Cheapest Car Insurance in Kentucky (August 2024)

Cincinnati Insurance has the cheapest overall car insurance in Kentucky. Nationwide and Auto-Owners are cheaper for certain other driver types.

The best car insurance companies in Kentucky offer a balance of cost and quality service.

The cheapest car insurance companies in Kentucky for minimum coverage are:

• Cincinnati Insurance: $296 per year
• Auto-Owners: $410 per year

A minimum coverage policy from Grange Insurance is the most expensive in Kentucky, with an average annual cost of $1,045.

When you purchase a minimum coverage policy in Kentucky, your coverage is limited to bodily injury liability, property damage liability and personal injury protection up to limits set by the state.

A minimum liability policy covers only injuries or property damage you cause to others, not your car. For coverage on your vehicle, you'll need a full coverage policy with comprehensive and collision insurance.

The following companies offer the cheapest full coverage car insurance in Kentucky:

• Auto-Owners: $876 per year
• Travelers: $957 per year

A full coverage policy from Westfield is the most expensive in Kentucky at an average of $1,849 annually.

Buying a full coverage policy means adding comprehensive and collision coverage, which usually costs more. In Kentucky, you will pay $466 more for a full coverage policy than minimum coverage with Auto-Owners.

Full coverage car insurance offers coverage for damage due to incidents like theft and vandalism.

The cost of your policy will vary depending on how much car insurance you need. MoneyGeek’s analysis is based on a full coverage policy with the following limits:

• $100,000 in bodily injury liability per person
• $300,000 in bodily injury liability per accident
• $100,000 in property damage liability per accident

If you want cheaper rates, you can drop comprehensive and collision insurance, opt for lower liability limits or raise your deductible for comprehensive, collision or both. Still, you risk having insufficient coverage in case of an accident.

Most car insurance providers offer quotes online. However, the process can take up to 15 minutes, and if you want to compare quotes, you’ll have to do so across multiple websites.

MoneyGeek’s car insurance calculator offers a simple way to get a quick car insurance estimate without providing specific personal information. You can also use it to compare quotes and find the most affordable provider for your profile.

Age significantly affects car insurance rates in Kentucky. Nationwide provides the most affordable policies for teens, while Travelers is the cheapest option for young adults and Cincinnati Insurance for seniors.

In Kentucky, the most affordable car insurance for parents adding teen drivers to their full coverage policy are:

• Nationwide: $1,872 per year for female teens and $1,996 per year for male teens
• Allstate: $1,887 per year for female teens and $1,985 per year for male teens

GEICO is the most expensive, costing $4,491 per year for male teens and $3,666 for female teens.

Teen car insurance premiums decrease as they age, with 19-year-olds getting the best rates. Allstate offers the lowest rate for 19-year-old males in Kentucky, at $1,674 annually.

Adding a teen to a parent’s policy is typically cheaper than an individual policy. Teens under 18 usually need a parent or guardian to co-sign. For example, an individual policy for a 16-year-old costs about $6,068 per year, while adding them to a family policy costs around $2,913 annually, saving about $3,155 annually.

Families with teen drivers can save on their car insurance premiums by taking advantage of various student discounts. Insurers like Nationwide and State Farm offer discounts for teens with good grades. Some insurers also provide distant student and driver education discounts.

The cheapest car insurance companies in Kentucky for young adults are:

• Travelers: $1,125 per year
• Shelter: $1,175 per year

Westfield is the most expensive provider for drivers in their 20s at an average of $2,238 per year.

Car insurance costs more for 20-year-olds than for middle-aged drivers. With the cheapest providers, a policy for 20-year-olds costs roughly $274 more than that for 40-year-olds.

The most affordable auto insurance companies in Kentucky for senior drivers are:

• Cincinnati Insurance: $784 per year
• Auto-Owners: $802 per year

The most expensive company for senior drivers is Westfield, at an average cost of $1,790 per year.

Senior drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than middle-aged drivers. With the cheapest policies in Kentucky, senior drivers pay around $70 less than middle-aged drivers. Car insurance rates typically increase once drivers reach their 70s and 80s.

Some insurers offer senior drivers discounts that help reduce car insurance costs. You should also compare car insurance quotes from multiple providers to determine the most affordable rates.

In Kentucky, Auto-Owners offers the cheapest car insurance for drivers with speeding tickets, at-fault accidents or sports cars. Shelter provides the best rates for drivers with a DUI, while Nationwide is the most affordable for those with poor credit.

