The Best Car Insurance for Bad Drivers (2024)

GEICO, State Farm, and Travelers offer some of the lowest rates for drivers with accidents or tickets on their records.

15 years writing about personal finance

Created content for Credit Karma, KeyBank, and Thrivent

Sarah is a freelance writer who covers personal finance and economics. She enjoys delving into the details of insurance, credit, loans, and the labor market.

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10+ years in insurance and personal finance content

30+ years in media, PR, and content creation

Evelyn leads Insurify’s content team. She’s passionate about creating empowering content to help people transform their financial lives and make sound insurance-buying decisions.

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Updated June 12, 2024

Save up to $717 by comparing quotes from the top 100+ insurance companies

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State Farm's average rate for drivers with good credit and a clean driving record.

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State Farm's average rate for drivers with good credit and a clean driving record.

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Speeding tickets, accidents, DUIs, and other moving violations can make it difficult to find affordable car insurance. For example, a speeding ticket pushes the monthly average cost of minimum-coverage car insurance from $105 to $150, according to Insurify data.

The more serious the violation, the more expensive your insurance will become. Some situations, like a DUI, can make it difficult to find coverage at all.

But some car insurance companies cater to drivers with problems on their driving records. Comparing rates from multiple companies can help you find the coverage you need at the lowest price available to you.

On average, full-coverage insurance costs $215 per month for a driver with a clean record, $363 for someone with a DUI, and $320 for a driver with an at-fault accident.

If you have a bad record, comparing quotes from different insurance companies will help you find the best rates.

Taking a defensive driving course or looking for vehicle-based or policy discounts might decrease your insurance rates.

Best for drivers with one at-fault accident: GEICO

one at-fault accidentGEICO

If you’ve been a GEICO customer for five years and accident-free during that time, you may be able to buy or earn accident forgiveness, depending on the state where you live.[1] The catch is you’ll have to add accident forgiveness before something happens — you can’t add it after an accident.

Even with a bad driving record, you may qualify for certain GEICO discounts by taking a defensive driving course, using seat belts, and having a car with built-in safety features. You might also qualify for a membership or employee discount if you belong to one of more than 500 organizations that GEICO partners with.

Good rates for good drivers, seniors, and young drivers

Accident forgiveness available

High rates for drivers with certain violations, like DUIs

No rideshare or new car replacement coverage available

Poor

Super but not cheap

Horrible

Best for drivers with DUI or DWI: State Farm

drivers with DUI or DWIState Farm

State Farm offers some of the lowest rates for drivers with a DUI or DWI on their record. If you’ve been convicted of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or driving while intoxicated, maintaining a clean record going forward should be your top priority for decreasing future premiums. State Farm can help you practice good driving habits and earn a potential discount with its Drive Safe & Save app. The app monitors your driving and alerts you to dangerous behaviors, including turning corners too fast and hard braking.

A DUI can also lead to driver’s license suspension, and your state may require you to file an SR-22 document — as proof of financial responsibility — to get it reinstated. Your State Farm insurance agent should be able to help you with this process. State Farm ranked above average for overall customer satisfaction in J.D. Power’s 2023 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study.

High rates of customer satisfaction

Rideshare insurance available

No gap insurance offering

May not be the cheapest choice for drivers with violations

Overpriced

Good Service

I have no problems at all with State Farm. I am completely satisfied with the service, but the price is what hurts me. I am thinking about stopping driving because of the higher rate! I don't put over 15 miles a week on my car. I go to church and once a week to the grocery store. That is the only purpose I use my car for. I was hoping you could lower my rates before I change! I really do appreciate the service I have with you and hope you don't feel offended because I tried to find a lower rate! That is the only reason I am trying! Thank you very much and I do hope you can help me with that. Okay!

