Updated: April 7, 2026
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GEICO offers the cheapest full coverage rates for 16, 17 and 18-year-old drivers, starting at $399 per month. National General beats all carriers for 19-year-olds at $336 per month (read more).
GEICO is the cheapest insurer for teens in 13 states, but regional carriers like Shelter and Concord Group offer the lowest rates in several others. Getting quotes from both national and local companies is the most reliable way to find the lowest rate in your state (read more).
Teen auto insurance averages $614 per month for males and $580 for females, making teens the most expensive age group to insure. Rates increase after violations, so comparing insurers helps you find cheap car insurance for young drivers (read more).
GEICO offers the lowest teen car insurance rates for 16, 17 and 18-year-old drivers. National General is the cheapest option for 19-year-olds at $336 per month.
Teen auto insurance is the most expensive age group to insure. Limited driving experience and higher accident rates make it harder for insurers to offer cheap car insurance for teens and other young drivers.
The cheapest monthly rates for teens by age group:
Rates shown reflect a full coverage policy with 100/300/100 liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage and a $1,000 deductible. Minimum coverage rates refer to state minimum liability only with no comprehensive or collision.
Looking for rates based on your teen's exact age? MoneyGeek breaks down the best and cheapest car insurance companies for each age group.
The average cost of teenage car insurance per month is $614 for males and $580 for females, or $7,366 and $6,966 per year. Male teens pay about 6% more because they’re involved in more at-fault accidents and receive more speeding tickets.
Claims data shows young male drivers file more frequent and more expensive claims, though the gap narrows as drivers get older. Seven states don’t allow gender as a rating factor including: California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
Read more: Car Insurance Rates by Age and Gender
| Male | $614 | $7,366 |
| Female | $580 | $6,966 |
Full coverage is usually the best option for teen drivers. It includes liability, comprehensive and collision coverage, which protects both the driver and the vehicle after an accident.
Teen drivers are involved in more crashes than any other age group. Carrying only state minimum liability may lower premiums, but it leaves the car itself unprotected. If the vehicle is newer, financed or still holds significant value, full coverage helps cover repair or replacement costs after a crash, theft or weather damage.
Some families choose higher deductibles to lower premiums while keeping full coverage.
GEICO is the cheapest insurer for teens in 13 states, more than any other carrier. Travelers ranks second with the lowest rates in seven states, followed by Shelter in six.
Where you live strongly affects teen insurance rates. In California, GEICO has the lowest average rate at $330 per month. In Texas, State Farm is cheapest at $371. In Florida, Travelers offers the lowest rate at $565.
Regional insurers like Shelter and Concord Group also beat national carriers in several states. Getting quotes from both national and regional companies can help you find the lowest rate.
State insurance regulations, minimum coverage requirements and local rating rules all affect what insurers charge. Comparing quotes from three to five companies, including regional carriers, gives you a better chance of finding a lower rate.
| GEICO | $255 | $3,056 |
| Cincinnati Insurance | $292 | $3,502 |
| Travelers | $299 | $3,594 |
| Auto-Owners Insurance Co | $307 | $3,688 |
| Country Financial | $329 | $3,953 |
| AIG | $390 | $4,685 |
| Progressive | $424 | $5,084 |
| Nationwide | $433 | $5,201 |
| Allstate | $526 | $6,312 |
| Farmers | $669 | $8,030 |
| Safeway Insurance | $731 | $8,766 |
The Saturn S-Series is the cheapest car to insure for teens at $363 per month, followed by the Isuzu Amigo at $368 and the Dodge Stratus at $390. Older vehicles with strong safety records and low theft rates are cheaper to repair or replace after a claim, which keeps premiums lower. Sports cars and high-performance models are a different story. Insurers associate them with riskier driving and bigger payouts. The vehicle you choose can cut or add hundreds of dollars to your teen's annual premium.
Read More: Cheapest Cars to Insure for Teen Drivers
| Saturn S-Series | $363 | $4,358 |
| Isuzu Amigo | $368 | $4,419 |
| Dodge Stratus | $390 | $4,678 |
| Isuzu Rodeo | $394 | $4,733 |
| Buick Encore GX | $398 | $4,782 |
| Mercedes B-Class | $400 | $4,805 |
| Nissan NV200 | $405 | $4,864 |
| Dodge Neon | $414 | $4,964 |
Your teen's insurance costs depend on coverage type, vehicle choice, driving record and available discounts. Here's where to focus to keep costs as low as possible.
The insurer you choose and how you structure your policy have the biggest impact on what you pay. Adding your teen to a family car insurance policy costs $3,048 per year on average, $1,818 less than putting them on an individual policy.
Choosing the right company can cut teen insurance costs by 50% or more. Families who switch to the cheapest carrier in their state save between $420 and $2,000 annually. Rates continue to drop as teens get older and build clean driving records.
Some companies offer discounts for drivers who travel fewer than 7,500 miles per year. Keeping teens off the road at night can also lower accident risk and, in turn, premiums.
Putting your teen's name on the title may force them to get individual insurance, which costs more. Teens under 18 can't legally purchase car insurance without a parent or guardian co-signing the policy.
Many insurers offer discounts for teens who complete a certified driver's education program. Signing up for a telematics program is another option. Consistent safe driving can bring rates down further.
