Comprehensive vs. collision car insurance

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Comprehensive and collision coverage are the two types of car insurance that pay for physical damage to your own vehicle. Most drivers know they need liability coverage — it’s required in nearly every state — but comprehensive and collision are optional add-ons that protect your car itself, rather than other people’s property or medical bills.

Understanding the difference between the two, what each one actually covers, and when it makes sense to carry one, both, or neither is one of the most practical things you can do as a car owner. The right answer depends on your car’s value, your financial situation, and the risks you’re most exposed to.

💡 These two coverages protect your car in completely different ways — and most drivers need both

Collision covers damage from crashes. Comprehensive covers almost everything else — theft, weather, animals, vandalism. Neither is required by law, but if you lease or finance your car, your lender almost certainly requires both.

If you own your car outright, the question is whether the cost of the coverage is worth it given your car’s current value. On average, drivers pay $451 a year for comprehensive and $1,018 for collision — together, that’s $1,469 annually. Whether that’s worth it depends largely on how much your car is worth and how much you’d be willing to pay out of pocket if something went wrong.

What is comprehensive car insurance?

Comprehensive insurance covers damage to your vehicle caused by events other than a collision. It’s sometimes described as covering everything a crash doesn’t — and that’s a reasonable way to think about it. If something happens to your car that doesn’t involve hitting another vehicle or object, comprehensive is usually the coverage that applies.

What does comprehensive insurance cover?

Comprehensive covers damage from events outside your control, including theft, weather, animals, and vandalism. Here’s what’s typically included:

Theft of your vehicle
Vandalism
Glass damage (including windshield cracks and chips)
Striking an animal, such as a deer
Fire
Flood and water damage
Hail, wind, tornado, or hurricane damage
Falling objects such as trees, branches, or debris
Flying objects or missiles — defined as any propelled object, including items falling from other vehicles

If your car is damaged by one of these perils, you pay your deductible and your comprehensive coverage pays for repairs or, if the car is totaled, its actual cash value.

💡 Comprehensive is the coverage that pays out when your car is stolen — collision won’t help you there

A lot of drivers assume their car insurance covers theft. It does — but only if you have comprehensive. Collision coverage has nothing to do with theft; it only applies when your car physically impacts something.

If your car is stolen and you don’t have comprehensive, you have no coverage at all for the loss. Given that vehicle theft rates have risen significantly in recent years, this is a coverage gap worth taking seriously.

What is collision car insurance?

Collision insurance covers damage to your vehicle resulting from a crash with another vehicle or a stationary object. It applies regardless of who was at fault — so whether you rear-end another driver or they hit you and don’t have insurance, your collision coverage can pay for your car’s repairs.

What does collision insurance cover?

Collision covers any situation where your car physically impacts something else. Here’s what’s typically included:

Your car hitting another vehicle
Another vehicle hitting your car
Your car hitting a stationary object — a fence, tree, wall, guardrail, or building
Your car unintentionally flipping, rolling, or overturning

You’ll pay your deductible, and your insurer covers the remaining cost of repairs or the actual cash value of the vehicle if it’s totaled. Fault doesn’t affect whether you can file a collision claim — it affects whose liability coverage pays for the other party’s damages.

💡 Collision is what protects you when the other driver doesn’t have insurance

If an uninsured driver hits your car, their liability coverage won’t help you — they don’t have any. Without collision coverage, you’d have to pursue them personally for the cost of repairs, which could mean court and no guarantee of payment. With collision coverage, you file a claim with your own insurer and pay your deductible. Your insurer then handles the subrogation — the process of recovering costs from the at-fault party — so you don’t have to.

What comprehensive and collision insurance don’t cover

Even with both coverages, there are situations neither will pay for. Here’s what’s typically excluded:

Wear and tear or gradual deterioration
Mechanical or electrical failure unrelated to an accident
Custom equipment not specifically listed on your policy or covered by a custom equipment endorsement
Additional damage caused by failing to take preventative measures after an initial incident
Intentional damage you caused yourself
Criminal actions, including damage during a police chase
Confiscation or destruction of your vehicle by law enforcement
Nuclear exposure, biochemical attack, or war
Personal belongings damaged in or stolen from your car — those fall under your homeowners or renters policy
Aftermarket electronics not originally installed in the vehicle, unless covered by a specific endorsement

💡 Personal items stolen from your car aren’t covered by auto insurance — but they probably are covered by something else

If someone breaks into your car and takes your laptop, phone, or other belongings, your collision and comprehensive coverage won’t apply. However, homeowners or renters insurance typically covers personal property theft even when it occurs outside your home — including from your car.

