Best Cheap Car Insurance in Delaware

Rich in both history and natural beauty, Delaware is a traveler’s — and resident’s — dream. Make sure you read Benzinga’s guide to affordable car insurance in the Diamond State before you hit the road. 

Quick Look: Best Cheap Car Insurance in Delaware

• Best Overall in Delaware: Liberty Mutual
• Best for Claims: Allstate
• Best for Military Personnel: USAA
• Best for Excellent Drivers: Root

Best Car Insurance Providers in Delaware

Wondering how to lower your car insurance? Insurance rates in Delaware are some of the highest in the country. Start your search with these 4 affordable insurance providers. 

1. Best Overall: Liberty Mutual

Liberty Mutual offers a wide range of insurance coverage options as well as a vast array of discounts.

Liberty Mutual has the policy that you need — from state minimum coverage to full coverage and even rental car coverage.

It also offers a vanishing deductible policy that reduces your deductible by $100 for every year you go without an accident. There’s also an optional new car replacement policy, which can be especially beneficial if you own a new vehicle you want to fully protect. A wide range of policy options and discount choices means Liberty Mutual is our top choice for cheap vehicle insurance in Delaware. 

2. Best Coverage for Multiple Cars: Allstate

Car insurance rates in Delaware are higher than in many other states. This means that if you have multiple cars to insure, you’ll want to search for a car insurance provider that offers a wide range of discounts.

Allstate has one of the most generous discount and bundling policies in Delaware.

Good grades, a clean driving record and completion of a defensive driving course can save you more on your policy. Allstate also offers a deep discount when you bundle more than 1 vehicle together. 

3. Best for Military Personnel: USAA

USAA is an auto and home insurance provider that only provides policies to members of the armed forces, veterans and immediate family members.

You may be able to find some of the best cheap car insurance in Delaware if you meet service requirements by working through USAA.

USAA claims that its members save an average of $707 when they switch from a standard auto insurance company to USAA’s service member-specific policies. USAA also offers bundling discounts to lower your premium even further. 

4. Best for Excellent Drivers: Root

Root is a unique new vehicle insurance provider that offers policies based on your driving habits. You’ll install an app on your phone that monitors your speed, how often you make sudden turns and stops and mileage. Then, the app creates a custom quote for you based on how well you drive.

Root doesn’t offer policies to everyone — the company avoids reckless drivers and those who have a long history of driving infractions so the company can keep premiums low. You may be able to save more when you switch the root.

Delaware Cheap Car Insurance Overview

• You’ll find an average of 2 cars per household in Delaware. 
• Minimum car insurance requirements are as follows:
• Bodily injury liability coverage: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident
• Property damage liability coverage: $10,000
• Personal injury protection coverage: $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident
• You can expect to pay between $706 and $1,119 a year for state-minimum coverage if you have a clean driving record. 

Delaware Car Insurance Law Explained

You must have some kind of car insurance to operate a motor vehicle if you live in Delaware. The minimum requirements for car insurance in Delaware are as follows:

• Bodily injury liability coverage: Bodily injury liability coverage compensates anyone you injure during an accident. You must have at least $25,000 of this coverage per person and $50,000 worth of coverage per accident.
• Property damage liability coverage: Property damage liability coverage awards anyone whose property you damage or destroy during a collision. Drivers in Delaware must have at least $10,000 of this coverage to drive in Delaware.
• Personal injury protection: Personal injury protection is a type of coverage that compensates you for medical bills and sometimes lost wages after an accident. You must have at least $15,000 of this coverage per person and $30,000 per accident if you drive in Delaware.

You can drive in Delaware as long as you have these 3 coverages. However, you might choose to further protect yourself with additional policies. Some optional add-on coverage you might want to buy includes:

• Collision coverage compensates you for damage to your vehicle after an accident.
• Comprehensive coverage compensates you if your vehicle is damaged in some way other than an accident. Common examples include damage from hail, fire and burglaries.

Driving without vehicle insurance can land you a fine of up to $2,000 and have your license suspended for up to 6 months. You may also have to pay a fee of up to $100 per day until you submit proof of insurance to the state. 

