Best Cheap Car Insurance in Nevada for 2020

When looking for cheap car insurance in Nevada, you may run into some challenges. Prices can vary significantly from one company to the next, even for the same coverage options and limits, so it pays to gather as many quotes as possible.

To make things easier, NerdWallet collected rates from the 10 largest insurers in the state and found the cheapest options for several types of drivers.

Cheapest for good drivers in Nevada

For a Nevadan with good credit and a clean driving record, the cheapest insurance companies and their average rates for full coverage are:

1. Geico: $1,185 per year.
2. Safeco: $1,578 per year.
3. American Access: $2,006 per year.
4. State Farm: $2,036 per year.
5. Progressive: $2,250 per year.

Drivers with no recent accidents or violations can get cheaper car insurance rates for having good credit. For this calculation, NerdWallet averaged rates for 40-year-old men and women with a clean driving record and good credit. In terms of driving and credit history, a large portion of drivers are closest to this profile, which carries standard "full coverage" insurance, including comprehensive and collision, along with state-required coverage. Prices shown include a good driver discount, when available from the insurer.

Cheapest for minimum coverage in Nevada

For drivers who want only Nevada’s minimum required insurance coverage, these are the cheapest companies and their average rates, assuming clean driving and credit histories:

1. Geico: $566 per year.
2. Safeco: $836 per year.
3. State Farm: $950 per year.
4. Allstate: $953 per year.
5. Progressive: $1,063 per year.

We calculated these numbers by averaging rates for 40-year-old good drivers (earning them a discount if the insurer offers one) who have only the minimum mandatory insurance in their state. Such light coverage isn't typically recommended, since it might not cover all the bills resulting from a car accident, but it's better than nothing — especially if you can't afford much more. If you're looking for the cheapest possible insurance you can get, though, you'll still want to get quotes from at least three auto insurers.

Cheapest for good drivers with poor credit

Nevada drivers with blemished credit and a good driving record may want to check out these companies, which returned the cheapest average rates for full coverage:

1. Geico: $1,668 per year.
2. American Access: $2,006 per year.
3. Key Insurance: $2,264 per year.
4. Safeco: $3,177 per year.
5. Progressive: $3,604 per year.

If you have a spotty credit history, it's important to shop around to find the cheapest auto insurance rates you can. Poor credit can have a bigger effect on car insurance premiums than even a DUI conviction or a recent at-fault crash, but prices vary by insurer. To calculate these figures, NerdWallet averaged rates for 40-year-olds with a clean driving record and associated good driver discount, if the insurer offered one. They had poor credit as reported to their insurer, and standard "full coverage" car insurance.

Cheapest for drivers with one at-fault crash

For a driver in Nevada who recently caused a wreck, these are the cheapest insurers and average rates for full coverage:

1. Geico: $2,017 per year.
2. State Farm: $2,577 per year.
3. Safeco: $2,637 per year.
4. Key Insurance: $2,656 per year.
5. American Access: $2,753 per year.

After a relatively minor crash, some auto insurers will charge a lot more than others for coverage. To get these figures, we averaged rates for 40-year-olds with typical "full coverage" insurance and one recent at-fault crash costing $10,000 in property damage. Your rates will remain high for three to five years after you cause an accident or have a moving violation. If you fall into this category, be sure to shop for new insurance rates just after the three-year and five-year anniversaries of your infraction.

Cheapest insurance after a DUI in Nevada

For someone whose driving record includes a recent DUI, here are the cheapest car insurance companies and their average rates in Nevada for full coverage policies:

1. American Access: $2,405 per year.
2. Key Insurance: $2,419 per year.
3. Safeco: $2,655 per year.
4. Geico: $2,702 per year.
5. Allstate: $3,097 per year.

A conviction for driving under the influence, or DUI, generally results in higher auto insurance premiums than before. NerdWallet analyzed rates for 40-year-old drivers and standard “full coverage” car insurance with a recent DUI conviction to see which companies were cheapest. Rates can vary by hundreds between carriers after a DUI, and some penalize for longer than others, so it’s important to shop around for the best price right after you see a price hike and each year after that.

Cheapest insurance after a ticket in Nevada

For a Nevada driver with a recent speeding ticket, the cheapest insurers and corresponding average rates for full coverage are:

1. Geico: $1,501 per year.
2. Safeco: $2,073 per year.
3. American Access: $2,187 per year.
4. Key Insurance: $2,264 per year.
5. State Farm: $2,365 per year.

Getting a speeding ticket will result in higher car insurance rates from most companies for three to five years. To see who has the cheapest rates, we calculated average car insurance rates for 40-year-old drivers with “full coverage” insurance and a recent ticket for speeding 16 mph over the limit. Though these larger companies were the cheapest we found on average, others may be cheaper for you, so be sure to get at least three quotes before deciding on a carrier.

