Home Car insurance Full coverage auto insurance: What it costs to get covered Full coverage auto insurance: What it costs to get covered Written by: Bill Gilman | Reviewed by: Penny Gusner Penny Gusner Penny is an expert on insurance procedures, rates, policies and claims. She has extensive knowledge of all major insurance lines -- auto, homeowners, life and health insurance. She has been answering consumers’ questions as an analyst for more than 15 years and has been featured in numerous major media outlets, including the Washington Post and Kiplinger’s. | Updated on March 1, 2019 Why you can trust Insure.com Quality Verified At Insure.com, we are committed to providing honest and reliable information so that you can make the best financial decisions for you and your family. All of our content is written and reviewed by industry professionals and insurance experts. We maintain strict editorial independence from insurance companies to maintain our editorial integrity, so our recommendations are unbiased and are based on a comprehensive list of criteria. The term “full coverage car insurance” might be one of the most misunderstood in the auto insurance industry. That’s likely because there is no such thing as a “full coverage policy.” No policy can account for every possible circumstance for every consumer. Instead, full coverage car insurance is the best choice if you’re looking for maximum protection. It’s a wise financial decision not only for people with a new car and those who park their vehicle in a high-crime area but those who want their vehicle covered for collisions or natural disasters. What is full coverage auto insurance? Full coverage auto insurance is designed to ensure you’re adequately covered, according to your individual needs. It goes beyond state minimum liability insurance. States require a baseline level of coverage. That level isn’t usually enough in most situations. For instances, a state may require only $25,000 worth of liability coverage per person injured in an at-fault accident, $50,000 per accident and $25,000 for property damage. That coverage, often listed as 25/50/25, won’t be enough in many cases. Other states, such as California and Pennsylvania, demand even less for drivers. Those states only require 15/30/5. New Hampshire, meanwhile, doesn’t require auto insurance. Rather than minimum coverage, full coverage auto insurance usually features liability coverages as well as physical damage coverages of collision and comprehensive. When purchasing a full coverage car insurance policy it’s wise to bump up your liability limits to at least $100,000 per person injured in an at-fault accident, $300,000 per accident and $100,000 for property damage. That’s 100/300/100. Remember liability only covers those who you harm in an auto accident, not your own vehicle. Car insurance is intended to serve two purposes. Collision and comprehensive protect you and your vehicle from damages. Liability covers you for damage to others and their property. Let’s take a look at what each of these terms means and then take a look at how much this type of insurance costs, state-by-state. What is comprehensive and collision coverage? Some people have called comprehensive coverage the “Act of God” coverage because of the types of events that fall under its umbrella. Flood, wind damage or hail damaging your vehicle is all covered by comprehensive. Comprehensive will pay to repair or replace your vehicle should it be stolen or sustain damage by a “covered cause.” These causes also include striking animals, a falling object, fire, or vandalism. Collision coverage will pay for damage to your vehicle due to an auto accident, regardless of fault. You may have crashed into another car or object, such as a tree or utility pole. It will also cover your vehicle if it is overturned. Comprehensive and collision coverage come with deductibles. You choose the deductible at the inception of your policy. Generally, $500 is the deductible amount most drivers pick. However, you can choose a lower deductible, such as $250 or a higher one of $1,000 or more. If you choose a higher deductible you will save on the cost of your policy since your car insurance company would have to pay out less if you made a claim. You can choose different deductibles for comprehensive and collision. Many insurance companies require you to carry both comprehensive and collision on your vehicle, not just one or the other. What is liability coverage? Liability coverage is what it sounds like. This covers your liability for damage done to other vehicles/properties (property damage liability) or persons (bodily injury liability) in accidents deemed to be your fault. Combining both types of liability coverage can effectively protect your assets. The highest liability limits are generally $250,000 per person bodily injury, $500,000 per accident, and $100,000 for property damage, though some auto insurers offer even higher limits. QuickTake Can I insure a car that isn't in my name? Minimum car insurance requirements by state Non-owner car insurance: How to get car insurance if you don't own a car What is liability auto insurance? 