Delaware Traffic Laws You Should Know

You’re responsible for following Delaware’s unique traffic laws — even if you’re just passing through. Make sure you follow these Delaware-specific traffic ordinances whenever you drive in the First State.

• Seat belts: Everyone in a moving vehicle must wear a seat belt in Delaware. Police officers have the right to stop you for seat belt infractions on their own.
• Studded tires: Studded tires can help you navigate Delaware’s icy roadways more effectively in the winter. However, these tires are only permitted on vehicles between October 15 and April 15. Remember to swap out your winter tires before spring arrives to avoid an infraction.
• Student licenses: Your driver’s license will automatically be revoked if your student is expelled from school. The student’s license will remain suspended until he or she turns 19 years old, 2 years have passed or the expulsion is no longer in effect. 

Delaware Cheap Car Insurance Rates per Vehicle

Auto insurance companies in Delaware use a large amount of vehicle data to determine how much you’ll pay for car insurance. One of the first things that car insurance companies look at is your vehicle’s safety ratings and accident rates.

Do you drive a vehicle that scores highly on national safety tests? If so, you’ll pay less for insurance because you have a decreased risk of filing a large-sum personal injury protection claim. You’ll pay more for coverage if you drive a vehicle that’s statistically more likely to be involved in an accident.  

Cheap Car Insurance Rates by Insurance Credit Score

What’s your credit score got to do with your insurance rate? You might be surprised to learn that your insurance credit score can affect how much you pay for insurance. Statistically, drivers who have a low credit score are more likely to file a claim, file an inflated claim and even commit insurance fraud.

This means that insurance companies will charge you more for your premium compared to another driver who has a higher credit score. You might want to apply for a new set of insurance quotes after you raise your credit score.

Let’s take a closer look at just how much influence your credit score has on what you’ll pay for car insurance. 

Insurance for Drivers with a Clean Record

The best way to find the most affordable car insurance is to maintain a clean driving record. You’re statistically less likely to be involved in a future accident compared to a driver who has points on his or her license when you have no accidents or incidents on your driving record. This means that more auto insurance companies will be willing to work with you and you’ll have access to the lowest rates possible.

We’ll look at what you might pay for 3 different types of coverage with a clean driving record:

• State minimum coverage: This is the absolute bare minimum coverage you need to legally drive in Delaware.  
• Standard coverage: Most companies consider standard coverage to be state minimum protections plus collision coverage.
• Full coverage: Full coverage combines state minimum coverage, collision coverage and comprehensive coverage together in a single package. 

Insurance Rates with Driving Infractions

You’ll pay more for car insurance if you have infractions on your record. However, not every type of infraction is seen as equally serious by insurance companies. Minor infractions may raise your premiums by only a few dollars. Major infractions can drastically increase your coverage for years to come.

Let’s take a look at how 3 different common driving offenses might impact what you pay for insurance.

• At-fault accident: An at-fault accident is an accident that you fully or partially cause. Insurance companies usually view at-fault accidents as moderately serious driving infractions.
• Speed violation: Speed violations involve driving too far above (or in some rare cases, below) the posted speed limit. The severity of a speed violation depends on how fast you go when you’re pulled over. If you drive just a few miles per hour over the speed limit, it’s a minor violation. If you drive more than 30 miles per hour over the speed limit, expect your insurance rates to jump significantly.
• DUI: Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol (DUI) is one of the most serious driving offenses. You can face fines, insurance premium increases and even jail time if you’re charged with a DUI. 

Getting Coverage in the Diamond State

The best way to ensure that you’re not overpaying for coverage is to collect as many quotes as possible before you choose a policy. Every car insurance provider uses its own unique formula to determine how much you’ll pay for coverage.

This means that it’s possible to get 10 different quotes from 10 different companies for the exact same coverage. Collect at least 5 quotes from competing insurance providers. You have no idea how much you might be able to save until you see what’s out there. 

Frequently Asked Questions

*Quotes were obtained using the following profile: base 2015 Toyota Camry, male, 40-years-old. Policies reflect state minimum coverage options. We make every effort to provide the most accurate quotes based on the profile above. Due to the many combined variables involved in insurance quotes, the only way to get an accurate quote is to enter your own information through our partners' secure websites.