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Updated November 28, 2022
Drivers in the Pelican State — named after the eastern brown pelican, the Louisiana state bird — face some of the steepest insurance premiums in the country. Drivers in the United States pay an average of just $233 per month. By comparison, average rates of $387 per month make Louisiana the fourth-priciest state for car insurance costs, according to our data. The only states with costlier rates are New York, Michigan, and Nevada. Despite the high average costs, drivers should compare quotes online to find cheap car insurance available in the state.
Quick Facts
The average cost of car insurance in Louisiana is $387/mo.
State Farm is the cheapest provider in Louisiana, with average rates of $171/mo.
The easiest way to cut car insurance costs is to compare quotes online.
Table of contents
- Best cheap car insurance in Louisiana: State Farm
- Minimum car insurance requirements in Louisiana
- Tips for getting cheap car insurance in Louisiana
- Liability-only vs. full-coverage insurance in Louisiana
- How your driving history affects Louisiana car insurance rates
- How credit scores affect Louisiana car insurance quotes
- How your city affects Louisiana insurance quotes
- How your age affects Louisiana car insurance rates
- Louisiana car insurance FAQs
- Insurify Insights
Best cheap car insurance in Louisiana: State Farm
State Farm
Best Cheap Car Insurance in Louisiana
Each insurance company uses a slightly different method to determine auto insurance rates. The personal details and driving record tied to your individual application lead to variations in rates. Louisiana drivers earn average monthly rates as low as $171 with State Farm, $233 with USAA, and $240 with Erie. Explore more average rates from auto insurers below.
Car Insurance Company | Insurify Composite Score | Average Monthly Quote |
---|---|---|
State Farm | 88 | $171 |
USAA | 96 | $233 |
GEICO | 88 | $311 |
Allstate | 85 | $314 |
American Family | 89 | $318 |
Erie | 85 | $240 |
Safeco | 86 | $253 |
National General | 58 | $263 |
Direct Auto | N/A | $313 |
The General | N/A | $344 |
Progressive | N/A | $361 |
Clearcover | 97 | $362 |
Midvale Home & Auto | N/A | $401 |
Kemper Specialty | N/A | $414 |
Farmers | 85 | $501 |
Bristol West | N/A | $632 |
Learn More: Best Car Insurance Companies
Insurify Composite Score (ICS)
To calculate the Insurify Composite Score, a proprietary rating, Insurify data scientists weigh multiple factors that reflect the quality, reliability, and health of an insurance company.
Inputs to the score include J.D. Power ratings, Consumer Reports customer satisfaction surveys and customer complaints, mobile app reviews, user-generated company reviews, and financial strength ratings from A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch.
Minimum car insurance requirements in Louisiana
All motor vehicles operated or parked on Louisiana roadways are required to be insured. Proof of insurance must be carried in your car at all times and must be available when:
Requested by law enforcement
Renewing vehicle registration
The vehicle is involved in a car accident
The minimum liability insurance requirements for private passenger vehicles in Louisiana[1] are:
$15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident for bodily injury: As a major part of your liability insurance, bodily injury coverage covers medical bills for people other than the policyholder who are injured during an accident. Louisiana is an at-fault state, meaning the driver who is responsible for the collision is also responsible for paying for any resulting expenses, either through their car insurance provider or out of pocket.
$25,000 per accident for property damage: If it’s determined that an insured driver is at fault for an accident, this coverage pays for repairs to the property of the other involved parties. Additionally, property damage coverage can cover legal costs if the insured driver is involved in a lawsuit following the accident.
Louisiana DMV information
The Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles offers many services for drivers, from issuing titles and registrations to driver’s licenses. The state maintains an easy-to-use website that makes renewing documents, replacing vehicle registration documents, and checking the status of your reinstated driver’s license a snap. You can even check the wait times at your local Office of Motor Vehicles and make appointments online.[2]
Public transportation in Louisiana
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development maintains a public transportation program that aims to help parishes provide people with a way to get around regardless of geographical location, physical limitation, or economic status.[3] The Louisiana Transit Resource Guide informs people about the availability of different modes of public transportation by parish. Beyond bus services, using rideshare services and biking are options in some parts of the state.
