Key Takeaways
- State Farm has the cheapest car insurance rates for most drivers in Delaware.
- The average cost of car insurance in Delaware is 47% higher than the national average for minimum coverage and 28% higher than the national average for full coverage.
- A prior accident raises the average price of car insurance in Delaware by 35%. A DUI bumps rates by 60%.
In this article
The cheapest car insurance companies in Delaware
- Cheapest overall: State Farm
- Cheapest for low-mileage drivers: Nationwide
- Cheapest for military families: USAA
State Farm has the cheapest car insurance for a wide variety of Delaware drivers, including those with prior incidents and senior citizens. State Farm’s full-coverage rates for drivers with a clean record is 46% lower than the state average.
Nationwide’s rates are also lower than state averages for most drivers. Additionally, Nationwide’s pay-per-mile SmartMiles program enables those who only drive occasionally to save more money on car insurance.
USAA has the cheapest auto insurance for teen drivers in Delaware. However, a teen has to be in a military family, or be in the military themself, to be eligible for USAA.
Since a company’s auto insurance rates vary by customer, it’s best to compare quotes from multiple companies when you shop.
Get free car insurance quotes from top Delaware companies
Delaware’s car insurance state minimums
Delaware requires all registered vehicles to be insured with 25/50/10 liability coverage and 15/30 personal injury protection (PIP), which includes the following:
| Coverage | Required minimum limit | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident | Injuries to others in a car accident you cause |
| Property damage liability | $10,000 | Damage you cause to other people’s vehicle or property |
| Personal injury protection | $15,000 per person/$30,000 per accident | Injuries you and your passengers suffer in a car accident, regardless of fault |
| Source: Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles | ||
The following optional car insurance coverages are available for additional protection:
- Collision: Pays to repair damage your vehicle sustains in a collision with an object or another vehicle, or if it overturns.
- Comprehensive: Covers your vehicle for theft, damage from non-collision causes such as fire, flood and vandalism and glass breakage.
- Uninsured motorist: Covers injuries you and your passengers suffer in an accident caused by an uninsured driver, as well as damage to your vehicle.
- Underinsured motorist: Covers medical costs for you and your passengers that may exceed an at-fault driver’s liability insurance limits.
- Towing and labor: Covers the cost of towing your car to the nearest repair shop after a breakdown.
- Rental reimbursement: Covers the cost of renting a car while your own vehicle is being repaired for covered damage.
Although collision and comprehensive coverage are not required by law, both typically are required for a car loan or lease.
Cheapest minimum coverage auto insurance rates in Delaware: State Farm
The average price of minimum-coverage car insurance in Delaware is $119 a month. This is 47% higher than the national average of $81 a month.
State Farm has the cheapest minimum-coverage car insurance in Delaware. Its rates average $67 a month, which is 44% less than the state average.
Although minimum-coverage car insurance policies satisfy the state’s insurance requirements, they don’t provide very much financial protection.
If the costs of treating injuries or repairing damage you cause in a car accident exceed your liability limits, you can be held personally responsible for the shortfall. Since this may put your savings or other assets at risk, it’s best to choose liability limits that match or exceed your net worth.
| Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $67 |
| Nationwide | $119 |
| State average | $119 |
| Progressive | $137 |
| GEICO | $154 |
| Allstate | $157 |
| USAA* | $79 |
| 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. | |
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Delaware: State Farm
State Farm offers the cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Delaware, charging rates that average $112 a month. The next-best rates are available from Nationwide, $199 a month, and Progressive, $216 a month.
Full-coverage car insurance includes higher liability limits than a minimum-coverage policy, as well as collision and comprehensive coverage for your vehicle.
In Delaware, the average cost of full-coverage car insurance is $208 a month, which is 28% higher than the national average of $162 a month.
| Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $112 |
| Nationwide | $199 |
| State average | $208 |
| Progressive | $216 |
| GEICO | $283 |
| Allstate | $289 |
| USAA* | $150 |
| 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 Delaware for drivers with bad credit: Nationwide
Nationwide has the cheapest car insurance for Delaware drivers with bad credit, $274 a month. Next in line are Progressive, $351 a month, and State Farm, $355 a month.
In Delaware, auto insurance companies can only use your credit-based insurance score to set your rate when you first buy a policy. However, if your credit improves, you can ask your insurance company to reset your rates with your new credit score.
| Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Nationwide | $274 |
| Progressive | $351 |
| State average | $352 |
| State Farm | $355 |
| GEICO | $427 |
| Allstate | $436 |
| USAA* | $267 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with poor credit and a good driving record. | |
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a prior incident
The impact a ticket, accident or other prior incident can have on your car insurance rates depends largely on the severity of the incident.
Cheapest for drivers with a speeding ticket: State Farm
State Farm has the cheapest car insurance for Delaware drivers with a speeding ticket, charging rates that average $123 a month. This is 10% higher than the rates it charges those with a clean record.
