Washington D.C., Car Insurance Calculators: Get Instant Estimates

• Our Washington, DC rate data comes from Quadrant Information Services, which pulls premium data directly from insurer filings with state regulators. Every rate filed in the District of Columbia is a matter of public record.
• We track every residential ZIP code in Washington, DC and update rates monthly.
• Mark Fitzpatrick, a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer, author, and Mark Friedlander of the Insurance Information Institute review all content on this page.
• Our editorial standards keep our recommendations free from any influence by carrier relationships. Our rating guidelines apply the same criteria to every insurer we analyze.

DC has 13 insurance companies writing policies here. The most affordable company charges $29 for minimum coverage; for the same profile, the most expensive insurer charges $113. That's an $84 monthly difference for identical protection, or $1,008 a year. Regional carriers like Chubb have lower brand recognition than GEICO or State Farm, but often offer lower rates for drivers with imperfect credit or driving records. It's worth shopping around in Washington, D.C. Most comparison websites don't list every company that offers policies in the district, and many don't include regional providers, but MoneyGeek does. Drivers who stop at the first result they get online risk paying higher rates. Start shopping with MoneyGeeks' cheapest car insurance in Washington, D.C., and find the lowest rates that match your exact profile.

Every address in DC is a city address. There are no suburban or rural ZIP codes in the District, so the price difference you'd normally see between a city address and a suburban one doesn't exist here.

Where your car is parked overnight determines the zip code used to calculate your rate. If you live on the border between Virginia and Washington, D.C., car insurance costs can range by as much as $40 for the same driver and vehicle. That's $480 a year. Commuters who can choose which address they register their car at should get quotes both ways before committing.

DC's adult rate of $137/month becomes $492/month for a young driver with the same car and record, or $4,260 more a year. Get new quotes when you turn 25. MoneyGeeks data shows switching car insurance companies at age 25 can save up to x in Washington, D.C., adding to the savings you already get just for celebrating a birthday.
Senior drivers pay $235/month, or 1.7 times the adult rate. Rates start rising again in your mid-60s, and drivers who stick with the same carrier at this age usually end up overpaying for car insurance. The carrier that is right for you at 55 isn't necessarily the best at 60 or 65, so get new quotes at that renewal too. Your insurance company won't apply the drop on its own.

Drivers with poor credit pay $416/month for full coverage in DC; drivers with excellent credit pay $153. That's a $263/month gap, or $3,156 a year. Dropping to minimum coverage saves $68/month. Improving your credit score saves $263/month, nearly four times as much. When your credit score improves, your current carrier will lower your rate at the next renewal, but only to what they'd charge you at the new credit tier.

Switching companies at the same time captures both the credit improvement and the carrier spread. A driver who moves from poor to excellent credit and re-quotes with a different company gets both savings at once. Most drivers get one.

Use MoneyGeek's car insurance for drivers with bad credit guide to find the DC carriers with the largest gap between poor and excellent credit tiers. Those are the companies worth switching to after an improvement.

Most states charge more for a DUI than for an at-fault accident. In D.C., carriers price the risk the same; both raise your rate by $111/month, bringing full coverage to $248/month, or $1,332 more a year.

According to the Washington, D.C. DMV, violations remain on your driving record for 2 years, which is shorter than the 3-year window most states use. Most drivers with a DUI assume the rate penalty lasts as long as the SR-22 requirement does. It doesn't. The rate penalty and the SR-22 filing requirement run on two different clocks in DC.

If you get a DUI, the district requires you to file an SR-22 (a form your insurance company files with the DC DMV to confirm you still have coverage) and a breathalyzer device wired into your car. Both requirements last for 3 years from the date of conviction.

Your driving record clears at month 25. The SR-22 expires at month 37. That means two re-shop windows, and drivers who wait for the SR-22 to expire leave a year of rate savings on the table.

DC's minimum coverage costs $68/month less than full coverage, or $816 a year. DC law sets the minimums at $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash for bodily injury, and $10,000 for property damage, per the DC DMV.

A $10,000 property damage limit won't cover replacing a newer car, and $25,000 won't cover a serious injury in a DC hospital. Whatever your policy doesn't cover, you owe personally.

The $816 in annual savings comes with a risk that most markets don't carry at that price. D.C.'s high uninsured motorist and vehicle theft rates make opting for minimum coverage riskier. For drivers with cars worth more than a few years of premiums, the traditional advice is to drop comprehensive and collision coverage or lower your limits. Here, you need to assess if you're willing to pay out of pocket if your car is stolen or totaled by a driver with no insurance.

If you're still paying off your car, your lender still requires full coverage. Drivers who own their car outright should use the coverage calculator below to find the right amount.