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Tips for getting cheap car insurance in Louisiana
When shopping around for insurance, each insurance company evaluates your unique information a bit differently. Details like your driving record, credit score, and ZIP code can affect insurance premiums at different companies. Shopping around offers a useful way to find the best rates for your situation. Compare quotes to find the right policy for you.
You may also qualify for certain discounts that can help you save money on your insurance premiums, such as:
Safe driver discount
Good driver discount
Loyalty discount
Bundling your home and auto insurance with the same company
Liability-only vs. full-coverage insurance in Louisiana
If you live in Louisiana, you can opt to carry liability-only auto insurance, which pays for expenses related to injuries and damage to the other party’s car if you cause an accident. Each state sets its own minimums for how much liability insurance it requires drivers to carry.
Liability-only insurance can make sense if:
You have a low-value vehicle.
You can afford to repair or replace your car out of your own pocket.
Getting the cheapest insurance possible is your top priority.
For a higher level of protection, you can choose full-coverage insurance, which includes basic liability plus collision and comprehensive coverage. Collision coverage pays for damages to your car, even if you’re at fault for an accident. Comprehensive pays for damages caused by events out of your control, like vandalism, weather, and animals. Auto lenders and leasing companies typically require drivers to carry full coverage on a car they’ve financed.
You may also opt for full coverage if:
You have a high-value vehicle.
You wouldn’t be able to afford to repair or replace your car out of pocket.
Your car’s actual cash value (the payout you’d likely get if your car is totaled) exceeds your annual premium to carry full coverage.
Here’s a look at the cheapest auto insurance in Louisiana by policy type.
Car Insurance Company | Average Monthly Quote: Liability | Average Monthly Quote: Full Coverage |
---|---|---|
Allstate | $228 | $314 |
American Family | $231 | $318 |
GEICO | $225 | $311 |
State Farm | $124 | $171 |
USAA | $169 | $233 |
Amica | $722 | N/A |
Bristol West | $526 | $632 |
Clearcover | $267 | $362 |
Direct Auto | $270 | $313 |
Erie | $174 | $240 |
Farmers | $364 | $501 |
Kemper Specialty | $281 | $414 |
Midvale Home & Auto | $327 | $401 |
National General | $178 | $263 |
Progressive | $262 | $361 |
Safeco | $191 | $253 |
The General | $229 | $344 |
How your driving history affects Louisiana car insurance rates
Your driving history is the factor that most influences your car insurance costs. Good drivers — whose records are free of serious traffic violations like speeding tickets or reckless driving — tend to get the best car insurance rates in Louisiana. But infractions like driving under the influence or at-fault accidents can significantly increase insurance costs.
Here’s a look at average monthly quotes for the cheapest car insurance in Louisiana based on driving and accident history.
See More: High-Risk Car Insurance Louisiana
Car Insurance Company | Clean Record | At-Fault Accident | With a DUI | Speeding Ticket |
---|---|---|---|---|
Allstate | $286 | $472 | $236 | $383 |
American Family | N/A | $478 | $239 | $388 |
Farmers | $218 | $360 | $180 | $292 |
State Farm | $282 | $466 | $233 | $379 |
USAA | $155 | $256 | $128 | $208 |
Amica | N/A | N/A | $747 | N/A |
Bristol West | $585 | N/A | $691 | N/A |
Clearcover | $336 | $536 | N/A | $456 |
Direct Auto | $286 | $468 | $261 | $434 |
Erie | $720 | N/A | $595 | N/A |
GEICO | $455 | $753 | $376 | $611 |
Kemper Specialty | $393 | $556 | $339 | $456 |
Midvale Home & Auto | $352 | $605 | $787 | $597 |
National General | $248 | $316 | $242 | $281 |
Progressive | $328 | $542 | $271 | $440 |
Safeco | $231 | $478 | N/A | $411 |
The General | $312 | $504 | $328 | $479 |
See More: SR-22 Car Insurance Louisiana
SR-22 insurance in Louisiana
Insurance companies issue SR-22s after you commit a major driving violation, and the form proves that you have at least the minimum required insurance. The Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles requires you to file this form before driving again. You’ll need to maintain this filing for three years.[4] The insurance companies listed below offer SR-22s in Louisiana:
How credit scores affect Louisiana car insurance quotes
Your credit score impacts several areas of your financial life, including your auto insurance premiums. The state of Louisiana allows auto insurers to consider credit scores when calculating premiums. Generally, people with excellent or good credit scores can qualify for lower car insurance premiums than people with average or poor credit scores.
