Cheap Car Insurance for Teenage Drivers (2025)
Cheapest car insurance for teens and parents
How much is car insurance for teens?
The average cost of liability car insurance Liability covers injuries and damage you cause to others. It’s required by law in most states. is $253 a month for teenagers who get their own car insurance. Young drivers pay around $578 a month for their own full coverage.
Adding a teen to a parent’s policy costs $352 a month less than separate full-coverage policies for each driver.
A family can save more by dropping the collision Collision covers damage to your car from a collision with another vehicle or object. and comprehensive Comprehensive covers your car for theft or damage from non-collision causes like fire, flood and vandalism. coverages from a teen’s vehicle. However, this is only recommended if the teen drives an older car with a low resale value.
Car insurance costs for a parent and teenage driver
| Drivers | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| One policy for parent and teen | $416 |
| Separate policies for parent and teen | $768 |
Full-coverage rates are for a 50-year-old parent and their 18-year-old child.
Cheapest car insurance quotes for young drivers
USAA has the cheapest rates overall, but it’s only available to teens in military families.
Cheapest car insurance for parents with a teen driver
Travelers has the cheapest car insurance for most parents with a teen on their policy at $332 a month. State Farm’s rate is nearly identical at $333 a month. Of these two companies, State Farm has a higher overall customer satisfaction rating J.D. Power’s scores are based on customer surveys rating companies on price, coverage and other factors. from J.D. Power.
Insurance rates for parents with a teen driver
| Company | Monthly rate | J.D. Power score** | LendingTree score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Travelers | $332 | 616 |  |
 | State Farm | $333 | 657 | |
 | Geico | $356 | 637 |  |
 | Progressive | $387 | 622 |  |
 | Allstate | $619 | 635 |  |
 | Farmers | $624 | 619 | |
 | USAA* | $259 | 739 | |
*USAA only sells insurance to members of the military and their families.
**Source: J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Auto Insurance Study. Higher is better; 644 is average.
Cheapest car insurance quotes for teens on their own
State Farm and Travelers also have cheap quotes for teens who get their own car insurance. State Farm has the cheapest liability insurance for most teenage drivers, at $171 a month. Travelers is only slightly more expensive, at $181 a month.
Travelers has the cheapest full-coverage car insurance for most teens at $375 a month. This is only slightly less than State Farm’s rate of $379 a month.
Insurance rates for teens on their own
| Company | Liability coverage | Full coverage |
|---|---|---|
| State Farm | $171 | $379 |
| Travelers | $181 | $375 |
| Geico | $194 | $456 |
| Progressive | $204 | $625 |
| Allstate | $317 | $636 |
| Farmers | $572 | $1,235 |
| USAA* | $134 | $339 |
Car insurance costs for parents with teens
A teen’s crash risks go down as they age and gain experience behind the wheel. At any age, though, male teens have higher crash risks than female teens.
These are some of the reasons why adding a teenage girl to your car insurance costs 7% less than adding a teenage boy. Regardless of gender, 19-year-olds cost 22% less to insure than 16-year-olds.
Insurance rates for parents and teens
| Age of teen | Male monthly rate | Female monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | $477 | $444 |
| 17 | $433 | $401 |
| 18 | $392 | $362 |
| 19 | $374 | $345 |
Full-coverage rates are for a 50-year-old parent and teenage child on one policy.
Car insurance discounts for teen drivers
Good student
Teens can often get a good student discount by having a B average or better in school. You don’t need to provide school transcripts to get quotes. However, you will probably have to send a copy of them to the company you choose.
Safe driving apps
Most large car insurance companies offer a discount to drivers of any age who enroll in their safe driver program.
These programs often use a smartphone app to monitor your driving. You usually get an initial discount just for signing up and downloading the app. And if you drive safely enough, you get another discount each time you renew your policy.
Some aspects of these programs will vary by company. For example, Travelers raises your rates if its app detects bad driving. State Farm does not.
Driver’s education and training
Many insurance companies offer a discount to teens who complete an approved driver’s education or training program. The programs that qualify vary by insurance company.
Away-at-school discounts
Several companies offer discounts to parents with teens who are away at college without a car. These programs save parents money while keeping the teen insured when they borrow cars at school or back at home.
Dropping full coverage
A teen with an older car can save money by removing full coverage from their vehicle. Your car’s resale value is the most your insurance company pays if your car is destroyed or stolen. If your car is worth less than a few thousand dollars, the potential benefits of full coverage are usually not worth the cost.
Why car insurance is so expensive for teens
High crash rates are the main reason why car insurance is so expensive for teens. Drivers ages 16 to 20 have higher crash rates than other age groups. This is blamed largely on their lack of driving experience.
Teens usually get lower car insurance rates as they age, as long as they avoid tickets and accidents.
When to get car insurance quotes for a teen driver
It’s good to start shopping for car insurance a few months before your teen gets their driver’s license. Their coverage needs to take effect on the day they get their license.
Let your current insurance company know when your teen gets his or her learner’s permit. Most insurance companies cover a teen with a permit at no extra cost when they drive under your supervision. However, you should check with your company for restrictions and ask for a quote, too.
Each company uses a different system to set your rates. Your current company may not be as affordable with a teen as it was before your child started driving. Comparing car insurance quotes from multiple companies helps you find the best rate for your new situation.
Reasons to add a teen to a parent’s car insurance
For a family, the advantages of adding a teenager to a parent’s car insurance go beyond price. Here are a few other reasons to keep a teen on the same policy as their parents:
- You may not have a choice. Many insurance companies require you to keep every family member in your home on the same policy.
- A single policy for parents and teens covers each driver in any household vehicle. This reduces some of the worries a parent may have about letting their teen borrow their car.
- Teens under 18 are usually barred from legal contracts like car insurance. If a minor needs their own car insurance, they often need a parent or guardian to cosign their application.
A teen can usually remain on a parent’s car insurance while they live at home or are away at school. A teen who moves out can usually only stay on a parent’s car insurance if the parent owns or co-owns their vehicle. Otherwise, they need their own car insurance.
Frequently asked questions
Parents can add a newly licensed driver to their car insurance at age 16. You usually have to be at least 18 years old to get your own car insurance. You may get it at a younger age if a parent or guardian cosigns your application.
Yes, but usually only when the teen is driving a parent’s vehicle under parental supervision.
A teen who lives with a parent doesn’t need separate insurance for their own car. A teen who moves out on their own usually does need their own car insurance, unless a parent is on the vehicle’s title. The rules vary by state and insurance company.