Cheap Car Insurance Quotes in Houston (2024)
- Expertise: Auto insurance, home insurance and renters insurance
- Education: University of California-Berkeley (BA in History)
Rob Bhatt is a licensed insurance agent and joined the staff of Lending Tree in 2021. Previously, he spent more than 20 years writing for and editing regional publications in California, Nevada and Washington. Rob enjoys helping readers understand how different coverages work so they can make informed purchasing decisions, and he specializes in producing research-backed content for LendingTree about auto, home and renters insurance. His work has been cited by ABC, Business Insider, MSN and Yahoo.
Texas Farm Bureau is the best company for cheap car insurance quotes in Houston, with rates that average $40 a month for liability coverage and $97 a month for full coverage.
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Houston: Texas Farm Bureau
Texas Farm Bureau has the cheapest full-coverage car insurance quotes in Houston. Its rates average $1,166 a year for a typical adult driver, or $97 a month. State Farm has the next cheapest average at $1,492 a year.
You have to belong to the Farm Bureau to get its insurance. The membership fee for Harris County residents is $50 a year. After you factor in the fee, Farm Bureau’s full-coverage rate is still 18% less than State Farm’s rate.
| Company | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| Texas Farm Bureau | $1,166 |
| State Farm | $1,492 |
| City average | $2,136 |
| Geico | $2,194 |
| Progressive | $3,194 |
| Allstate | $3,208 |
| USAA* | $1,565 |
USAA’s rates are also lower than city averages for most drivers. However, only current and former members of the military and their families can buy insurance from USAA.
Cheapest liability insurance in Houston: Texas Farm Bureau
Texas Farm Bureau has the cheapest liability car insurance quotes in Houston. These rates average $483 a year, or $40 a month. State Farm is next, charging rates that average $612 a year.
| Company | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| Texas Farm Bureau | $483 |
| State Farm | $612 |
| City average | $869 |
| Geico | $972 |
| Progressive | $1,266 |
| Allstate | $1,274 |
| USAA* | $608 |
Liability car insurance covers injuries and property damage to others in an accident you cause. Full coverage includes collision and comprehensive, which covers damage to your vehicle.
Cheapest quotes for young drivers in Houston: Texas Farm Bureau
Texas Farm Bureau has the cheapest car insurance quotes for young drivers in Houston.
The company charges 18-year-olds an average of $943 a year for liability car insurance, or $79 a month. This is 64% less than Houston’s average of $2,624 a year, or $219 a month.
Farm Bureau’s full-coverage car insurance rate for 18-year-olds is 68% less than the city’s average.
| Company | Liability annual rate | Full-coverage annual rate |
|---|---|---|
| Texas Farm Bureau | $943 | $1,968 |
| State Farm | $2,084 | $4,339 |
| Geico | $2,469 | $5,029 |
| City average | $2,624 | $6,098 |
| Allstate | $2,739 | $5,623 |
| Progressive | $6,244 | $16,756 |
| USAA* | $1,264 | $2,870 |
Cheapest quotes after a ticket in Houston: Texas Farm Bureau
Texas Farm Bureau has the cheapest car insurance quotes for Houston drivers with a prior speeding ticket. It charges these drivers an average of $1,166 a year for full coverage, or $97 a month.
A speeding ticket increases the average cost of auto insurance in Houston to $2,416 a year, or $201 a month. The Farm Bureau’s rate is 52% less than this.
| Company | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| Texas Farm Bureau | $1,166 |
| State Farm | $1,492 |
| City average | $2,416 |
| Geico | $2,645 |
| Allstate | $3,208 |
| Progressive | $4,218 |
| USAA* | $1,770 |
Cheapest quotes after an accident in Houston: State Farm
State Farm has the cheapest car insurance quotes for Houston drivers with an at-fault accident. These rates average $1,744 a year for full coverage, or $145 a month.
Texas Farm Bureau’s rates for drivers with a prior accident are only slightly higher at $1,870 a year, or $156 a month.
