Is car insurance based on credit score?

Your credit score is one of the many rating factors that are used to calculate how much you pay for auto insurance. How much it will affect your rates depends on your credit-based insurance score, which is calculated differently depending on the company.

Because auto insurance companies each decide how much weight is given to each rating factor, some companies might not rely as heavily on credit scores as others. However, if you live in a state where it's legal, you can expect some level of impact on your car insurance rate due to your credit.

Does credit score affect car insurance?

If you have good or excellent credit, you can expect to pay less for car insurance, while a fair or poor credit score means you'll pay more. Our data shows that drivers with poor credit pay 117% more on average than drivers with good credit. With fair credit, the difference is 28%.

Statistically, drivers with poor credit history are more likely to file a claimAn insurance claim is a request you make to your insurance company for coverage after your car is damaged or you have an accident. You can file a claim online, by phone, or in writing.. Car insurance companies charge higher car insurance premiums to these drivers to cover the increased risk of insuring them.

In addition, your credit may affect the size of the down payment an insurance company requires and which payment options you are offered.

Auto insurance for drivers with poor credit by state

In states where a credit-based insurance score is allowed to influence auto insurance rates, the impact of bad credit can be severe.

The cheapest state for car insurance with bad credit is Idaho at $2,333 a year on average. It's followed by Maine at $2,338 and New Hampshire at $2,599.

On the other side, the most expensive state for drivers with bad credit is Arizona at an average of $8,433 a year, followed by Louisiana at $7,297 a year and Florida at $6,364.

The amount your rate is hiked also depends on your driving record, where you live, your car insurance company and state insurance laws, among other factors. But to get an idea of how much more you pay as a driver with bad credit, take a look at the table below.

StateAverage annual rateRate with poor credit% increase$ increase
Alaska$1,676$3,373101%$1,697
Alabama$1,860$3,918111%$2,058
Arkansas$1,957$4,291119%$2,334
Arizona$1,812$8,433365%$6,621
Colorado$2,337$4,841107%$2,504
Connecticut$1,725$3,801120%$2,076
Washington, D.C.$2,157$6,080182%$3,923
Delaware$2,063$3,57373%$1,510
Florida$2,694$6,364136%$3,670
Georgia$1,970$3,91699%$1,946
Iowa$1,630$3,400109%$1,770
Idaho$1,428$2,33363%$905
Illinois$1,532$3,02898%$1,496
Indiana$1,515$3,348121%$1,833
Kansas$1,900$4,368130%$2,468
Kentucky$2,228$5,231135%$3,003
Louisiana$2,883$7,297153%$4,414
Maryland$1,746$3,484100%$1,738
Maine$1,175$2,33899%$1,163
Michigan$2,352$5,662141%$3,310
Minnesota$1,911$5,321178%$3,410
Missouri$1,982$3,978101%$1,996
Mississippi$2,008$3,87493%$1,866
Montana$2,193$4,05985%$1,866
North Carolina$1,741$3,11279%$1,371
North Dakota$1,665$3,524112%$1,859
Nebraska$1,902$4,144118%$2,242
New Hampshire$1,265$2,599105%$1,334
New Jersey$1,902$4,275125%$2,373
New Mexico$2,049$3,87489%$1,825
Nevada$2,060$3,72181%$1,661
New York$1,870$4,921163%$3,051
Ohio$1,417$2,75895%$1,341
Oklahoma$2,138$4,06390%$1,925
Oregon$1,678$3,364100%$1,686
Pennsylvania$1,872$3,937110%$2,065
Rhode Island$2,061$4,174103%$2,113
South Carolina$2,009$4,022100%$2,013
South Dakota$2,280$5,041121%$2,761
Tennessee$1,677$3,701121%$2,024
Texas$2,043$4,119102%$2,076
Utah$1,825$3,40086%$1,575
Virginia$1,469$3,098111%$1,629
Vermont$1,319$2,702105%$1,383
Wisconsin$1,664$3,22093%$1,556
West Virginia$2,005$4,215110%$2,210
Wyoming$1,758$2,98070%$1,222
Data updated in 2024

Cheapest car insurance for drivers with bad credit by company

The cheapest car insurance company for bad credit depends on a lot of factors, including where you live and your age. However, based on an analysis of average rates for a 40-year-old driver, Nationwide has the cheapest car insurance with bad credit at an average of $2,259 a year.

