Founded in 1841 as a small trading post, Dallas is now the ninth-largest U.S. city. The city’s population density may help explain its relatively high overall average insurance cost of $197 per month compared to the national average cost of $144. Drivers in bigger cities with higher population densities face increased risks of car accidents.
Even though rates in Dallas — and the rest of Texas — are relatively high, you can help lower your car insurance costs by comparing quotes from multiple insurers. Here’s what you need to know about finding the cheapest rates in Dallas.
How much is car insurance in Dallas, TX?
Car insurance in Dallas is more expensive than in Texas overall, and Dallas insurance costs are also higher than the national average. See how Dallas car insurance rates compare in the table below.
Cheapest car insurance companies in Dallas
The cheapest car insurance company for one person might not be the same for another, since multiple factors affect your rates. If you’re searching for affordable coverage, you can see some of the cheapest car insurance companies in Dallas in the table below.
Best car insurance companies in Dallas
The best auto insurance company for you depends on your financial situation and insurance needs. Each insurer uses different criteria to set rates. Factors like your gender, marital status, ZIP code, driving history, and credit history go into these calculations.1 Even if multiple insurers use similar rating factors, the weights applied to them can vary by insurer.
The following three insurers offer some of the best coverage in Dallas at an affordable price. The quotes provided below reflect average costs in the state of Texas.
Best insurer for cheap rates: State Farm
Best insurer for discounts: GEICO
Best insurer for the military community: USAA
How to get the cheapest car insurance in Dallas
The cheapest car insurance in Dallas will look different for each driver because insurers use a number of different factors to set premium rates. It’s important to get quotes and compare rates from multiple insurance companies to find the cheapest insurance for you.
In addition to shopping around, these strategies can also help you find the cheapest car insurance in Dallas:
Maintain a clean driving record. Safe drivers earn the lowest insurance costs.
Adjust your coverage levels. You can make a number of tweaks to your insurance policy to reduce your costs, such as increasing your comprehensive or collision deductibles, dropping collision or comprehensive coverage, or decreasing your coverage limits. Just make sure you don’t lower your coverage so much that you can’t afford to cover the out-of-pocket costs after an accident.
Take advantage of discounts. Most insurance companies offer discounts to customers who bundle home insurance or renters insurance with their auto insurance. Other common discounts reward safe drivers and good students.
Improve your credit. Insurance companies in Texas can use your credit history as a factor in setting your rates. Improving your credit will save you money on car insurance, and it can improve your finances in general.
Shop around for the best rates. Compare costs when buying a car or renewing your policy to find the best deal. Prices vary widely between insurers, and you should get quotes from at least three companies.
Car insurance requirements in Texas
Texas is an at-fault state, which means the at-fault driver is responsible for covering the other party’s vehicle damages and medical costs.2
Texas requires all drivers to purchase minimum amounts of bodily injury and property damage liability coverage. To drive legally in the state, you need to purchase the following minimum coverages:3
Texas drivers don’t need to carry more than the above minimum requirements, but you should consider increasing these coverage amounts and types in case of a serious accident. Dallas drivers may want to consider the following optional coverages for more vehicle protection:
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an incident
Drivers with a clean record typically pay the lowest insurance rates. If you have a past incident on your driving record — such as an at-fault accident, speeding ticket, DWI, or other moving violation — you can expect higher insurance premiums.
On average, Dallas drivers with a past incident pay $228 per month for car insurance. The severity and frequency of your violations will also influence how much you pay for car insurance. Here’s how different incidents may affect your insurance rates and where you can look for affordable insurance even with a spotty driving record.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a speeding ticket: State Farm
Speeding can increase a driver’s risk of getting into an accident, so insurers may charge drivers more for coverage if they have a ticket on their driving record.
The average cost of car insurance for Dallas drivers with a past speeding ticket is $236 per month. Compare average quotes from different insurers below.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident: State Farm
If you have an at-fault accident on your record, insurance companies will likely view you as a higher risk than drivers with no accidents. Depending on the severity and circumstances of the accident and your driving history, your insurer may increase your premiums or even drop you after an at-fault accident.
But accident forgiveness coverage could help hold your rates steady after your first at-fault accident. You’ll generally need to have a clean driving record for three to five years to be eligible to buy this type of coverage.
Dallas drivers with a past accident pay an average of $250 per month for coverage.
Here are average liability-only quotes from several insurers for drivers with an at-fault accident.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a DWI: State Farm
Driving under the influence, which is called “driving while intoxicated” (DWI) in Texas, is a serious traffic offense that comes with some major penalties. A first DWI offense in Texas comes with a fine of up to $2,000, up to 180 days in jail, and the loss of your driver’s license for up to a year. These penalties increase for subsequent offenses.4
In Texas, a DWI can stay on your record permanently. Drivers who have a past DWI may struggle to find affordable car insurance, but several insurance companies offer coverage for drivers with a DWI conviction. The average cost of car insurance for a Dallas driver with a past DWI is $240.
Compare average liability quotes from the following insurers that offer coverage to drivers with a DWI.
Cheapest car insurance for seniors: State Farm
Your age affects how much you pay for car insurance. Older drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than young drivers due to safer driving habits. In most cases, premiums decrease for most drivers around age 35 and remain low for another four decades. But at around age 70, rates tend to increase again because senior drivers may experience aging-related risk factors that lead to more accidents.
The overall average cost of car insurance for senior drivers in Dallas is $167 per month. Here’s how average quotes from several different insurers vary for senior drivers.
Cheapest car insurance for teens: State Farm
Teen drivers have the highest insurance costs of any demographic, in part due to limited driving experience. But they’re also more likely to take risks on the road, which is why the youngest drivers have a higher rate of fatal crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).5
Even though teenagers generally pay higher rates than other drivers, you can use a few strategies to find cheap car insurance as a teenage driver. For example, teen drivers will typically pay less for coverage if they join their parents’ existing policy, drive a safe car, earn good grades to qualify for a good student discount, or attend school away from home.
Minor teens won’t be able to legally buy coverage of their own without the written consent of a parent or guardian. On average, the cost of car insurance for teen drivers in Dallas is $383 per month. Here are some of the cheapest average quotes offered to teen drivers in Dallas.
Dallas car insurance quotes by credit tier
Texas allows insurance companies to use drivers’ credit history as a factor in determining premiums. State law requires the Texas Department of Insurance to regulate how insurers use credit. This oversight protects consumers in Texas with several important rules:
Insurers can’t use credit as the only factor in setting insurance rates.
Consumers have the right to know what scoring system a company uses.
Companies must tell consumers how to dispute inaccurate credit information.6
Even with these protections in place, credit history can affect how much drivers in Dallas pay for auto insurance. Drivers with good or excellent credit generally pay lower rates than people with poor credit.
Here are the average monthly quotes for full-coverage auto insurance in Dallas by credit tier.
Cost of car insurance in other Texas cities
People in bigger cities pay higher car insurance rates due to an increased risk of accidents and vehicle theft. See how Dallas car insurance costs compare to some other cities in Texas.