Cheapest Car Insurance in Washington, D.C., for 2026

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Updated: September 30, 2026

Advertising & Editorial Disclosure

Erie provides the cheapest full coverage in Washington, D.C. ($110/month) and the lowest rates for most violation types. Chubb provides the cheapest minimum coverage ($31/month) and the lowest senior rate ($106/month). Washington, D.C. has no suburban or rural ZIP codes, so every driver pays the city rate. About 1 in 4 D.C. drivers carries no insurance, the third highest share in the country. Without UM/UIM coverage, an uninsured driver who hits you leaves you responsible for your own costs.

For poor credit, GEICO is cheapest at $268 a month. To compare how each company scores on customer service, claims handling and coverage options, see the best car insurance in Washington, D.C..

Get the cheapest car insurance in Washington, D.C. below.

Cheapest Car Insurance by Coverage Type in Washington, D.C.

The cheapest minimum coverage in Washington, D.C. is Chubb at $31 a month, $25 less than Erie's $56. For full coverage, Erie is cheapest at $110 a month and holds the highest overall MoneyGeek score in the District at 4.84/5. Chubb is the next option for full coverage at $115 a month, $5 more than Erie.

Washington, D.C.'s minimum policy already includes mandatory uninsured motorist coverage, which puts D.C. drivers ahead of most states on that protection before spending anything extra. What minimum still doesn't cover is your own vehicle. Collision pays when you cause an accident, and comprehensive pays for theft and weather damage. In a city where vehicle theft and parking damage are more frequent than in suburban or rural markets, those gaps are worth accounting for.

Erie Insurance
$56
$110
4.84/5
Chubb
$31
$115
4.64/5
GEICO
$86
$152
3.95/5
State Farm
$96
$197
3.82/5
Allstate
$129
$226
3.59/5

Cheapest Car Insurance for Teens and Young Adults in Washington, D.C.

Erie is cheapest for both male and female 16-year-olds in Washington, D.C. at $310 a month, holding the lowest rate through age 19. At age 20, Chubb becomes cheapest for females at $242 a month while Erie stays at $245 for males. Chubb holds the female rate through age 23, and both genders return to Erie at age 24 at $138 a month.

Washington, D.C. permits gender as a rating factor, though Erie charges the same $310 for both genders at age 16. These rates show which carrier is cheapest for a driver who is that age today. A teen with Erie at 16 won't automatically get Chubb's lower rates at 20 without getting a new quote. Get new quotes when a daughter turns 20 and when either driver turns 24 to capture those rate drops.

16

Erie Insurance
$310
Erie Insurance
$310

17

Erie Insurance
$292
Erie Insurance
$292

18

Erie Insurance
$260
Erie Insurance
$260

19

Erie Insurance
$250
Erie Insurance
$250

20

Chubb
$242
Erie Insurance
$245

21

Chubb
$192
Chubb
$208

22

Chubb
$192
Chubb
$208

23

Chubb
$192
Erie Insurance
$207

24

Erie Insurance
$138
Erie Insurance
$138

25

Erie Insurance
$134
Erie Insurance
$134

Cheapest Car Insurance for Seniors in Washington, D.C.

Chubb is the cheapest senior carrier in Washington, D.C. at $106 a month for full coverage, $11 less than Erie's $117. For seniors choosing between them, Chubb gives the lower rate while Erie scores higher on customer experience at 4.41/5 versus Chubb's 4.12/5 and receives fewer complaints relative to its size.

Chubb ranked first among major U.S. auto insurers on CRASH Network's 2025 Insurer Report Card, with adjusters making contact in 98% of claims within six hours of the initial report.

Seniors who drive less than average can lower the $106 rate through Chubb's low-mileage discount, and those who complete a defensive driving course qualify for an additional discount. Full coverage details and scores are at the Chubb car insurance review.

Chubb
$106
4.12/5
Erie Insurance
$117
4.41/5
GEICO
$192
3.65/5
State Farm
$216
3.80/5
Allstate
$238
3.56/5

Cheapest Car Insurance for High-Risk Drivers in Washington, D.C.

In Washington, D.C., Erie is cheapest after every violation type. A speeding ticket or texting violation costs $115 a month, $5 above the $110 clean-record rate. An at-fault accident costs $142 a month and a DUI costs $169 a month. Washington, D.C. requires an SR-22 filing for three years from the conviction date after a DUI, and Erie files that directly as part of your policy.

