Best Cheap Car Insurance in Connecticut for 2018

Patience pays off if you’re looking for cheap car insurance in Connecticut. Costs vary depending on the company you choose and on personal factors such as your age and driving record, so it’s smart to shop around.

To help pinpoint the best deal for you, NerdWallet gathered rates from the eight largest car insurance companies in Connecticut and found the three cheapest options for these driver types:

Good drivers

Young drivers

Drivers with one at-fault crash

Drivers with poor credit

Retired drivers

also in this article:

Minimum car insurance requirements in Connecticut

Alternative car insurance in Connecticut

» FIND YOUR MATCH: Who’s the cheapest carrier for you?

Cheapest for good drivers

For drivers with no at-fault accidents, DUIs or moving violations.

The average rate for good drivers among the three cheapest companies was about $1,257 per year. Geico led all insurers with a price of $1,144 a year, followed by Travelers Insurance and Amica.

If you have a clean record, check out discounts that companies offer to reward your safe driving, such as those for avoiding accidents and moving violations. Perks like these could influence which insurer is cheapest for you.

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Cheapest for young drivers

For drivers in their early 20s.

Young drivers usually don’t have significant assets or much savings to lose in a crash-related lawsuit. As a result, they often can select lower liability insurance limits than older motorists and score relatively cheap car insurance in Connecticut.

We collected quotes for drivers in their early 20s carrying the minimum state-required coverage. Geico fetched the best deal at $899 a year. This was $245 less than the cheapest rate we found for 30-year-old good drivers, who had higher coverage limits.

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Cheapest for drivers with one at-fault crash

If you cause a car accident, you usually can expect a rate hike when you renew your policy, making it a good time to shop around. The cheapest quote we found for this group was $1,392 from Travelers. Prices jumped from there, with Amica and State Farm each coming in around $300 higher.

The penalty for causing an accident was steeper with some insurers. For instance, the most expensive price we found was over $5,100 per year, a reminder of why shopping quotes is crucial even if you have a crash on your record.

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Cheapest for drivers with poor credit

For drivers placed in the “Poor Credit” tier. 

Insurers may factor in your credit-based insurance score when setting your rates. Those who have poor credit usually will face higher car insurance prices than most other groups. In fact, based on our findings, having credit problems in Connecticut can be more damaging to rates than causing a crash, depending on your insurer.

Travelers returned the lowest quote in our analysis at $2,427 per year. That’s $1,283 more than the cheapest estimate available to safe drivers with good credit and $1,035 more than the best deal we found for drivers with one at-fault crash.

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Cheapest for retired drivers

For drivers in their mid- to late 60s who no longer use their car for commuting.

Retirees, given their reduced annual mileage, have good odds of finding cheap car insurance in Connecticut. We gathered quotes for drivers in their 60s who travel half as much as other groups.

The cheapest rate was $829 per year from Geico, which was $315 lower than the best deal for drivers half that age who commute. Under state law, motorists 60 or older are entitled to a discount and extra car insurance savings for completing a Department of Motor Vehicles-approved accident prevention course.

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Minimum requirements for Connecticut car insurance

Connecticut residents must carry liability insurance, uninsured motorist bodily injury insurance and underinsured motorist bodily injury insurance in at least the following amounts:

• $25,000 bodily injury liability per person
• $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident
• $25,000 property damage liability per accident
• $25,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per person
• $50,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage per accident

Keep in mind that causing just one crash could result in property damage or injury costs that surpass the liability limits above, so it’s usually smart to buy more than the bare minimum.

Check out NerdWallet’s guide to car insurance requirements by state for more details on the required and optional coverages in your Connecticut auto policy.

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Alternative car insurance in Connecticut

If you’re denied car insurance on the voluntary market because of a spotty record or other factors, you can seek coverage through the Connecticut Automobile Insurance Plan.

Try NerdWallet’s car insurance comparison tool to view rates from leading Connecticut insurers.

Here’s a summary of where you’ll find the cheapest insurance, by category:

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