Credit Tier | Average Monthly Quote |
---|---|
Excellent | $295 |
Good | $349 |
Average | $381 |
Poor | $590 |
See More: Bad Credit Car Insurance Louisiana
How your city affects Louisiana insurance quotes
In the state of Louisiana, car insurance premiums vary widely based on the location. That’s because your ZIP code is tied to all kinds of information, including average commute times, crime rates, and population. In general, drivers in urban areas tend to pay more than rural areas. Drivers in Chalmette, near New Orleans, find the most expensive car insurance premiums, at $533 per month.
City | Average Monthly Quote |
---|---|
Alexandria | $456 |
Baton Rouge | $406 |
Bossier City | $301 |
Chalmette | $533 |
Hammond | $324 |
Houma | $295 |
Kenner | $396 |
Lafayette | $359 |
Lake Charles | $376 |
Mandeville | $301 |
Metairie | $418 |
New Iberia | $348 |
New Orleans | $476 |
Shreveport | $301 |
Slidell | $384 |
Westwego | $372 |
How your age affects Louisiana car insurance rates
Because insurers generally equate age with experience level, your age will significantly affect how much you pay for car insurance. New drivers, who tend to be teens or people in their early 20s, typically pay more for insurance than drivers 25 and older.
The following table gives a high-level view of how age can affect insurance rates.
Quotes for younger drivers
Multiple other factors influence how much drivers in each age group will pay for car insurance. Some increase rates for one age group more than another, while others impact all age groups evenly.
The following table compares how different insurance factors affect average monthly rates for drivers younger than 30. Young drivers with an accident on their record earn the lowest rates with National General and Clearcover. Drivers under 25 pay really high rates for auto insurance, making it all the more important to carefully compare costs from multiple auto insurers.
Car Insurance Company | Liability Only | Full Coverage | With an Accident | With a DUI |
---|---|---|---|---|
Clearcover | $364 | $460 | $481 | $897 |
National General | $257 | $378 | $368 | $748 |
Progressive | $360 | $484 | $583 | $897 |
Direct Auto | $415 | $453 | $539 | $852 |
Kemper Specialty | $391 | $519 | $589 | N/A |
Midvale Home & Auto | $482 | $552 | $707 | $892 |
Safeco | N/A | $359 | N/A | N/A |
The General | $331 | $480 | $594 | $870 |
Quotes for middle-aged drivers
The following table compares how different insurance factors affect average monthly rates for drivers between 30 and 59. At $119 per month, National General offers the cheapest average rate for middle-aged drivers purchasing liability insurance. On average, middle-aged drivers in Louisiana pay between $273 and $339 per month.
Car Insurance Company | Liability Only | Full Coverage | With an Accident | With a DUI |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bristol West | $383 | $502 | $647 | N/A |
National General | $119 | $192 | N/A | $364 |
Progressive | $228 | $308 | $395 | $573 |
Clearcover | $225 | $329 | $410 | $603 |
Direct Auto | $192 | $234 | $296 | $426 |
Kemper Specialty | $218 | $351 | $464 | $645 |
Midvale Home & Auto | $266 | $336 | $377 | $637 |
Safeco | $178 | $240 | N/A | $460 |
The General | $172 | $269 | $306 | $509 |
Quotes for senior drivers
The following table compares how different insurance factors affect average monthly rates for drivers 59 and older. Cheap full-coverage insurance options include $205 per month with National General, $207 per month with Direct Auto, and $232 per month with The General.