CompanyRate with good creditRate with poor credit% increase$ increase
Allstate$2,509$4,17766%$1,668
Farmers$2,387$5,050112%$2,663
Geico$1,763$3,03972%$1,276
Nationwide$1,548$2,25946%$711
Progressive$1,998$3,40570%$1,407
State Farm$1,984$8,654336%$6,670
Travelers$1,606$3,05390%$1,447
USAA$1,381$2,75399%$1,372
Data updated in 2024

Best auto insurance companies for drivers with poor credit

Nationwide is the best car insurance company for drivers with bad credit, according to our analysis of rates, AM Best financial stability ratings and National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) customer complaints. Nationwide offers cheap car insurance for bad credit, which pushes it to the top. It's followed closely by Progressive.

Finding affordable car insurance is important for drivers with poor credit scores, but it's also important to find a company you can trust, so we included two important auto insurance company reputation metrics in our ranking.

CompanyNAIC Complaint RatioAM bestInsurance.com ScoreAnnual PremiumOverall rating
State Farm0.7A++4.44$8,6544.24
Geico0.91A++4.27$3,0394.64
Travelers0.49A++4.25$3,0535
Nationwide0.64A4.12$2,2594.81
Progressive0.65A+4.26$3,4054.79
Allstate0.65A+4.28$4,1774.7
Farmers0.8A4.32$5,0504.4
Data updated in 2024

Car insurance rates for drivers with poor credit by city

While the use of credit for car insurance rates is determined at the state level, your city will impact how much you pay. Below we've gathered rates for drivers with bad credit for major cities in each state.

