Best Cheap Car Insurance in Arizona for 2020

If you’re looking for cheap car insurance quotes in Arizona, shopping around is key. Rates fluctuate from one company to the next, based in part on personal factors such as age, ZIP code and credit history.

It’s a lot to keep track of, but NerdWallet has done the hard part for you. We looked at rates from the 11 largest insurers in the state and found the cheapest options for several categories.

Cheapest for good drivers in Arizona

For Arizonans with clean driving and credit records, the cheapest companies and their average rates for full coverage are:

1. Geico: $894 per year.
2. Safeco: $1,141 per year.
3. American Family: $1,315 per year.
4. Travelers: $1,334 per year.
5. CSAA: $1,398 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 Arizona

For bare-bones coverage, these are the cheapest companies and average rates for a driver with good credit and a clean driving history, buying Arizona’s minimum required car insurance:

1. Geico: $330 per year.
2. Safeco: $358 per year.
3. CSAA: $447 per year.
4. The Hartford: $537 per year.
5. Travelers: $597 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

Arizona residents with blemished credit and a clean driving record may want to consider these insurers, ranked by average rates:

1. Geico: $1,211 per year.
2. Safeco: $1,632 per year.
3. Travelers: $2,145 per year.
4. American Family: $2,215 per year.
5. Allstate: $2,734 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 Arizona drivers with a recent at-fault accident on record, the cheapest companies and their average rates are:

1. American Family: $1,365 per year.
2. Geico: $1,600 per year.
3. Safeco: $1,705 per year.
4. CSAA: $1,800 per year.
5. Travelers: $1,897 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 Arizona

For Arizona drivers with a recent DUI on their record, these are the cheapest insurers and their average rates:

1. American Family: $1,365 per year.
2. CSAA: $1,672 per year.
3. Safeco: $1,705 per year.
4. Progressive: $2,036 per year.
5. Travelers: $2,111 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 Arizona

After a speeding ticket, the cheapest insurance companies and average rates for Arizona drivers are:

1. American Family: $1,365 per year.
2. CSAA: $1,543 per year.
3. Geico: $1,573 per year.
4. Safeco: $1,575 per year.
5. Travelers: $1,826 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 Arizona

For a family with two or three drivers, the best auto insurance rates may not come from the same companies that are cheapest for singles. That’s why it’s important to shop around for car insurance quotes after a big life change like moving, getting married or adding a teen driver. We checked rates for a 50-year-old married couple, with and without a teen driver, to see which insurers have the best prices in Arizona.

Cheapest for a married couple in Arizona

For a husband and wife, both 50 years old with good credit and clean driving histories, these are the cheapest companies and rates for a two-vehicle policy:

1. Geico: $1,340 per year.
2. Safeco: $1,669 per year.
3. American Family: $2,105 per year.
4. Progressive: $2,110 per year.
5. The Hartford: $2,120 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 Arizona

For a 50-year-old couple with an 18-year-old driver, the cheapest companies and their rates in Arizona are:

1. CSAA: $2,452 per year.
2. Geico: $2,858 per year.
3. Safeco: $3,999 per year.
4. Travelers: $4,272 per year.
5. Progressive: $4,733 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 Arizona

People in their 20s often pay higher auto insurance rates than more experienced drivers. But prices can vary greatly, because companies consider age and other factors differently when setting rates. To see which insurers are cheapest for young drivers, we analyzed rates for 25-year-olds in Arizona.

Cheapest full coverage for young good drivers

For 25-year-olds with good credit and a clean driving history, the cheapest companies and their average rates for full coverage in Arizona are:

1. Geico: $969 per year.
2. Safeco: $1,250 per year.
3. American Family: $1,475 per year.
4. Travelers: $1,552 per year.
5. CSAA: $1,623 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

If a 25-year-old wants minimum required coverage only, these are the cheapest options in Arizona for a young driver with good credit and a clean driving record, ranked by average rates:

1. Geico: $361 per year.
2. Safeco: $382 per year.
3. CSAA: $500 per year.
4. Travelers: $670 per year.
5. The Hartford: $678 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

Young Arizona drivers with poor credit may want to look at these companies, which showed the lowest average rates for minimum coverage for this group:

1. Geico: $491 per year.
2. Safeco: $512 per year.
3. Travelers: $1,014 per year.
4. Allstate: $1,114 per year.
5. Progressive: $1,165 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

For 25-year-olds with a recent at-fault wreck on their record, these are the cheapest companies and average rates for Arizona’s minimum required coverage:

1. Safeco: $540 per year.
2. Geico: $609 per year.
3. CSAA: $647 per year.
4. Travelers: $850 per year.
5. American Family: $957 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 young Arizona drivers with a recent on-record DUI, the cheapest companies and average rates for minimum coverage are:

1. Safeco: $540 per year.
2. CSAA: $658 per year.
3. Progressive: $834 per year.
4. Travelers: $947 per year.
5. American Family: $957 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

After a speeding ticket, the cheapest minimum car insurance for young Arizona drivers comes from these companies, ranked by average rates:

1. Safeco: $503 per year.
2. CSAA: $553 per year.
3. Geico: $645 per year.
4. Travelers: $811 per year.
5. State Farm: $889 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

Cheap car insurance for drivers with a military connection is often available through USAA, which offers coverage exclusively for active service members, veterans and their families. We didn’t rank USAA in the lists above because its policies aren’t available to the general public, but USAA was among the five cheapest options in Arizona for 12 out of 14 driver categories.

Recap: Cheapest car insurance in Arizona

• Good drivers: Geico.
• Minimum coverage: Geico.
• Poor credit: Geico.
• After an at-fault crash: American Family.
• After a DUI: American Family.
• After a speeding ticket: American Family.
• Married couples: Geico.
• Families with a teen: CSAA.
• 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: Safeco.
• Minimum coverage for young drivers after a DUI: Safeco.
• Minimum coverage for young drivers after a ticket: Safeco.

» MORE: Compare car insurance

Minimum required auto insurance in Arizona

Arizona drivers must carry liability insurance, which pays out if you’re at fault in a crash to help cover others’ property damage and injury treatment.

The minimum liability limits you must select to drive legally in Arizona are:

• $15,000 bodily injury liability per person.
• $30,000 bodily injury liability per accident.
• $10,000 property damage liability per accident.

Keep in mind, a severe accident could easily leave you owing more than, say, $10,000 in repairs to another driver’s car. In that case, the remaining amount would have to come out of your hard-earned savings. For that reason, experts recommend getting more than the bare minimum, as well as common optional features such as collision, comprehensive and uninsured motorist coverage.

Check out NerdWallet’s guide to state car insurance requirements for help understanding and improving your Arizona policy.

Alternative car insurance in Arizona

High-risk drivers who are denied coverage through the open market can seek car insurance through the Arizona Automobile Insurance Plan.

Try our handy car insurance comparison tool to view rates from top companies side by side and possibly save hundreds on your premium.

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.