Vehicles with strong safety ratings and lower theft rates cost less to insure. They're cheaper to replace and less likely to generate large claims. Family-oriented models like the Honda Pilot ($1,996 yearly) and Honda Odyssey ($2,006 yearly) offer competitive rates along with the safety features and cargo space parents want for teen drivers.
Family policies come with multi-car and multi-driver discounts that can reduce overall premiums by up to 20%. You'll also deal with one renewal date and one payment instead of managing separate policies.
The cheapest insurer isn't always the best one for your teen. MoneyGeek scores companies on affordability, coverage options and customer satisfaction. Amica ranks first overall with a 95 out of 100, leading in customer satisfaction and placing third for affordability.
Amica ranks first overall in MoneyGeek's analysis with a score of 95 out of 100. A family policy with a teen costs $6,426 per year, less than Allstate ($8,463) and Farmers ($9,013). Amica earned the top customer satisfaction score in our review and ranks fifth for coverage options.
Policyholders consistently rate their claims experience highly, which J.D. Power's annual auto studies have reflected for years. The company also offers a dividend policy that returns part of your premium each year, plus discounts for good students, safe drivers and bundled policies. Its A+ financial strength rating from AM Best reflects a strong track record of paying claims.
Read more:
Teens have more ways to lower their car insurance rates than most people realize. If upfront costs are a concern, no-down-payment car insurance keeps initial expenses low. You'll just need to cover the first month's premium to get covered.
Discount | How It Works |
|---|---|
Good student | Available to students who maintain a B average or rank in the top percentage of their class |
Defensive driving | For drivers who complete a certified defensive driving course |
Safe driver | For drivers with a clean record (no at-fault accidents or violations for a set period) |
Distant driver | For students attending school at least 100 miles from home who rarely use the insured vehicle |
Telematics-based programs | Uses a device or app to track driving behavior and adjust rates accordingly. Programs like Allstate's teenSMART and State Farm's Steer Clear can lower costs for safe drivers. |
Multi-car | For households with more than one vehicle on the same policy |
Annual mileage | For drivers who log fewer than 7,500 miles per year |
Family policy | Adding a teen to a parent or guardian's existing policy instead of buying a separate one costs much less |
Driver's education | For teen drivers who complete a certified driver's education program |
*Seven states don't use gender as a rating factor: California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
Car insurance for teens averages $614 per month for male drivers and $580 per month for female drivers. That equals about $7,366 per year for males and $6,966 per year for females. Teen drivers pay the highest premiums of any age group because they are involved in more accidents and receive more traffic violations than older drivers.
Teen drivers get into more accidents than any other age group, which makes them expensive to insure. Insurers price policies based on risk, and limited driving experience is a major factor. Hawaii and Massachusetts are the only states that don't use age as a rating factor. Massachusetts instead uses years of driving experience, which can mean lower rates for some teen drivers.
Most major insurers offer discounts for teen drivers, including good student, distant student, defensive driving and telematics-based programs. Stacking multiple discounts, like a good student discount combined with a telematics program, can cut what you pay.
A car's make and model can affect what you pay for teen coverage. Most vehicles with strong safety ratings — think Honda, Subaru or similar models that score well on crash tests — come with lower premiums. Sports cars, luxury vehicles and high-performance models cost more to insure, so they're worth avoiding if keeping rates down is a priority.
Telematics programs are worth a close look, especially for teens who are new to driving. They use a device or app to track habits like speed, braking and phone use, then reward consistent safe driving with lower rates. For parents, they also provide useful visibility into how their teen drives day to day.
An at-fault accident will likely push your premiums up, sometimes by 20% to 40%, depending on the insurer. Some companies offer accident forgiveness that waives the rate increase for a first-time incident, so it's worth asking about that option when you're shopping for a policy.
Not necessarily, but it depends on your insurer. Most companies require teens to be added to the policy once they have a full license, and some offer better rates for families who add them earlier. It's worth a quick call to your insurer to find out what applies to your policy.
Good grades can translate directly to savings. Most major insurers offer good student discounts for teens who maintain a B average or 3.0 GPA, which can cut premiums by 10% to 25%.
*Rates shown are averages. An individual policy can be the smarter option in certain situations. If your teen drives a high-performance or luxury vehicle, for example, keeping it on a separate policy protects the family's overall rate.
MoneyGeek evaluated insurers to find the best and cheapest car insurance for teens based on rates, coverage options and financial strength. Our analysis focuses on teen auto insurance costs for drivers ages 16 to 19, comparing teen car insurance rates across dozens of insurers and hundreds of ZIP codes. This approach highlights companies that offer the most competitive pricing and reliable coverage for young drivers.
This analysis uses 83,056 auto insurance quotes from 46 insurers across 473 ZIP codes to identify the cheapest car insurance for teens by age. Rates were collected for drivers ages 16 to 19 using a standard profile with 100/300/100 liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage and a $1,000 deductible.
About Mark Fitzpatrick
Mark Fitzpatrick, a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer, is MoneyGeek's resident Personal Finance Expert. He has analyzed the insurance market for over five years, conducting original research for insurance shoppers. His insights have been featured in CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.
Fitzpatrick holds a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He's also a five-time Jeopardy champion!
He writes about economics and insurance, breaking down complex topics so people know what they're buying.
