You’ve seen the commercials from car insurance companies like Nationwide, Progressive, and Liberty Mutual claiming dirt cheap rates. So drivers just need to choose any one of them, right?
It’s just not that simple, as there are many unknown aspects like if you have points on your license, if full coverage is needed, how many years you have been driving, and whether you are female or male, that help determine the price you have to pay. In this article, we will cover these factors and others that can influence the price of auto insurance and will give you a solid foundation to find cheaper car insurance.
Comparing rates for cost effective car insurance is not the easiest thing to do, and determining which insurers offer the most affordable car insurance rates for felons will take more quotes for comparison. Each auto insurance company has a proprietary formula for determining rates, so we need to take a look at the lowest cost car insurance companies in Houston.
Find the Best Cheap Insurance for Felons
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travelers | $1,041 |
| 2 | USAA | $1,095 |
| 3 | Texas Farm Bureau | $1,247 |
| 4 | Germania Mutual | $1,256 |
| 5 | Esurance | $1,365 |
| 6 | California Casualty | $1,438 |
| 7 | State Farm | $1,465 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,521 |
| 9 | Nationwide | $1,538 |
| 10 | Safe Auto | $1,613 |
| 11 | Progressive | $1,664 |
| 12 | Allstate | $1,701 |
| 13 | Amica | $1,757 |
| 14 | GEICO | $2,093 |
| 15 | Home State | $2,134 |
| 16 | MetLife | $2,161 |
| 17 | Unitrin | $2,264 |
| 18 | Encompass | $2,301 |
| 19 | 21st Century | $2,494 |
| 20 | Titan | $2,646 |
| Quote Your Rates Go | ||
Travelers has some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Houston at around $1,041 per year. USAA, Texas Farm Bureau, Germania Mutual, and Esurance also are some of the cheaper Houston, TX car insurance companies.
In this example, if you currently have a policy with Texas Farm Bureau and switched to Travelers, you might realize a yearly price reduction of approximately $206. Insureds with Germania Mutual may save as much as $215 a year, and Esurance insureds might reduce prices by as much as $324 a year.
If you want to find out if you’re overpaying, click here to start a quote or visit any of the companies below.
Understand that those premium estimates are averaged for all types of drivers and the different vehicles they drive and and are not calculated with a vehicle location for felons. So the insurer that can offer you the best rate may not even be in the top 23 companies in the list above. That underscores the importance of why you need to get rate quotes using your own driver and vehicle profiles.
One of the many criteria that determine the amount you pay each year for auto insurance is your zip code in Houston. More populated areas tend to have higher rates, whereas areas that tend to be more rural get the luxury of paying less.
The next table sorts the highest-priced areas in Texas for felons to purchase car insurance in. Houston is listed at #6 with an annual rate of $1,835 for the average insurance policy, which is around $153 monthly.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McAllen | $2,016 |
| 2 | Brownsville | $1,908 |
| 3 | Dallas | $1,893 |
| 4 | Laredo | $1,889 |
| 5 | Amarillo | $1,858 |
| 6 | Houston | $1,835 |
| 7 | Garland | $1,832 |
| 8 | Mesquite | $1,807 |
| 9 | Pasadena | $1,794 |
| 10 | Irving | $1,789 |
| 11 | Grand Prairie | $1,740 |
| 12 | Arlington | $1,709 |
| 13 | Beaumont | $1,702 |
| 14 | San Antonio | $1,671 |
| 15 | Fort Worth | $1,670 |
| 16 | Lubbock | $1,665 |
| 17 | McKinney | $1,625 |
| 18 | Plano | $1,624 |
| 19 | El Paso | $1,616 |
| 20 | Austin | $1,610 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||
Prices are comparative as the garaging address in Houston can affect price quotes greatly.
The make and model of vehicle that needs insurance is one of the largest considerations that determines the availability of the lowest-priced coverage for felons. Vehicles with high performance engines, a lack of modern safety features, or a high likelihood of having liability claims will cost more to insure than more economical and safe models. The table below outlines car insurance rates for the cheaper vehicles to buy insurance for.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Volkswagen Jetta S 2.5 Station Wagon | $1,280 |
| Ford Explorer XLT AWD | $1,327 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $1,333 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD | $1,398 |
| Ford Escape XLS 4WD | $1,448 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $1,482 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LT Regular Cab 2WD | $1,500 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $1,571 |
| Honda Accord LX-S 2-Dr Coupe | $1,574 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,608 |
| Ford F-150 FX4 Super Cab 4WD | $1,633 |
| Ford Focus SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $1,655 |
| Toyota Tacoma 2WD | $1,677 |
| Ford Edge SEL 2WD | $1,686 |
| Hyundai Elantra GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $1,685 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LT Extended Cab Diesel 2WD | $1,697 |
| Ford Fusion S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,712 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 2WD | $1,721 |
| Toyota Camry LE | $1,712 |
| GMC Sierra SL Extended Cab 2WD | $1,722 |
| Toyota Corolla XRS | $1,717 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LTZ | $1,724 |
| GMC Sierra 2500HD SLE Crew Cab 4WD | $1,717 |
| Compare Cheap Rates Go | |
Above prices assume single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-policy, claim-free, multi-vehicle, and safe-driver. Price estimates do not factor in specific location which can lower or raise premium rates significantly.
