Coverage.com, LLC is a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249). Coverage.com services are only available in states where it is licensed. Coverage.com may not offer insurance coverage in all states or scenarios. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way.
Cheapest car insurance in Delaware for 2023
USAA, Travelers and Geico may offer the cheapest average car insurance rates in Delaware, according to our research.
The cheapest car insurance companies in Delaware
When searching for the cheapest car insurance in Delaware, drivers might want to keep in mind that the term “cheap” is relative. Because car insurance rates vary significantly depending on the individual driver, their vehicle and more, what you deem to be a cheap insurance policy may seem expensive to someone else. You can get a general idea of what you might pay, though, by considering average premiums. The average cost of car insurance in the First State is $2,103 per year for full coverage and $801 per year for minimum coverage. Based on our analysis of several different driving profiles, USAA offers some of the cheapest auto insurance in Delaware.
Key takeaways
- Cheapest company for minimum coverage: USAA and Travelers
- Cheapest company for full coverage: USAA and Geico
- Cheapest companies for drivers with prior incidents: USAA and Travelers
- Cheapest companies for young drivers: USAA, Geico, California Casualty and Travelers
Compare auto insurance rates
Coverage.com, LLC is a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249). Coverage.com services are only available in states where it is licensed. Coverage.com may not offer insurance coverage in all states or scenarios. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way.
Coverage.com, LLC is a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249). Coverage.com services are only available in states where it is licensed. Coverage.com may not offer insurance coverage in all states or scenarios. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way.
Cheapest car insurance in Delaware for minimum coverage
Many drivers turn to minimum car insurance due to its affordability. However, it’s important to acknowledge that liability-only coverage does not help pay to repair or replace your vehicle after an at-fault accident. It only covers other drivers’ losses.
Plus, state-mandated liability limits may not provide enough coverage to pay for the damage or injuries another driver sustains after a serious wreck. For example, if you were to cause an accident resulting in $15,000 in damage to someone else’s car, but your car insurance policy only includes the required $10,000 in property damage liability, you could be on the hook to pay the remaining $5,000.
Working closely with your insurance agent can help you select the best level of coverage. To note, based on Bankrate’s analysis, USAA and Travelers typically offer the lowest average rates for minimum coverage car insurance in Delaware.
| Carrier | Monthly min coverage premium | Annual min coverage premium | Savings vs state avg. for min coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
|
$30
|
$363
|
- $438 |
|
|
$42
|
$501
|
- $300 |
|
|
$47
|
$565
|
- $236 |
|
|
$59
|
$705
|
- $96 |
|
|
$66
|
$786
|
- $15 |
Coverage.com, LLC is a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249). Coverage.com services are only available in states where it is licensed. Coverage.com may not offer insurance coverage in all states or scenarios. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way.
*USAA is only available to active-duty military, veterans and qualifying family members.
Minimum coverage requirements for Delaware drivers
Every driver with a vehicle registered in Delaware is legally required to carry a minimum amount of car insurance. The minimum amount of insurance required in Delaware is:
- $25,000 bodily injury liability per person
- $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident
- $10,000 property damage liability per accident
- $15,000 personal injury protection (PIP) per person
- $30,000 personal injury protection (PIP) per accident
Drivers who purchase minimum coverage insurance pay some of the lowest prices. However, minimum coverage does not include any coverage for damage to your own car. You will need full coverage, which includes comprehensive and collision, to cover your own vehicle. If you have a loan or lease, your lender will likely require that you carry full coverage with higher liability limits.