StateCityAverage annual premiumAverage monthly premium
AlaskaAllakaket$3,318$277
AlaskaAnchorage$3,921$327
AlaskaCordova$3,265$272
AlaskaCraig$2,903$242
AlaskaHouston$3,760$313
AlaskaJuneau$2,900$242
AlaskaKodiak$3,078$257
AlaskaPetersburg$2,894$241
AlaskaValdez$3,287$274
AlaskaWhite Mountain$3,321$277
AlabamaAlpine$3,841$320
AlabamaAnniston$3,794$316
AlabamaBessemer$4,232$353
AlabamaBirmingham$4,372$364
AlabamaCropwell$3,800$317
AlabamaDecatur$3,579$298
AlabamaFlorence$3,597$300
AlabamaGroveoak$3,676$306
AlabamaLa Fayette$3,872$323
AlabamaMobile$4,220$352
AlabamaMontgomery$4,061$338
ArkansasEl Dorado$4,670$389
ArkansasElkins$3,936$328
ArkansasFayetteville$4,081$340
ArkansasHope$4,530$378
ArkansasHot Springs$4,259$355
ArkansasJacksonville$4,119$343
ArkansasLittle Rock$4,543$379
ArkansasNewport$4,185$349
ArkansasSherwood$4,180$348
ArkansasWest Memphis$4,356$363
ArizonaAvondale$9,579$798
ArizonaBenson$7,071$589
ArizonaDouglas$6,661$555
ArizonaMesa$9,227$769
ArizonaNogales$8,867$739
ArizonaPhoenix$11,088$924
ArizonaSedona$7,002$584
ArizonaTempe$9,299$775
ArizonaTucson$8,728$727
ArizonaWillcox$6,585$549
ColoradoAurora$5,046$421
ColoradoBoulder$4,773$398
ColoradoCastle Rock$5,156$430
ColoradoColorado Springs$4,869$406
ColoradoDenver$4,794$400
ColoradoEnglewood$4,607$384
ColoradoEvans$4,902$409
ColoradoLone Tree$4,886$407
ColoradoSterling$5,077$423
ColoradoVail$4,327$361
ConnecticutBridgeport$5,241$437
ConnecticutBristol$3,558$297
ConnecticutDerby$4,296$358
ConnecticutHartford$5,170$431
ConnecticutJewett City$3,360$280
ConnecticutMiddletown$3,574$298
ConnecticutMilford$4,124$344
ConnecticutNew London$3,396$283
ConnecticutNorwalk$3,806$317
ConnecticutStamford$4,104$342
Washington, D.C.Washington$6,080$507
Washington, D.C.Washington Navy Yard$6,080$507
DelawareBear$3,898$325
DelawareDelaware City$4,105$342
DelawareDover$3,561$297
DelawareFenwick Island$3,586$299
DelawareFrederica$3,516$293
DelawareGeorgetown$3,466$289
DelawareMiddletown$3,360$280
DelawareMilford$3,484$290
DelawareNewark$3,806$317
FloridaAventura$8,063$672
FloridaAvon Park$5,933$494
FloridaBellair-Meadowbrook Terrace$6,259$522
FloridaClearwater$6,941$578
FloridaDeland$6,054$505
FloridaFellsmere$5,679$473
FloridaFort Lauderdale$7,446$621
FloridaHialeah$8,440$703
FloridaJacksonville$6,219$518
FloridaMiami$8,318$693
FloridaOrlando$6,433$536
FloridaPalm City$5,988$499
FloridaPort St. Lucie$6,583$549
FloridaSt. Petersburg$6,717$560
FloridaTampa$7,345$612
GeorgiaAlpharetta$4,022$335
GeorgiaAthens$3,631$303
GeorgiaAtlanta$4,859$405
GeorgiaAugusta$3,855$321
GeorgiaAustell$4,802$400
GeorgiaDouglasville$4,632$386
GeorgiaGuyton$3,574$298
GeorgiaMarietta$4,366$364
GeorgiaMcdonough$4,511$376
GeorgiaPooler$4,040$337
IowaAltoona$3,001$250
IowaAtkins$3,402$284
IowaCedar Falls$3,203$267
IowaCenterville$3,688$307
IowaDes Moines$3,358$280
IowaEly$3,293$274
IowaIowa City$2,827$236
IowaKalona$3,229$269
IowaLawton$3,192$266
IowaStory City$3,053$254
IdahoAmerican Falls$2,280$190
IdahoBoise City$2,143$179
IdahoCaldwell$2,308$192
IdahoChallis$2,319$193
IdahoEagle$2,216$185
IdahoIdaho Falls$2,385$199
IdahoMeridian$2,145$179
IdahoMoscow$2,366$197
IdahoNampa$2,287$191
IdahoPocatello$2,376$198
IllinoisArlington Heights$2,921$243
IllinoisAurora$2,893$241
IllinoisBloomington$2,638$220
IllinoisChicago$3,779$315
IllinoisCrest Hill$3,047$254
IllinoisCrystal Lake$2,804$234
IllinoisDecatur$2,980$248
