Cheapest Car Insurance in Maryland for 2026

Maryland ranks 43rd most affordable of 50 states (8th most expensive) with full coverage averaging $150/month ($1,800/year), 24% above the national average, per Quadrant Information Services data.

GEICO is cheapest for both minimum coverage ($49/month) and full coverage ($84/month), and leads all four violation categories. Maryland has an extreme gender gap for teen drivers: a 16-year-old boy on a GEICO family policy costs $347/month vs. $244/month for a girl, a $103/month ($1,236/year) difference for the same insurer on the same policy type.

Cheapest in Maryland by coverage type

• Full coverage: GEICO, $84/month
• Minimum coverage: GEICO, $49/month

Cheapest by driver age

• Young adult drivers: State Farm, $267/month
• Teen drivers (16) on a family policy: GEICO, $244/month (female) / $347/month (male)
• Seniors (65+): GEICO, $101/month

Cheapest by driving record and credit score

• Speeding ticket: GEICO, $97/month
• At-fault accident: GEICO, $130/month
• DUI: GEICO, $102/month
• Texting while driving: GEICO, $97/month
• Bad credit: Nationwide, $177/month

GEICO is the cheapest car insurance provider in Maryland for both minimum coverage ($49/month) and full coverage ($84/month). Choosing GEICO over Allstate, the most expensive provider at $236/month for full coverage, saves $152/month ($1,824/year). Compare options with the best car insurance in Maryland to find coverage that fits your needs.

Maryland's minimum required coverage is 30/60/15: $30,000 per person bodily injury, $60,000 per accident, and $15,000 property damage, plus required uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage. Maryland is an at-fault state, so the at-fault driver is responsible for the other party's costs. Personal injury protection (PIP) is available as an optional add-on but is not required. My full coverage benchmark uses 100/300/100 limits plus comprehensive coverage, collision coverage, and a $1,000 deductible.

For example, if you cause an accident that injures two people with $40,000 in medical bills each, Maryland's $30,000 per-person minimum leaves you exposed to $10,000 out-of-pocket per person ($20,000 total). Higher limits cover your assets in serious accidents.

State Farm is the cheapest provider for young adult standalone drivers in Maryland at $267/month, the one category where GEICO does not lead. GEICO is cheapest for seniors at $101/month. Maryland has an extreme gender gap for teen drivers: a 16-year-old boy on a GEICO family policy costs $347/month vs. $244/month for a girl, a $103/month ($1,236/year) difference at the same age with the same insurer. The gap narrows through the ages and fully closes at age 25, when both male and female rates reach $174/month with GEICO.

Open the dropdowns for full breakdowns of car insurance rates by age:

GEICO leads all four categories for high-risk car insurance in Maryland: speeding tickets ($97/month), at-fault accidents ($130/month), DUI ($102/month), and texting while driving ($97/month). Nationwide leads for bad credit at $177/month. GEICO's DUI rate of $102/month is only $18/month above its clean-record rate of $84/month.

Rate impacts vary by violation type. Based on my analysis of 11 insurers across Maryland ZIP codes, a speeding ticket adds approximately 15% to statewide average rates, while an at-fault accident adds roughly 55% on a statewide average basis. A DUI typically increases statewide average rates by 20% to 25% in Maryland, lower than many states. These figures represent averages across all 11 analyzed insurers and individual results will vary by provider. Bad credit can more than double rates compared to good credit.

Maryland restricts credit use: while credit can be used to set initial rates, per Maryland Insurance Administration regulations, insurers cannot use credit to cancel, non-renew, or increase rates at renewal. This restriction limits the ongoing impact of poor credit on Maryland drivers' rates compared to states with no such restrictions. GEICO's DUI rate of $102/month reflects a three-year violation lookback period, consistent with Maryland's standard violation rating window.

GEICO is the cheapest car insurance provider in all 10 Maryland cities analyzed. The biggest meaningful rate gap is between Baltimore at $120/month and Frederick at $69/month, a $51/month ($612/year) difference. Baltimore is Maryland's largest city with the state's highest traffic density, accident frequency, and vehicle theft rates.

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) Hot Spots report, Baltimore consistently ranks among the top 20 U.S. metro areas for vehicle theft per capita. Frederick is a smaller city in western Maryland with lower density and fewer claims.

Several Washington DC suburbs cluster closely: College Park ($84/month), Gaithersburg ($84/month), Rockville ($81/month), and Laurel ($85/month) are all within $4/month of each other, reflecting comparable suburban DC risk profiles. Hagerstown ($70/month) and Salisbury ($74/month) are lower-cost given their smaller size and distance from major urban centers, so compare car insurance options.

Maryland's minimum covers the other driver well — and leaves you mostly on your own.

If you cause a crash, the 30/60 bodily injury limits pay for the other driver's injuries, and mandatory UM coverage protects you if an uninsured driver hits you. You also get $2,500 in PIP, which covers your own medical costs regardless of fault — but that amount disappears in a single hospital visit, so meaningful first-party protection effectively requires adding more. 

The $15,000 property damage limit is the other weak point. Below the national norm, it's unlikely to cover a newer car in a serious collision — leaving you personally liable for the difference. 

If you're considering upgrading, property damage and PIP are the two limits most worth increasing. At 93% above the national average for state minimum rates, that upgrade costs more here than almost anywhere else — which makes shopping providers before adding coverage especially important.

Maryland drivers can lower car insurance costs through several strategies. The biggest savings come from comparing quotes: choosing GEICO ($84/month) over Allstate ($236/month) saves $152/month ($1,824/year) for identical full coverage. In Maryland, credit affects new policy pricing but not renewals, a useful context for drivers with credit challenges. Compare car insurance options and review the cheapest car insurance companies to find the best rates, or use our Maryland car insurance calculator to get instant estimates.