Cheapest Auto Insurance in Durham, North Carolina (2024)

The overall average cost of car insurance in Durham is $79 per month — similar to the statewide average of $77 per month and much lower than the national monthly average of $158.

Durham is the fourth-largest city in North Carolina, and its proximity large university campuses such as Duke University ,the University of North Carolina, and North Carolina State University could affect its car insurance rates.

Here’s what you should know about comparing quotes and how to choose the best coverage for you in the Bull City.

3 of the cheapest car insurance companies in Durham

Durham has a lot of options when it comes to insurers. Fortunately, the starting rates for liability and full-coverage insurance are some of the lowest in the country. But your insurance needs and driving history determine which company works best for you.

As you start your search for a new insurance company, keep these three in mind.

Best insurer for affordability: Erie

Best insurer for teen drivers: State Farm

Best insurer for coverage after a DWI: National General

How to get the cheapest car insurance in Durham

Insurance companies in North Carolina consider several factors when deciding how to rate a driver for car insurance. Companies look at:

• Age

• Gender

• ZIP code

• Driving record

• Credit history

• Driving experience

• The vehicle to be insured

Some of these factors are outside your control. Others aren’t. The best ways to get the most affordable insurance are:

• Gather quotes from at least three insurers and compare them against one another. You can do this easily through a price-comparison platform.

• Purchase policies from companies that cater to your needs more closely, such as USAA for members of the military community.

• Work to improve your credit before switching companies. The better your credit, the lower your rate.

• Purchase other insurance products, like home insurance, life insurance, and boat or motorcycle coverage, from the same company to get a bundling discount and lower rates on all your policies.

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Cheapest liability-only car insurance in Durham: Midvale Home & Auto

Liability coverage pays for the other driver’s vehicle repairs and medical expenses in an accident you cause. Minimum coverage varies from state to state, as each state has its own rules. 

But liability coverage won’t pay for any damage to your vehicle, or injuries you and your passengers suffer. Because of this, liability coverage is often the most affordable. 

In Durham, liability insurance costs an average of $55 per month. You can see a collection of liability coverage quotes in Durham here.

Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Durham: Erie

Full-coverage insurance provides the same protections as liability insurance but also covers car repairs and medical expenses for you, your passengers, and your vehicle. Because of this, full coverage is often more expensive. But if you finance or lease your vehicle, you’ll likely have to buy full coverage to satisfy your leasing company or lender’s requirements.

On average, Durham drivers pay $1,221 annually for full-coverage car insurance. You can see a collection of full-coverage quotes in Durham below.

Car insurance requirements in North Carolina

To drive legally in the state of North Carolina, you must have coverage that meets the state’s minimum requirements listed below:

On Jan. 1, 2025, North Carolina's minimum liability requirements will increase to:

• $50,000 bodily injury liability per person

• $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident

• $50,000 property damage

You can also add coverage that exceeds the minimum. To further augment your coverage, you may want to consider:

• 

  Collision coverage

  If your car incurs damage in an accident with another vehicle or a stationary object like a tree or light pole, collision insurance can pay for repairs. Collision also covers damage from hitting a pothole or having a rollover accident.

• 

  Comprehensive coverage

  If a non-collision incident damages your vehicle, such as a fire, hail, theft, vandalism, or a cracked windshield, comprehensive insurance can compensate you.

• 

  Accident foregiveness

  If you buy accident forgiveness when you purchase a car insurance policy, your rates won't go up after your first at-fault accident. But you generally need to have a clean driving record for at least three years to qualify to buy this type of coverage.

Safe Driver Incentive Plan

North Carolina incorporates a points-focused incentive plan to encourage people to drive safely.^[1] The more points a driver accumulates against their license, the more their insurance increases. Infractions and the points stay on your motor vehicle record for three years, and accrue as follows:

• Moving and minor speeding violations are one point and result in a 30% increase in the person’s insurance costs.

• Illegal passing, following too closely, and speeding are two points each, increasing the driver’s insurance by 45%.

• At-fault accidents that result in the other driver’s death are three points and a 60% increase in insurance prices.

• Reckless driving, passing a stopped school bus, and a hit-and-run accident resulting in property damage result in four points and an 80% increase in insurance rates.