The Metropolitan Police Department reports that about 18 vehicles are stolen in the District every day, and the FBI found that D.C. had the highest vehicle theft rate in the country in 2023. Comprehensive coverage, which pays if your car is stolen, offers more expected value in D.C. than in most markets.

A vehicle that might not justify keeping comprehensive coverage elsewhere may still warrant it here. The DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking recommends comparing your annual collision and comprehensive premiums to your car's current value before dropping coverage.

Use the guide to dropping collision and comprehensive coverage to run that comparison for your model year and factor in DC's theft rate before making the call.

DC law requires uninsured motorist coverage on every policy under D.C. Code § 31-2406. You cannot opt out of it. In most states, drivers can sign a waiver to decline this coverage. In DC, they cannot.

According to the Insurance Research Council, DC's uninsured driver rate of 25.2% is the highest in the country. One in four drivers on DC roads has no insurance. The minimum UM/UIM in your recommendation is what the law requires, but drivers with high medical costs or high-value vehicles should carry limits that match their bodily injury coverage.

The recommended coverage amounts are higher than DC's legal minimums because the minimums aren't enough for a real crash in this city. DC law sets minimum coverage at $25,000 per injured person and $10,000 for property damage, per the DC DMV.

A $10,000 property damage limit won't replace a newer car, and $25,000 in bodily injury won't cover a serious injury at a DC hospital. Whatever exceeds your policy limit is your personal debt. If you're still paying off your car, your lender requires full coverage on cars you're financing, regardless. The minimum vs. full coverage decision doesn't apply until the loan is paid off.

DC is an at-fault state. If you cause a crash, you are personally responsible for every dollar above your policy limit. A court judgment above that limit can be paid from your savings and home equity.

The $25,000 per-person minimum isn't enough to protect a driver who owns property. Drivers with a home or significant savings should carry at least $100,000 per person and $300,000 per crash in bodily injury coverage to protect what they have.

Bodily injury liability pays the medical bills, lost wages, and legal costs of people you injure when you're at fault in a crash. According to the DC DMV, DC's minimum is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash. That covers a minor crash but not a serious injury in a major-metro hospital.

MoneyGeek recommends at least $100,000 per person and $300,000 per crash for DC drivers with savings or property. Stepping up from DC's minimum to the recommended limits runs $180 to $360 more per year and raises the per-person limit fourfold. Anything above your policy limit is your personal debt

Property damage liability pays for damage you cause to other people's cars, buildings, and property when you're at fault. According to the DC DMV, DC's required minimum is $10,000, which won't cover replacing a single late-model car.

Drivers with savings or a home should carry at least $50,000 to $100,000. The property damage portion of your policy covers the other driver's car and other property you damage, up to your chosen limit.

Uninsured motorist coverage pays your medical bills and car repair costs when the driver who hit you has no insurance or not enough to cover the damage. In DC, it's required on every policy under D.C. Code § 31-2406. You cannot decline it.

According to the Insurance Research Council (2022 [VERIFY]), DC's uninsured driver rate of 25.2% is the highest in the country. One in four DC drivers carries no insurance. When the driver who hit you has no insurance, your UM/UIM coverage pays your medical bills and car damage, so you won't have to collect from someone with nothing.

DC also runs an Uninsured Motorist Fund that covers situations where your UM/UIM coverage runs out or isn't available. Carry UM/UIM limits at least as high as your bodily injury limits.

Collision coverage pays for damage to your own car from a crash, regardless of fault. Comprehensive coverage pays for theft, fire, weather damage, and other non-collision events. If you're still paying off your car, your lender requires both.

For drivers who own their car outright, the DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking recommends comparing your annual premium to your car's current value before dropping either coverage. The FBI found DC had the highest vehicle theft rate in the country in 2023.

The Metropolitan Police Department reports about 18 vehicles are stolen in the District every day. Use the guide to dropping collision and comprehensive coverage to run the comparison for your car and factor in DC's theft rate.

Gap insurance pays the difference between what your car is worth and what you still owe on the loan if it's totaled. Any driver who owes more than the car is currently worth needs it. Gap coverage is most common in the first two to three years of financing, when the car loses value faster than you pay it down.

An SR-22 is a form your insurance company files with the DC DMV to confirm you have active coverage. It's not a type of insurance; it's a certificate that proves coverage exists. According to the DC DMV, the district requires it after any alcohol or drug-related driving conviction, aggravated reckless driving, or major moving violations that cost you your license.

The SR-22 must stay on file for 3 years from the date of conviction, per the DC DMV. If your coverage lapses during that period, the clock resets. DUI convictions after December 19, 2022 also require a breathalyzer device in your car that you must pass before the engine starts, with no exceptions.

Not all insurance companies file SR-22 forms. The Washington, DC SR-22 guide lists which companies file the certificate and what they charge. Drivers with major violations should also check DC's high-risk insurance options for companies that specialize in this situation.