Best Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes in North Carolina (2023)
Erie has the cheapest car insurance quotes in NC, at $26 per month for minimum coverage and $66 per month for full coverage.
Best cheap car insurance companies in North Carolina
To help drivers find the best cheap car insurance in North Carolina, our editorial team gathered quotes from top auto insurance companies across every ZIP code in the state.
Quotes for minimum coverage meet NC state minimum requirements of $30,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per person and $60,000 per accident and $25,000 in property damage coverage, along with uninsured motorist coverage with the same limits. Full coverage quotes include higher liability limits than state minimums, along with comprehensive and collision protection.
In addition, we ranked the best North Carolina auto insurance companies based on the cost of insurance for different drivers, coverage availability, convenience and customer service reviews.
The average cost of car insurance in North Carolina is $557 per year, or $46 per month, for minimum liability.
Cheapest full coverage car insurance in North Carolina: Erie
Erie has the cheapest full coverage car insurance in North Carolina, at $66 per month, which is 40% less than the statewide average.
The average cost of full coverage car insurance in North Carolina is $109 per month — $63 more than a liability-only policy.
Drivers can also find cheap full coverage quotes from State Farm and Farm Bureau. Auto insurance from these companies costs an average of $76 per month, or $916 per year— $395 cheaper per year than the statewide average.
Find Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes in North Carolina
Cheapest NC car insurance for full coverage
Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $66 |
| Farm Bureau | $72 |
| State Farm | $80 |
| Progressive | $100 |
| Geico | $119 |
Cheapest car insurance quotes in North Carolina: Erie
Erie has the cheapest quotes for drivers who want a policy that meets the state's minimum auto insurance requirements. The average cost of car insurance from Erie is $46 per month— 43% cheaper than the statewide average.
Drivers could also find cheap quotes for less than $40 per month with Farm Bureau and State Farm.
Cheapest NC car insurance companies
Company | Monthly rate | |
|---|---|---|
| Erie | $26 |
| Farm Bureau | $31 |
| State Farm | $35 |
| Progressive | $41 |
| Nationwide | $48 |
Minimum coverage is less expensive than full coverage because it doesn’t include comprehensive and collision coverage. It's also cheap because of its low liability coverage limits, but you risk not having enough protection after an accident. Drivers with newer cars or a long commute should consider full coverage car insurance instead.
Cheap car insurance for NC drivers with prior incidents
Erie is the cheapest insurance company for drivers who have caused an accident or have poor credit. Farm Bureau has the cheapest insurance rates after a ticket, while Nationwide is the cheapest company after a DUI.
North Carolina drivers, and drivers everywhere, pay much more for car insurance if their driving record includes a DUI, traffic citation or an at-fault accident.
Cheapest car insurance rates after a speeding ticket: Farm Bureau
Farm Bureau has the cheapest car insurance quotes for drivers who have a ticket on their driving record. Full coverage costs $96 per month with Farm Bureau, which is 33% cheaper than average. Erie is just a hair more expensive, only $2 more per year.
Getting a speeding ticket is likely to raise your rates by an average of 32% in North Carolina — though not as much as getting into an at-fault accident.
Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Farm Bureau | $96 |
| Erie | $96 |
| State Farm | $110 |
| Progressive | $134 |
| Nationwide | $144 |
Cheapest car insurance quotes in NC after an accident: Erie
Erie is the cheapest insurance company for drivers who have caused an accident, offering average rates of $72 per month. Typically, the cost of car insurance for people with an at-fault accident on their records increases by 57% in North Carolina.
Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $72 |
| Farm Bureau | $114 |
| State Farm | $133 |
| Progressive | $160 |
| Nationwide | $181 |
Cheapest car insurance company after a DUI: Nationwide
Farm Bureau has the cheapest car insurance in North Carolina for drivers with a DUI or DWI, with quotes for 57% cheaper than average at $168. A DUI citation is expensive: one offense more than triples the average cost of insurance — to $4,649 per year.
Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Nationwide | $168 |
| Farm Bureau | $276 |
| Erie | $278 |
| State Farm | $329 |
| Progressive | $389 |
Cheapest car insurance for NC drivers with poor credit: Erie
Erie offers the cheapest car insurance to North Carolina drivers with poor credit, at $96 per month. With Erie, the auto insurance quotes for drivers with poor credit went up 49%, but its initial rates are so low, the final price still edged out Progressive.
Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $96 |
| Progressive | $100 |
| Farm Bureau | $118 |
| Geico | $175 |
| Nationwide | $178 |
It's common for insurance companies to charge higher quotes to drivers with poor credit, though several states are banning this practice. Insurance companies have found drivers with poor credit tend to file more insurance claims.
Cheapest car insurance for teen drivers in North Carolina: Erie
Erie has the cheapest rates in North Carolina for 18-year-olds, averaging $58 per month for liability-only coverage. State Farm comes in a close second place at $59 per month, and it's the cheapest company for teens without a clean driving record.
Company | Liability only | Full coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Erie | $58 | $136 |
| State Farm | $59 | $133 |
| Farm Bureau | $72 | $161 |
| Geico | $86 | $217 |
| Progressive | $89 | $205 |
The average cost of car insurance for 18-year-olds is $96 per month for liability-only coverage and $233 per month for full coverage.
Teen drivers typically pay more than twice as much as 30-year-old drivers due to their lack of driving experience.
