The average cost of car insurance in North Carolina is $75 per month, which is less than the national average of $144 per month. Insurers look at overall population density, so North Carolina’s large rural population could contribute to its low auto insurance rates.
Many factors go into calculating your insurance premiums, including ZIP code, age, and driving history. If you’re shopping around for cheap insurance in North Carolina, you should get quotes from several companies and compare your options.
6 of the cheapest car insurance companies in North Carolina
The best auto insurance company for you will depend on your needs, financial situation, and driving history. What’s best for your neighbor or friend may not be the best for you, so it’s important to compare as many options as possible to find the company that offers you the coverage you need at the lowest price.
Here are some of the cheapest car insurance companies in North Carolina to start your search.
Midvale Home & Auto
Erie
GEICO
How to get the cheapest car insurance in North Carolina
Getting the cheapest car insurance takes a little work on your part. While North Carolina already has below-average rates, here are some ways you can get cheaper coverage:
Raise your deductible. The higher your deductible, the less you’ll pay for car insurance. But make sure you can afford to pay the deductible if you have to file a claim.
Improve your credit. Drivers with a good credit-based insurance score pay cheaper car insurance rates because insurers view them as less likely to file a claim. You can improve your credit by keeping your credit utilization rate low and paying your bills on time.
Maintain a good driving record. Your driving record is one of the biggest factors affecting your insurance rates. Maintain a clean driving record by avoiding speeding tickets or at-fault accidents.
Shop around. Get quotes from several insurers and compare them to see which one offers you the best rates. Just make sure to receive identical quotes to compare your options accurately.
Low-cost car insurance in North Carolina
North Carolina doesn’t have any state-funded programs to subsidize car insurance for low-income drivers. But if you’re a North Carolina motorist looking to lower your car insurance costs, consider comparison shopping when your policy is up for renewal. By comparing quotes and discounts between multiple insurers, you can find the one that’s currently offering the most affordable car insurance policy.
Cheapest liability-only car insurance quotes in North Carolina: Progressive
Liability-only car insurance pays for the other driver’s property and bodily damage if you cause a car accident. But liability insurance doesn’t pay for your medical bills or damage to your vehicle.
Liability insurance in North Carolina costs an average of $62 per month.
Here are the cheapest liability insurance companies in North Carolina for you to consider.
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance quotes in North Carolina: Erie
Liability insurance isn’t enough for most people, and full coverage is often a better option. Full-coverage auto insurance usually includes liability, comprehensive, and collision coverage. If you’re involved in an accident, it provides bodily and property damage coverage for you and the other driver.
North Carolina drivers pay $87 per month for full-coverage car insurance, on average. Check out North Carolina’s cheapest full-coverage insurance companies below.
Car insurance requirements in North Carolina
Every state except New Hampshire requires drivers to carry a minimum amount of liability insurance. Driving without insurance can result in penalties, fees, and losing your license.
The specific coverage limits required in North Carolina increase on July 1, 2025. The table below reflects the change in requirements:1
But these minimum requirements are just minimums and may not be enough coverage for every driver. Here are some additional insurance products you might consider to bolster your policy:
North Carolina’s Safe Driver Incentive Plan
The North Carolina Safe Driver Incentive Plan (SDIP) encourages drivers to adhere to traffic laws and drive safely. Under the SDIP, drivers accumulate points when they commit driving violations, but the amount of points depends on the severity of the violation. For example, speeding 10 mph or less results in one point, but passing a stopped school bus can result in four points.
Points stay on your records for three years, and these points correlate to a percentage of rate increase. Having three points means a 70% insurance rate increase, while having 10 points means 260%.
Cheapest car insurance quotes in NC for drivers with an incident
A driving incident includes at-fault accidents, speeding tickets, driving while impaired (DWI) convictions, or other moving violations. Every time you’re involved in a driving-related incident in North Carolina, the state assigns SDIP points to your record, which results in rate increases.
Here’s how much North Carolina car insurance costs based on driving history.
Cheapest car insurance quotes for drivers with a speeding ticket: Progressive
In North Carolina, receiving one speeding ticket could cause your insurance premiums to increase by 30%. But the exact increase will vary depending on how much you exceed the posted speed limit.2
Liability-only policies cost an average of $85 per month for North Carolina drivers with a speeding ticket on their record. The table below shows how rates compare for drivers with clean records versus drivers with speeding tickets.
Cheapest car insurance quotes for drivers with an at-fault accident: Erie
If you have a history of at-fault accidents, your car insurance rates will likely increase — and in North Carolina, your rates could go up by 30%. How much your rates increase depends on the damage and injuries you cause in the accident.
North Carolina drivers with an accident on their records pay a monthly average of $89 for liability insurance.
The table below shows the most affordable car insurance companies with at-fault accidents.
Cheapest car insurance quotes for drivers with a DWI: Erie
In North Carolina, driving while impaired or with a blood-alcohol concentration level (BAC) of 0.08% or higher is illegal. The first offense could result in a $4,000 fine and a minimum of 30 days in jail. And judges can’t suspend the minimum sentence requirements.3
After a DWI, your insurance premiums could increase by as much as 340%, and can impact your rates for 5–10 years. A DWI conviction can also stay on your driving record indefinitely.
Drivers in North Carolina with a DWI pay monthly averages of $101 for liability coverage and $142 for full coverage.
Cheapest car insurance quotes for seniors: Nationwide
Auto insurance rates begin to decrease around age 25, but may slightly increase around age 70 due to an enhanced accident risk and higher probability of accident-caused injuries for senior drivers.4
Senior drivers pay an average of $68 per month for car insurance in North Carolina.
Senior drivers can save money by increasing their deductible, taking an approved defensive driving course, or looking for insurers with low-mileage discounts.
Here’s how much car insurance companies charge, on average, for senior drivers in North Carolina.
Cheapest car insurance quotes for teens: Progressive
Teen drivers pay the highest rates for auto insurance due to their lack of experience behind the wheel and their higher rate of car crashes compared to other age groups.5
Liability insurance for teen drivers in North Carolina costs an average of $122 per month, and full coverage costs $171 per month.
Explore affordable car insurance companies for teens in the table below.
North Carolina car insurance quotes by credit tier
North Carolina allows insurers to consider a driver’s credit history when determining car insurance premiums.6 Insurance companies believe that drivers with excellent credit are less likely to file insurance claims than drivers with bad credit.
The following chart shows that drivers with excellent or good credit pay less, on average, for insurance than drivers with poor credit.
Car insurance rates across North Carolina cities
Car insurance quotes vary widely based on where you live and how often drivers in your area file a claim. That’s why some cities in North Carolina have higher car insurance rates than others. The table below provides the average car insurance quote drivers in North Carolina see, based on which city they live in.