IllinoisDes Plaines$3,309$276
IllinoisElgin$2,994$250
IllinoisJoliet$3,147$262
IllinoisMount Carmel$2,860$238
IndianaBloomington$3,225$269
IndianaDyer$3,543$295
IndianaFort Wayne$3,172$264
IndianaGary$4,815$401
IndianaGranger$3,042$254
IndianaGriffin$3,356$280
IndianaIndianapolis$3,626$302
IndianaLawrence$3,467$289
IndianaMunster$3,620$302
KansasAtchison$4,164$347
KansasBeloit$4,308$359
KansasBenedict$4,361$363
KansasBonner Springs$4,107$342
KansasKansas City$4,492$374
KansasKinsley$4,644$387
KansasOlathe$3,958$330
KansasOverland Park$4,007$334
KansasWinchester$4,299$358
KansasWinona$4,877$406
KentuckyAshland$4,429$369
KentuckyBowling Green$4,789$399
KentuckyCrofton$4,780$398
KentuckyGhent$5,359$447
KentuckyLouisville$5,508$459
KentuckyMidway$4,708$392
KentuckyMilton$5,531$461
KentuckyMurray$4,720$393
KentuckyOwensboro$4,569$381
KentuckySturgis$5,017$418
KentuckyVersailles$4,625$385
LouisianaAlexandria$8,301$692
LouisianaAtlanta$6,501$542
LouisianaBaton Rouge$7,941$662
LouisianaBogalusa$7,488$624
LouisianaLeesville$6,331$528
LouisianaNew Orleans$7,646$637
LouisianaPort Allen$7,540$628
LouisianaRuston$6,228$519
LouisianaScott$7,706$642
LouisianaSikes$6,527$544
MarylandAberdeen$3,409$284
MarylandBaltimore$4,714$393
MarylandBeltsville$4,075$340
MarylandBladensburg$4,479$373
MarylandBoonsboro$2,800$233
MarylandBrunswick$2,972$248
MarylandHenderson$2,877$240
MarylandLaurel$3,791$316
MarylandLuke$2,827$236
MarylandMaryland City$3,426$286
MaineAuburn$2,296$191
MaineAugusta$2,305$192
MaineBangor$2,238$187
MaineBowdoinham$2,258$188
MaineCaribou$2,198$183
MaineCliff Island$2,155$180
MaineFarmingdale$2,313$193
MaineGorham$2,184$182
MaineHolden$2,337$195
MaineLewiston$2,336$195
MichiganAdrian$4,500$375
MichiganAnn Arbor$4,417$368
MichiganBurton$5,667$472
MichiganDearborn$7,596$633
MichiganDetroit$8,104$675
MichiganGibraltar$5,707$476
MichiganGrand Rapids$4,812$401
MichiganHuntington Woods$6,415$535
MichiganMason$4,562$380
MichiganMichigan Center$4,772$398
MichiganNovi$5,389$449
MinnesotaApple Valley$5,327$444
MinnesotaBovey$5,293$441
MinnesotaCarlton$5,219$435
MinnesotaChamplin$5,213$434
MinnesotaDumont$4,816$401
MinnesotaFoley$5,237$436
MinnesotaFrazee$4,872$406
MinnesotaLanesboro$4,887$407
MinnesotaMinneapolis$6,114$510
MinnesotaSt. Paul$6,116$510
MissouriBlue Springs$3,956$330
MissouriClifton Hill$3,848$321
MissouriFarmington$3,974$331
MissouriHolts Summit$3,553$296
MissouriKansas City$4,324$360
MissouriLabadie$3,999$333
MissouriMountain View$3,911$326
MissouriNew Franklin$3,907$326
MissouriSpringfield$3,860$322
MissouriSt. Joseph$3,984$332
MissouriSt. Louis$4,733$394
MissouriWest Plains$3,911$326
MississippiCalhoun City$3,782$315
MississippiCarthage$3,786$316
MississippiClinton$4,091$341
MississippiColumbus$3,753$313
MississippiEcru$3,472$289
MississippiGulfport$4,028$336
MississippiMoss Point$3,875$323
MississippiNatchez$4,396$366
MississippiOlive Branch$3,791$316
MontanaAnaconda-Deer Lodge County$3,738$312
MontanaBelgrade$3,747$312
MontanaBillings$3,960$330
MontanaButte$3,815$318
MontanaFlaxville$4,049$337
MontanaGeraldine$4,115$343
MontanaHardin$4,236$353
MontanaKalispell$4,089$341
MontanaMissoula$3,538$295
MontanaPlains$4,147$346
North CarolinaApex$2,668$222
North CarolinaBessemer City$3,435$286
North CarolinaBrowns Summit$2,897$241
North CarolinaCharlotte$3,309$276
North CarolinaCornelius$2,928$244
North CarolinaDurham$3,089$257