Cheapest car insurance in Delaware for full coverage
If you drive a newer vehicle or have a lease or loan, you will likely need a full coverage policy instead of liability-only. Full coverage typically includes liability plus comprehensive and collision coverage, which will help pay to fix your car in case of a covered claim (minus your deductible). According to our research, drivers looking for the cheapest possible car insurance in Delaware may want to get quotes from USAA and Geico.
| Carrier | Monthly full coverage premium | Annual full coverage premium | Savings vs state avg. for full coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
|
$103
|
$1,235
|
- $868 |
|
|
$120
|
$1,444
|
- $659 |
|
|
$138
|
$1,657
|
- $446 |
|
|
$140
|
$1,681
|
- $422 |
|
|
$142
|
$1,705
|
- $398 |
Coverage.com, LLC is a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249). Coverage.com services are only available in states where it is licensed. Coverage.com may not offer insurance coverage in all states or scenarios. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way.
*USAA is only available to active-duty military, veterans and qualifying family members.
Cheapest car insurance in Delaware for drivers with prior incidents
Your driving history plays a big part in your policy premium. While accidents and tickets will impact your rate, not every insurance provider weighs incidents equally. To find the best deal, experts recommend comparing rates from multiple carriers, as prices can vary significantly depending on the company you choose.
- Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a ticket: USAA and Travelers
- Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident: USAA and Travelers
- Cheapest car insurance for high-risk drivers: USAA and Travelers
Cheapest insurance companies for drivers in Delaware with a speeding ticket: USAA and Travelers
Having a Delaware speeding ticket conviction on your record is likely to increase your car insurance rates. Speeding increases the likelihood of accidents and can make accidents more severe, which means you’ll probably be viewed as a higher-risk driver than someone who doesn’t have any speeding tickets. Based on our research, these five companies have the lowest average rates for Delaware drivers with a speeding ticket:
| Company | Avg annual min coverage premium | Avg annual full coverage premium |
|---|---|---|
| USAA | $469 | $1,588 |
| Travelers | $513 | $1,748 |
| Geico | $629 | $1,647 |
| State Farm | $733 | $1,761 |
| California Casualty | $902 | $2,425 |
*USAA is only available to active-duty military, veterans and qualifying family members.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers in Delaware with an at-fault accident: USAA and Travelers
It’s fairly common knowledge that at-fault accidents will raise your insurance premium. If you’re looking to save on car insurance in Delaware after an accident, consider getting quotes from these companies, which have the lowest average premiums after an at-fault accident, per Bankrate’s research:
| Company | Avg annual min coverage premium | Avg annual full coverage premium |
|---|---|---|
| USAA | $363 | $1,235 |
| Travelers | $501 | $1,681 |
| Geico | $801 | $2,098 |
| California Casualty | $1,034 | $2,739 |
| Encompass | $1,160 | $2,394 |
*USAA is only available to active-duty military, veterans and qualifying family members.
Bankrate’s take: Delaware is considered a no-fault state. No fault does not imply that drivers who cause accidents are not liable for damage but rather refers to a system of laws that impacts how some injuries are paid for. Delaware requires drivers to carry personal injury protection (PIP). Delaware PIP will pay for medical bills and other expenses for each driver and their passengers regardless of fault.
Cheapest car insurance in Delaware for high-risk drivers: USAA and Travelers
You might be a high-risk driver if you have several moving violation convictions, at-fault accidents or a combination. However, even a single DUI conviction is likely enough to make insurance companies see you as high-risk.
After a DUI, you’ll likely pay quite a bit more for insurance, so keep that in mind as you seek to lower your premium. You can still find cheap car insurance in Delaware with a DUI conviction on your record, but “cheap” here is a relative term. Additionally, because DUIs are major violations, not all companies will write policies for such drivers. If you're interested in a quote, contact the company directly to discuss your eligibility.
Based on our findings, the companies below have the lowest average rates with a DUI factored in:
| Company | Avg. annual min coverage premium | Avg. annual full coverage premium |
|---|---|---|
| USAA | $655 | $2,237 |
| Travelers | $864 | $2,787 |
| Progressive | $1,183 | $2,894 |
| Allstate | $1,601 | $4,511 |
| Geico | $1,613 | $3,993 |
*USAA is only available to active-duty military, veterans and qualifying family members.