For poor credit, GEICO is cheapest at $268 a month, $158 more than Erie's $110 standard credit rate. Once credit improves, Erie is the first carrier to quote. At standard credit, Erie is cheapest in Washington, D.C. at $110 a month, $158 less than the poor-credit rate.

Speeding Ticket
Erie Insurance
$115
4.41/5
At-Fault Accident
Erie Insurance
$142
4.41/5
DUI
Erie Insurance
$169
4.41/5
Texting While Driving
Erie Insurance
$115
4.41/5
Bad Credit
GEICO
$268
3.65/5

How to Get Cheaper Car Insurance in Washington, D.C.

Getting cheaper car insurance in Washington, D.C. starts with choosing the right carrier for your coverage type, since Chubb and Erie are cheapest for different profiles. From there, coverage level, violation timing and credit score determine how much lower you can push the rate.

  1. 1
    Pick the right carrier for your coverage type

    Chubb is cheapest for minimum coverage at $31 a month and Erie is cheapest for full coverage at $110 a month. Quoting both before choosing a coverage level captures the full rate difference. Allstate at $226 a month represents the most expensive end of the D.C. market, $116 more than Erie for the same full coverage.

  2. 2
    Match your coverage level to your vehicle's value

    Full coverage costs $79 more a month than minimum coverage using the cheapest carrier for each, or $948 a year. For a vehicle worth less than $948, that annual premium may exceed what a total-loss claim would return.

    D.C.'s mandatory UM/UIM is already built into minimum coverage, so dropping to minimum doesn't leave you exposed to uninsured drivers the way it does in most states. Use the Washington, D.C. car insurance calculator to confirm whether your vehicle's value justifies the extra $948 a year.

  3. 3
    Get new quotes when your violation ages off

    When a surcharge clears, get new quotes from Erie rather than waiting for your insurer to lower the rate automatically. A speeding ticket adds $5 a month at Erie and a DUI adds $59 a month, though the DUI recovery requires waiting out the full three-year SR-22 period first.

  4. 4
    Improve your credit score and get new quotes from Erie

    Poor credit raises the cheapest available rate in Washington, D.C. from Erie's $110 a month to GEICO's $268, a $158 monthly difference. Washington, D.C. permits credit as a rating factor, so improving your score before applying for a new policy directly affects the rate you qualify for.

Cheap Washington, D.C. Car Insurance: FAQ

MoneyGeek analyzed car insurance rates for Washington, D.C. using data from Quadrant Information Services, collected from state insurance filing records across all residential ZIP codes in Washington, D.C. Carriers are required to file rates with the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking of the District of Columbia before charging them, and these are filed rates, not estimates or online quote approximations.

The baseline driver profile is a 40-year-old male driving a 2012 Toyota Camry LE with a clean record, good credit and 12,000 annual miles, tested with 100/300/100 full coverage at a $1,000 deductible and Washington, D.C.'s required 25/50/10 minimum liability plus mandatory UM/UIM at 25/50 bodily injury limits with $5,000 property damage and a $200 deductible.

Profile variations include young drivers ages 16 to 25 on individual policies rated by gender, a senior driver at age 70, violation profiles with one variable changed at a time and a poor-credit profile. USAA is excluded from all tables because its policies are available only to military members, veterans and immediate family. Eligible drivers should include USAA in any quote comparison.

Washington, D.C. uses a choice fault system with optional PIP and requires SR-22 financial responsibility filings for DUI convictions for three years from the conviction date. Gender and credit are permitted rating factors in the District.

MoneyGeek scores carriers on three factors, with affordability accounting for 60% of the score (normalized rates across all carriers within each driver profile), customer experience accounting for 30% (based on J.D. Power survey results, NAIC complaint index, AM Best financial strength ratings, agent network ratings and Google Business ratings) and coverage options accounting for 10% (based on available add-ons and included benefits).

About Mark Fitzpatrick

Mark Fitzpatrick, Licensed P&C Insurance Expert, MoneyGeek

Mark Fitzpatrick is a licensed Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Producer and MoneyGeek's resident expert in insurance and economics. In nearly a decade covering the insurance market at LendingTree and MoneyGeek, he's analyzed hundreds of carriers and millions of rates across auto, home, renters, health and life insurance.

His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times and NPR. He draws on independent cost and consumer experience data, and no insurance company partnerships affect his recommendations.

Mark studied at Boston College and later earned a master's in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University. He worked in financial risk management at State Street before joining MoneyGeek. He's also a five-time “Jeopardy!” champion.

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