Drivers with violations typically face higher rates due to being considered high-risk. Comparing quotes from different insurers can help you find more affordable options.

The cheapest car insurance companies in Kentucky for drivers with a speeding ticket are:

• Auto-Owners: $997 per year
• Cincinnati Insurance: $1,156 per year

Grange Insurance is the most expensive option in Kentucky if you have a speeding ticket, at $2,325 per year.

On average, drivers with speeding tickets in Kentucky pay $244 more per year than drivers with clean records.

The cheapest auto insurance companies in Kentucky after an at-fault accident are:

• Auto-Owners: $1,198 per year
• Travelers: $1,387 per year

Westfield is the most expensive option after an at-fault accident at an average cost of $2,640 per year.

Having an at-fault accident on record will increase your car insurance rates in Kentucky by up to $631 per year on average. Drivers who have included or earned accident forgiveness on their auto policy prior to their first at-fault accident won't see a premium increase. GEICO awards this for free, as does Progressive.

The cheapest car insurance companies in Kentucky if you have a DUI are:

• Shelter: $1,521 per year
• Travelers: $1,531 per year

Westfield has Kentucky’s most expensive full coverage policy after a DUI at $4,532 per year.

In Kentucky, having a DUI on your driving record will increase your car insurance premiums by an average of $1,125 per year.

The most affordable car insurance companies in Kentucky for drivers with poor credit scores (below 580) are:

• Nationwide: $1,507 per year
• Travelers: $1,604 per year

Kentucky Farm Bureau is the most expensive car insurance option for drivers with poor credit at $3,684 annually.

On average, if you have a low credit score, your car insurance rates will be up to $1,175 higher than rates for drivers with good credit scores (above 750).

Some insurers charge higher car insurance rates if you have a low credit-based insurance score because a lower credit rating indicates that you are likely to file a claim.

Improve your credit score to get better car insurance rates. Comparing quotes and taking advantage of discounts will help you save.

The most affordable car insurance companies in Kentucky for sports car drivers are:

• Auto-Owners: $897 per year
• Travelers: $939 per year

Progressive is the most expensive option for sports car owners, at an average of $2,419 per year.

In Kentucky, a full coverage policy for a sports car can cost up to $177 more per year than for a Toyota Camry.

MoneyGeek used a Ford Mustang as its sample sports car in this study, but costs may differ depending on your vehicle type. Sports, electric and luxury cars typically cost more to insure. However, this may not apply in all states.

In Kentucky, Auto-Owners offers the cheapest premiums for military members and veterans, averaging $876 annually.

While USAA is not the cheapest, it provides policies for military personnel averaging $1,037 per year in Kentucky. GEICO is also a strong option for military-affiliated drivers, offering discounts that can reduce your cost by up to 15%.

Car insurance costs can vary widely depending on your location in Kentucky due to factors like accident rates, theft and traffic density.

For example, Auto-Owners charges $1,014 per year for full coverage in Lexington-Fayette. Travelers costs $1,207 per year for the same coverage in Louisville/Jefferson. Rates can differ significantly between cities, even with the same insurer.

Kentucky, like most states, requires that all drivers carry car insurance with specified minimum liability limits for bodily injury and property damage.

Kentucky car insurance laws require you to carry a minimum liability policy with bodily injury coverage, property damage coverage and personal injury protection (PIP). State minimum policies are the cheapest option if you want to save on costs, but you risk having insufficient coverage in case of an at-fault accident.

MoneyGeek recommends getting as much liability coverage as you can afford to avoid incurring high out-of-pocket costs in case of an accident.

Although a state minimum policy fulfills the liability limits set by law, it may not necessarily offer sufficient coverage. MoneyGeek recommends getting $100,000 bodily injury liability per person, $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident and $100,000 property damage liability per accident.

If you are financing or leasing your car, your lender may require that you purchase comprehensive and collision insurance. These cover damages to your car on the road and off-road incidents like theft and vandalism.

MoneyGeek also advises that drivers with high-value cars add comprehensive and collision insurance, even if they own their vehicle outright.

Kentucky drivers can self-insure through the Kentucky Self-Insured Auto Program (KSAP). You must submit an application for self-insurance and consent to pay all tort liability and basic reparation benefits incurred.

You will also need to submit a yearly income statement and balance sheet with your self-insurance application. The state requires security in the form of a bond, surety or an irrevocable letter of credit issued by a bank. You can terminate your self-insurance voluntarily by submitting a written request to the commissioner of insurance.

When looking for car insurance, you'll have questions about cost and quality. We answered commonly asked questions below to help you learn more.