Best car insurance in Nevada for 2023

Our 2023 Bankrate Score considers variables our insurance editorial team determined impacts policyholders’ experiences with an insurance company. These rating factors include a robust assessment of each company’s product availability, financial strength ratings, online capabilities and customer and claims support accessibility. Each factor was added to a category, and these categories were weighted in a tiered approach to analyze how companies perform in key customer-impacting categories.

Like our previous Bankrate Scores, each category was assigned a metric to determine performance, and the weighted sum adds up to a company’s total Bankrate Score — out of 5 points. This year, our 2023 scoring model provides a more comprehensive view, indicating when companies excel across several key areas and better highlighting where they fall short.

• Tier 1 (Cost & ratings): To determine how well auto and home insurance companies satisfy these priorities, 2023 quoted premiums from Quadrant Information Services (if available), as well as the latest third-party agency ratings from J.D. Power, AM Best and the NAIC, were analyzed.
• Tier 2 (Coverage & savings): We assessed companies’ coverage options and availability to help policyholders find a provider that balances cost with coverage. Additionally, we evaluated each company’s discount options listed on its website.
• Tier 3 (Support): To encompass the many ways an auto insurance company can support policyholders, we analyzed avenues of customer accessibility along with community support. This analysis incorporated additional financial strength ratings from S&P and Moody’s and factored a company’s corporate sustainability efforts.

Nevada’s car insurance laws require drivers to carry a minimum amount of liability coverage to drive on public roads. Although an agent can’t sell you a Nevada car insurance policy that fails to meet the state’s minimum limits, knowing what these limits are can help provide a benchmark when building your coverage package.

It’s also important to note that carrying only the minimum may result in cheap car insurance but could leave drivers financially exposed after an accident. For enhanced protection, many insurance professionals suggest increasing your liability limits if you can afford to.

If you have a loan or lien on your car, you may be required by your financial institution to have comprehensive and collision coverage. This is to protect the lender — which technically owns the car until you pay it off — in the event of an accident. You could also consider gap coverage. This type of insurance is intended to help cover the “gap” between how much you owe on a financed car and its actual cash value. Keep in mind that these additional coverage types will likely raise the cost of your premium.

Understanding how you use your car could help you decide which car insurance carrier to go with and which types of coverage you need. If you don’t drive often, for example, having a low-mileage car insurance policy could be more suited to your needs and budget. Families with teen drivers may choose to opt for higher liability insurance limits for extra financial protection or look for companies with teen driver discounts to save money on their premiums.

Because insurance companies consider several factors when calculating your premium, your car insurance rate is personal to you. In Nevada, your credit history, marital status, gender, driving history and ZIP code can all impact your rate. However, Bankrate conducted a study to find the cheapest car insurance in Nevada. Based on our findings, you may want to request quotes from Geico, Country Financial, Progressive, USAA and State Farm.

Yes, you are required to have Nevada car insurance to register a car in the state. If you’ve recently moved to Nevada and your current carrier writes insurance here, it should be a relatively simple process to change your address. Still, you’ll need to contact your agent or process the change online (if the company allows online policy management) before registering your vehicle.

You must have valid auto insurance in Nevada to drive legally on public roads. If you are caught driving without insurance, you could face fines and fees ranging from $250 to $1,750, depending on the length of the insurance lapse and the number of times you’ve been cited for this violation. Additionally, the state may require you to carry an SR-22 form.