New Jersey car insurance is significantly more expensive than the national average.
High density and a high volume of costly accidents raise premiums in New Jersey.
New Jersey drivers can add full coverage, collision, and comprehensive to either a standard auto policy or the state’s basic policy option.[1]
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in New Jersey
Full-coverage New Jersey car insurance costs $254 per month, on average. NJM offers the cheapest full-coverage policies in the Garden State. The table below shows full-coverage car insurance quotes from top auto insurers in New Jersey.
Insurance Company | Average Monthly Quote: Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| NJM | $158 |
| CSAA | $190 |
| Plymouth Rock | $210 |
| Progressive | $260 |
| GEICO | $288 |
| Mercury | $296 |
| Liberty Mutual | $321 |
| State Farm | $369 |
| Travelers | $476 |
How much is full-coverage insurance in New Jersey?
Full-coverage car insurance in New Jersey costs $254 per month on average, according to Insurify data. This is substantially more expensive than the national average of $186 per month.
New Jersey is a no-fault state that requires personal injury protection (PIP) for all drivers. This required coverage, and the state’s very high population density, heavy traffic, and high rate of uninsured drivers push New Jersey’s rates up.
Find Affordable New Jersey Car Insurance
Full-coverage rates start as low as $158/mo.
How to find cheap full-coverage car insurance in New Jersey
Full-coverage car insurance provides greater financial protection for your vehicle since it includes collision and comprehensive coverage. Collision insurance pays for damage if you have an accident with another vehicle or an object. Comprehensive coverage pays for vehicle theft and damage from non-collision accidents, like a tree falling on your car or damage from floodwaters.
Because it provides more robust coverage than a liability-only policy, full coverage costs more. Here are some ways to decrease your insurance bill while maintaining full coverage:
Hunt for discounts. Ask your agent or insurer what discounts you may qualify for. For example, if you have a student in your family, you may be able to get a discount if they maintain a B average or better.[2]
Bundle with homeowners or renters insurance. Most insurance companies offer a multi-policy discount if you get two or more policies with them. Bundling auto with homeowners or renters insurance can yield significant savings.
Compare quotes. Getting quotes from multiple insurers can help you find the coverage you need at the cheapest price available to you. Just be sure you compare the same policy limits, deductibles, and coverage options.
Take a defensive driving course. Your driving record is a significant factor in how much you pay for car insurance. New Jersey requires insurance companies to offer you a discount if you finish a state-approved driving course.
Adjust your deductibles and PIP limits. If you lower your PIP limits or raise your deductible, your overall rate will go down. Taking a higher deductible for collision and comprehensive coverages will also ease your premiums, but check that it makes financial sense to do so. You should be able to comfortably cover your deductible amounts out of pocket if you need to file a claim.
New Jersey offers a third type of auto insurance policy, called the Special Automobile Insurance Policy (SAIP). It provides emergency medical insurance for people enrolled in federal Medicaid, but doesn’t include liability, collision, or comprehensive coverage.
What full-coverage car insurance covers
While “full coverage” isn’t an official policy type, agents know what you mean when you ask for full coverage. Here are the components of New Jersey full-coverage car insurance and what each part covers:
Bodily injury liability
Pays for medical bills, lost wages, and other damages that you cause others in an at-fault accident. If you have full coverage on a standard New Jersey auto policy, it’ll include at least the state minimum required amount. If you choose a basic policy, you’ll have the option to add $10,000 of bodily injury coverage to your policy.
Property damage liability
Pays for damages to other people’s property in an accident that you cause. Both basic and standard New Jersey policies include this coverage, but at different limits.
Personal injury protection (PIP)
Pays your medical bills and some other costs that you suffer from a car accident, regardless of who’s at fault. This required coverage is what makes New Jersey a no-fault state.
Comprehensive coverage
Covers non-collision damage to your vehicle, including vandalism, falling objects, hitting an animal, and damage from extreme weather like hail or wildfire. It also pays if someone steals your car.
Collision coverage
Protects your car when it’s damaged in a collision, whether that’s with another car, a telephone pole, or something else.
New Jersey requires all drivers to buy car insurance, although drivers in the state can choose between a cheaper basic policy and a higher-cost standard policy.
Here are New Jersey’s minimum car insurance requirements:
Bodily injury liability: $35,000 per person and $70,000 per accident for standard policies. Bodily injury liability of $10,000 is available as an optional coverage for basic policies.
Property damage liability: $25,000 per accident for standard policies, $5,000 per accident for basic policies.
PIP: $15,000 per person or per accident (up to $250,000 for specific severe injuries) for both standard and basic policies.