North CarolinaFayetteville$3,338$278
North CarolinaGarysburg$3,489$291
North CarolinaHolly Springs$2,635$220
North CarolinaKill Devil Hills$2,846$237
North CarolinaRaleigh$2,987$249
North CarolinaStanley$2,966$247
North DakotaBismarck$3,388$282
North DakotaGrafton$3,504$292
North DakotaLidgerwood$3,279$273
North DakotaMinot$3,421$285
North DakotaPark River$3,495$291
North DakotaRugby$3,676$306
North DakotaStanton$3,743$312
North DakotaWahpeton$3,190$266
North DakotaWest Fargo$2,905$242
North DakotaWilliston$3,436$286
NebraskaAlliance$4,378$365
NebraskaBellevue$3,818$318
NebraskaBennington$3,794$316
NebraskaDe Witt$4,105$342
NebraskaFairbury$4,022$335
NebraskaFremont$3,772$314
NebraskaHallam$4,175$348
NebraskaHenderson$3,760$313
NebraskaLincoln$3,688$307
NebraskaOmaha$4,246$354
NebraskaPapillion$3,711$309
New HampshireBerlin$2,638$220
New HampshireClaremont$2,481$207
New HampshireConcord$2,500$208
New HampshireFranklin$2,519$210
New HampshireLaconia$2,559$213
New HampshireLebanon$2,450$204
New HampshireManchester$3,006$251
New HampshireNashua$2,728$227
New HampshireRochester$2,519$210
New HampshireSomersworth$2,478$207
New JerseyAllenhurst$3,934$328
New JerseyBloomfield$4,924$410
New JerseyClifton$5,382$449
New JerseyEast Brunswick$4,166$347
New JerseyFairview$5,474$456
New JerseyGarfield$5,459$455
New JerseyHoboken$5,136$428
New JerseyJersey City$5,239$437
New JerseyMatawan$4,120$343
New JerseyPleasantville$4,526$377
New JerseyTrenton$4,950$413
New MexicoAlbuquerque$4,220$352
New MexicoBernalillo$4,124$344
New MexicoCorrales$3,922$327
New MexicoCuba$3,646$304
New MexicoFarmington$3,489$291
New MexicoFort Bayard$3,511$293
New MexicoGallup$3,595$300
New MexicoJal$4,109$342
New MexicoLas Cruces$3,653$304
New MexicoRoy$4,042$337
New MexicoRuidoso$3,917$326
NevadaCarlin$2,996$250
NevadaElko$3,036$253
NevadaEly$3,061$255
NevadaFallon$3,216$268
NevadaHenderson$4,246$354
NevadaIndian Springs$3,711$309
NevadaLas Vegas$4,702$392
NevadaMesquite$3,562$297
NevadaSparks$3,533$294
NevadaWells$2,976$248
New YorkBriarcliff Manor$5,960$497
New YorkCohoes$4,374$365
New YorkEast Syracuse$4,428$369
New YorkGreen Island$4,424$369
New YorkIthaca$4,381$365
New YorkMarcy$4,631$386
New YorkNew York$7,119$593
New YorkNewburgh$5,752$479
New YorkNiagara University$4,765$397
New YorkRochester$4,329$361
OhioCincinnati$3,120$260
OhioCleveland$3,244$270
OhioColumbus$3,133$261
OhioDayton$2,891$241
OhioDefiance$2,587$216
OhioElyria$2,529$211
OhioMarion$2,596$216
OhioMason$2,674$223
OhioTiffin$2,406$201
OhioUpper Sandusky$2,463$205
OhioWarren$2,803$234
OklahomaBixby$4,241$353
OklahomaCleveland$4,141$345
OklahomaCorn$3,899$325
OklahomaDuncan$3,814$318
OklahomaEdmond$4,288$357
OklahomaEl Reno$4,161$347
OklahomaOklahoma City$4,495$375
OklahomaPond Creek$3,955$330
OklahomaSeminole$3,935$328
OklahomaSpencer$4,578$382
OklahomaTulsa$4,475$373
OklahomaWoodward$3,970$331
OregonBanks$3,493$291
OregonCottage Grove$2,969$247
OregonDundee$3,509$292
OregonHammond$3,262$272
OregonLake Oswego$3,494$291
OregonLostine$3,154$263
OregonMilwaukie$3,735$311
OregonPortland$4,090$341
OregonWillamina$3,365$280
PennsylvaniaBrookhaven$4,809$401
PennsylvaniaDerry$3,877$323
PennsylvaniaEaston$3,796$316
PennsylvaniaFarrell$3,680$307
PennsylvaniaLancaster$3,682$307
PennsylvaniaNanticoke$3,690$308
PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia$5,754$480
PennsylvaniaPittsburgh$4,127$344
