North Dakota Car Insurance Calculators: Cost & Coverage

MoneyGeek sources rate data from Quadrant Information Services, which pulls premium data directly from insurer filings with North Dakota state regulators. These are the rates insurers charge, not estimates.

• We track every residential ZIP code in North Dakota and update rates monthly.
• Mark Fitzpatrick, a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer, wrote this page. Mark Friedlander of the Insurance Information Institute reviewed it for accuracy.
• Our editorial standards keep recommendations free from any influence by carrier relationships. Our rating guidelines apply the same criteria to every insurer we analyze.

Choosing the right insurer can make a noticeable difference in North Dakota. GEICO offers full coverage for about $55 per month, while Farm Bureau and North Star charge around $67 and $63 per month, respectively. Comparing quotes from multiple companies can help you find the best rate for your situation.

Don’t overlook regional insurers. North Star and Grinnell Insurance aren’t available on many national comparison websites, and Farm Bureau also has some of the state’s lowest minimum coverage rates. Getting quotes from both national and local insurers gives you a more complete picture of your options.

North Dakota's city-to-city rate gap is smaller than most drivers expect. Fargo drivers pay $43 per month for minimum coverage while Bismarck drivers pay $40, a $3 per month difference. Within Fargo, the ZIP gap is also narrow, reflecting the city's relatively uniform density compared to larger metros. The bigger gap in North Dakota is between urban and rural areas, not between cities. Drivers outside the major metros typically pay less than both Fargo and Bismarck.

Fargo costs slightly more because it has North Dakota's highest traffic volume and the most vehicle registrations per square mile in the state, according to the North Dakota Department of Transportation's annual traffic report. More vehicles per road mile means more accidents and more claims per insured driver. If you've recently moved, run the calculator with your new ZIP before your next renewal. Your insurer uses the address where your car is parked overnight, and an outdated address means you may still be paying for a ZIP you no longer live in.

Young drivers in North Dakota pay $229 per month for full coverage on a family plan, 2.6 times the adult rate of $89 per month on the same plan. North Star is the cheapest carrier for 16-year-olds at $69 per month on a family plan, dropping to $58 per month at 19 and $28 per month by 25. American Family is cheapest at 18 at $77 per month and again at 20 at $61 per month, creating a pattern where the cheapest carrier alternates between North Star and American Family across the teen years. Getting new quotes at every birthday between 16 and 25 captures both the age reduction and the carrier shift that often accompanies it.

For seniors, Nodak Mutual is the cheapest carrier for 65-year-olds at $48 per month. By age 70, North Star becomes the cheapest option at $25 to $28 per month and holds that position through age 80. Senior rates in North Dakota rise modestly after 70 as higher medical costs per incident offset the lower accident frequency that keeps mid-age rates low. Get new quotes at 65, at 70 and at each renewal after that since the cheapest carrier at 65 may not be the same at 70.

North Dakota has the largest difference in car insurance rates based on credit of any state we cover. Drivers with poor credit pay about $340 per month for full coverage, compared with $89 for drivers with good credit. That’s an extra $251 per month, or more than $3,000 per year.

Much of that increase occurs between poor credit and the next credit tier, so raising your credit score can lower your premium. GEICO has the cheapest rates for drivers with good credit, but another insurer may offer a better price if your credit is poor. Check your credit report before shopping for insurance, and compare quotes again after your score improves since insurers won’t automatically lower your rate.

An at-fault accident raises North Dakota car insurance rates by about $34 per month on average, while a DUI increases premiums by about $80 per month. Some insurers may also charge more after a not-at-fault accident, though the increase varies by company.

A DUI requires an SR-22 filing in North Dakota and can affect your rates for up to three years. GEICO and American Family often have some of the lower rates for drivers with a DUI, but prices vary by situation. Compare quotes after any major violation because insurers don’t all apply the same surcharges.

Dropping from full coverage to North Dakota’s minimum coverage saves about $48 per month. That’s less than many drivers can save by switching insurers or improving their credit score.

