Average cost of car insurance in Washington for 2024

How much is car insurance in Washington? 

The national average annual cost of full coverage car insurance is $2,329, while minimum coverage costs an average of $633. Washington drivers pay lower average rates at $1,686 per year for full coverage and $498 per year for minimum coverage. While minimum coverage is all that's legally required by the state, most insurance experts recommend full coverage for additional financial protection. If you have a loan or lease on your vehicle, your lender will likely require you to purchase full coverage car insurance.

Key takeaways

• Teen drivers see some of the highest average rates in Washington. Parents with a 16-year-old driver on their policy pay an average full coverage premium of $3,964 per year.
• Although Washington allows insurers to consider credit history in auto insurance rating, rate differences between drivers with good credit and drivers with poor credit are not as drastic as in many other states.
• Your vehicle type impacts your Washington car insurance rates. BMW 330i drivers pay 41 percent more for full coverage than Honda Odyssey drivers.

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Washington car insurance rates by city

If you’re curious how much car insurance is in Washington, you can get an idea by browsing the table below, which shows average city rates in the state’s most-populated metros. You will notice that some ZIP codes pay more, while others see rates below the state average. A higher rate generally indicates that there are more claims filed in that region, perhaps due to higher accident rates or a larger number of car thefts.

Average car insurance costs by age and gender in Washington

Similar to most states, Washington's car insurance rates are heavily influenced by age and gender. Drivers will typically see the highest costs at 18 (when on their own policy) and a consistent decline thereafter until rates flatten at around age 40.

Men typically pay slightly more for car insurance than women, since they are statistically more likely to be involved in accidents. In the chart below, 16-year-old rates assume they are insured on their parents' policy since drivers are unable to be the primary policyholder if under the age of 18.

Cost considerations for young drivers in Washington

How does driving record impact the cost of car insurance in Washington?

As with any other state, Washington car insurance rates are strongly impacted by driving history. If you get into an accident, receive a speeding ticket or are convicted of a DUI, you are more likely to pay higher car insurance premiums. The rates below show the average increase drivers may see after a single offense in each category. If you become a repeat offender, the increase will typically be much higher. Note that not all carriers will extend coverage to drivers with a DUI conviction or other high-risk offense.

Car insurance rates in Washington by credit score

Your credit history will influence your Washington car insurance rates. Drivers with poor credit histories tend to file more claims than drivers with strong credit histories, so carriers generally charge higher rates if you have poor credit. Although Washington passed a law to ban credit history from auto insurance rating in 2022, it was later overturned and is no longer in effect.

Washington car insurance rates by vehicle type

Insurers will take your car's make and model into account, as well as the car's age, when pricing policies. Vehicles that are lower in cost and able to be repaired using domestic rather than imported parts may earn a lower rate than high-priced sports or luxury cars. Cars with low theft rates and extra safety features also typically see lower premiums.

Estimate your car insurance cost in Washington

Average rates can give you a general idea of what you might pay for car insurance in Washington state, but your personal rating factors are unique to you. By inputting a few details into the tool below, we can provide you with a more personalized estimate.

How to save on car insurance in Washington

If the average car insurance rates in Washington seem expensive to you, keep in mind that you may be able to find a lower quote using a few strategies:

• Gather multiple quotes: Since every insurer determines rates using their own proprietary algorithms, each insurer you ask is likely to give you a different quote. By comparing multiple quotes for the same levels of coverage, you can determine which company is able to offer you the lowest rate for your insurance.
• Use all possible discounts: Most insurance companies offer at least a small handful of discounts, and some are easy to qualify for. Most insurers, for example, will reduce your rate if you bundle your auto insurance with a homeowners or renters policy. This is one reason it may be good to work with a live agent — they can make sure you are receiving all the possible discounts you have earned.
• Raise your deductible: If you can afford to increase your deductible, which is the amount you pay before your insurance kicks for some types of coverage, you are likely to save on your premium rate. Raising it from $500 to $1,000, for example, will probably net you a lower premium. Just be careful you don't raise it higher than you could afford to pay in the event of a claim.
• Avoid certain types of car: Your premium cost will vary depending on the type of car you drive. A high-end imported luxury or sports car is likely to cost you more to insure than a more-reasonably priced domestic model. If you're in the market for a new car and have narrowed down your choices to a few vehicles, consider getting quotes for insurance for all of them to see which one is cheapest.

Frequently asked questions

Methodology

Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze 2023 rates for ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Rates are weighted based on the population density in each geographic region. Quoted rates are based on a 40-year-old male and female driver with a clean driving record, good credit and the following full coverage limits:

• $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 bodily injury per person
• $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
• $500 collision deductible
• $500 comprehensive deductible

To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements. Our base profile drivers own a 2021 Toyota Camry, commute five days a week and drive 12,000 miles annually.

These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes.

Credit-based insurance scores: Rates were calculated based on the following insurance credit tiers assigned to our drivers: “poor, average, good (base) and excellent.” Insurance credit tiers factor in your official credit scores but are not dependent on that variable alone. Four states prohibit or limit the use of credit as a rating factor in determining auto insurance rates: California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan.

Incidents: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the following incidents applied: clean record (base), at-fault accident, single speeding ticket and single DUI conviction.

Model: To determine cost by vehicle type, we evaluated our base profile with the following vehicles applied: BMW 330i, Ford F-150, Honda Odyssey, Toyota Prius and Toyota Camry (base).

Age: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the ages 16-70 (base: 40 years) applied. Depending on age, drivers may be a renter or homeowner. Age is not a contributing rating factor in Hawaii and Massachusetts due to state regulations.

Gender: The following states do not use gender as a determining factor in calculating premiums: California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania.

Teens: Rates were determined by adding a 16- or 17-year-old teen to their 40-year-old married parents' policy. The rates displayed reflect the total cost of a driver this age added to their parents’ policy unless otherwise noted.