated with a passenger less than 15-years-old, you can be charged with both a DWI and child endangerment. The punishment for DWI with a child passenger is:

• Up to $10,000 fine
• Up to two years in jail
• 180-day driver's license suspension

Booster Seat Law

Children aged 7 or younger and who measure less than 57 inches tall must be restrained in a child safety seat appropriate for their age and weight. The minimum fine for failing to properly restrain a child is $25 for a first offense.

Graduated Driver’s License

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

Drivers must be at least 15 years old to get a learner license. New drivers are required to drive at least 30 hours while under supervision, with ten of those hours being at night. Once these conditions are satisfied, and the driver has reached at least the age of 16, they can take the driver’s test. If they pass the test, and have completed an approved driver's education course, a provisional license is issued.

Drivers with a provisional license can't drive between the hours of midnight and 5 am. They also can't have more than one other person in the car under the age of 21 (excluding family). Drivers obtain their full driving privileges once they complete the above requirements and turn 18.

Senior Drivers in Texas

All drivers are required to renew their driver’s licenses every 6 years. Beginning at age 79, you must renew your driver’s license in person. Beginning at age 85, renewal is required every two years.

Seat Belt Laws

Texas requires that all drivers and passengers wear seat belts. Children are required to use approved child seats as mentioned above.

Vehicles Registered in Another State

When you drive a vehicle in Texas 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 upon request.

The Cost of Driving in Texas

Texas Average Car Insurance Rates

The average cost of car insurance in Texas in 2014, the most recent year for which data was available, was $905.64, compared to a national average of $866.31. Texas is the 13th most expensive state for car insurance.

Fuel Taxes

The state of Texas taxes gasoline and diesel fuel at 20 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 a gallon of gasoline in Texas is 38.4 cents per gallon. For diesel fuel, the total tax is 44.4 cents per gallon.

Car Insurance Risk in Texas

Texas Cities with the Best Drivers

According to our nationwide study we found that Texas is one of the bester driving states coming in at no.31. To find out which Texas cities had the best drivers we ranked the most populous cities in Texas using data from our quote tool to compare drivers in each city based on accidents, speeding tickets, DUI's and citations.

1. Amarillo
2. El Paso
3. Dallas
4. Lubbock
5. Houston
6. San Antonio
7. Fort Worth
8. Waco
9. Arlington
10. Austin

Traffic Fatalities

In 2014, there were 3,538 traffic fatalities in Texas, an 4% increase from the state’s 3,389 traffic fatalities in 2013.

Vehicle Thefts

Texas had 68,546 vehicle thefts reported in 2014, a 4.2% increase compared to 2013. In 2014, the vehicle theft rate was 254.3 per 100,000 – a 2.4% increase compared to 2013.

The vehicle theft rate in Texas is slightly higher than the overall US vehicle theft rate, which was 216.2 per 100,000 in 2014.

Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles in Texas

Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau - Hot Wheels Report 2014

1. 2006 Ford Pick-Up (Full Size)
2. 2005 Chevrolet Pick-Up (Full Size)
3. 2004 Dodge Pick-Up (Full Size)
4. 2000 Honda Civic
5. 1997 Honda Accord
6. 2005 GMC Pick-Up (Full Size)
7. 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe
8. 2005 Chevrolet Impala
9. 2014 Toyota Camry
10. 1999 Chevrolet Pick-Up (Small Size)

Uninsured Drivers

The percentage of Texas residents estimated to be driving without insurance is 13.3%. That ranks Texas as #19 among US states and the District of Columbia, slightly worse than average.

Crash Statistics

The Texas Department of Transportation maintains a website with vehicle crash data here: Texas Motor Vehicle Crash Statistics

Top 10 Texas Auto Insurance Companies - Market Share

Source: Texas Department of Insurance 2015 Report

Rank	Market Share	Company
1	8.74%	Progressive County Mutual Insurance Co.
2	7.94%	Farmers Texas County Mutual Insurance Co.
3	6.58%	Allstate (Fire and Casualty)
4	3.76%	Home State County Mutual Insurance Co.
5	3.67%	Government Employees Insurance Co.
6	2.76%	USAA
7	2.56%	Colonial County Mutual Insurance Co.
8	2.55%	Liberty County Mutual Insurance Co.
9	2.33%	USAA Casualty Insurance Co.

Texas Department of Insurance

Website:

TDI Homepage

Insurance Commissioner:

David Mattax

Insurance Hotline:

800-252-3439

File a Consumer Insurance Complaint

TDI Insurance Complaint Form

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
• Texas Department of Insurance 2015 Report
• Texas DMV
• Texas Proof of Financial Responsibility

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