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How much does comprehensive and collision coverage cost?

On average, drivers pay $451 a year for comprehensive coverage and $1,018 a year for collision coverage, based on our data. Together, that’s $1,469 annually — though what you actually pay depends heavily on where you live, your driving record, your vehicle, and the deductible you choose.

Collision is consistently more expensive than comprehensive because accidents are more frequent and more costly to pay out than weather or theft events. The gap between the two is significant — collision costs more than twice as much on average — which is worth factoring in if you’re deciding whether to carry one but not the other.

Here’s how much coverage costs on average in each state.

State	Comprehensive	Collision	Combined
Alaska	$230	$1,047	$1,277
Alabama	$307	$867	$1,174
Arkansas	$606	$1,206	$1,812
Arizona	$283	$803	$1,086
California	$340	$1,639	$1,979
Colorado	$726	$1,107	$1,833
Connecticut	$264	$1,211	$1,475
Washington, D.C.	$524	$1,640	$2,164
Delaware	$283	$1,115	$1,398
Florida	$658	$786	$1,444
Georgia	$247	$879	$1,126
Hawaii	$175	$842	$1,017
Iowa	$782	$994	$1,776
Idaho	$229	$867	$1,096
Illinois	$394	$870	$1,264
Indiana	$330	$890	$1,220
Kansas	$604	$1,000	$1,604
Kentucky	$491	$934	$1,425
Louisiana	$556	$1,217	$1,773
Massachusetts	$259	$1,210	$1,469
Maryland	$217	$738	$955
Maine	$332	$930	$1,262
Michigan	$667	$1,613	$2,280
Minnesota	$562	$1,086	$1,648
Missouri	$587	$843	$1,430
Mississippi	$477	$885	$1,362
Montana	$661	$908	$1,569
North Carolina	$383	$1,434	$1,817
North Dakota	$619	$1,138	$1,757
Nebraska	$572	$864	$1,436
New Hampshire	$220	$813	$1,033
New Jersey	$252	$1,158	$1,410
New Mexico	$502	$1,045	$1,547
Nevada	$297	$1,032	$1,329
New York	$324	$711	$1,035
Ohio	$296	$831	$1,127
Oklahoma	$702	$1,181	$1,883
Oregon	$218	$766	$984
Pennsylvania	$390	$1,008	$1,398
Rhode Island	$316	$1,396	$1,712
South Carolina	$399	$759	$1,158
South Dakota	$1,213	$806	$2,019
Tennessee	$464	$920	$1,384
Texas	$569	$1,085	$1,654
Utah	$174	$859	$1,033
Virginia	$227	$792	$1,019
Vermont	$333	$848	$1,181
Washington	$225	$978	$1,203
Wisconsin	$520	$1,034	$1,554
West Virginia	$591	$1,027	$1,618
Wyoming	$591	$1,044	$1,635

Methodology: Rates reflect a $500 deductible for a 40-year-old driver with a clean driving record and good insurance score driving a 2021 Honda Accord LX, based on Insure.com’s 2025 rate analysis.

💡 Where you live can swing your premium by hundreds of dollars — even within the same state

The state averages in the table below illustrate just how much location affects cost. South Dakota drivers pay over $1,200 a year just for comprehensive coverage — largely due to high hail exposure on the plains — while Hawaii drivers pay just $175. California’s collision average of $1,639 is more than double Oregon’s $766, despite the two states sharing a border. Urban density, weather patterns, theft rates, and state insurance regulations all play a role. If you’re considering dropping a coverage, look at your state’s specific risk profile before deciding.

How deductibles work for comprehensive and collision

A deductible is the amount you pay out of pocket before your coverage kicks in. Comprehensive and collision each have their own deductible, and you pay it per claim — so if you file two claims in the same year, you’ll pay the deductible twice.

Deductibles typically range from $250 to $2,500. If your car is leased or financed, your lender will usually cap your deductible at $500 or lower — they want to make sure enough of the repair cost is covered by insurance to protect the value of the vehicle they have a financial interest in.

💡 Your deductible is one of the most direct levers for controlling what you pay for these coverages.

Comprehensive and collision deductibles typically range from $250 to $2,500. Raising your deductible from $500 to $1,000 can reduce your premium by around 11% — potentially saving $160 or more per year on collision coverage alone. The trade-off is that you’ll pay more out of pocket when you file a claim. A higher deductible makes the most sense if your emergency fund can comfortably cover the difference and you don’t anticipate filing claims frequently.

