Cheapest car insurance in Louisiana for 2024

Louisiana car insurance costs are on the higher end of the spectrum. On average, Louisiana drivers pay $3,744 per year for full coverage and $988 per year for minimum coverage. This is about 52 percent more and 46 percent more than the national averages, respectively. Higher prices can make it challenging to find a cheap car insurance policy, but Bankrate’s research can help. Our insurance editorial team has identified several companies offering cheap average rates for Louisiana car insurance based on numerous driver profiles. By shopping around and getting quotes from the companies below, you may be able to find lower-cost car insurance in LA.

Key takeaways

• Cheapest company for minimum coverage: Geico
• Cheapest company for full coverage: Southern Farm Bureau
• Cheapest company for drivers with prior incidents: Southern Farm Bureau and Geico
• Cheapest company for young drivers: Southern Farm Bureau and Geico

Bankrate knows that drivers looking for the cheapest car insurance in Louisiana might want to purchase a minimum coverage policy. What’s minimally required to hit the road legally varies from state to state, but in Louisiana, you’ll need liability-only coverage. This type of insurance covers the damage and injuries that others sustain in an accident you cause. Generally, the damage done to you, your vehicle and your property is not covered under a liability-only policy. Of the providers we looked at, Geico offers Louisiana drivers the cheapest annual rate for minimum coverage.

Minimum coverage requirements for Louisiana drivers

Driving without car insurance in Louisiana is illegal. If you are interested in insuring your vehicle with only the coverage required by law, here are the state’s minimum requirements:

• $15,000 bodily injury liability per person
• $30,000 bodily injury liability per accident
• $25,000 property damage liability per accident

Minimum coverage car insurance typically amounts to lower premiums, but you may spend more out of pocket in the long run if you cause an accident where damage exceeds your policy limits. Plus, drivers who lease or finance their vehicles will likely be required to have full coverage insurance by their financial institution so the lienholder can ensure enough coverage is available to repair or replace the vehicle in the event of an accident. Louisiana also has a fairly high uninsured motorist rate (13.7 percent), according to the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I). So, you may want to consider adding uninsured motorist coverage to your policy.

Full coverage is not an industry-standard term. Therefore, its definition may change from provider to provider. Most often, it means that a driver carries comprehensive and collision coverage in addition to their state’s minimum coverage. Full coverage car insurance almost always costs more than minimum coverage but is designed to provide drivers with greater financial protection. According to our research, Southern Farm Bureau offers cheap car insurance in Louisiana for this kind of policy.

There are multiple factors that influence the cost of your car insurance, and your driving record is one of them. Drivers with clean driving records typically have more favorable rates, while drivers with prior incidents may have a harder time securing a cheap insurance premium. We reviewed rate data from Quadrant Information Services for drivers with a variety of different incidents on their records that can make insurance more expensive. Based on our findings, Southern Farm Bureau and Geico have the cheapest auto insurance in Louisiana for drivers with imperfect driving records.

• Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a ticket: Southern Farm Bureau
• Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident: Southern Farm Bureau
• Cheapest car insurance for high-risk drivers: Southern Farm Bureau

Cheapest insurance companies for drivers in Louisiana with a speeding ticket: Southern Farm Bureau

A single speeding ticket can be enough to cause an increase in your premium for the next three years. Enrolling in a defensive driving class or joining your insurer's telematics program following a ticket may earn you a discount that can help offset the increase. You may also want to consider switching to one of the insurers below if you’ve received a speeding ticket in Louisiana, as they offer the cheapest average rates for drivers with a single speeding ticket on their records. Of the group, Southern Farm Bureau has the lowest rates for minimum coverage and Southern Farm Bureau has the lowest rates for full coverage.

Cheapest car insurance for drivers in Louisiana with an at-fault accident: Southern Farm Bureau

If you cause an accident in Louisiana, you are likely to see an increase in your premium for the next five years. If you have accident forgiveness as an add-on to your policy, however, you may not see an increase after a single accident. This may be a good time to consider switching to one of the companies below, which have lower average rates for drivers with a single accident on their records in Louisiana. As is true for speeding tickets, Southern Farm Bureau stands out for its cheap average rates.

