Best Cheap Auto Insurance in Utica, New York (2023)

Utica is centrally located in New York, but its auto insurance rates fall well below the state average. Average rates for car insurance in New York are $436 for full coverage and $418 for liability only. But Utica drivers pay $310 for full coverage and $199 for liability only, on average. You may be able to reduce those rates even more depending on the choices you make.

Here’s what you should know about getting cheap car insurance in Utica.

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Best car insurance companies in Utica

As you begin your search for car insurance, the quotes you receive will depend on factors such as your driving record, age, gender, marital status, and even your credit score. Comparing quotes from several companies can help you identify the best insurer for you, and the three companies listed below make an excellent starting point.

Best insurer for liability and full coverage: Travelers

Best insurer for customization: Safeco

Best insurer for discounts: Nationwide

Cheapest liability-only car insurance in Utica

Liability-only car insurance protects you after an accident you cause by covering the repair and medical bills of the other party. But if your car is damaged, or you’re injured in an accident you cause, liability insurance won’t pay for those expenses.

Because liability insurance only covers one-half of an accident, rates are often cheaper. Below, you can see the average monthly rates for liability-only coverage in Utica.

Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Utica

Full-coverage car insurance provides you the same protection as liability coverage, but it also covers injuries you sustain or damage to your vehicle in an accident you cause. This makes full coverage more expensive because it’s essentially covering all parties in an accident you cause. However, it could be a good option if you have a new car or a vehicle you’d struggle to replace if necessary.

Here’s a list of full-coverage quotes from insurers in Utica.

Car insurance requirements in New York

If you live in Utica you’ll need to have liability coverage, uninsured motorist coverage, and no-fault or personal injury protection insurance. Most states don’t require drivers to carry no-fault medical insurance, but New York does. If you were in a car accident, no matter whose fault it is, your car insurance would pay for the hospital bills and also replace your lost earnings and other expenses, such as medical care in the home.

But there are exceptions. If you were in a wreck due to drinking and driving, your no-fault insurance likely wouldn’t pay for your expenses.

The table below spells out the minimum car insurance requirements you’ll need to meet in Utica.

But these requirements are just the minimum. They’ll prevent you from getting in trouble with the law, but there are plenty of situations that minimum coverage won’t protect you from, such as your car getting stolen or a tree landing on your parked car during a storm. 

For those cases, you may want to also purchase:

• 

  Comprehensive coverage

  This covers you if your vehicle is damaged due to something that has nothing to do with a car wreck. For instance, if your car is stolen or damaged by an animal crossing the road, comprehensive insurance would pay for the repairs or for your vehicle to be replaced.

• 

  Collision coverage

  Collision coverage pays for repairs to your vehicle when it’s damaged by another vehicle or an object. Remember, liability insurance covers the damage to the other vehicle in an accident, and if you hit a telephone pole or a tree, you’d have to pay for your own damages if you didn’t have collision coverage.

Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an incident

Not everyone has a perfect driving record, and if you have a speeding ticket, at-fault accident, or DUI on yours, your insurance premiums will probably go up. As a general rule, insurance companies believe that one incident could mean there will be more incidents to follow and hedge their bets by raising premiums. The good news is that, in most cases, if you can go a few years without an incident, those rates should come back down.

In the sections that follow, you’ll see how different incidents affect your rates in Utica.

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Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a speeding ticket

Utica takes speeding seriously. In recent years, the city has placed solar-powered smart speed-tracking devices in the city to get a sense of where the most speeding occurs.^[5] If you get a speeding ticket in New York, your insurer may raise your rates. And if you have a ticket on your record already, you can expect to pay monthly rates similar to those listed below.

Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident

If you have an at-fault accident on your record, you can expect your premiums to climb. Fortunately, however, your rates should decrease once the accident is off your record.

Here’s a look at what you can expect to pay in Utica with an accident on your record.

Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a DUI

Insurers view a DUI as the most serious of incidents, and if you have a DUI on your record, your rates will almost certainly go up. In some cases, your insurer may drop you altogether. The table below shows just how much you can expect to pay, on average, for your insurance premiums with a DUI on your record in Utica.

Cheapest car insurance for seniors

Auto insurers calculate premiums by looking at many different factors, and age is a particularly important one. If you’re 75 or older, your premiums will usually be higher than those of middle-aged people. This is because seniors are generally involved in more accidents and suffer more severe injuries when in a crash.

The table below shows what you may pay, on average, for your insurance premiums in Utica.

Cheapest car insurance for teens

Many young drivers are skilled, but insurers still charge this group higher premiums than older, more experienced motorists. Fortunately, teen drivers have ways to reduce high insurance premiums, like staying on their parents’ policy. Driving a car that your insurer considers a safe model may lower premiums as well, and your insurer may give a student discount for good grades.

If you’re a teenager, or you have a teenager driving in Utica, this table shows what you can expect to pay, on average, for your insurance premiums.

How to get the cheapest car insurance in Utica

The rate you’ll pay for car insurance in Utica depends on many factors, some of which are out of your control. Comparing prices is an effective way to judge one insurer against another. But it isn’t the only thing you can do to lower your rates.

Here are some strategies you’ll want to keep in mind as you look for cheap car insurance:

• Think about what you’re paying for. Liability-only coverage is less expensive than full coverage, but don’t entirely dismiss the latter option. For instance, if you’ve just purchased a new, expensive car or truck, liability insurance won’t cover repairs or replacement of the vehicle in many instances. Find the most affordable coverage that meets your needs instead of shopping solely based on price.

• Consider your deductible. You may be tempted to choose a high deductible to lower your premiums, but keep in mind that you must pay your deductible before your insurer will supply coverage. If paying a high deductible would be tricky, you may want to pay higher monthly premiums and keep your deductible lower.

• Look for deals. Asking your insurer or insurance agent if you can be steered to any discounts that will bring your rates down is always a smart idea. You can also inquire with your employer or other associations you’re affiliated with to see if they have any discount agreements with particular insurers.

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Utica car insurance quotes by credit tier

Most states, including New York, allow insurers to consider credit scores when pricing insurance premiums. Auto insurers have concluded that a person’s credit score is a sign of how likely they are to file a claim. As such, motorists who have excellent or good credit scores pay far lower insurance premiums than drivers with poor credit scores.

The table below shows how Utica drivers’ credit scores can affect their insurance premiums.

Is car insurance more expensive in Utica?

It’s more expensive to pay for car insurance in Utica, New York, than in many other parts of the country. The U.S. national car insurance average is $170 for liability-only coverage, and full coverage costs $253.

Utica drivers pay $199 for liability-only coverage and $310 for full coverage, on average.

It’s always hard to pinpoint the exact reasons any community has high insurance rates. But the city is near the Adirondack Mountains (mountainous terrain is always rough on a car). The crime rate, which by many accounts is higher than the national average, also probably factors in.

While car insurance in Utica, New York, is more expensive than the national average, it’s one of the cheaper cities in the state to have car insurance, according to Insurify data.

Many other New York cities with far higher populations have average car insurance rates that are much higher than Utica’s. For instance, in Yonkers, you’ll pay $471 a month for full-coverage car insurance, a 52% jump over Utica. In Brooklyn, you’ll pay $623 a month — a 101% difference over Utica.

More cities in New York

The table below shows how car insurance in Utica compares to other cities across the Empire State. On average, drivers pay $310 a month for full-coverage car insurance in Utica.

Utica car insurance FAQs