Home to trademark white-sand beaches and world-famous wineries, Long Island attracts plenty of tourists, along with its millions of full-time residents. The thriving tourist industry leads to busy roads and may contribute to the above-average rates. Drivers on Long Island pay an average of $195 per month for car insurance, which is on par with the New York state average of $187 per month.
Safeco, CSAA, and Midvale Home & Auto offer some of the lowest average rates on Long Island. Here’s how to find the best coverage for you.
Best car insurance companies in Long Island
The best car insurance company for you depends on your budget and specific needs. Several factors affect your rates, including your age, gender, marital status, vehicle choice, and driving record.
The table below highlights three of the best and most affordable car insurance companies on Long Island and which type of driver each insurer suits best. You can also see their average full-coverage and liability quotes for all New Yorkers here.
Best insurer for liability-only coverage: CSAA
Best insurer for teen drivers: Safeco
Best insurer for drivers with a DUI: Liberty Mutual
How to get the cheapest car insurance in Long Island
You can use the following strategies to find cheap car insurance on Long Island:
Choose a safe vehicle. A car with a strong safety record and advanced safety features is often cheaper to insure, given the lower rate of serious accidents.
Raise your deductible. A higher deductible comes with lower monthly premiums, though you’ll have more out-of-pocket expenses in the event of an accident.
Take advantage of discounts. Most car insurance companies offer discounts for insuring multiple vehicles or bundling car insurance with home or renters insurance from the same company. Ask your agent about any discounts you may be eligible for.
Shop around and compare. The best way to find the cheapest rate on car insurance is to compare quotes from multiple companies to find the policy that best matches your needs.
Cheapest liability-only car insurance in Long Island: CSAA
Your liability insurance covers the other driver’s repairs and medical expenses in the event of an accident you cause. Liability-only insurance doesn’t cover your vehicle damage or medical expenses. This can make it an affordable option for people who drive used or lower-value vehicles.
The average rate for liability-only coverage in New York is $155 per month, and the chart below shows what Long Island drivers pay with different insurers.
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Long Island: Safeco
In addition to liability protection, full-coverage car insurance provides collision coverage and comprehensive coverage. Collision coverage can pay for your own vehicle’s repairs in the event of a collision with another vehicle or object, like a guardrail. Comprehensive coverage can pay for repairs to your vehicle after a non-collision event, like a fire or severe weather.
Full-coverage policies are typically more expensive. If you have a car loan or can’t pay out of pocket for repairs, full coverage is a better fit for your needs, and your lender may require it.
The average monthly rate for full-coverage insurance in New York is $185, and you can see quotes that leading insurers on Long Island offer below.
Car insurance requirements in New York
New York drivers must carry a minimum amount of liability insurance to drive legally in the state. New York is also a no-fault state, which means both drivers must file claims for bodily injuries with their own insurance companies after an accident, regardless of who was at fault. Drivers must also carry personal injury protection (PIP), which covers medical expenses, lost wages, and more.
If you’re caught driving without the minimum-coverage requirements, you could suffer the suspension of your license and registration. The table below outlines the minimum insurance requirements necessary to drive legally in New York.
Optional coverages to add
While the table above illustrates the necessary minimum-coverage requirements, you can always expand beyond the minimum with additional coverage options like the following:
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an incident
Speeding tickets, driving under the influence, and at-fault accidents will raise your car insurance costs. Auto insurers see drivers with such incidents on their records as being more likely to file future claims, and they charge higher monthly premiums to offset this risk.
Nearly 87% of New York drivers have a clean driving record, one of the highest rates in the country. But if you’re not among this group, the following sections will show you how different incident types can affect your insurance rates.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a speeding ticket: Safeco and CSAA
About 30% of all fatal auto accidents in New York list speed as a contributing factor.9 Auto insurers consider a driver with speeding tickets on their record as a higher risk for future claims. How much your rate increases after a speeding ticket will vary based on your insurer, the severity of the ticket, and the number of total tickets. Progressive, for example, says drivers see a 15% increase on average after speeding.
New Yorkers pay a monthly average of $256 for full-coverage insurance with a ticket on their record. Here, you can see how a ticket affects your quotes from Long Island insurers.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident: Safeco and CSAA
The Institute for Traffic Safety Management & Research tallied 78,047 crashes on Long Island in 2022. In New York, an at-fault accident will stay on your record until three years after the end of the year in which the crash occurred.10 How much your rate increases depends on the company you work with.
Full-coverage monthly rates in New York average $273 for drivers with an accident on their record, and the table below shows how such an incident affects your quotes on Long Island.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a DUI: Safeco and CSAA
A DUI is the most severe traffic violation you can receive, and it will stay on your record for 15 years in New York.10 Your insurer might not even renew your auto insurance policy after a DUI.
Not surprisingly, then, having a DUI on your record can cause a tremendous swing in your rates. The state monthly average is $298 for people with a DUI on their record.
Cheapest car insurance for seniors: Safeco
Roughly 18% of Long Island residents are older than 65, and while rates generally decrease for these drivers from age 35 and on, they may start to increase again around age 70. This is because reduced faculties make seniors more likely to be involved in an accident, and their advanced age increases the probability of medical costs if they’re in a crash.
The average monthly rate for New York seniors is $134, and this table shows how coverages break down on Long Island.
Cheapest car insurance for teens: Safeco
Teen drivers pay the highest car insurance rates on average due to their higher rate of serious accidents and increased likelihood to engage in dangerous driving behaviors. Fortunately, young drivers can save on car insurance by staying on their parents’ insurance, driving a safe car, completing a driver safety course, and qualifying for a good student discount.
The average monthly rate for New York teens is $313, and this table shows the liability-only and full-coverage quotes available on Long Island.
Long Island car insurance quotes by credit tier
Insurers in the Empire State are allowed to take your credit history into account when determining your car insurance rates. Drivers with excellent or good credit pay lower average rates than drivers with poor credit.
The following chart shows how average rates vary by credit history.
Is car insurance more expensive in Long Island?
With average rates of $195 per month, car insurance in Long Island is generally more than the national average of $104 per month. But the average cost of car insurance in New York state varies widely by ZIP code.
When compared to New York City, where liability rates average $244 per month, Long Island’s rates are significantly less. It’s also worth noting that cities with higher property values have higher rates, on average.