Car Insurance Company | Liability Only | Full Coverage | With an Accident | With a DUI |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bristol West | $352 | $429 | $531 | N/A |
National General | $117 | $205 | N/A | $352 |
Progressive | $191 | $263 | N/A | $486 |
Clearcover | $212 | $272 | $408 | $478 |
Direct Auto | $205 | $207 | $283 | $382 |
Kemper Specialty | $225 | $337 | $362 | $663 |
Midvale Home & Auto | $277 | $313 | $385 | $587 |
Safeco | $189 | $238 | N/A | $448 |
The General | $172 | $232 | $283 | $442 |
Louisiana car insurance FAQs
State Farm, USAA, and GEICO offer some of the cheapest car insurance rates for Louisiana drivers. Smaller insurers, like National General and Direct Auto, also offer affordable car insurance options. On average, Louisiana drivers pay monthly rates of $171 with State Farm, $233 with USAA, $311 with GEICO, $263 with National General, and $313 with Direct Auto.
By coverage level, State Farm offers the cheapest average rates for drivers choosing either minimum or full-coverage insurance. USAA provides the most affordable average rates across driving and accident history. The cheapest available premium for you depends on your specific driving history, credit history, vehicle type, age, and more.
Our data shows that Louisiana is the 11th-safest state to drive in, and only 14% of drivers in the state have a recent driving incident on their record. Louisiana drivers rank low in the number of speeding tickets and DUIs issued, but the state ranks sixth for the number of suspended driver’s licenses and 25th for the number of at-fault accidents.
The relatively high frequency of natural disasters in Louisiana, like flooding events and hurricanes, also increase car insurance premiums throughout the state. Louisiana is the state with the third most hurricanes in the country, according to Statista.[5] Auto insurers in the state account for risk factors that result in more filed claims, leading to increased rates for drivers in Louisiana.
Some of the top insurance companies offering relatively affordable car insurance rates in Louisiana include State Farm, USAA, and American Family. State Farm has earned an ICS of 88, USAA earned a 96, and American Family earned an 89. Our scores are calculated using customer satisfaction, financial strength, industry rankings, and more.
Both State Farm and USAA earned an A++ rating from A.M. Best. In contrast, American Family earned an A rating from A.M. Best. State Farm earned an AA rating from Standard & Poor’s, USAA earned an AA+ rating, and Progressive earned an A rating. The best car insurance company for you will depend on your specific driving history, insurance needs, and more.
No, you don’t need personal injury protection (PIP) coverage in Louisiana.[1] In fact, it’s not even available because Louisiana operates with an at-fault system. If you’re found at fault for an accident, your insurance company will kick in to cover the medical costs for the other party.
If you want to have medical costs covered for yourself, then medical payments (MedPay) insurance is an option. In no-fault states, PIP coverage is required to help cover your own medical costs. Some PIP policies include non-medical coverage, like lost wages, funeral costs, and household expenses.
Yes, you must have car insurance in Louisiana. It’s illegal for you to drive in the state without the minimum amount of liability insurance. According to state law, you’ll need at least $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident for bodily injury liability and $25,000 in property damage liability.[6] Although this is the minimum amount of coverage required, you might opt for more financial protection. Liability coverage only pays for other people’s injuries and damages after you cause an accident. If you want help covering your repair costs after an accident, consider paying for collision and comprehensive insurance.
As in most states, car insurance tends to follow the vehicle, not the driver. With this in mind, insurance companies usually pay out claims for vehicle damage whether or not you were the one driving. But when an insured driver borrows your vehicle, their policy might kick in to pay out a claim if your coverage limits aren’t enough.
Although insurance policies tend to follow the car, it’s still not a good idea to loan your vehicle to an uninsured driver. Unfortunately, an accident with them behind the wheel could lead to financial and legal costs for both the driver and the vehicle’s owner.
In Louisiana, a full-coverage auto insurance policy starts with liability coverage and includes both comprehensive and collision coverage. With this type of insurance, you’ll find much more financial support from your insurance company after an accident than you would with liability-only coverage.
Collision insurance covers the costs to repair or replace your vehicle after an accident, and a comprehensive policy covers the cost to repair or replace your vehicle after theft, vandalism, or a natural disaster. If you can’t afford to repair or replace a vehicle on your own after an accident, you may benefit from this increased coverage. Additionally, most dealerships and lenders require you to purchase full coverage when financing or leasing a vehicle.