Best for drivers with speeding tickets: Travelers

drivers with speeding ticketsTravelers

If you’ve received a speeding ticket, Travelers offers one of your best options for affordable auto coverage. You might benefit from purchasing a Responsible Driver Plan from Travelers. These plans provide qualifying drivers with optional insurance coverage features like accident and minor violation forgiveness. But it’s not clear from the Travelers website what you need to do to qualify for this coverage, so you should talk to an agent to see if you might qualify.

You can also receive discounts for signing up for the company’s telematics program (IntelliDrive), receiving a quote before your current auto policy ends, paying your premium up front, and making consistent on-time payments.

Accident forgiveness available

Robust coverage selections and discount offerings

Rideshare coverage only available in Colorado and Illinois

High number of negative customer reviews with the Better Business Bureau

Travelers Insurance

Missed a Payment and My Installments Increased

Terrible

Cheapest car insurance companies for bad drivers

The cheapest car insurance company for you depends on several factors, including whether you have an at-fault accident, speeding ticket, or driving under the influence (DUI) conviction on your driving record.

Below, you’ll find several insurers that offer low rates, along with their average monthly premiums for three main types of driving violations. COUNTRY Financial, NJM, and Auto-Owners offer some of the lowest average liability-only quotes for drivers with bad records.

How to get car insurance with a bad driving record

Generally, people with poor driving records face higher car insurance costs. But you can take steps to find the most affordable coverage available to you.

Research non-standard insurers. If you’re having trouble finding coverage from a standard insurance company, you can look for ones that specialize in high-risk car insurance. For example, The General says it can cover different types of high-risk drivers, from those who have never been insured before to ones with accidents or moving violations.

Check your state’s assigned-risk insurance pool. States that have assigned-risk pools require every insurer operating in the state to participate. When you apply for coverage through the pool, the state will assign your policy to a participating insurer who must offer you coverage.[2] But not every state has an assigned-risk pool, and you’ll generally pay higher rates if you get coverage this way.

Consider pay-per-mile or telematics insurance. Usage-based insurance may be an option worth considering if you don’t drive many miles or are focused on improving your driving skills. Pay-per-mile coverage allows you to pay only for the miles you drive, while telematics policies usually reward good driving with lower rates.

How does a bad driving record affect car insurance?

If you have a bad driving record, you may have trouble finding an insurer that’s willing to cover your vehicle. And when you do find coverage, it’s almost certainly going to cost more than a driver with a good record would pay.

Insurers that cover higher-risk drivers take on a higher chance of having to pay out claims for those drivers, so they charge more.

Below, you’ll find national average monthly quotes for liability-only car insurance by driving history and the average increase after each type of incident. Drivers with a DUI or at-fault accident tend to pay the highest average rates.

How to get cheaper car insurance with a bad record

You’ll typically face higher car insurance costs if you have a bad record, but you can take some steps to get the best rate possible for your situation.

Bundle car and home insurance. Some insurers may look more favorably on your record if you have multiple policies with them. So you should consider insurers that can also provide homeowners coverage.

Take a defensive driving course. Depending on your state, you may be able to get points removed from your record if you go to driving school and pass a defensive driving course. Plus, brushing up on your defensive driving skills might help you drive more safely in the future.

Wait for offenses to leave your record. If a past ticket is due for removal from your record soon, you may be better off waiting until your record is clean before shopping for a new policy.

Talk to a broker or agent. If you have a complex driving history, you may want to talk to a professional who can help you explore your options and speak to an underwriting department on your behalf. Be completely honest with them about your record so they have accurate information to work with.

Compare quotes from multiple insurers. Comparison shopping is a good way to find the lowest rates available to you as a high-risk driver. You can use a comparison website to see quotes from multiple companies.

What is considered a bad driving record?

Specifics vary, but insurers generally view driving records as bad if they include major offenses or a pattern of repeated traffic violations. The severity of the infractions on your record also matters.

