Finding the cheapest car insurance in Utah can be a challenge. Because insurance costs vary depending on your age, credit history and other factors, shopping around is crucial.
To help Utahans easily compare estimates, NerdWallet researched the average prices from the state’s eight largest insurers and found the three cheapest car insurance options for the following motorist types:
- Good drivers
- Young drivers
- Families with a teen driver
- Drivers with poor credit
- Drivers with one at-fault accident
- Retired drivers
Cheapest for good drivers
For drivers with no at-fault accidents, DUIs or moving violations; range of average prices: $695 to $4,458
price
- $695/year
price
- $699/year
price
- $1,557/year
Among the three cheapest insurers, the average price for drivers with no blemishes on their record was $984 per year. But between just the two cheapest — Bear River Mutual and Geico — the average was only $697 per year. Clearly there’s value in shopping around and not settling for that first quote.
Safe drivers can also usually save even more with discounts. Discounts might be available for years of claim-free driving or for having common safety features on your car, such as anti-lock brakes and airbags. Keep in mind that discounts might be more plentiful at the larger, national insurance companies than at smaller, regional providers.
Cheapest for young drivers
For drivers in their early 20s; range of average prices: $511 to $3,222
price
- $511/year
price
- $641/year
price
- $913/year
Young drivers in their 20s aren’t necessarily penalized for a lack of experience and can actually find some of the cheapest car insurance in Utah. Again, Geico and Bear River Mutual ranked as the two cheapest options by far in our test. With sample quotes topping $3,000 on the high end, shopping around is important.
Cheapest for families with a teen driver
For middle-aged couples with one teen driver; range of average prices: $1,064 to $10,872
price
- $1,064/year
price
- $2,508/year
price
- $4,710/year
Teens in the Beehive State are 1.5 times more likely to have a car accident than any other age group, according to the Utah Department of Public Safety. That explains why a family’s car insurance rates can skyrocket when adding a teen driver.
This category had the largest range of any we tested — nearly $11,000 between lowest and highest — proving there’s major cash to be saved by comparing rates. Parents can also look for special discounts that can ease the financial sting of adding a teen driver, such as good student or driver training discounts.
Cheapest for drivers with poor credit
For drivers placed in the lowest credit tier as determined by the industry; range of average prices: $709 to $3,329
price
- $709/year
price
- $1,107/year
price
- $1,635/year
Insurers often look at the credit history of drivers because of a correlation between poor credit and the probability of future claims. In Utah, however, drivers with poor credit can still get fairly affordable rates. In fact, Bear River Mutual’s sample quote of $709 came out to only about $1 more per month than the company’s rate for good drivers with no credit issues.
Consider that Bear River is a small insurance company available only in Utah and may not have the same levels of customer service or discount offerings as larger competitors.
Cheapest for drivers with one at-fault accident
Range of average prices: $752 to $5,398
price
- $752/year
price
- $1,502/year
price
- $1,983/year
Utah drivers with a single at-fault accident on their record can get much cheaper coverage from Bear River Mutual than from any competitors, according to NerdWallet research. However, Geico and Farmers both offer an accident forgiveness feature that may prevent policyholders’ rates from climbing after their first at-fault accident (or first in a while). That could at least partly make up for the pricier coverage.
Cheapest for retired drivers
For drivers in their mid-to-late 60s who no longer use their car for commuting; range of average prices: $573 to $3,970
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- $573/year
price
- $659/year
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- $1,429/year
Retired drivers typically travel fewer miles than their younger, commuting counterparts, which can translate into some of the cheapest car insurance in Utah. Geico’s sample quote was the lowest of the bunch at $573 per year, and the company offers a mature driver discount to trim costs even more.
On the other end of the spectrum, we found quotes approaching nearly $4,000 for basically the same policy, so shopping around is just as vital for retired drivers as it is for other groups.
Minimum car insurance requirements in Utah
Utah requires drivers to at least carry liability insurance and personal injury protection in the following amounts:
- $25,000 bodily injury liability per person
- $65,000 bodily injury liability per accident
- $15,000 property damage liability per accident
- $3,000 PIP
While this will be enough to drive legally, experts recommend getting more than the bare minimum. You may also want added protection from optional coverages such as collision, comprehensive and uninsured motorist coverage.
Check out NerdWallet’s guide to understanding state car insurance requirements for more details on how the various coverages of your Utah auto policy work.
Alternatives to car insurance in Utah
Drivers in Utah do have one alternative if they’d rather not purchase car insurance. Residents may instead post a bond of $160,000 in order to prove their financial responsibility.
Since going this route would leave drivers vulnerable to future car accidents and crash-related lawsuits, most will find it easier and more cost-effective to simply purchase auto insurance.
NerdWallet can help make it easy to secure coverage at the most competitive price. Use our car insurance comparison tool to view estimates from top insurers and possibly save hundreds.
Methodology
For most categories, NerdWallet averaged rates from the largest insurers for 30-year-old men and women in 10 ZIP codes and with 100/300/50 liability insurance limits, 100/300 uninsured motorist coverage limits and $25,000 personal injury protection (PIP). We used a 2012 Toyota Camry in all cases.
To test rates for families with teen drivers, we requested quotes for a 46-year-old female and 47-year-old male with a 16-year-old son. Our sample retired driver was 67 and drove 50% fewer annual miles than other groups. Our sample young driver was 22 and carried the minimum required levels of liability coverage and PIP. Your own rates will be different.
Alex Glenn is a staff writer for NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: aglenn@nerdwallet.com
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