PennsylvaniaWest Mifflin$3,776$315
PennsylvaniaYork$3,479$290
Rhode IslandBristol$3,621$302
Rhode IslandCentral Falls$5,059$422
Rhode IslandEast Providence$4,615$385
Rhode IslandHope$4,299$358
Rhode IslandNewport$3,407$284
Rhode IslandPawtucket$4,930$411
Rhode IslandProvidence$5,099$425
Rhode IslandShannock$3,744$312
Rhode IslandWarwick$4,362$364
Rhode IslandWoonsocket$4,239$353
South CarolinaAnderson$3,901$325
South CarolinaEastover$4,243$354
South CarolinaHardeeville$3,906$326
South CarolinaJohnsonville$4,190$349
South CarolinaManning$3,936$328
South CarolinaMyrtle Beach$4,015$335
South CarolinaSeneca$3,554$296
South CarolinaSpartanburg$3,915$326
South CarolinaWestminster$3,454$288
South CarolinaYork$3,885$324
South DakotaArlington$4,484$374
South DakotaBonesteel$5,508$459
South DakotaDupree$6,103$509
South DakotaIroquois$4,717$393
South DakotaRapid City$5,340$445
South DakotaSioux Falls$4,442$370
South DakotaWatertown$4,227$352
South DakotaWebster$4,782$399
South DakotaWinner$5,622$469
TennesseeAshland City$3,754$313
TennesseeDayton$3,509$292
TennesseeGermantown$4,164$347
TennesseeHermitage$3,835$320
TennesseeKingston$3,700$308
TennesseeKnoxville$3,488$291
TennesseeMemphis$4,776$398
TennesseeNashville$3,765$314
TennesseeParis$3,815$318
TennesseeSevierville$3,568$297
TennesseeWatertown$3,515$293
TexasAustin$3,892$324
TexasBeaumont$4,361$363
TexasBishop$3,888$324
TexasBowie$3,726$311
TexasCrystal City$3,929$327
TexasCypress$4,107$342
TexasDallas$4,592$383
TexasFort Worth$4,097$341
TexasFrisco$3,842$320
TexasHiggins$4,067$339
TexasHouston$4,614$385
TexasIrving$4,312$359
TexasKermit$4,172$348
TexasPlano$4,007$334
TexasSan Antonio$4,470$373
TexasZavalla$3,963$330
UtahBeaver$3,299$275
UtahBountiful$3,365$280
UtahHeber$3,583$299
UtahHurricane$3,130$261
UtahMendon$3,243$270
UtahMidvale$3,704$309
UtahOgden$3,569$297
UtahRandolph$3,506$292
UtahSalt Lake City$3,789$316
UtahSouth Salt Lake$3,930$328
VirginiaAlexandria$3,385$282
VirginiaArlington$3,210$268
VirginiaAshburn$2,999$250
VirginiaBristol$2,802$234
VirginiaCovington$2,818$235
VirginiaGalax$2,778$232
VirginiaLynchburg$2,869$239
VirginiaNorfolk$3,366$281
VirginiaStaunton$2,667$222
VirginiaVirginia Beach$3,065$255
VirginiaWilliamsburg$2,877$240
VirginiaWinchester$2,781$232
VermontAlburgh$2,696$225
VermontBarre$2,581$215
VermontBurlington$2,596$216
VermontDerby$2,740$228
VermontJeffersonville$2,796$233
VermontMontpelier$2,585$215
VermontPerkinsville$2,680$223
VermontRutland$2,630$219
VermontSouth Burlington$2,563$214
VermontVergennes$2,626$219
WisconsinCudahy$3,188$266
WisconsinEau Claire$2,936$245
WisconsinEvansville$2,923$244
WisconsinMadison$2,939$245
WisconsinMenomonee Falls$2,832$236
WisconsinMilwaukee$3,896$325
WisconsinOshkosh$2,583$215
WisconsinPortage$3,107$259
WisconsinSheboygan$2,679$223
WisconsinSun Prairie$2,767$231
WisconsinWausau$2,974$248
West VirginiaBeckley$4,211$351
West VirginiaCharleston$4,175$348
West VirginiaClarksburg$3,965$330
West VirginiaDunbar$4,083$340
West VirginiaMartinsburg$3,768$314
West VirginiaParkersburg$4,065$339
West VirginiaRavenswood$4,381$365
West VirginiaVienna$4,121$343
West VirginiaWheeling$3,785$315
WyomingAfton$3,014$251
WyomingCasper$2,903$242
WyomingCheyenne$2,831$236
WyomingCody$2,987$249
WyomingGuernsey$2,981$248
WyomingLaramie$2,993$249
WyomingPowell$2,987$249
WyomingRiverton$2,988$249
WyomingRock Springs$2,973$248
Data updated in 2024

