This article would sure be shorter if we could simply give you the name of the exact car insurance company that has the cheapest rate quotes in Texas. It’s just not that easy, however, as there are a lot of unknown elements such as the safety ratings of your vehicle, if you own your own home, and if you need full coverage or just liability. The content below covers these topics and also should give you a jump start in finding the best auto insurance in Houston.
After getting a DUI, one of the largest considerations that are looked at to determine insurance cost is where you live in Houston. Cities with more crime and/or more people likely pay more, whereas areas with lower vehicle theft rates and fewer weather claims have the luxury of lower rates.
The following table lists the highest-priced places in Texas for drivers with a DUI to buy car insurance in. Houston comes in at #3 with an annual cost of $1,909 on average, which is about $159 each month.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McAllen | $1,956 |
| 2 | Dallas | $1,911 |
| 3 | Houston | $1,909 |
| 4 | Laredo | $1,889 |
| 5 | Brownsville | $1,870 |
| 6 | Garland | $1,832 |
| 7 | Mesquite | $1,807 |
| 8 | Amarillo | $1,804 |
| 9 | Irving | $1,772 |
| 10 | Beaumont | $1,772 |
| 11 | Pasadena | $1,740 |
| 12 | Grand Prairie | $1,740 |
| 13 | San Antonio | $1,739 |
| 14 | Arlington | $1,692 |
| 15 | Fort Worth | $1,670 |
| 16 | Lubbock | $1,665 |
| 17 | Carrollton | $1,664 |
| 18 | Austin | $1,659 |
| 19 | El Paso | $1,632 |
| 20 | Corpus Christi | $1,620 |
| 21 | Waco | $1,584 |
| 22 | McKinney | $1,577 |
| 23 | Abilene | $1,561 |
| 24 | Plano | $1,560 |
| 25 | Killeen | $1,473 |
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Information shown are estimated as the specific geographic location can decrease or increase coverage rates considerably.
Trying to buy budget car insurance is not the easiest thing to do, and figuring out which company offers the lowest-priced auto insurance rates for drivers with a DUI will require even more rate comparisons. Every auto insurer has their own guidelines for determining rates, so we’ll go over the auto insurance companies that tend to be cheaper in Houston, TX.
It’s important to understand that Texas auto insurance rates are determined by lots of factors that will increase or decrease the cost of coverage. Improving your credit score, buying a newer car, or getting a speeding ticket can trigger changes in premium that may make certain companies more affordable than others.
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| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travelers | $1,021 |
| 2 | USAA | $1,095 |
| 3 | Texas Farm Bureau | $1,199 |
| 4 | Germania Mutual | $1,256 |
| 5 | California Casualty | $1,382 |
| 6 | Esurance | $1,407 |
| 7 | State Farm | $1,450 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,461 |
| 9 | Nationwide | $1,585 |
| 10 | Safe Auto | $1,597 |
| 11 | Allstate | $1,650 |
| 12 | Progressive | $1,715 |
| 13 | Amica | $1,775 |
| 14 | GEICO | $2,072 |
| 15 | Home State | $2,134 |
| 16 | MetLife | $2,227 |
| 17 | Unitrin | $2,241 |
| 18 | Encompass | $2,255 |
| 19 | 21st Century | $2,421 |
| 20 | Titan | $2,672 |
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Travelers may offer some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Houston at around $1,021 a year. USAA, Texas Farm Bureau, Germania Mutual, and California Casualty would also make the list of some of the more affordable Houston, TX auto insurance companies.
As shown in the rates above, if you are currently insured with Germania Mutual and switched to Travelers, you may see an annual savings of about $235. Texas drivers with California Casualty could save as much as $361 a year, and Esurance customers might reduce prices by as much as $386 a year.
Be aware that those policy prices are averaged across all types of insureds and vehicles and are not factoring in a specific zip code for drivers with a DUI. So the company that fits your age and vehicle best may not even be in the top 23 companies in the list above. That is why you need to get quotes using your own personal information and vehicle type.
Types of discounts on Houston insurance rates
Insurers that sell policies for drivers with a DUI may have special discounts that could reduce prices by as much as 35% or more if you meet eligibility requirements. Companies and their possible discounts include:
- State Farm offers discounts including safe vehicle, good driver, student away at school, driver’s education, and multiple policy.
- American Family may offer discounts for defensive driver, good driver, air bags, TimeAway discount, accident-free, mySafetyValet, and good student.
- GEICO offers premium reductions for membership and employees, federal employee, military active duty, five-year accident-free, air bags, and seat belt use.
- 21st Century has discounts for air bags, early bird, good student, student driver, anti-lock brakes, and teen driver.
- Progressive policyholders can earn discounts including multi-policy, continuous coverage, homeowner, online quote discount, multi-vehicle, and good student.
The diagram below shows the comparison of premium costs with and without discounts. The rates are based on a female driver, three speeding tickets and no accidents, Texas state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows the price with no discounts. The second shows the rates with paid-in-full, passive restraint, continuous coverage, multiple policy, vehicle safety, and homeowner discounts applied. When these discounts are applied to the policy premium, the average amount saved each year on auto insurance for drivers with a DUI is 28% or $1,200.
The diagram below illustrates how your deductible choice can affect annual premium costs when searching for cheap insurance for drivers with a DUI. The price estimates are based on a single female driver, full coverage, and no discounts are applied.
A 40-year-old driver could lower their policy premium by $302 a year by switching the physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $456 by choosing a $1,000 deductible. Young drivers, such as the Age 20 example, could roll back prices $766 or even more just by choosing higher deductibles when buying full coverage. When increasing deductibles, it’s a good idea to have emergency funds available to be able to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the primary disadvantage of high deductibles.
How to find budget-friendly insurance for drivers with a DUI
Lowering your rates is not difficult, and here are some money-saving suggestions that can help Houston drivers buy cheap auto insurance.
- Safer vehicles cost less to insure
- Raise comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles
- Do not pay for full coverage on older vehicles
- Accidents can significantly increase rates
- Improve your credit rating
- Tickets and violations raise rates
- Shop around and save
That last idea is remarkably valuable, as was stressed in the article above. Coverage prices in Houston can be adjusted at any time, so don’t be unwilling to change insurance companies if a more affordable price is available.
Loyalty to a specific company is fine, but it’s not a good idea if that loyalty ends up costing hundreds of dollars year after year. It only take a few minutes to compare rates and find cheaper car insurance for drivers with a DUI.