Cheapest quotes for NC young drivers after a ticket: Erie
Erie and State Farm have the cheapest auto insurance quotes for teens with a ticket on their driving record, at less than $75 per month for a liability-only policy.
Young drivers can expect to pay 16% higher insurance rates after getting a single speeding ticket, or 35% higher rates after an at-fault accident.
Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $73 |
| State Farm | $74 |
| Farm Bureau | $83 |
| Geico | $100 |
| Progressive | $103 |
Cheapest company for young drivers after an accident: Erie
Erie also has the cheapest rates for teens after an accident, at $64 per month for liability-only coverage.
Teens with an at-fault accident on their record can also find cheap car insurance from Farm Bureau and State Farm, with rates under $95 per month.
Company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $64 |
| State Farm | $83 |
| Farm Bureau | $91 |
| Progressive | $114 |
| Nationwide | $129 |
Cheapest car insurance quotes in North Carolina for married drivers: Erie
Erie is the cheapest car insurance for married drivers, at $66 per month, despite not giving them any price break. Nationwide has the largest discount for married drivers, $10 per month.
Insurance companies sometimes give married drivers a small discount on car insurance rates due to the correlation between being married and getting in fewer accidents.
Company | Monthly rate per car |
|---|---|
| Erie | $66 |
| Farm Bureau | $72 |
| State Farm | $80 |
| Progressive | $100 |
| Nationwide | $131 |
Best car insurance companies in North Carolina
Erie is the best-rated insurance company in North Carolina because of its good customer support, range of coverage options and affordable rates.
State Farm, which boasts strong all-around offerings, and Farm Bureau, with exceptional customer service, are also good car insurance companies.
Comparing the customer service reputations of insurance companies in your area is an important part of picking a policy, in addition to shopping around for the best rate. If you ever have to file a claim after an accident, it's good to know your insurance company has a history of quick, responsive service.
Best NC car insurance
Company |
Editor's rating.
|
J.D. Power.
|
AM Best.
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Farm Bureau | NR | A | |
| Erie | 870 | A+ | |
| State Farm | 842 | A++ | |
| Geico | 835 | A++ | |
| Nationwide | 815 | A+ |
Average cost of car insurance in North Carolina by city
The most expensive city for car insurance in North Carolina is Newell, just outside Charlotte, with average rates of $146 per month. The cheapest city is the small town of Marble, at $92 per month.
The average cost of full coverage car insurance in North Carolina is $109 per month. But depending on where you live in the state, average full coverage auto insurance rates can range by $54.
Average car insurance cost by city
City | Monthly cost | % from average |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | $102 | -5% |
| Advance | $98 | -9% |
| Ahoskie | $115 | 7% |
| Alamance | $108 | 0% |
| Albemarle | $102 | -5% |
North Carolina auto insurance requirements
North Carolina requires minimum liability limits of $30,000 per person and up to $60,000 per accident for bodily injury liability and uninsured motorist coverage, plus $25,000 for property damage.
Coverage | Minimum required limits |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | $30,000 per person/$60,000 per accident |
| Property damage liability | $25,000 per accident |
| Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury | $30,000 per person/$60,000 per accident |
| Uninsured motorist property damage | $25,000 per accident |
The North Carolina Department of Insurance requires that policies with the minimum coverage limits include only uninsured motorist coverage. Once protection limits are raised, the law requires that both uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage are bundled together on drivers' policies.
While your car insurance policy may meet North Carolina's minimum coverage requirements, it may not be enough coverage to pay for an expensive accident. And if you have a car loan or lease, you'll be required to add collision and comprehensive coverage to your policy.
Frequently asked questions
Who has the cheapest car insurance in North Carolina?
Erie has the best price for car insurance in North Carolina, at $26 per month for minimum liability and $66 per month for full coverage.
What is the average cost of car insurance in North Carolina?
The average cost of auto insurance in North Carolina is $46 per month, or $557 per year, for a minimum coverage policy. The average cost for a full coverage policy is $109 per month, or $1,311 per year.
What is the best insurance company in North Carolina?
The best car insurance companies in North Carolina are Erie, State Farm and Farm Bureau. Those companies have strong customer service and coverage options, in addition to having some of the cheapest rates in the state.
What car insurance is required in North Carolina?
North Carolina requires $30,000/$60,000 of bodily injury liability and $25,000 in property damage coverage for all drivers. In addition, you're also required to carry the same amount of uninsured motorist coverage, which pays for your own damage if the other driver is at fault in an accident and is uninsured. North Carolina is not a no-fault state, so you are not required to get personal injury protection (PIP).
How much does car insurance cost in Charlotte?
Car insurance in Charlotte averages $133 per month for full coverage. It's the most expensive major city in the state for car insurance, and coverage costs about 21% more per year than the average price statewide.
Methodology
We collected thousands of rates from ZIP codes across North Carolina from the state's largest insurers. Quotes are for a 30-year-old man with a 2015 Honda Civic EX who has good credit.
Rates are for a full coverage policy unless otherwise noted and include liability coverage higher than the state requirements, plus collision and comprehensive coverage:
Coverage type | Study limits |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident |
| Personal injury protection | $10,000 |
| Property damage liability | $25,000 per accident |
| Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury | $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident |
| Comprehensive and collision | $500 deductible |
Minimum-coverage quotes include the minimum required liability limits in North Carolina.
ValuePenguin's analysis used insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services. These rates were publicly sourced from insurer filings and should be used for comparative purposes only — your own quotes may be different.