Does bankruptcy affect car insurance?

It can, but how much depends on your credit rating before the bankruptcy. If you have insurance and continue making your payments, you're less likely to see a rate increase at renewal, but some companies will check your credit once a year. A lower credit rating may lead to a rate increase.

Any type of bankruptcy filing will hurt your credit rating and will remain on your record for up to 10 years. During that time, car insurance companies that use credit as part of their risk assessment may increase your rate or may decline to offer you the lowest rates available. 

How to improve your car insurance credit score

Here's what you can do to improve your credit-based insurance score and get lower premiums:

  • Pay your bills on time and keep all your accounts in good standing. Late payments and collections will hurt you.
  • Keep your credit card balances low. The insurance score considers the amount you owe in relation to your credit limits. Avoid maxing out your credit cards.
  • Don't open unnecessary credit accounts. Too many new accounts signal trouble. Only open the credit accounts you really need.
  • Establish and maintain credit. The longer you maintain a decent credit history, the better. Having no or little credit history will lower your score.
  • Make sure your credit report is accurate. A mistake could ding your score. You have the right to get a free copy of your credit report each year.

If you're struggling to pay bills and have trouble keeping up with credit accounts, get professional finance advice. You can find free or low-cost help through the nonprofit National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

How to save on car insurance if you have bad credit

The number one thing you can do to save on car insurance with bad credit is to shop around.  No two car insurance companies will have identical prices for the same policy. The difference in what you pay from one carrierAn insurance carrier is the company that provides your car insurance policy and pays claims. to the next can vary by hundreds of dollars, sometimes more. So it pays to compare quotes even if you have bad credit.

You can also consider raising your deductibleThe deductible is the amount you pay out of pocket for a covered loss when you file a claim., which will lower your rates; just make sure you can handle that deductible if you need to pay it.

Frequently asked questions: Car insurance for drivers with bad credit

What is no credit check car insurance?

Some companies will write car insurance without a credit check. In many cases, they are non-standard carriers (companies that will write car insurance for high-risk drivers including those with bad credit), so the rates may be higher.

What is the difference between credit-based insurance score and credit score?

Credit-based insurance scores are based on information in your credit history, but are calculated differently from the credit score used for loans and other financial transactions.

Why does credit score affect car insurance rates?

Poor credit has been shown to increase the risk of a claim. As a result, most states allow it to be used when calculating insurance rates.

Do insurance companies run your credit for a quote?

Some companies may use your credit when providing a quote. If you are asked for your social security number, the company will likely check your credit. It's possible to get quotes without this information, but the rates may not be as accurate.