How to Find the Best Full Coverage Car Insurance in New York

New York drivers typically need full coverage auto insurance. Clearcover, Kemper, and Safeco are the three best companies for full coverage New York car insurance.
Written by Jaya Anandjit
Edited by Kianna Walpole
background
The average cost of full coverage auto insurance in
New York
is $3,153 per year or $263 per month.
Comparing quotes
from multiple providers can help you find the best full coverage policy price in New York. 
  • On average,
    full coverage car insurance
    costs $263 per month for New York drivers.
  • Clearcover, Kemper, and Safeco offer the best rates in New York for full coverage car insurance.
  • New York’s high car accident rates, heavy traffic, and rates of car theft make full coverage the best option for drivers.
  • Full coverage car insurance is required for vehicle’s under auto loans or leases. 
  • If your car is worth less than $4,000, you may be able to save about $85 per month by dropping collision and comprehensive coverage. 

What is full coverage car insurance in New York?

In New York, full coverage car insurance includes
liability car insurance
, uninsured motorist coverage, personal injury protection (PIP),
collision coverage
, and
comprehensive coverage
New York’s minimum car insurance laws
require higher coverage limits than other states, but Big Apple drivers are still encouraged to purchase additional coverage. If you are a New York resident, you must carry the following: 
Although these limits provide fair protection for New York motorists, car insurance experts recommend investing in full coverage car insurance with
collision coverage
and
comprehensive coverage
How much coverage do you need? Most drivers purchase $50k/$100k of bodily injury liability coverage, $50k of property damage liability coverage, and enough collision and comprehensive insurance to cover the full replacement cost of their car. 

How to get the best full coverage car insurance in New York

The surest way to find the best full coverage car insurance in New York is to compare quotes from at least three to five car insurance providers. 
The table below offers average rates for full coverage from five of the most reputable and affordable auto insurance companies in New York:
Insurance companyAverage full coverage premium
Clearcover
$753
Kemper$1,467
Safeco$2,690
Travelers$2,733
Nationwide$2,754
In order to identify Pennsylvania’s five cheapest auto insurance companies, the folks at Jerry spent 200+ hours analyzing data from more than 25 million real car insurance quotes generated over the last year. The numbers showed that the providers we named above had the lowest average rates for good drivers seeking full coverage auto insurance in Pennsylvania.
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The secret to finding the best full coverage auto insurance company

There’s no single car insurance company that offers the lowest rates on full coverage for every driver in California. Car insurance companies look at your entire profile, from your age and ZIP code to your driving record and insurance history, when setting auto insurance rates. 
And every insurance provider uses a different set of calculations to set your premium—meaning that the best car insurance company is different for every driver.
Some drivers will find the cheapest car insurance coverage with California’s biggest insurers—GEICO, Progressive, Allstate, State Farm, and USAA—but others will find the best car insurance rates with smaller providers like AAA, Wawanesa, or Mercury. 
The only way to know who has the best rate for your profile is to compare free quotes from as many insurance companies as possible. Jerry partners with 55+ of the best car insurance companies in California to help you do just that—in under a minute. 
Find your full coverage quotes today

Why most New York drivers need full coverage car insurance

New York’s minimum car insurance requirements are pretty high, but they typically don’t provide enough financial protection for drivers on NY roads. Here are a few factors that make full coverage car insurance the best option for Empire State drivers:
  • High accident rate: In 2021, New York experienced 1,099 fatal car crashes with 1,157 deaths for a total Mileage Death Rate (MDR) of 1.08.
    1
     
  • Extensive city traffic: A whooping 78% of the fatal motor vehicle crashes in New York took place in urban areas of
    New York City
    like
    Bronx
    and
    Queens
    in 2021.
    2
     
  • Natural disasters and inclement weather: New Yorkers deal with treacherous weather conditions including heavy snow, extreme rainfall, high smog presence, and smoke from nearby wildfires. These conditions create severe driving hazards and increase the risk of collisions.
  • Car theft hot spots: According to data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, approximately 28,292 vehicles were stolen in 2022 across the state of New York.
    3
     
  • High number of uninsured drivers: Data from the Insurance Information Institute shows that 4.1% of New York drivers were uninsured as of 2019, and that number only accounts for uninsured drivers on record.
    4

Do you need no-fault insurance in New York?