Keep in mind that state minimum requirements may not be enough to protect you financially if you cause a serious accident with significant injuries and property damage. Car insurance professionals and New Jersey state authorities recommend you buy higher limits than the minimum requirements.[3]
Minimum vs. full-coverage car insurance in New Jersey
While New Jersey law requires every driver to buy liability car insurance coverage, you have the choice of how much coverage to purchase. New Jersey liability-only coverage is enough to get you driving legally. But a full-coverage policy protects you in a much wider variety of situations. Here’s a rundown of how the two coverage types compare:
Factor | Liability Only | Full Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Average cost in New Jersey | $183 | $254 |
| Covers damage to your own car | No | Yes |
| Covers damage to other car | Yes | Yes |
| Covers your car if it’s stolen | No | Yes |
| Covers damage to your car if you hit something, like another car, a deer, or a telephone pole | No | Yes |
| Covers your car if it’s damaged in a hit-and-run | No | Yes |
| Covers windshield damage and replacement | No | Yes |
| Covers your car in a flood or fire | No | Yes |
Full-coverage car insurance is a necessity if you financed or leased your vehicle — the finance company will require you to buy it. But it’s also a good idea to have full coverage on a high-value vehicle even if it’s paid off. Repairs on new, higher-value vehicles can be expensive.
Liability-only coverage, on the other hand, is best for older, low-value, fully-paid-for vehicles.
Is full-coverage car insurance worth it in New Jersey?
Full-coverage car insurance in New Jersey can be worth buying if you’ve financed or leased your vehicle, you drive a high-value vehicle, or you would struggle financially to repair or replace it on your own if you cause an accident.
To understand if full coverage makes sense for you, imagine you’re in a serious at-fault car accident with a minimum-coverage policy. The person you hit also has minimum coverage. Here’s an example of how the costs could play out:
$20,000 in medical bills and lost wages for the person you hit. The other person’s PIP coverage pays $15,000, but you opted for a basic policy with no bodily injury liability coverage. You owe $5,000 out of pocket.
$12,000 in damage to other people’s property. Your minimum coverage pays $5,000. You pay $7,000 out of pocket.
Your medical bills are $18,000, but you have to take three unpaid weeks off from work. Your PIP coverage pays $15,000. You pay $3,000 out of pocket with no compensation for lost wages.
Your car’s damaged and needs $4,000 of repairs.
Total out-of-pocket costs: $19,000 plus three weeks of lost pay.
A full-coverage auto policy with higher liability limits could reduce these damages to just the relevant deductibles — only a few thousand dollars, or less.
Pros and cons of full-coverage car insurance in New Jersey
If you’re considering full-coverage New Jersey car insurance, here are some advantages and disadvantages to consider.
Protection from costs due to theft, weather, and other disasters
Pays to repair or replace your car after an at-fault accident
Satisfies lender requirements
More expensive than minimum coverage
High-risk drivers pay much more
Doesn’t cover everything (for example, it won’t pay off financing on a totaled car)
Full-coverage car insurance in New Jersey FAQs
We answer your remaining questions about New Jersey full-coverage car insurance below.
What company has the least expensive full-coverage car insurance in NJ?
NJM provides the cheapest car insurance in New Jersey for full coverage, according to Insurify data. Its average full-coverage rate for New Jersey drivers with clean records is $125 per month. Drivers with speeding tickets, DUIs, and accidents will see higher average rates from NJM — $168, $201, and $141, respectively.
Is NJM or GEICO cheaper in New Jersey?
Generally, NJM’s average rates are lower than GEICO’s for New Jersey drivers, Insurify data shows. But the best New Jersey insurer for you may not always be the cheapest. It’s important to compare coverage options, limits, and deductibles when evaluating insurers.
How can you find the cheapest full-coverage car insurance in New Jersey?
Getting as many quotes as possible for auto insurance coverage is essential to finding cheap full-coverage car insurance in New Jersey. You can also maintain a good driving record and credit history, look for discounts, and choose higher deductibles to lower full-coverage costs.
What is the cheapest auto insurance for teens and young drivers in New Jersey?
NJM offers the cheapest auto insurance for teens and young drivers in New Jersey. Its average liability rate for teen drivers is $201 per month.
Sources
- New Jersey Department of Banking & Insurance. "Get Legal with New Jersey's Basic Auto Insurance Policy."
- New Jersey Department of Banking & Insurance. "Controlling the Cost of Auto Insurance."
- New Jersey Department of Banking & Insurance. "Auto Insurance Buyer's Guide."
Methodology
Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 250 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 500+ 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:
- Bodily injury limits between state-minimum rates and $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
- Property damage limits between $10,000 and $50,000
- No additional coverage
- Comprehensive coverage with a $1,000 deductible
- Collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible
Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Services’ database of auto insurance rates.
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