Based upon the table data, cars like the Volkswagen Jetta, Ford Explorer, Dodge Grand Caravan, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Ford Escape are likely to be the more affordable vehicles to insure for felons.
The information below highlights how deductible selection can influence insurance rates when quoting cheap insurance for felons. Data assumes a married female driver, full physical damage coverage, and no other discounts are factored in.
The data above shows that a 40-year-old driver could lower rates by $260 a year by increasing from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $394 by choosing a $1,000 deductible. Young drivers, like the Age 20 category, could lower their rates $646 or even more just by using higher deductibles.
If you make the decision to raise deductibles, it is important to have enough in a savings account to allow you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense. This is the primary disadvantage of choosing high deductibles.
Discounts on Houston insurance rates
Insurance providers that provide policies for felons may also provide rate discounts that can lower rates by as much as 35% or more if you can meet the requirements. A list of companies and a partial list of their discounts are detailed below.
- GEICO has savings for federal employee, anti-lock brakes, five-year accident-free, driver training, and military active duty.
- SAFECO offers discounts for homeowner, anti-lock brakes, anti-theft, accident prevention training, safe driver, teen safe driver, and multi-car.
- State Farm discounts include driver’s education, defensive driving training, good student, safe vehicle, student away at school, and accident-free.
- MetLife offers discounts including multi-policy, accident-free, claim-free, defensive driver, good driver, good student
- 21st Century may offer discounts for 55 and older, driver training, automatic seat belts, air bags, and early bird.
- Progressive includes discounts for online quote discount, good student, multi-policy, homeowner, online signing, and multi-vehicle.
The chart below compares insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the premium. The premium estimates are based on a female driver, no violations or claims, Texas state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $100 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows the price with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with multiple policy, accident-free, defensive driving course, marriage, anti-theft, and homeowner discounts applied. When these discounts are applied to the policy premium, theaverage amount saved on car insurance for felons is 28% or $771.
Liability-only versus full coverage
Saving on car insurance is important to the majority of drivers, and an effective way to buy cheap insurance for felons is to not pay for full coverage. The illustration below shows the difference between insurance costs with full coverage compared to only the Texas minimum liability coverage. The prices are based on no violations or accidents, $500 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no additional discounts are factored in.
If the expense is averaged for all age categories, full coverage costs an extra $2,431 per year more than buying just liability insurance. At some point, almost every driver questions if buying full coverage is worth the expense. There is no definitive rule that is best for determining when to drop physical damage insurance, but there is a general school of thought. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is more than around 10% of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.
The agents listed below are a good start to aid you in deciding which coverage fits your budget, since some people have coverage questions and would like to get some help when buying car insurance for felons. It’s not always easy to find the best policy on your own, so insurance agents licensed in the state of Texas can give peace of mind knowing you have sufficient coverage at claim time. To find an auto insurance agency close to you, click the button below the list or click here to compare prices now.
- State Farm: Jack Wallace
3405 Mercer St – Houston, TX 77027 – (713) 626-7500 - Dean and Draper Insurance Agency, LP
3131 W Alabama St #150 – Houston, TX 77098 – (713) 527-0444 - Texas General Insurance Agency
2500 West Loop S #210 – Houston, TX 77027 – (713) 622-5977
Find a Houston, TX insurance agent near you
Tips to find budget-friendly auto insurance for felons
The list below shows some money-saving solutions that can help Texas drivers buy cheaper coverage.
- Higher physical damage deductibles lower rates
- Pay lower rates with good credit
- Maintain a safe distance and avoid accidents
- Serious violations like DUI or reckless driving can increase rates dramatically
- Get cheaper liability coverage by choosing a safer vehicle
- Shop around for cheaper prices often
That last piece of advice is particularly significant, as was affirmed in this write-up. Coverage prices in Houston change a lot, so don’t be afraid to buy a policy from a new company if a cheaper rate is available.
Loyalty to a specific company is fine, but we do not recommend it if that devotion results in you overpaying several hundred dollars every year. It only takes a couple minutes to shop around to find cheaper auto insurance for felons.