Cheapest for couples and families in Nevada

When you’re insuring multiple drivers or more than one car, your best rates may not come from the same companies that are cheapest for single drivers. For this reason, NerdWallet also analyzed rates for a Nevada married couple, with and without a teen driver. To get the best possible rate, it’s smart to shop around for auto insurance quotes after any big change in your life, such as getting married, moving or adding a driver to your policy.

Cheapest for a married couple in Nevada

These are the cheapest companies and average rates we found for a Nevada husband and wife, both 50 years old with clean credit and driving records, insuring two vehicles with full coverage:

1. Geico: $1,963 per year.
2. Safeco: $2,366 per year.
3. Allstate: $2,817 per year.
4. Progressive: $2,897 per year.
5. American Access: $3,152 per year.

Couples who live together can save on auto insurance by combining policies, whether they are married or not, because they can earn multi-car and multi-driver discounts. Once they tie the knot, rates can dip further, but not because of discounts — insurers see married people as less risky and so charge them lower rates. Our hypothetical 50-year-old couple’s clean driving record also earns them both a good driver discount.

Cheapest for families with a teen in Nevada

For a 50-year-old couple plus an 18-year-old driver, here are the cheapest insurers and average rates in Nevada for full coverage on two vehicles:

1. Geico: $3,312 per year.
2. Allstate: $4,764 per year.
3. Safeco: $5,146 per year.
4. State Farm: $6,280 per year.
5. Progressive: $6,355 per year.

Taking that same couple and adding a teen with two years’ driving experience is sure to cause a big jump in rates. Since different insurers tend to see a teen’s inexperience in different ways, we analyzed rates to see which companies had the cheapest car insurance for teens. These rates are averaged for 50-year-old couples with male and female 18-year-old drivers across the state.

Cheapest for young drivers in Nevada

Car insurance for young, inexperienced drivers often carries a high price tag. But rates can vary dramatically, because each company considers personal factors like age and driving experience differently. To learn which insurers are cheapest for young drivers, we examined rates for Nevada 25-year-olds in various circumstances.

Cheapest full coverage for young good drivers

For 25-year-old drivers in Nevada with clean driving and credit records, the cheapest insurance companies and average rates for full coverage are:

1. Geico: $1,239 per year.
2. Safeco: $1,754 per year.
3. State Farm: $2,315 per year.
4. Allstate: $2,402 per year.
5. Progressive: $2,404 per year.

Drivers in their 20s can have a hard time finding cheap car insurance, and that's even truer when they need full coverage. The rates above are averages for 25-year-old male and female drivers all over the state with comprehensive and collision coverages, which are often required for drivers with active auto loans or leases. These rates reflect a good driver discount, but no others. Young drivers, like all drivers, should check several quotes to find the cheapest for the coverage levels they need.

Cheapest minimum coverage for young good drivers

For a young driver with a good driving history who wants to stick with Nevada’s minimum required insurance coverage, these are the cheapest companies and their average rates:

1. Geico: $585 per year.
2. Safeco: $923 per year.
3. Allstate: $958 per year.
4. State Farm: $1,074 per year.
5. Progressive: $1,112 per year.

Since young people often have fewer assets to protect with liability insurance, they can usually get away with lower coverage limits. For an age group with relatively high insurance rates on average, that's good news, keeping rates as low as possible. For this price set, we averaged rates for 25-year-old male and female drivers living across the state who have clean driving records, good credit and bare-bones insurance coverage.

Poor credit and minimum coverage

For a 25-year-old Nevadan with poor credit and a clean driving record, the cheapest insurers and average rates for minimum coverage are:

1. Geico: $823 per year.
2. Allstate: $1,496 per year.
3. American Access: $1,530 per year.
4. Key Insurance: $1,593 per year.
5. Progressive: $1,697 per year.

Poor credit is common for younger folks just starting out, who may still be building their credit files. That can increase rates further, so it's extra important to shop around and compare as many insurance quotes as possible to find the cheapest you can get. For these prices, we averaged rates across the state for 25-year-old male and female drivers with no recent accidents or violations (earning them a good driver discount), minimum coverage car insurance, and credit in the "poor" tier as reported to an insurer.

Cheapest for minimum coverage after a crash

These are the cheapest insurance companies for a young Nevada driver who recently caused an on-record accident, ranked by average rates for minimum coverage:

1. Geico: $979 per year.
2. Allstate: $1,275 per year.
3. State Farm: $1,379 per year.
4. Safeco: $1,426 per year.
5. Farmers: $1,661 per year.

To get prices for this group, we averaged rates for 25-year-old male and female drivers across the state with good credit and a recent at-fault crash costing $10,000 in property damage. Since car insurance is often pricier after a crash, and especially so for young drivers, we assumed minimum required insurance in the state to contain costs for our hypothetical driver. If you've caused a crash, no matter your age, be sure to check auto insurance quotes just after the third and fifth anniversaries of your incident, when insurers often adjust rates downward.