Bankrate’s take: Unlike other states, Delaware does not have an SR-22 filing requirement to reinstate a driver’s license after a DUI conviction. First-time offenders apply for the First Offenders Program, where they surrender their license and only get it back after installing an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) and showing the court proof of car insurance. The IID should remain in place for four months. Once the program is complete, the driver will need to pay $200 to remove the IID.
Cheapest car insurance for young drivers in Delaware
Drivers under the age of 25 are called youthful operators. While older drivers typically understand how to respond to sudden road hazards, newer drivers haven't had a chance to learn yet. Due to their lack of experience behind the wheel, youthful operators are usually placed in the highest-risk pool when it comes to car insurance. Some tips for saving money with teen drivers include finding applicable car insurance discounts like good student discounts and enhanced driver training discounts.
- Cheapest car insurance for insuring a teen driver: USAA and Geico
- Cheapest car insurance for teens with a ticket: USAA and Geico
- Cheapest car insurance for teens with an at-fault accident: USAA and California Casualty
- Cheapest car insurance for young drivers with a DUI: USAA and Travelers
Cheapest Delaware car insurance for insuring a teen driver: USAA and Geico
Teen drivers have some of the highest average car insurance rates due to their inexperience. Teens are more likely than other age groups to get into accidents, which means that insurers tend to charge higher rates to compensate for the added risk. During the search for cheap auto insurance, Delaware drivers with teens in their household may want to get quotes from the following cheap car insurance companies:
| Company | Avg. annual min coverage premium | Avg. annual full coverage premium |
|---|---|---|
| USAA | $1,099 | $3,185 |
| Geico | $1,120 | $2,787 |
| California Casualty | $1,462 | $3,875 |
| Travelers | $1,475 | $3,554 |
| Progressive | $1,739 | $4,065 |
*USAA is only available to active-duty military, veterans and qualifying family members.
Bankrate’s take: The fatal crash rate in the U.S. for teen drivers is three times higher than for drivers over the age of 20. Delaware has adopted a Graduated Driver Licensing program (GDL) to give teens more practice time behind the wheel in an effort to reduce accidents and fatalities among young drivers. This is a 12-month course that allows a driver under the age of 18 to acquire a Class D operator's license upon completion.
Cheapest Delaware car insurance for teens with a ticket: USAA and Geico
Speeding contributes to 79 percent of single-car crashes among drivers 16 to 19 years old. Even when an accident doesn’t occur, insurance companies usually penalize drivers with a surcharge if they receive a speeding ticket, since it indicates risky behavior. USAA and Geico tend to have the lowest average premiums for teen drivers in Delaware who have speeding tickets on their driving records.
| Company | Avg. annual min coverage premium | Avg. annual full coverage premium |
|---|---|---|
| USAA | $1,247 | $3,889 |
| Geico | $2,386 | $5,941 |
| California Casualty | $2,456 | $6,441 |
| State Farm | $2,633 | $5,725 |
| American Family | $2,668 | $6,238 |
*USAA is only available to active-duty military, veterans and qualifying family members.
Cheapest Delaware car insurance for teens with an at-fault accident: USAA and California Casualty
Teen drivers are more inclined to make unsafe choices when driving — this includes not wearing a seatbelt. Almost half of teen drivers ages 16 to 19 do not regularly wear seatbelts, which results in more injuries and fatalities when accidents occur. Due to this increased risk, premiums are much higher when an at-fault accident is factored into an insurance policy. USAA and California Casualty boast more favorable average rates for young drivers with at-fault accidents when compared to other insurance providers in Delaware.
Here are a few more options to consider when looking for cheap auto insurance for high-risk drivers:
| Company | Avg. annual min coverage premium | Avg. annual full coverage premium |
|---|---|---|
| USAA | $1,077 | $3,392 |
| California Casualty | $2,640 | $6,873 |
| Geico | $2,669 | $6,628 |
| American Family | $3,209 | $7,258 |
| Allstate | $3,243 | $11,275 |
*USAA is only available to active-duty military, veterans and qualifying family members.
