Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes in Baltimore, MD (2023)

In Baltimore, the average minimum-coverage car insurance premium is $382 per month, which is more expensive than Maryland’s statewide average rate of $309. However, auto insurance premiums are personalized for each driver based on factors like credit score, claim history, and driving record.^[1]

Drivers in Baltimore are required to carry a minimum-coverage policy with 30/60/15 limits.^[2] But most drivers can benefit from additional coverage that includes protection against vehicle damage and theft. In 2022, there were more than 1,500 vehicle thefts reported in Baltimore County. Only comprehensive insurance will cover your vehicle if it gets stolen.^[3]

How much does car insurance cost in Baltimore?

The cost of auto insurance in Baltimore depends on many factors, such as your age, ZIP code, and vehicle. To find the cheapest car insurance in Maryland for your needs, it can be helpful to compare rates from several insurance companies.

To give you an idea of what you might pay for car insurance, Insurify’s team of data scientists analyzed the latest insurance rates in the city. The average rates for Baltimore car insurance range from $97 to $498 per month for minimum coverage and $144 to $846 for full-coverage policies.

Here are the companies that have the cheapest insurance premiums in Baltimore:

• Cheapest liability-only insurance coverage in Baltimore: USAA, at an average of $97 a month

• Cheapest full-coverage insurance in Baltimore: USAA, at an average of $144 a month

• Cheapest insurance for new and young drivers in Baltimore: Travelers, at an average of $210 a month

See More: Cheap Car Insurance in Maryland

Cheapest car insurance in Baltimore: USAA

USAA has the cheapest car insurance in Baltimore. USAA’s average rate for minimum coverage is $97 per month, and the average rate for full coverage is $144 per month. However, your premium is based on personalized factors, like location, age, credit score, driving record, and coverage limits.

In the table below, you can see the cheapest car insurance rates in Baltimore:

Average cost of auto insurance in Baltimore

On average, Baltimore car insurance rates range from $120 on the low end to $672 on the high end. However, the average monthly cost of car insurance depends on the insurance company that underwrites your policy, in addition to many other factors.

The table below includes the average car insurance premiums from some of the biggest companies in Baltimore. These rates reflect the average of the minimum-coverage premium and full-coverage premium for each insurer.

Average car insurance premiums in Baltimore by marital status

If you’re married, you might get a break on your car insurance premium. Married drivers often pay slightly less for car insurance than single drivers because they can insure multiple vehicles under one policy and get a multi-vehicle discount.

The average car insurance premium for a married driver in Baltimore is $435 per month, according to Insurify data. For comparison, the average rate for a single driver is $458. While the difference isn’t significant, married drivers can expect to save roughly $20 on their monthly premiums.

How much car insurance do you need in Baltimore?

“To drive legally in Maryland, you need more than a valid driver’s license,” says Al Redmer Jr., executive director of Maryland Auto Insurance, an independent agency of the State of Maryland that provides access to car insurance for drivers who can’t get coverage from standard insurers.

“You must have car insurance that provides the minimum state requirements — plus any other coverage required by your lender if you have a loan on your car,” Redmer adds.

The minimum amount of required coverage in Baltimore includes:

• $30,000 per person for bodily injury liability

• $60,000 per accident for bodily injury liability

• $15,000 per accident for property damage liability^[2]

While all car insurance companies in Baltimore must offer $2,500 in personal injury protection (PIP), Baltimore drivers have the option to decline the coverage.

After purchasing auto insurance, it’s important to keep valid proof of car insurance in your vehicle. You might need to provide your insurance information in several situations, such as:

• When stopped by law enforcement

• After an accident

• When renewing your car’s registration

Maryland MVA information

The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) handles all vehicle-related matters in the state. Through the MVA, you can renew your driver’s license and vehicle registration, pick up your license plates, update your insurance, register to vote, and more. You can make an appointment at your local MVA online.

Tips for getting cheap car insurance in Baltimore

If you’re looking for cheap car insurance in Baltimore, here are some ways to potentially lower your premium:

• Find discounts. Most insurance companies offer discounts. You can typically find savings for good students, claims-free drivers, taking a defensive driver course, and insuring multiple vehicles on your policy.

• Bundle your policies. When you purchase two or more insurance policies from the same provider, like home and auto insurance, you can usually get a discount on your premium.

• Avoid tickets and accidents. Safe drivers often pay the lowest car insurance rates. By avoiding accidents, speeding tickets, and other violations, you have better chances of getting a lower rate.

• Improve your credit score. In Maryland, your credit score can affect the cost of your car insurance. If your credit is low, work on raising your score to get cheaper car insurance.

• Compare quotes. Before you purchase a car insurance policy, compare quotes from several insurers. You can use a quote-comparison platform to simplify the process and get multiple quotes from just one application.^[4]

See Also: Compare Home and Auto Insurance Bundles

How age affects car insurance rates in Baltimore

Your age is one of the most important factors that affect your car insurance premium. From an insurance company’s perspective, your age indicates how risky you are. For example, data shows that teens are more likely than adults to make serious driving errors that could cause a major crash.^[5]

The table below includes the average monthly car insurance premium for drivers across various age groups.

See More: Compare Car Insurance by Age and Gender

Cheapest car insurance for young drivers in Baltimore

Travelers is the cheapest car insurance company for young drivers in Baltimore. The average premium is $210 per month for full-coverage insurance, which is about $2,520 per year. If you get good grades in school or enroll in a safe driver rewards program, you might be able to qualify for a lower rate.