Cheapest for minimum coverage after a DUI

For 25-year-old Nevada drivers with a recent DUI on their record, here are the cheapest insurers and their average rates for minimum coverage:

1. Allstate: $1,242 per year.
2. Geico: $1,300 per year.
3. Safeco: $1,426 per year.
4. Progressive: $1,622 per year.
5. Key Insurance: $1,680 per year.

Young drivers with a recent DUI on their records will need to be diligent to find the lowest car insurance rates they can get — it's likely that many companies' rates will be quite expensive. But spending the time to shop around for quotes can help you find the lowest. For this analysis, we averaged rates for male and female 25-year-old drivers with a recent on-record DUI. They had good credit and minimum required car insurance, which helps keep rates down.

Cheapest for minimum coverage and a ticket

For a young driver with a recent speeding ticket, these are the cheapest insurance companies and average rates for Nevada’s minimum required coverage:

1. Geico: $719 per year.
2. Allstate: $1,047 per year.
3. Safeco: $1,143 per year.
4. State Farm: $1,250 per year.
5. Farmers: $1,422 per year.

Getting a speeding ticket is never fun, and neither is the higher car insurance bill you may receive months later. At that point it's time to shop around for better rates, and it wouldn't hurt to repeat on your third and fifth ticket anniversaries, when insurers may adjust rates downward. We analyzed rates for 25-year-old male and female drivers with a recent speeding violation for going 16 mph over the speed limit to see prices for this group.

Cheap for military families

If you’re an active military member or a veteran — or have an immediate family member who is — USAA is a good option to find cheap car insurance in Nevada. It’s not available to the general public, which is why we don’t rank it within the groups. However, USAA was among the five cheapest options in every category listed above.

» MORE: Best car insurance for veterans and military

Recap: Cheapest car insurance in Nevada

• Good drivers: Geico
• Minimum coverage: Geico
• Poor credit: Geico
• After an at-fault crash: Geico
• After a DUI: American Access
• After a speeding ticket: Geico
• Married couples: Geico
• Families with a teen: Geico
• Young good drivers: Geico
• Minimum coverage for young good drivers: Geico
• Minimum coverage for young drivers with poor credit: Geico
• Minimum coverage for young drivers after a crash: Geico
• Minimum coverage for young drivers after a DUI: Allstate
• Minimum coverage for young drivers after a ticket: Geico

» MORE: Compare car insurance

Minimum required auto insurance in Nevada

Nevada car insurance policies must include liability insurance, which covers others’ property damage and injuries if you’re at fault in a crash.

The minimum auto insurance liability limits are:

• $25,000 bodily injury liability per person.
• $50,000 bodily injury liability per incident.
• $20,000 property damage liability per incident.

Even though this will be enough to drive legally, the bare minimum might not be enough to cover all damage. For example, causing an accident could easily leave you on the hook for more than $20,000 in property damage to another driver’s car. You’d have to pay for any repairs that exceed your insurance limit.

Check out NerdWallet’s guide to minimum car insurance requirements by state to learn more about coverage options for your policy in the Sagebrush State.

Alternative car insurance in Nevada

If you’re denied auto insurance on the voluntary market due to DUIs, poor credit or other factors, you can seek coverage through the Nevada Automobile Insurance Plan.

For more help finding cheap car insurance in Nevada, try NerdWallet’s car insurance quotes comparison tool.

Methodology

For our “good driver” profile, NerdWallet averaged rates from the largest insurers in the state for 40-year-old men and women in all ZIP codes with 12,000 annual miles driven. The policy includes:

• $100,000 bodily injury liability per person.
• $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident.
• $50,000 property damage liability per accident.
• $100,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person.
• $300,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident.
• Collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible.
• Comprehensive coverage with a $1,000 deductible.

If required, minimum additional coverages were added. Our “young driver” had all the same characteristics, but average rates were for 25-year-old men and women. We used the same assumptions for all other driver profiles, with the following exceptions:

• For drivers with minimum coverage, we adjusted the numbers above to reflect minimum required coverage by law in the state.
• We changed the credit tier from “good” to “poor” as reported to the insurer to see rates for drivers with poor credit.
• For drivers with one at-fault crash, we added a single at-fault crash costing $10,000 in property damage.
• For drivers with a ticket, we added a single speeding violation for driving 16 mph over the speed limit.
• For drivers with a DUI, we added a single drunken driving violation.

We used a 2016 Toyota Camry LE for all single drivers. Couples in our analyses were 50-year-old men and women with good credit and clean driving histories, averaged across all ZIP codes with the same policy outlined above. To see rates for families with a teen, we added an 18-year-old licensed two years ago, averaging rates for male and female teens. For couples and families we added a 2016 Nissan Rogue S to create a two-car household. These are rates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your own rates will be different.