How do claims work for comprehensive vs. collision coverage?

The process is the same for both coverages — what differs is what triggers the claim.

Comprehensive is triggered by a non-crash event — theft, weather damage, an animal strike, vandalism, or a falling object
Collision is triggered by an impact — your car hitting another vehicle, a stationary object, or rolling over

Once a claim is filed, the steps are the same regardless of coverage type:

Contact your insurer and provide details of the incident
An adjuster assesses the damage
You pay your deductible
Your insurer covers the remaining repair cost, or the actual cash value of the vehicle if it’s totaled

Your insurer won’t pay more than your car’s actual cash value at the time of the claim — regardless of what you originally paid for it.

When do you need comprehensive vs. collision coverage?

The right combination of coverages depends on your circumstances. Here’s a practical framework for thinking it through.

You almost certainly need both if

You lease or finance your car — lenders typically require both as a condition of the loan or lease
Your car is worth enough that you couldn’t comfortably absorb the cost of replacing it out of pocket
You live in an area with high theft rates, frequent severe weather, or heavy traffic

Comprehensive alone may be worth keeping if

You own your car outright and rarely drive it, reducing collision exposure
You live somewhere with significant weather, wildlife, or theft risk
Your car still has meaningful value but your main concern is non-crash events

You might consider dropping one or both if

Your car’s market value is low enough that the annual premium approaches or exceeds 10% of the car’s value
You have sufficient savings to cover repair or replacement costs out of pocket without significant hardship
Your car is covered under a family member’s policy that already includes these coverages

💡 The 10% rule is a useful starting point for deciding when to drop these coverages

If the combined annual cost of comprehensive and collision exceeds 10% of your car’s actual cash value, the coverage is becoming harder to justify financially.

For example, if your car is worth $5,000 and you’re paying $600 a year for comprehensive and collision combined, that’s already 12% of the car’s value — and you’d only net $4,500 at most from a total-loss claim after your deductible. Check your car’s current market value on Kelley Blue Book or Edmunds, then compare it to your annual premium before renewing.

Do you need comprehensive and collision insurance?

Neither coverage is required by law — but going without them means your car has no protection for physical damage or loss under your policy. Here’s what you’re giving up without each one:

Without collision. In an at-fault accident, there’s no way to file a claim for damage to your own vehicle. You pay entirely out of pocket
Without comprehensive. A stolen car, a hailstorm, or a falling tree that totals your vehicle leaves you with no payout from your insurer
Without either. Your policy covers other people’s damages and injuries, but nothing that happens to your own car

Whether you need them comes down to two things:

Your car’s value. If the car is worth significantly more than the combined annual premium, coverage is likely worth carrying
Your financial cushion. If you couldn’t comfortably replace or repair your car out of pocket, these coverages protect you from a potentially large unplanned expense

For most drivers with a car of meaningful value or a limited emergency fund, carrying both is worth the cost. The case for dropping one or both gets stronger as your car ages and its market value drops.

When should you drop comprehensive or collision coverage?

A few specific situations make a strong case for reconsidering one or both.

When to consider dropping comprehensive

Your car has a low resale value. If the market value of your car is only a few thousand dollars, the maximum payout from a comprehensive claim may not justify the annual premium.
Your car is insured on another policy. If a family member insures your vehicle on their policy and that policy includes comprehensive, you don’t need to duplicate it. Note that the car must typically be kept at that family member’s address.

When to consider dropping collision

You’re not currently driving the car. If the car is in storage, collision coverage isn’t necessary. Comprehensive still makes sense to keep, since a parked car can still be damaged by weather, theft, or vandalism.
Your car is insured on another policy that includes collision. Again, the car must typically be parked at that relative’s address to be eligible.
Your car has minimal value. Especially if you also have a high deductible, the net payout from a collision claim on a low-value car may not be worth the annual cost of coverage.

💡 Age alone isn’t enough reason to drop these coverages — value is what matters

A common rule of thumb is to drop comprehensive and collision once a car is 10 years old. But a well-maintained 12-year-old car can still be worth $10,000 or more, while a neglected 6-year-old car might be worth $4,000. Basing your decision on the car’s actual market value — not its age — will give you a more accurate picture of whether the coverage is still worth carrying.

How to save on comprehensive and collision coverage

These coverages add meaningful cost to your policy, but there are reliable ways to reduce what you pay without eliminating the protection entirely.