“Totaling a car is very different from knocking off a mirror,” says Ben Guttman, an insurance broker at North Central Insurance Agency. “Having a speeding ticket for 10 miles over the limit is very different from having a speeding ticket for 30 miles over the limit, where you’re bordering on reckless driving.”

These are the main types of offenses that appear on a driving record:

DUI or DWI: Driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated can lead to fines, license suspension, a prison sentence, and other consequences. You can receive a DUI conviction if you drive while impaired by drugs or alcohol. Even if you seem to be driving normally, you can receive a DUI conviction if the police pull you over and tests show that the concentration of drugs or alcohol in your body exceeds your state’s legal limit.[3]

At-fault accident: If your actions or negligence cause a crash, it appears on your record as an at-fault accident. Potential indications of fault include speeding, texting while driving, driving while intoxicated, failing to respect right of way, rear-ending another vehicle, and not keeping your car in working order. Multiple drivers can be responsible for the same accident if they each contributed to causing it.

Speeding ticket: This is the most common type of traffic violation. You can receive a speeding ticket if a police officer finds that you’re driving above the posted speed limit. You can also get a speeding ticket if you drive faster than an officer finds reasonable given the traffic or weather conditions on the road.[4]

Drivers with bad records FAQs

Learn more about buying insurance with a bad driving record below.

What are the best insurance companies for drivers with bad records?

Some of the best car insurance companies for drivers with bad records are GEICO, State Farm, and Travelers. These insurers offer some of the lowest rates for drivers with traffic violations.

What is the cheapest insurance company for a bad driving record?

COUNTRY Financial, NJM, and Auto-Owners are the three cheapest insurance companies for drivers with bad records. COUNTRY Financial offers liability-only policies that start as low as $23 per month. NJM and Auto-Owners have monthly liability rates of $48 and $42, respectively, for drivers with incidents on their motor vehicle records.

Do all insurance companies check your driving record?

Yes, all car insurance companies check your driving record when you apply because they need to know how risky it is to provide coverage for you.

Why is car insurance more expensive with a bad record?

Car insurance costs more for drivers with bad records because insurers charge higher premiums to higher-risk drivers. Auto insurance companies charge higher premiums to offset the risk of that driver’s behavior leading to claims.

How long will your record be bad after an accident, speeding ticket, or DUI?

How long offenses stay on your record varies by state. Accidents and speeding tickets typically remain on your record for up to five years. A DUI is a more serious violation, and it could stay on your record for 10 to 15 years or for your entire life, depending on where you live.

What should you do if an insurer denies coverage because of a bad record?

If an insurer denies coverage, you should check with other insurers to see if any of them will sell you a policy. If you can’t find insurance on the private market, your state might have an exchange that will cover you. This option will likely be very expensive.

Methodology

Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 90 million quotes served to car insurance applicants in Insurify’s proprietary database to calculate the premium averages displayed on this page. These premiums are real quotes that come directly from Insurify’s 50+ partner insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quote averages represent the median price for a quote across the given coverage level, driver subset, and geographic area.

Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for drivers between 20 and 70 years old with a clean driving record and average or better credit (a credit score of 600 or higher).

Liability-only premium averages correspond to policies with the following coverage limits:

Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Services’ database of auto insurance rates.

Sources

Sarah Brodsky is a freelance writer with 15 years of experience covering personal finance and economics. She enjoys delving into the details of insurance, credit, loans, and the labor market. She’s written for publications including Bankrate, CNET, and Investopedia, and she’s created content for brands like Credit Karma, KeyBank, and Thrivent. When she’s not writing, you might find her learning languages or baking pizza. She has an AB in economics from the University of Chicago, and she lives in St. Louis, MO. Connect with her on LinkedIn.

10+ years in insurance and personal finance content

30+ years in media, PR, and content creation

Evelyn leads Insurify’s content team. She’s passionate about creating empowering content to help people transform their financial lives and make sound insurance-buying decisions.

Read Editorial Guidelines

Featured in

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