Cheapest rates in Louisiana for high-risk drivers: Southern Farm Bureau

If you are deemed a high-risk driver, you may have some challenges finding an insurer who is willing to work with you. Every company has its own criteria for determining who is a higher risk, but generally, if you have multiple speeding tickets or at-fault accidents or if you have been convicted of a DUI, you may be deemed high-risk. Many insurers work with high-risk drivers — although others do not. Regardless, car insurance for high-risk drivers tends to come with rates that are higher than the state averages. Consider the following companies if you are looking for affordable high-risk car insurance in Louisiana. Once again, Southern Farm Bureau has the lowest average rates for full and minimum coverage.

In Louisiana, insurers are allowed to factor your age into your rate calculation. Younger drivers, specifically those 25 and under, are usually seen as more high-risk and therefore see higher insurance rates. But, cheap car insurance for young drivers is still possible. If you’re young or you are about to add a teen driver to your policy, you might want to request a quote from Allstate or Southern Farm Bureau. Our research suggests that they are among the cheapest car insurance companies in Louisiana for young drivers:

• Cheapest car insurance for insuring a teen driver: Southern Farm Bureau
• Cheapest car insurance for teens with a ticket: Southern Farm Bureau
• Cheapest car insurance for teens with an at-fault accident: Southern Farm Bureau
• Cheapest car insurance for young drivers with a DUI: Progressive

Cheapest Louisiana car insurance for insuring a teen driver: Southern Farm Bureau

If you add a teen driver to your policy, it's likely you'll see a significant increase in your premium. Teens are statistically more likely than any other age group to be involved in accidents, so insurers charge more to insure them. Like adult drivers, teens with incidents on their records cost more to insure. That said, many insurance providers extend special discounts for teens, like student discounts. Based on our research, these insurance companies might be able to help you keep the increase to a minimum if you’re a Louisiana parent adding a teen to your policy:

Cheapest Louisiana car insurance for teens with a ticket: Southern Farm Bureau

On average, teens with speeding tickets on their records will pay higher insurance costs. They have two things working against them: a lack of experience behind the wheel and a tendency to engage in risky driving behaviors. Below, we’ve put together a list of rates for 18-year-old drivers who have their own insurance policies. According to our findings, Southern Farm Bureau offers the most competitive average rates for teens with a ticket.

Cheapest Louisiana car insurance for teens with an at-fault accident: Southern Farm Bureau

Louisiana teens with at-fault accidents on their records may be deemed high-risk drivers and pay even more for their insurance coverage. Depending on your coverage level, you may also face high out-of-pocket costs after an accident. Southern Farm Bureau offers lower average rates for teens of this driving profile. Like the table above, these rates also reflect average costs for an 18-year-old driver on their own insurance policy:

Cheapest Louisiana car insurance for young drivers with a DUI: Progressive

According to our research, young drivers with a DUI conviction may want to get a quote with Progressive, as it offers the lowest average minimum coverage rates. Drivers who would prefer a full coverage policy may want to consider Southern Farm Bureau, though, as it offers the cheapest full coverage average rates.

Making sure you are getting all the discounts you're entitled to is another way to save on your premium. Almost all insurers offer at least a few potential discounts, and some are easy to earn. The following are some of the most common ones that may help you save on car insurance in LA:

• Young driver discounts: Young drivers who are still in school can often earn a discount if they maintain a "B" average or higher. College students may also net savings if they attend school more than 100 miles from home and leave their car behind.
• Safe driver discounts: You could earn a discount if you go a certain number of years — often three — without filing any claims. You may also save if you take a defensive driving course to improve your driving skills.
• Telematics discounts: Telematics programs use your smartphone or a plug-in device to monitor your driving in real-time. If you prove to be a safe and careful driver, you could earn up to 40 percent off your premium with some carriers. Keep in mind that certain telematics programs could result in an increase in your rates if you exhibit unsafe driving habits.
• Low-mileage discounts: If you are retired or work from home, you may not be on the road as often. This could earn you a break on your premium, depending on how many miles you drive per year.
• Vehicle-based discounts: Common safety features, such as airbags and anti-lock brakes, are good for savings from some insurers. Installing an anti-theft device or security alarm system could earn you some savings, as well.

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