In the table below, you can see the average premiums for young drivers from some of the biggest companies in Baltimore:

Cheapest car insurance for middle-aged drivers in Baltimore

The cheapest car insurance provider for middle-aged drivers in Baltimore is Travelers, with an average full-coverage premium of $196 per month, or $2,325 per year. Middle-aged drivers who want to save money on their car insurance should consider increasing their deductibles, bundling a home and auto insurance policy, and paying their premiums in full.

Here are the cheapest car insurance companies in Baltimore for middle-aged drivers:

Cheapest car insurance for senior drivers in Baltimore

For senior drivers, the cheapest car insurance company in Baltimore is Travelers, with an average full-coverage car insurance rate of $150 per month, or $1,800 per year. Senior drivers can often get a lower premium if they take a defensive driving course or search for companies that offer special discounts for seniors or retired drivers.

Below, you can see the cheapest insurers for senior drivers in Baltimore and their average full-coverage insurance rates:

How credit scores affect cheap car insurance in Baltimore

Maryland car insurance companies are allowed to use your credit score to determine your premium. “Your financial history and credit can influence whether you qualify for insurance with some companies and the cost of that insurance,” Redmer says. 

In general, drivers with excellent credit pay the lowest rates, while drivers with fair and poor credit pay higher rates.

However, Maryland has some regulations around credit-based insurance scores. For instance, car insurance companies aren’t allowed to deny your application due to your credit score. Insurance companies also can’t use your credit as a reason to increase your premium when your policy renews.^[6]

Here are the average full-coverage car insurance premiums in Baltimore for various credit tiers.

Read More: Car Insurance Rates by Credit Tier

The effect of driving habits on car insurance in Baltimore

Your driving habits will affect the cost of your car insurance policy, which can be positive or negative. Drivers with a clean driving record generally pay the lowest rates. On the other hand, drivers with a history of tickets or accidents often pay much higher rates.

Cheapest car insurance with a clean record in Baltimore: USAA

USAA is the cheapest car insurance company for drivers with clean records, with an average full-coverage premium of $144 per month. Drivers with no accidents or violations usually pay the cheapest car insurance rates. In addition, many insurance companies offer a discount to safe drivers with no recent violations.

Here are the average car insurance premiums for Baltimore drivers with no accidents or violations on their records:

Cheapest car insurance with an accident in Baltimore: USAA

Most Baltimore drivers with at-fault accidents on their records may see their car insurance rate increase anywhere from $62 to $367 on average. USAA has the cheapest rates for drivers who have been in an accident, with an average full-coverage premium of $206 per month. The table below contains the average rates for drivers with a clean record, an at-fault accident, and the rate difference.

Cheapest car insurance with a DUI in Baltimore: USAA

If you get caught driving under the influence in Maryland, you can face serious consequences, including jail time, license suspension, and a fine of up to $2,000, depending on how many offenses you have.^[7] Some drivers also need to get SR-22 insurance.

Your car insurance premium could also increase significantly after a DUI. In Baltimore, USAA is the cheapest insurer for drivers with a DUI on their record, with an average rate of $286 per month for full-coverage policies.

Learn More: Maryland SR-22 Car Insurance

Cheapest car insurance with a speeding ticket in Baltimore: USAA

Speeding tickets are often considered minor traffic offenses. However, a speeding ticket can have a bigger impact on your car insurance premium than you might think. If you’ve recently gotten a speeding ticket in Baltimore, your rate could go up by anywhere from $49 to almost $300, depending on the insurance company.

USAA is the cheapest company for drivers with a speeding ticket in Baltimore, with an average premium of $193, according to Insurify data. These companies have the cheapest rates for drivers with speeding tickets:

Car insurance in other Maryland cities

Here’s a look at car insurance rates in some other Maryland cities:

• Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes in Columbia, MD

• Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes in Dundalk, MD

• Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes in Upper Marlboro, MD

• Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes in Laurel, MD

Baltimore driving conditions

When driving in Baltimore, it’s important to be aware of road conditions and driving behaviors.

Speeding is very common in Baltimore, according to its city government.^[8] There were 24,210 speed-camera violations issued in the city in August 2021 alone. Of these drivers, 19 were driving 70 mph or faster in a zone with a speed limit of 25 mph to 35 mph.^[9]

In 2020, almost 22% of speeding-related fatal crashes in Maryland occurred in Baltimore, and more than 10% of statewide speeding-related crashes with serious injuries occurred in Baltimore.^[8]

Impaired driving is another issue in the city. In 2020, almost 31% of all fatal crashes and 5.7% of all serious injury crashes in Baltimore involved an impaired driver. For comparison, 32.5% of all fatal crashes and 16.7% of all serious injury crashes resulted from impaired driving in the state of Maryland.^[8]

Auto theft statistics in Baltimore

In 2021, there were 1,275 motor vehicle thefts reported in Baltimore County, which is an average of about 106 thefts per month.^[3] In 2022, the number of motor vehicle thefts increased to 1,526. To protect yourself against vehicle theft, it’s a good idea to purchase an insurance policy with comprehensive coverage, which includes theft as a covered peril.

Baltimore car insurance FAQs

Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about car insurance in Baltimore.