Yes, New York is a
no-fault state
. This means that New York drivers are compensated for damages resulting from car accidents from their insurance provider, regardless of who was at fault. 
Liability vs. full coverage
: Liability coverage is the foundation of minimum car insurance coverage in New York. Full coverage, on the other hand, includes any policy that offers collision coverage and comprehensive coverage in addition to liability insurance. 
Collision and comprehensive coverage covers expenses associated with damages to your car from collisions with vehicles and other objects, theft, vandalism, severe weather conditions, fires, animals, and more.
New York’s minimum car insurance requirements include personal injury protection and uninsured motorist liability insurance on top of standard liability insurance to ensure that each driver has enough coverage to cover their personal post-accident damages.

Do you need uninsured motorist coverage in New York?

Uninsured motorist coverage is required in New York state, but underinsured motorist coverage is optional. Under New York’s car insurance laws, all NY drivers must have $25,000 or more of UM coverage on their car insurance policy. 
UM coverage provides compensation for your medical expenses after a car accident if the other driver is uninsured and found at fault. Since New York drivers are also required to carry personal injury protection, this coverage will kick in first for medical bills, regardless of who is at fault. Once your PIP coverage is exhausted, UM will cover the remaining expenses.

Do you need gap coverage in New York?

Gap (or Guaranteed Asset Protection) insurance isn’t required under New York’s car insurance laws, but it is usually recommended for drivers with new car loans. 
If you owe more on your
car loan
than the actual cash value of your newly leased or loaned vehicle, gap insurance can cover the dollar amount between your remaining loan balance and the comprehensive or collision coverage pay out following a car crash that results in a total loss.

Should you drop full coverage in New York?

You may consider dropping full coverage car insurance in New York under the following circumstances:
  • Your vehicle’s actual cash value is lower than the cost of a full coverage policy—this usually applies to older vehicles worth less than $4,000.
  • If a total loss occurred, you would be able to replace your vehicle out of pocket.
  • Your auto loan is paid off and you own your vehicle outright.
Auto loan requirements: New York required drivers to carry collision and comprehensive coverage on their insurance policy if they have a car loan or lease. Once the car is paid off, comprehensive and collision coverage are no longer required. 
In New York, minimum car insurance limits cost drivers approximately $241 per month or $2,890 per year compared to $263 per month and $3,153 per year for full coverage
Although there may be a price difference between minimum coverage and full coverage, New York drivers tend to benefit from holding higher and more exhaustive car insurance limits.
Concerned that full coverage car insurance may be too expensive for your budget? Leave your worries behind. The
Jerry
app can help you compare
free car insurance quotes
from New York’s best full coverage providers. 
Jerry is a
licensed insurance broker
that successfully serves over 4 million auto insurance policyholders across the nation. Download the app and connect with Jerry’s team of over 100 licensed insurance agents to find the best car insurance rate for your needs. 

FAQs

On average, full coverage car insurance costs $263 per month and $3,153 per year for New York drivers, which is higher than the national average of $2,264. 
Middle-aged drivers who live in rural neighborhoods with clean driving records and a good credit score tend to pay lower for car insurance. Additionally, new drivers, teen drivers, and senior drivers pay the highest auto insurance rates for full coverage auto insurance. 
No, New York does not require full coverage car insurance, but it is recommended. New York drivers need to carry the following minimum car insurance limits: 
Full coverage car insurance includes liability coverage, any types of car insurance that are required by state auto insurance laws, and comprehensive and collision coverage. Comprehensive and collision coverage offer protection against damages from natural disasters, collisions with other vehicles or stationary objects, car theft, vandalism, and more.
New York drivers are advised to carry at least 50/100/50 of liability car insurance coverage, plus 25/50 uninsured motorist coverage and $50,000 of personal injury coverage. Additionally, drivers in the Empire State should consider enough comprehensive coverage and collision insurance to cover the actual cash value of their vehicle.
The
most affordable full coverage car insurance policy
in New York typically includes the state’s minimum liability limits and enough collision and comprehensive coverage to compensate for the cost of your vehicle.
The best way to find cheap car insurance rates is by comparing quotes from several different providers. You can also review your coverage options and remove unnecessary insurance products, look into
car insurance discounts
,
bundling your homeowners or renters insurance
with an auto policy, or raising comprehensive and collision insurance deductibles. 
State Farm and GEICO are two of the most popular New York auto insurance companies, and they also happen to hold the highest market shares. With this said, these providers don’t always offer the best rates to New York drivers, especially if you have driving violations like speeding tickets and DUIs, or car accidents on your driving history, or poor credit.

Sources

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