Cheapest Delaware car insurance for young drivers with a DUI: USAA and Travelers
Drivers who receive DUIs will see their insurance premiums increase due to a surcharge. Even if an accident doesn’t occur, the increased risk associated with DUIs is taken into account. Further, some insurance companies do not offer policies at all to drivers with DUI. So, in some cases, a policy is non-renewed and the driver will need to search for coverage with a nonstandard carrier.
According to premium data obtained from Quadrant Information Services, USAA and Travelers have the most affordable average premiums for young drivers with DUIs.
| Company | Avg. annual min coverage premium | Avg. annual full coverage premium |
|---|---|---|
| USAA | $1,164 | $3,833 |
| Travelers | $1,201 | $4,161 |
| Progressive | $1,631 | $4,271 |
| Allstate | $2,028 | $7,003 |
| Geico | $2,442 | $6,273 |
*USAA is only available to active-duty military, veterans and qualifying family members.
Cheapest car insurance rates by city in Delaware
Your city will also impact how much you pay for car insurance. Different cities — and even different ZIP codes — are associated with varying accident statistics, crime rates, hourly wages for labor and more, which can impact car insurance costs. USAA is the cheapest company for car insurance in Delaware based on the cities we analyzed, but Travelers and Geico also offer low average rates if you don't qualify for military-focused coverage.
| City | City average annual minimum coverage premium | Cheapest car insurance company | Company average annual minimum coverage premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | $695 | Travelers | $427 |
| Middletown | $737 | Geico | $468 |
| Newark | $847 | Travelers | $509 |
| Smyrna | $703 | USAA | $335 |
| Wilmington | $849 | Travelers | $532 |
| City | City average annual minimum coverage premium | Cheapest car insurance company | Company average annual minimum coverage premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clayton | $682 | USAA | $285 |
| Townsend | $727 | Travelers | $449 |
| Odessa | $762 | Geico | $468 |
| Port Penn | $795 | USAA | $335 |
| Hockessin | $799 | Travelers | $530 |
Car insurance discounts in Delaware
If you’re wondering how to save on car insurance in Delaware, discounts may be the easiest way to lower your bill. Most companies offer at least a few discounts to help you score some savings on Delaware car insurance. Common discount opportunities include:
- Young driver discounts: Young drivers pay high average premiums, but most companies offer discounts to help offset the cost. You may be able to add a good student, student-away-at-school or driver training discount to your policy.
- Safe driver discounts: You might qualify for a claims-free or good driver discount if you don’t have any accidents or tickets on your driving record. You might even consider participating in a telematics program, which tracks your driving patterns and rewards you with a personalized discount.
- Other discounts: Bundling your auto and home insurance, paying in full, signing up for paperless documents and having a car with certain safety features could also mean you’ll pay lower premiums for car insurance.
Frequently asked questions
Methodology
Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze 2023 rates for ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Rates are weighted based on the population density in each geographic region. Quoted rates are based on a 40-year-old male and female driver with a clean driving record, good credit and the following full coverage limits:
- $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
- $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
- $50,000 property damage liability per accident
- $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
- $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
- $500 collision deductible
- $500 comprehensive deductible
To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements. Our base profile drivers own a 2021 Toyota Camry, commute five days a week and drive 12,000 miles annually.
These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes.
Incidents: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the following incidents applied: clean record (base), at-fault accident, single speeding ticket and single DUI conviction. Young driver DUI rates are for 21-year-old drivers on their own policy; other young driver incident rates are for 18-year-old drivers on their own policy.
Teens: Rates were determined by adding a 16-year-old teen to their 40-year-old married parents' policy. The rates displayed reflect the total cost of a driver this age added to their parents’ policy.
Age: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the ages 18 and 21 applied. Drivers are renters on their own policy. Age is not a contributing rating factor in Hawaii and Delaware due to state regulations.