Insurify Insights
How Louisiana Drivers Measure Up
While most drivers know that car insurance quotes are determined in part by your personal driving history, many may be unaware that rates are also impacted by the average risk of the drivers around you as well. Check out Insurify's latest analysis of driving records in Louisiana below:
Methodology
Drawing from an internal database of over 4 million car insurance applications, the research team at Insurify analyzes patterns in car ownership and driver behavior - including how Louisiana drivers measure up to their fellow motorists across the United States in areas including speeding, DUIs, and more.
Insurify Insights publishes data-driven articles, trend analyses, and national rankings each week on all factors related to cars and those who drive them.
Ford F-Series Pickup
Most Popular Car in Louisiana
#37
State with the Most Speeding Tickets Rank
#32
State with the Moving Violations Rank
#45
State with the Most DUIs Rank
#21
State with the most Suspended Licenses
While car accidents are a sadly unavoidable feature of time spent on the road, rates of accidents do vary from city to city and from state to state. Louisiana is the #22 state in the country for drivers with an at-fault accident on their driving record.
- Rank among states: #22
- Percent of drivers in Louisiana with an accident: 8.9%
While driving while intoxicated is never acceptable, it’s a more common offense than many assume. Louisiana is the #45 state in the country for drivers with a prior drunk driving conviction.
- Rank among states: #45
- Percent of drivers in Louisiana with a DUI: 0.9%
Reckless driving refers to a specific traffic violation: when drivers willfully act dangerously in spite of the risks they’re imposing on both themselves and others. Louisiana is the #39 state in the country for drivers with a reckless driving offense on record.
- Rank among states: #39
- Percent of drivers in Louisiana with a reckless driving offense: 1%
The Insurify team classifies rude drivers as those who commit one or more of the following driving offenses: failure to yield or failure to stop, improper backing, passing where prohibited, tailgating, street racing, or hit-and-run. Louisiana is the #40 state in the country for drivers with a rude driving violation on record.
- Rank among states: #40
- Percent of drivers in Louisiana with a rude driving violation: 1.1%
Exceeding the speed limit can endanger others and have a serious impact on your insurance costs. Louisiana is the #37 state in the country for drivers with a speeding ticket on record.
- Rank among states: #37
- Percent of drivers in Louisiana with a speeding ticket: 7.1%
Failing to yield the right of way isn’t just frustrating for other drivers; it’s dangerous, too. Louisiana is the #36 state in the country for drivers with a failure to yield violation on record.
- Rank among states: #36
- Percent of drivers in Louisiana with a failure to yield violation: 0.1%
Insurify Insights
Insurify's team of data scientists and content specialists presents Insurify Insights, a series of automotive, home, and health studies focusing on the topics that impact us all. through expert analysis of over 4 million car insurance applications and an array of top data sources, the Insurify Insights team produces new data-driven articles, trend analyses, regional superlatives, and national rankings every week. See Insurify Insights as featured in Forbes, Fox News, USA Today, NPR, and more.
Compare Car Insurance Quotes Instantly
Data scientists at Insurify analyzed more than 40 million real-time auto insurance rates from our partner providers across the United States to compile the car insurance quotes, statistics, and data visualizations displayed on this page. The car insurance data includes coverage analysis and details on drivers' vehicles, driving records, and demographic information. Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Service's database of auto insurance rates. With these insights, Insurify is able to offer drivers insight into how companies price their car insurance premiums.
Sources
- Louisiana Department of Insurance. "State Minimum Car Insurance Requirements." Accessed November 28, 2022
- Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. "Office Wait Times." Accessed November 28, 2022
- Louisiana Department of Public Transportation & Development. "Public Transportation." Accessed November 28, 2022
- Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. "Suspensions." Accessed November 28, 2022
- Statista. "Number of hurricanes that made landfall in the United States from 1851 to 2020, by state." Accessed November 28, 2022
- Insurance Information Institute. "Automobile Financial Responsibility Laws by State." Accessed November 28, 2022