• Driving with a suspended license or registration earns eight points and a 195% insurance increase.

• Racing on highways and speeding to avoid an arrest are 10 points and a 260% increase.

• Driving while intoxicated, negligent homicide, manslaughter, highway racing, and transporting illegal alcohol to sell are 12 points and a 340% increase.

Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an incident

An incident on a driver’s record can be a speeding ticket, an at-fault accident, driving under the influence, or any other violation that results in a court summons for the person operating the vehicle. Incidents cause insurance rates to increase because the more incidents the driver accumulates, the higher the chance that the insurance company has to pay out a claim.

Due to the points system in North Carolina, a speeding ticket can increase a policy by 30%, while a DUI or other reckless driving can push rates up by 340% or more.

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Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a speeding ticket

Insurers see speeding tickets as a clue to how careful a driver is on the road. The more reckless a driver is, the more likely they are to cause an accident. In North Carolina, the state requires insurers to increase premiums for drivers who receive speeding tickets.

Full-coverage car insurance costs Durham drivers with speeding tickets an average of $158 per month. Here, you can see a collection of average monthly liability-only quotes for drivers with a speeding ticket in Durham.

Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident

An at-fault accident translates directly to dollars an insurance company pays to cover a claim. If an insurance company takes on more of a risk by insuring drivers with auto accidents on their record, they’ll raise the rates on the driver to collect more cash from them up front. In North Carolina, state law requires insurers to increase rates for at-fault drivers.

Durham drivers with at-fault accidents pay a monthly average of $169 for full coverage, Insurify data shows. The following table illustrates how an at-fault accident affects liability-only rates from insurers that serve Durham.

Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a DWI

A DWI, or driving while intoxicated, is one of the most severe and expensive moving violations a driver can accrue. Insurers see this the same way, and you’ll pay higher average premiums for a DWI on your record than you will for any other single incident.

In fact, a DWI makes you ineligible for coverage from some insurance companies. Durham drivers with a DWI pay a monthly average of $100 for liability-only coverage versus $55 for drivers with clean records.

The following table shows monthly liability-only quotes from some companies that have insured Durham drivers with DWIs. 

Cheapest car insurance for seniors

While it’s true that rates decrease around age 25, they can increase again once you reach 70 years old. This is because accident risks increase for senior drivers. 

In Durham, senior drivers pay a monthly average of $84 for full coverage. Below, you can see a collection of the most affordable quotes for senior drivers in Durham.

Cheapest car insurance for teens

Young drivers are less experienced and make more mistakes than drivers with more years of driving experience. For this reason, insurance companies charge a higher premium to insure them.

Fortunately, parents can reduce their teen’s premium in a few ways:

• Add young drivers to your policy instead of getting them their own coverage. Remember, minors won't be able to buy their own policies without written consent of a parent or guardian.

• Try to insure higher-end, more expensive cars on a separate policy that excludes your young driver.

• Start newer drivers out with an older vehicle that can carry liability-only insurance instead of needing full coverage.

• Take advantage of every discount available, including any good student discounts or credit earned for having a young driver in college while their vehicle is at home.

On average, full-coverage car insurance for teen drivers costs $170 per month. But some drivers may find lower-than-average rates. The table below provides some insight into how much teen drivers pay with different insurers in Durham.

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Durham car insurance quotes by credit tier

North Carolina allows insurance companies to rate drivers based on their credit histories. To insurance companies, the better a driver’s credit, the lower the risk of them filing a claim. Drivers with excellent or good credit scores pay lower insurance premiums, while drivers with poor scores pay higher premiums.

Here, you can see how your credit tier affects quotes in Durham.

Is car insurance more expensive in Durham?

Compared to the rest of the country, North Carolina is one of the more affordable states to get full-coverage and liability-only car insurance. But rates can vary from city to city within the state.

Insurance companies rate different parts of a state at different risk levels depending on vehicle crime rates and other factors. The more claims they register for a particular part of town, the more they charge for drivers located in that area.

More cities in North Carolina

The price difference from city to city in North Carolina depends on how each insurance company rates ZIP codes. Prices tend to be higher in cities where they have to pay more claims.

Compare average quotes in more North Carolina cities below.

Durham car insurance FAQs