How Much Is Car Insurance for an 18-Year-Old?

Let’s take a look at just how much car insurance for 18-year-olds costs and how to get a quote online for your young driver.

On average, car insurance for an 18-year-old will cost about $2,500 per year. Of course, this is just an average cost, as the cost of your premiums will depend on your gender, where you live, what kind of car you drive, what kind of coverage you have, and several other factors. Some 18-year-olds may only pay about $1,900 per year, while others may pay upwards of $7,000 per year.

The price of car insurance for an 18-year-old is higher than the price of car insurance for people 20 or older because teenagers are often very risky to insure. In fact, according to the CDC, drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 are three times more likely per mile driven to be involved in a fatal crash than drivers over the age of 20.

It is important to note that one of the biggest factors insurers take into account when calculating a car insurance quote for an 18-year-old is their gender. 

On average, car insurance for an 18-year-old male costs about $3,300 in premiums. In total, 18-year-old males spend about $890 more on car insurance premiums per year than 18-year-old female drivers. The reason males of this age group pay so much more than females the same age is because 18-year-old males have proven to be far riskier drivers than 18-year-old females.

According to the CDC, in 2019, the motor vehicle death rate is over two times higher for males aged 16 to 19 than for females of the same age. Thus, insurance providers charge 18-year-old males higher premiums for car insurance because they end up filing more claims than females of the same age.

The best insurance for an 18-year-old male driver will be a policy with full coverage but low premiums. The best way to achieve this and get cheap car insurance with the most expansive coverage is to talk to your insurance provider about what discounts your 18-year-old male driver is eligible for or to get an insurance quote online.

On average, car insurance for an 18-year-old female costs about $2,500 in premiums. As a whole, 18-year-old females are charged less on car insurance premiums than males of the same age because they aren’t as risky to insure. 

While car insurance for an 18-year-old female costs less than car insurance for males of the same age, it is still much more expensive than car insurance for males and females over 21. In fact, 18-year-old females tend to be more careful drivers than 18-year-old males, but they’re still riskier drivers than anyone over the age of 21.

Car insurance does decrease when drivers turn 18, but that isn’t when major decreases start to happen. Typically, car insurance premiums for teenagers start high, then at 18 they start to decrease, at 20 they decrease again, and by 25 they will start to plateau. This is only the case if you do not have a lapse in car insurance coverage, do not have any at-fault accidents, and keep the same type of coverage over this period of time.

On average, car insurance for an 18-year-old costs about $170 per month. However, your 18-year-old’s premiums can cost more or less depending on their gender, where you live, if they have their own policy, the type of coverage they have, what types of discounts they qualify for, and several other factors. 

For example, an 18-year-old female on her parents’ policy who only has liability coverage and is eligible for a good student discount from her provider will probably pay less per month than an 18-year-old male on his own policy who has full coverage and is not eligible for any discounts. 

Insuring your 18-year-old college student can be expensive, especially considering the other costs of college. There are several things to consider when searching for the best car insurance for your college student, such as how often they will be driving their car or how far from home they will be attending school. 

While insurance premiums for 18-year-olds are high, there are several discounts available that are geared specifically toward students. Many insurance providers offer a good student discount for students who have a 3.0 GPA or above, a student away discount for students who do not use their car when they’re away at school, and a Usage-Based Insurance (UBI) plan that rewards safe drivers with discounted premiums.

Usage-Based Insurance (UBI) is a program designed by auto insurance providers to reward safe drivers by offering them discounts on their car insurance premiums. UBI shares your driving data with your insurance provider through an app or plug-in device, depending on your provider, to track your driving habits. Some things they track include:

Your provider will assess the data you provide from each of these facets and, from there, will decide if you’re a safe driver and should be rewarded with a discount. 

Every insurance provider that offers UBI has a different discount for safe drivers. For example, participants in Geico’s UBI DriveEasy will receive 15% off their premiums just for signing up and have the chance to earn up to 25% off their premiums, depending on how safely they drive.

However, some programs, DriveEasy included, may also use your data to increase your premiums if you’re a risky driver. Be sure to only enroll in a UBI if you practice safe driving habits.

The price of car insurance for a new driver will depend on how old they are, their gender, where they live, if they’re on someone else’s policy or their own, and several other factors. New drivers with the highest priced premiums are new drivers who are under 21 and new drivers who have gaps in their driving history. Car insurance premiums are higher for these groups because they have yet to build a driving record with insurance companies.

The best way to insure your 18-year-old driver is to add them to your policy. Car insurance for 18-year-olds is going to be expensive any way you swing it, but adding your 18-year-old to your policy may keep the premiums lower than if they were to start their own policy. 

Insurance companies use several factors to calculate risk, which then informs the cost of your premium. Some things insurance companies look at when calculating your premiums are your credit score and your driving record. If you have a good credit score and a good driving record, your premiums will be lower. Thus, adding your 18-year-old to your policy will allow them to piggyback off your good standing with your insurer and keep their premiums low.

Most insurance providers will give policyholders a discount for having multiple people or cars on their policy, so this is also a benefit to adding your 18-year-old to your policy.

It is important to shop around for car insurance quotes for your 18-year-old to find the best coverage for you and your family. Auto insurance coverages and costs vary for each policyholder, so to find out how to get the best coverage for the lowest cost, contact an agent online at Clovered.

You can submit your information online with this form to get a quote, then one of our licensed agents will reach out to you directly to discuss which policy will be best for you. You can call us at 833-255-4117 or send us an email at [email protected] any time with questions about car insurance for 18-year-olds.