North Dakota’s minimum liability limits are $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident and $25,000 for property damage. A serious crash can exceed those limits, leaving you responsible for the remaining costs. If you finance or lease your vehicle, your lender will also require full coverage until the loan is paid off.

Your vehicle affects your North Dakota car insurance rate because insurers consider its value, repair costs and likelihood of a claim. Newer or more expensive vehicles usually cost more to insure, especially if you carry comprehensive and collision coverage. Financed or leased vehicles also require full coverage, which increases premiums.

North Dakota’s frequent hail and ice storms make comprehensive coverage more valuable than in many other states. If you own your vehicle outright, compare its current market value with the cost of comprehensive and collision coverage to decide whether keeping those protections makes financial sense.

Bodily injury liability pays the medical, rehabilitation and legal costs of people you injure in a crash. North Dakota requires a minimum of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. A two-injury crash can exhaust $50,000 quickly, and the at-fault driver covers every dollar above their policy limit personally. Drivers with home equity or retirement savings should carry at least 100/300 limits to keep those assets out of reach.

Property damage liability pays for damage you cause to another person's vehicle or property. North Dakota's minimum is $25,000 per accident. Newer trucks and SUVs can run $50,000 to $70,000 in replacement cost, which means a single at-fault crash involving a newer vehicle can exceed that minimum. Drivers with significant assets should consider at least $100,000 in property damage coverage.

Personal injury protection, called basic no-fault in North Dakota, pays your medical costs after a crash regardless of who caused it. The mandatory minimum is $30,000 per person, covering medical bills, lost wages and rehabilitation. North Dakota allows PIP deductibles from $0 to $5,000. A higher deductible lowers your monthly premium but raises your out-of-pocket costs if you're injured. Make sure you can actually afford the deductible before raising it.

Uninsured motorist coverage pays when a driver with no insurance causes your crash. Underinsured motorist coverage pays when their limits don't fully cover your losses. North Dakota requires both at $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. You can't opt out. About one in 10 North Dakota drivers carries no insurance, and underinsured motorist coverage matters here because North Dakota's relatively low liability minimums mean even insured drivers can fall short of covering a serious injury.

Collision pays for damage to your own vehicle from a crash, regardless of fault. Comprehensive pays for everything else: hail, ice damage, theft, fire and animal strikes. North Dakota's severe winters make these the losses most relevant to the state. A general guideline is to drop comprehensive when your annual premium for it exceeds 10% of your car's current market value. A vehicle worth $4,000 paying $500 per year in comprehensive has passed that point.

An SR-22 is not a type of insurance. It's a certificate your insurer files with the state confirming you carry at least the required minimums. North Dakota requires an SR-22 after a DUI conviction, driving without insurance, driving under revocation, certain crashes, a court judgment from a vehicle crash where you're found at fault and didn't have insurance, or a felony involving a motor vehicle. The filing must stay on file for one year from your license reinstatement date. A single lapse triggers automatic notification to the state and license re-suspension. Drivers who need an SR-22 but don't own a vehicle can satisfy the requirement through a non-owner policy.

1. Get quotes from North Star Insurance and Grinnell Insurance alongside national carriers. Both write policies in North Dakota but don't appear on most national comparison platforms. The gap between the state's cheapest and most expensive carrier is $52 per month for identical minimum coverage. Skipping those regional carriers means you're comparing only part of the market. See MoneyGeek's cheapest car insurance in North Dakota to see the full picture.
2. Ask about the defensive driving course discount before your next renewal. North Dakota doesn't have a state-mandated good driver discount, but the North Dakota Highway Patrol approves defensive driving courses that qualify for a premium reduction. Ask each carrier whether the discount is already applied to your quote and confirm no surcharge is attached to your record that the record doesn't actually support.
3. Get new quotes before every renewal, not after. North Dakota carriers can raise rates at renewal without a per-driver explanation. If a violation aged off your record in the past 12 months, your current carrier may not automatically lower your rate. Get new quotes to find out.
4. Mark month 37 from any violation date. A DUI adds $80 per month to your rate. At month 37, the violation clears and you can get new quotes at the clean rate. That doesn't happen automatically with your current carrier. Start comparing at month 33 so you're ready the moment the window closes.