Best Car Insurance in Maryland

Whether you’re stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic in Baltimore or taking a scenic cruise in Ocean City, drivers across the Old Line State want to ensure they get the best car insurance available. For commuters and leisure drivers alike, all drivers must maintain sufficient Maryland car insurance to abide by state law. 

As is the case with most things, there are good and bad choices when it comes to selecting the best auto insurance in Maryland. Let’s break down how to select the best policy for your needs and investigate the best insurance companies in Maryland.

The best auto insurance in Maryland will vary from driver to driver but will come down to what you value in an auto insurance policy. If you value coverage over cost, the best auto insurance for you will be a policy with full coverage and plenty of opportunities for additional coverage types. If you value cost over coverage, the best policy for you will be a policy with the legal minimum required coverage with several discounts applied. 

If you fall in the middle, valuing coverage and cost equally, the best policy for you will be a full coverage policy through an insurer with low base rates and several discounts applied. Most drivers will find themselves in this category because many value their safety as much as their savings.

You must carry at least the state-mandated coverages on your auto insurance on your policy. In Maryland, all drivers must have at least $30,000 of bodily injury liability per person per accident, $60,000 of bodily injury liability per accident, and $15,000 of property damage liability per accident.

On your policy, this will appear as 30/60/15 liability coverage. Maryland drivers must also carry at least 30/60/15 in uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM) and at least $2,500 of personal injury protection, or PIP, unless your health insurance or certain other conditions exempt you from carrying PIP.

While car insurance in the Old Line State can be costly, averaging at about $1,850 annually for a full coverage policy, it’s possible to lower your premiums without lowering your coverage. Let’s look at how you can get the best auto insurance in Maryland while doing what’s best for your safety and wallet.

A fair few insurance companies in Maryland offer low base rates and various discounts, allowing you to get the best price on an auto insurance policy without sacrificing your coverage needs. Insurers determine your premiums based on factors unique to you, such as age, gender, location, type of car you drive, and several other factors.

The unique factors insurers can use to set your premiums may help or hurt you. One way this can take shape is by using your ZIP code to help determine your premiums. Drivers in highly populated cities generally pay more for car insurance because they’re at a higher risk of getting into an accident and filing a claim with their insurer. 

For example, drivers in Cambridge will likely pay less in car insurance premiums than in Baltimore since Baltimore is a densely populated city, and drivers are statistically more likely to have car accidents on its roads than in other, less populated cities.

If the unique factors about you that go into setting your premiums are hurting you rather than helping you, don’t lose hope. You can still find insurers with low base rates, many of which will offer discounts to further reduce your premiums. 

The best car insurance for Baltimore drivers is a full coverage policy with added optional coverage types through an insurer with low base rates and several discounts applied. Drivers in Baltimore will be more protected if they opt for a full coverage policy rather than a minimum coverage policy, given the higher likelihood of getting into a car accident on the city’s densely packed roadways. Opting for a full coverage policy will ensure your safety on Baltimore’s roads but may cost a bit more than a policy in other parts of the state.

The average full coverage policy in Maryland is about $1,850 annually, while the average full coverage policy in Baltimore is about $2,440. Car insurance rates are about 25% higher in Baltimore than Maryland’s state average. While rates are more expensive in the city, that doesn’t mean low rates are impossible to find. Some insurers will offer base rates lower than Baltimore’s average full coverage policy. With enough discounts applied, you may be able to get your premiums down to the state’s average or even lower.

While we consider a few Maryland car insurance companies to be the best, it’s important to remember the best insurer for you is entirely subjective and depends on your needs. The company with the best rates may not have all the coverage options you need, while the company with the largest variety of coverage options may not have your desired rates. It’s important to consider who you’re insuring, too, as rates will change depending on age, especially if you’re insuring a teenager or an older person.

Before starting your search for the best car insurance companies in Maryland, you must consider your needs to know what to look for in an insurer and on your policy. While some static factors about you as a driver may cause your premiums to be higher than average, some companies still stand out for one reason or another. Let’s look at those companies that offer low base rates, a plethora of discount options, or coverage options that make them better than the rest.

When sifting through Maryland auto insurance providers on your hunt to find the best policy for your needs, you will likely get quotes from a few insurers before settling on a policy that best suits your values. Since the average full-coverage policy in Maryland is about $200 more annually than the national average, the best policy will often be through an insurer with low base rates and several opportunities for stackable discounts to lower your premiums.

Here we’ve compiled a list of some of the top car insurance companies in Maryland and some information about what makes them the best.

USAA is one of our top choices for car insurance in the state because of its low base rates and consistently exceptional customer service. A full coverage policy with USAA in Maryland costs, on average, about $1,150 annually, not including any discounts (of which they have several). The only downside to USAA is they only bind policies with current or past members of the military and their qualifying family members. 

Progressive is another one of our choices for the best auto insurer in Maryland due to their low base rates, variety of available discounts, and great customer service. The average full coverage policy costs about $1,680 annually, falling about $200 below the state average. 

Progressive offers low base rates for full and minimum coverage auto insurance policies, unique discounts, and enrollment programs to help you lower your premiums even further. Progressive offers a telematics program where policyholders can enroll to receive discounts on their premiums for practicing safe driving habits. Plus, many policyholders may be eligible for a credit off their premium each time they go six months accident-free.

Another company celebrated in Maryland for its low base rates and various opportunities for discounts is Geico. Geico’s average full coverage policy costs about $1,630 annually, over $200 less than the state’s average. Geico’s low base rates are reason enough to call them one of the best, but they also offer many unique discounts. Geico’s discounts vary from standard discounts, like bundling multiple policies with them or insuring multiple vehicles on one policy, to enrollment-based, like their safe-driving program. 

Maryland drivers who chose a car insurance policy with Nationwide will undoubtedly tell you of its perks. Nationwide offers low base rates for many policies, with a full coverage policy averaging about $1,500 annually, or 20% less than the state average. Nationwide also offers many opportunities for discounts, especially for bundling policies or for young drivers who’re good students.

Out of all the insurers in Maryland, we feel the best insurer is Travelers. Travelers offers terrific customer service, low base rates, and many opportunities for discounts. The average full coverage policy with Travelers costs about $1,430, or nearly 25% less than the average full coverage policy in the state. Travelers offers various discounts for its policyholders, like a safe-driving discount, a good student discount, and they even offer a discount for those who insure hybrid or electric cars. 

While we think Travelers offers the best full coverage policy in Maryland, it’s important to remember what we think is great may not be the best option for your specific needs. 

Here at Clovered, we highly suggest getting and comparing quotes from multiple insurers before binding a policy to find the best Maryland car insurance that suits your needs. Shopping around for quotes is the best way to see what’s out there and who offers the best coverage for the best price. You can even get and compare quotes here at Clovered with our free quoting tool. If you prefer to chat directly with an agent, you can call us at 833-255-4117 or email us at [email protected].