15 things you didn't know your car and home insurance policies cover How auto theft investigators work - and how to hire your own What is uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage? Car warranties versus auto insurance How Does Gap Insurance Work and Do You Need it? Do you need full coverage on a financed car Do you need the VIN number for the insurance quote? Veterans and military guide to insurance 5 questions to ask your car insurance agent The secret life of your car's VIN "Stacking" your UM/UIM auto insurance coverage 10 things that aren’t illegal but should be SR-22 insurance: What is it and how does it work? Auto insurance: How to make sure you’re not underinsured Will my car insurance still cover my vehicle if I had it towed out of the road after hitting a deer? I have a witness to the event. Double-car insurance dilemmas How to cut your car insurance bill in half 12 things you don't know about car insurance that could cost you Untangling your insurance during a separation or divorce My wife was half asleep when she went out to scrape snow and ice off her car. She used a snow shovel, not realizing she picked up the one with the sharp metal blade at the end, so she scratched the car all over. Will her car insurance cover the damage? My car was rear-ended and totaled but it was paid out by my insurance company and I am left with a balance on my car. Can I make a claim with the other drivers insurance company to pay the balance? As I was backing out of the driveway I hit a parked car that was parked beside the curb in the street causing what looked like mild damage. My vehicle had no damage. Will I have to pay a deductible? Don't let other people drive your car Taking the slow lane by storm: Insurance for low-speed vehicles Car insurance for blind drivers (you heard that right) Would I lie to you about car insurance? Only if it pays off Insuring your tricked-out, souped-up car See more > What are other types of auto insurance coverage? Auto insurance is more than collision, comprehensive, and liability. Here are other parts of a car insurance policy: Uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist coverage — This type of coverage protects you against uninsured and underinsured motorists. Uninsured motorist coverage might be important for you if you live, work or frequently vacation in a state that doesn’t require its drivers to carry insurance. The coverage helps to handle medical expenses for bodily injury that you may suffer as the result of an accident caused by a driver that has no insurance or is underinsured.Uninsured motorist property damage coverage — Similarly, this insurance will help to pay your vehicle’s repair bills if it’s damaged in a crash caused by a driver that has no insurance. This is a “Plan B” if you don’t have collision coverage. But it should be noted that because uninsured motorist property damage coverage tends to have low limits, collision coverage is still the best choice.Personal Injury Protection (PIP) or MedPay — This type of coverage is another option to help you cover all your bases. It can help make sure you aren’t caught in a circumstance with no coverage for injuries. The coverage helps pay for injuries related to a car accident (up to the limits on your plan), no matter which driver is at fault. In “no-fault” states, PIP coverage is required and is your primary coverage, even if it turns out the other driver was at fault and that he or she has bodily injury coverage. There are also several “add-ons” you can get for your policy to limit your out-of-pocket expenses as much as possible. These include coverage for towing and labor and rental car reimbursement. Liability, comprehensive and collision should form a tight plan to provide you with the full coverage car insurance you need. Moreover, it doesn’t need to cost a fortune. Through careful research and comparison, you should be able to find cheap full coverage auto insurance that fits your needs and your budget. What does auto insurance not cover? Still, it should be noted that even the best policies and plans don’t cover everything. Here are just some of the events and circumstances that would result in a claim being rejected by almost