Cheapest car insurance in Maryland for 2024

Like most states, Maryland requires drivers to maintain insurance for their vehicles. The average cost of car insurance in Maryland is $981 per year for minimum coverage and $2,637 for full coverage. Minimum coverage in the state costs 43 percent more than the national average of $678, and full coverage is 8 percent more than the national average of $2,458 per year. However, the cost of coverage in the state is highly personal and depends on your driving history, among other factors. If you are seeking cheap car insurance in Maryland, there are options for finding coverage that fits your budget.

Bankrate has reviewed the cheapest car insurance in Maryland to find the best options for you. Additionally, we've put together tips on how to find cheap auto insurance in Maryland, depending on your situation and needs.

Key takeaways

• Cheapest company for minimum coverage: Geico
• Cheapest company for full coverage: Nationwide
• Cheapest company for drivers with prior incidents: Geico and Erie
• Cheapest company for young drivers: Nationwide and USAA

Minimum coverage is the lowest amount of car insurance coverage you are legally allowed to carry in your state. Maryland requirements for minimum coverage include bodily injury liability coverage and property damage liability coverage. This doesn’t cover everything; physical damage to your vehicle if you cause an accident isn’t included, for instance. However, if you are looking for the cheapest car insurance in Maryland, minimum coverage might be the best option. In Maryland, Geico offers the lowest average cost for minimum coverage car insurance based on rate data we analyzed from Quadrant Information Services.

Minimum coverage requirements for Maryland drivers

Maryland insurance laws require that all drivers carry at least a minimum amount of car insurance coverage for bodily injury liability and property damage liability to ensure that there is at least some coverage for the costs incurred if you damage another party’s vehicle or injure them in an accident. Here are the minimum auto insurance requirements in Maryland:

• Bodily injury liability: $30,000 per person
• Bodily injury liability: $60,000 per accident (for two or more people)
• Property damage liability: $15,000 per accident

For most drivers, minimum coverage is not enough to provide full financial protection. Most insurance experts recommend buying enough liability coverage to at least match your assets. Having full coverage is another way to protect yourself financially since it covers physical damage to your own vehicle. Even when you opt for full coverage, you could still get cheap car insurance in Maryland with a little research.

Maryland has fairly strict penalties for driving without insurance. If your vehicle is not insured and you’re driving it, you will be assessed a $200 fine for the first 30 days. After that, the state charges $7 for each additional day. The annual maximum fine is $3500 per vehicle, much more than you would pay to get minimum coverage and remain in compliance.

Full coverage car insurance costs more than minimum coverage insurance, but it provides you much greater financial protection. Generally, full coverage car insurance includes the minimum coverage required in your state, plus comprehensive coverage and collision coverage. In Maryland, Nationwide offers the cheapest annual premium for full coverage on average.

When you have prior incidents on your record, such as a DUI, a ticket or an accident, insurance carriers see you as higher risk. This means your insurance premiums often go up for three to five years when one of these events occurs. A speeding ticket raises car insurance rates in Maryland by 18 percent more on average, for example. If you have a driving infraction on your record, here are the cheapest carriers by infraction type.

• Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a ticket: Geico
• Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident: Erie
• Cheapest car insurance for high-risk drivers: Geico

Cheapest insurance companies for drivers in Maryland with a speeding ticket: Geico

If you’ve recently had a speeding ticket, it can be harder to get the best cheap auto insurance Maryland offers, as most insurers charge higher average rates for drivers with speeding ticket convictions on their records. Based on our careful analysis, these are the five of the cheapest car insurance companies in Maryland if you have a speeding ticket. Geico is the cheapest option.

Cheapest car insurance for drivers in Maryland with an at-fault accident: Erie

Causing an accident will typically affect affordable car insurance for Maryland drivers — even if you have minimum coverage and do not use collision insurance to cover your car’s damage. Maintaining a clean driving record typically helps you save the most on car insurance in Maryland. But if you do have an at-fault accident on your record, these five companies offer some of the cheapest car insurance on average for drivers with accidents on their records. Erie is the cheapest option.

Cheapest car insurance in Maryland for high-risk drivers: Geico

If you’re considered a high-risk driver, the amount your car insurance goes up generally depends on the incident. A DUI is the most severe high-risk infraction you could have in Maryland, aside from getting your license revoked or suspended. These carriers may offer the best low-cost car insurance in Maryland if you are a high-risk driver, but it’s important to note that there is no guarantee that these companies will offer car insurance to drivers with DUIs on their records. You may want to start your search with Geico, as it offers the cheapest option on average based on our analysis.

In Maryland, insurers are allowed to consider a driver’s age when calculating insurance premiums, which means that younger drivers are much more likely to see high car insurance rates. But that doesn’t mean that some carriers don’t offer better rates than others for younger Maryland drivers. It may be worth considering these carriers if you’re looking to get cheap insurance in Maryland with a young driver.

• Cheapest car insurance for insuring a teen driver: Nationwide
• Cheapest car insurance for teens with a ticket: Erie
• Cheapest car insurance for teens with an at-fault accident: Erie
• Cheapest car insurance for young drivers with a DUI: Encompass

Cheapest Maryland car insurance for insuring a teen driver: Nationwide

Adding a teen driver can cause car insurance rates to skyrocket. Teen drivers are statistically more likely to be involved in accidents and other incidents, and in turn, most insurance companies will charge more to account for less experience behind the wheel. When shopping for the cheapest car insurance for Maryland teen drivers, consider all the ways you can save. You may also be able to find discounts for your teen drivers and save on plans with multiple drivers. Nationwide is the cheapest carrier on average for minimum coverage car insurance in Maryland for your teen.

Cheapest Maryland car insurance for teens with a ticket: Erie

Insurance for teen drivers can be expensive, no matter what. If they get a ticket, insurance rates are likely to skyrocket. Erie offers the cheapest average car insurance rate for an 18-year-old with a speeding ticket in Maryland. Based on the data we analyzed, these other carriers also offer cheap average rates.

Cheapest Maryland car insurance for teens with an at-fault accident: Erie

Teens already have higher rates than older drivers. Add an accident into the mix, and rates go up even further. The table below shows some of the cheapest rates for 18-year-old drivers who have their own insurance policy and get into an accident in which they’re at fault. Erie is the cheapest option on average.

Cheapest Maryland car insurance for young drivers with a DUI: Encompass

Young drivers in Maryland can get their license suspended or taken away if they get convicted of a DUI. On top of that, car insurance rates for the young driver are likely to become astronomical. But there are some options that could provide a bit of relief. These five insurers offer some of the cheapest rates on average for a 21-year-old driver with a DUI.

Applying discounts is another way you might be able to get Maryland car insurance savings. Stacking discounts you qualify for could help you maximize savings, so be sure to ask which discounts are available to you so you can apply for as many as possible.

• Young driver discounts: Although insuring young drivers can be expensive, there are ways to save. Young drivers with a B or above GPA could get a good student discount. Taking advantage of telematics programs to demonstrate safe driving habits is another way teens could save on Maryland car insurance.
• Safe driver discounts: A safe driving discount is typically available for drivers with a clean driving record. The longer you go without a ticket or at-fault accident, the more you could save.
• Bundling discounts: Bundling your home and auto insurance typically offers a significant discount on car insurance. Some carriers offer discounts for bundling other policies with auto insurance, too, like renters or pet insurance.
• Affiliation discounts: Another way to save on car insurance in Maryland is through affiliation discounts. This could mean being a member of a professional organization, a credit union or even working in a certain industry or for a specific employer.