Overall, a speeding ticket increases the average cost of car insurance in Delaware by 19% to $247 a month for full coverage.
| Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $123 |
| Nationwide | $242 |
| State average | $247 |
| Progressive | $275 |
| Allstate | $323 |
| GEICO | $325 |
| USAA* | $195 |
| 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
State Farm has the cheapest car insurance rates for drivers with an at-fault accident, $135 a month. Nationwide and Progressive also offer affordable rates, at $199 and $277 a month, respectively.
A prior accident increases the average price of car insurance in Delaware by 35% to $280 a month for full coverage.
| Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $135 |
| Nationwide | $199 |
| Progressive | $277 |
| State average | $280 |
| GEICO | $455 |
| Allstate | $464 |
| USAA* | $150 |
| 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 rates for Delaware drivers with a DUI, $123 a month. Progressive is next at $269 a month, then Nationwide, $383 a month.
A DUI increases the average cost of car insurance in Delaware by 60% to $333 a month.
| Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $123 |
| Progressive | $269 |
| State average | $333 |
| Nationwide | $383 |
| Allstate | $389 |
| GEICO | $556 |
| USAA* | $276 |
| 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. | |
Cheapest car insurance for senior drivers
State Farm has the cheapest car insurance for Delaware’s senior citizen drivers, charging 65-year-olds $105 a month for full coverage. The next-best rates for seniors are available from Nationwide, $178 a month, and Progressive, $211 a month.
Many auto insurance companies offer a discount to seniors who complete an approved defensive driving course. It’s best to find out which classes your insurance company approves before you enroll in one.
| Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $105 |
| Nationwide | $178 |
| State average | $199 |
| Progressive | $211 |
| GEICO | $276 |
| Allstate | $293 |
| USAA* | $135 |
| 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 has the cheapest car insurance for teen drivers in Delaware, charging 18-year-olds $220 a month for minimum coverage and $367 a month for full coverage.
Teens have higher crash rates than other age groups, and this is the primary reason why young drivers pay such high rates for car insurance.
In Delaware, teen drivers pay more than double the rate for car insurance than those in their mid-30s. However, young drivers pay an average of 48% less for car insurance when added to a parent’s policy than they do when they get their own insurance.
| Company | Minimum coverage | Full coverage |
|---|---|---|
| State Farm | $220 | $367 |
| GEICO | $356 | $703 |
| State average | $378 | $746 |
| Nationwide | $441 | $806 |
| Allstate | $517 | $1,140 |
| Progressive | $573 | $1,142 |
| USAA* | $161 | $321 |
| Monthly ates 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
Many Delaware insurance companies charge married drivers less for car insurance than single drivers, because married individuals are considered less risky to insure.
The average savings for married individuals is only 1% statewide. However, some companies, including Nationwide, Progressive and USAA, reduce their rates by 10% or more for married drivers.
State Farm has the cheapest car insurance for married drivers, $112 a month per spouse, followed by Nationwide, $178 a month, and Progressive, $187 a month.
| Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $112 |
| Nationwide | $178 |
| Progressive | $187 |
| State average | $206 |
| Allstate | $290 |
| GEICO | $340 |
| USAA* | $132 |
| 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. | |
Shop around and see how much you can save on car insurance
Car insurance laws in Delaware
Delaware laws require you to provide proof of in-state insurance coverage when you register your vehicle and renew your registration each year.
In addition to requiring you to carry proof of insurance in your car at all times, the state also electronically checks on the insurance status of registered vehicles on a random basis.
The penalties for being uninsured include a $1,500 fine for a first offense and $3,000 for a subsequent offense, plus a suspension of your registration.
If you plan to store your vehicle, you are required to surrender your license plate to the Division of Motor Vehicles before you cancel the vehicle’s insurance coverage.
Delaware car insurance: FAQs
Delaware has at-fault car accident laws. A driver who causes an accident is financially responsible for injuries and property damage they cause. However, an at-fault driver’s share of liability may be reduced if the other driver is found to be partially responsible for the crash.
The average cost of car insurance in Delaware is $119 a month for minimum-coverage policies and $208 a month for full coverage.
State Farm has the cheapest car insurance for most Delaware drivers. The company’s full-coverage car insurance rates are 46% lower than the state average.
Methodology
The rates shown in this article are based on an analysis of more than 70,000 non-binding auto insurance quotes obtained from Quadrant Information Services for sample drivers from across Delaware.
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 average of prices quoted for policies meeting the state’s minimum liability and PIP requirements.
Full coverage policies include the following coverages, limits and deductibles:
- Bodily injury liability: 100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident
- Property damage liability: $100,000
- PIP: $15,000 per person/$30,000 per accident
- Collision: $500 deductible
- Comprehensive: $500 deductible
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