every insurance carrier: Using your car in a car-sharing program (without being enrolled in special ridesharing coverage)RacingOff-roadingWarNuclear disasterGovernment seizure of the vehicleUsing your car as a taxi or for other business useIntentional damage to the vehicle How much does full coverage auto insurance cost? Full coverage auto insurance costs more than minimum coverage. How much more? Here’s the annual costs for $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident and $100,000 for property damage. You’ll see in this chart how much you can save by shopping around for auto insurance. We provide the rates for the highest and lowest costs from major insurers. We also include the average rate for auto insurance in each state. Through these figures, you can review how much more you may pay for full coverage auto insurance, bare bones coverage, and average coverage. To get cheap full coverage car insurance rates for your specific situation, shop around. Comparing the rates of three or more car insurance companies is the best way to get the coverage that you need for an affordable premium. State Average annual rate Highest rate Lowest rate Alaska$1,109$1,615$825Alabama$1,299$2,393$684Arkansas$1,370$2,131$803Arizona$1,356$2,588$715California$1,518$3,680$581Colorado$1,404$2,307$648Connecticut$1,771$3,538$789DC$1,723$2,913$713Delaware$1,646$2,798$959Florida$1,823$5,710$886Georgia$1,340$2,465$600Hawaii$1,458$2,680$780Iowa$1,015$1,827$561Idaho$941$1,782$545Illinois$1,004$2,581$500Indiana$964$1,874$560Kansas$1,242$2,510$668Kentucky$1,752$4,367$641Louisiana$2,190$4,555$1,114Massachusetts$1,191$3,477$678Maryland$1,390$2,953$877Maine$925$1,384$463Michigan$2,484$15,938$764Minnesota$1,187$2,162$753Missouri$1,154$2,960$638Mississippi$1,323$2,277$689Montana$1,224$1,907$710North Carolina$960$1,640$481North Dakota$1,315$3,120$662Nebraska$1,113$1,845$620New Hampshire$1,101$2,012$498New Jersey$1,346$2,734$566New Mexico$1,253$2,222$776Nevada$1,746$3,397$905New York$1,759$7,898$604Ohio$952$1,885$530Oklahoma$1,643$3,792$830Oregon$1,264$2,065$756Pennsylvania$1,522$6,507$489Rhode Island$1,688$4,132$939South Carolina$1,260$1,837$808South Dakota$1,059$1,661$586Tennessee$1,214$2,521$646Texas$1,300$2,937$688Utah$1,199$1,913$626Virginia$972$1,497$615Vermont$963$1,386$474Washington$1,191$2,019$838Wisconsin$1,351$4,886$530West Virginia$1,375$2,415$941Wyoming$1,494$2,073$1,048 Methodology Insure.com commissioned Quadrant Information Services to provide a report of average auto insurance rates for a 2016 Honda Accord for nearly every ZIP code in the United States. We calculated rates using data for up to six large carriers (Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, Nationwide, Progressive and State Farm). Averages are based on insurance for a single 40-year-old male who commutes 12 miles to work each day, with policy limits of 100/300/100 ($100,000 for injury liability for one person, $300,000 for all injuries and $100,000 for property damage in an accident) and a $500 deductible on collision and comprehensive coverage. This hypothetical driver has a clean record and good credit. The rate includes uninsured motorist coverage. Average rates are for comparative purposes. Your own rate will depend on your personal factors and vehicle. In case you missed it Best Car Insurance Companies of 2023 Car insurance rates by state: The most expensive and cheapest states for car ins... A complete guide to car insurance for seniors A complete guide to adding a teenager to your car insurance policy What to do after a car accident that’s not your fault Total warfare: What to do when your auto insurer totals your car Car insurance claims: Who gets the claims check? Buying and insuring a used car: Most and least expensive models to insure in 202... The Best Car Insurance for Bad Credit of 2021 The best car insurance companies for speeding tickets Car insurance after a DUI Guide to Car Insurance Discounts Proper insurance coverage for college-bound children How to read (and actually understand!) your auto insurance policy Car Insurance Companies New driver insurance grace period: What you need to know How much do insurance agents make Autonomous cars: 5 delightful and 5 distressing things Busted! Part 1: How insurance companies spot bogus claims Insurance options for rideshare drivers 10 things that are illegal but shouldn’t be 1/1 Table of contents What is full coverage auto insurance? What is comprehensive and collision coverage? What is liability coverage? What are other types of auto insurance coverage? What does auto insurance not cover? How much does full coverage auto insurance cost? Get instant quotes now ! Please enter valid zip Get quote