Raise your deductible. Going from $500 to $1,000 typically reduces your premium by around 11%. Going to $1,500 can bring that to around 17%. Just make sure your emergency fund can cover the higher deductible if you need to file a claim.
Complete a driver training or accident prevention course. Many insurers offer discounts for completing approved courses, and they can also help reduce points on your license.
Improve your credit score. In most states, your credit history is a factor in your car insurance rate. Improving your score over time can translate directly into lower premiums.
Maintain a clean driving record. Avoiding accidents and violations is the single most reliable way to keep premiums low across all coverages.
Bundle your home and auto policies. Combining policies with the same insurer often unlocks meaningful multi-policy discounts.
Enroll in a usage-based program. Telematics programs that track your driving habits can earn discounts of 10 to 30% for safe drivers.
Pay your annual premium in full. Most insurers charge installment fees when you pay monthly. Paying in full upfront eliminates those fees.

💡 Shopping around at renewal is one of the most effective ways to reduce what you pay — and most drivers don’t do it

Insurers recalculate your risk profile at each renewal, and their rates for comprehensive and collision coverage can vary significantly for the same driver and vehicle. Getting quotes from three or more carriers before each renewal takes less time than most people expect, and the savings can be substantial — especially if your driving record or credit score has improved since you last switched.

Frequently asked questions

Will a comprehensive claim raise my insurance rates?

Comprehensive claims are generally less likely to raise your rates than collision claims because they’re not considered your fault — you can’t prevent a hailstorm or a deer running into the road. That said, filing multiple comprehensive claims in a short period can still affect your rates or lead to non-renewal with some insurers. For small claims that are close to your deductible amount, it’s often worth paying out of pocket rather than filing a claim.

Does full coverage include theft?

Yes, but only through the comprehensive portion of your policy. If your car is stolen and you only have liability and collision coverage — without comprehensive — your insurer won’t cover the loss. Full coverage, meaning a policy that includes liability, comprehensive, and collision, does cover theft up to your car’s actual cash value minus your deductible.

What’s the difference between actual cash value and replacement cost?

Comprehensive and collision both pay out based on actual cash value — what your car is worth at the time of the loss, accounting for depreciation. That’s typically less than what you paid for the car and may be less than what it would cost to buy a similar replacement on today’s market. Some insurers offer replacement cost coverage as an add-on for newer vehicles, which pays out a higher amount not reduced by depreciation. It’s worth asking about if you own a newer car.

If someone else crashes my car, do I need to use collision coverage?

If the other driver is at fault and has liability insurance, their policy should pay for your repairs — you wouldn’t need to use your own collision coverage. But if the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured, or if fault is disputed, filing a collision claim with your own insurer is usually the faster and more reliable path to getting your car repaired. Your insurer then pursues the at-fault party for reimbursement through a process called subrogation.

Methodology

Insure.com commissioned Quadrant Information Services in 2026 to provide rate data using publicly sourced insurance filings from insurers across the United States. Rates are based on a standardized driver profile to ensure consistency across companies, locations, and scenarios. For this analysis, rates are based on a 40-year-old driver, averaged across male and female, with a good insurance score and no violations, driving a Honda Accord LX with 100/300/100 liability coverage and a $500 collision and comprehensive deductible, and a 12-mile daily commute totaling 10,000 annual miles.

Data was collected across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., covering 29,159 cities and 34,595 ZIP codes from 195 insurance companies across 73 company groups, with more than 65 million quotes analyzed. The national average annual premium for this base profile is $2,578. These are sample rates, and your actual premium will vary based on your personal details, driving history, location, and insurer.

Alisha Ambre

Alisha Ambre holds a Bachelor of Arts with honours in English Literature and Media Studies. She focuses on crafting clear, engaging content that makes complex information feel practical and approachable for everyday readers. When she’s not writing, she’s likely on the volleyball court or immersed in a good video game.

On this page

What is comprehensive car insurance?
What is collision car insurance?
What comprehensive and collision insurance don't cover
How much does comprehensive and collision coverage cost?
How deductibles work for comprehensive and collision
How do claims work for comprehensive vs. collision coverage?
When do you need comprehensive vs. collision coverage?
Do you need comprehensive and collision insurance?
When should you drop comprehensive or collision coverage?
How to save on comprehensive and collision coverage
Frequently asked questions
Methodology

Comprehensive vs. collision car insurance — which one do you need?