An accident drives the average cost of car insurance in Houston up by 55% to $3,312 a year, or $176 a month.
| Company | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $1,744 |
| Texas Farm Bureau | $1,870 |
| City average | $3,312 |
| Geico | $3,634 |
| Progressive | $5,039 |
| Allstate | $5,200 |
| USAA* | $2,385 |
Cheapest car insurance for Houston drivers with a DUI: Texas Farm Bureau
Texas Farm Bureau has the cheapest car insurance for Houston drivers with a DUI on their record. These rates average $2,257 a year for full coverage, or $188 a month.
State Farm is next-cheapest for Houston drivers with a conviction for driving under the influence (DUI). Its rates average $2,373 a year, or $198 a month.
A DUI increases the average price of car insurance in Houston by 55% to $3,321 a year, or $277 a month.
| Company | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| Texas Farm Bureau | $2,257 |
| State Farm | $2,373 |
| City average | $3,321 |
| Progressive | $3,743 |
| Geico | $4,089 |
| Allstate | $5,093 |
| USAA* | $2,373 |
Best rates for drivers with bad credit: Texas Farm Bureau
Texas Farm Bureau has the best auto insurance rates for Houston drivers with bad credit, charging an average of $2,640 a year, or $220 a month.
The next cheapest company is Allstate. It charges drivers with bad credit an average of $4,519 a year, which is 71% more than the Farm Bureau’s rate.
| Company | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| Texas Farm Bureau | $2,640 |
| Allstate | $4,519 |
| City average | $4,925 |
| Progressive | $5,350 |
| Geico | $5,918 |
| State Farm | $8,434 |
| USAA* | $2,689 |
Car insurance laws in Houston
In Houston, you need to show you can pay for injuries and damage you may cause in a car accident. Most people satisfy this requirement by buying auto insurance.
You need to show proof of insurance to register your vehicle.
The state also uses an online system to verify your vehicle’s ongoing insurance status. Make sure your vehicle identification number (VIN) and other details are listed accurately in your insurance documents. Otherwise, the verification system may flag you as being uninsured.
The penalties for driving without insurance include a fine and possible suspension of your license or registration.
Minimum coverage for car insurance in Houston
The minimum car insurance coverages required for Houston drivers include:
- Bodily injury liability: $30,000 per injured person/$60,000 per accident
- Property damage liability: $25,000
Under Texas law, all car insurance policies include personal injury protection (PIP), but you can remove it. PIP covers injuries you and your passengers suffer in an accident, regardless of fault.
Texas also requires insurance companies to offer uninsured motorist (UM) coverage. UM covers injuries you and your passengers suffer in an accident caused by an uninsured motorist. You can decline this coverage, too.
If you have a car loan, your lender will make you get collision and comprehensive coverage.
- Collison covers damage your car sustains in a collision with an object or other vehicle.
- Comprehensive covers your car for theft and damage from non-collision causes, including fire, flood and vandalism.
How to get SR-22 insurance in Houston
If the state suspends your license or registration, you may have to get SR-22 insurance before you can drive again. An SR-22 is a certificate that your insurance company files for you.
Tell companies you contact for car insurance quotes about your SR-22 requirement. Some companies don’t insure SR-22 drivers. Those that do usually add a small filing fee to your rate.
The actual price for SR-22 insurance depends largely on the offense that led to the filing requirement. If you have a prior DUI, you usually pay more for car insurance than someone caught driving without insurance.
Most drivers have to file an SR-22 for two years. You can switch insurance companies during this time. Just make sure your new insurer submits your SR-22 certificate in a timely manner.
Frequently asked questions
The average cost of car insurance in Houston is $869 a year for liability insurance, or $72 a month. The average cost of full coverage is $2,136 a year, or $178 a month.
The best way to save money on car insurance is to bundle it with your home or renters insurance. Shopping around every few years allows you to see if you can get a better rate by switching companies. Don’t be shy about asking each company about their discount.
If you drive in Houston, you need to show proof that you can pay for accidents you may cause. Most people do this by getting car insurance.