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5+ years in auto insurance and personal finance writing
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Licensed property and casualty insurance agent
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NPN: 21630969
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25 years teaching risk management and insurance course
Former commercial lines underwriter
Updated
No-deposit car insurance doesn’t exist in Ohio or any state. Car insurance companies require at least a small payment for coverage to take effect.
If you’re on a tight budget, focus on getting a cheap rate from an Ohio car insurance company that offers a flexible payment frequency. This is sometimes referred to as low-deposit car insurance.
Because auto insurance is a contract to provide coverage in exchange for a premium, insurers won’t issue a policy with no money down. But some auto insurers will start a policy with only a few days’ premium.
The best way to find the lowest initial payment for an Ohio car insurance policy is to compare quotes from multiple insurance companies. Keep in mind that the cheapest insurance company for you depends on factors like your age, driving record, vehicle, and coverage choices.[1]
The table below shows several car insurance companies in Ohio that allow you to pay your first month’s premium to activate coverage, along with their average rates for liability-only coverage.
Insurance Company | Monthly Rate | Estimated First Payment | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mile Auto | $36 | $36 | Cheap premiums |
| State Farm | $36 | $36 | Overall value |
| Erie | $42 | $42 | Customer satisfaction |
| Progressive | $41 | $41 | Accident forgiveness |
| Auto-Owners | $42 | $42 | Specialized coverage options |
| User Reviews | 4.1 |
|---|---|
| IQ Score The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores. | 9.3 /10 |
| Liability Only Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages. | $36/mo |
| Full Coverage Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible. | $59/mo |
State Farm's score | Industry average | |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage options | 4.1 | 3.2 |
| Customer service | 4.3 | 3.6 |
| Discounts | 3.9 | 2.9 |
| Policy transparency | 3.9 | 3.1 |
| Value | 3.7 | 2.9 |
Customers appreciate the insurer’s excellent customer service and personal attention but dislike the high prices and frequent rate increases. They also express frustration with the claims process.
State Farm is one of the cheapest auto insurers in Ohio. In addition to offering low rates, the company also lets you select your payment due date. You can also set up auto pay or billing reminders to stay on track. State Farm allows you to pay your premium by credit card, and some Ohio policyholders may be eligible to make partial payments.
Strong J.D. Power ratings for customer and claims satisfaction
Dedicated local agent to help with your policy
AM Best financial strength rating of A+ (Superior)
Fewer discounts than competitors
Gap coverage not available
Mixed customer service reviews
Car insurance in Ohio costs an average of $90 per month, according to Insurify data.
While the state you live in doesn’t affect your deposit amount, some states allow insurers to charge fees or surcharges. Ohio law prohibits this practice.
Your initial premium payment serves as a deposit. If you have bad credit, an at-fault accident, a ticket, an operating a vehicle impaired (OVI) conviction, or a teen driver on your policy, you might pay higher rates.
Car insurance in Ohio is 36% cheaper than the national average. It’s also less expensive than in neighboring Indiana and Michigan.
The following table shows average monthly liability-only premiums and deposits by driver profile in Ohio, based on Insurify data.
Driver Profile | Average Monthly Rate | Estimated First Payment |
|---|---|---|
| Clean driving record | $64 | $64 |
| Speeding ticket | $85 | $85 |
| At-fault accident | $90 | $90 |
| OVI | $92 | $92 |
| Teen driver | $137 | $137 |
| Senior driver | $55 | $55 |
| SR-22 | $84 | $84 |
Get a minimum coverage quote in 2 minutes, buy a policy in 4
To get car insurance with the lowest initial cost in Ohio, it’s important to choose the right coverage and insurer.
The best insurers offer a payment frequency that works with your budget. Follow the tips below to save money on car insurance in Ohio:
Compare car insurance quotes. Insurers calculate premiums differently. Comparison shopping periodically helps you find the lowest premium. You can view sample premiums on the Ohio Department of Insurance website.
Look for pay-as-you-go insurance. Some companies offer pay-per-mile insurance, and others let you pay for coverage daily, weekly, or monthly.
Choose higher deductibles. Higher deductibles mean lower monthly premiums, but make sure you can cover the cost if you need to file a claim.
Skip optional coverages. If you have an older vehicle, consider dropping comprehensive coverage and collision coverage.
Take a defensive driving course. Ohio drivers aged 60 through 70 can save between 5% and 10% if they complete an accident-prevention course approved by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles and maintain a clean driving record.[2]
Drivers in Ohio must carry liability insurance or alternative proof of financial responsibility. Ohio is a comparative negligence state, which means two parties can share fault for an accident.[3]
If your negligence contributes to a car accident, you may be partially financially responsible for damages and injuries.
Liability insurance pays for the other party’s car repairs, medical bills, or funeral expenses when you’re at fault.
If an officer pulled you over for driving without insurance in Ohio, you could lose your license for 90 days and face higher car insurance premiums.[4]
Coverage Type | Ohio Minimum Requirement |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability coverage | $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident |
| Property damage liability coverage | $25,000 per accident |
State-minimum coverage may not be enough for some drivers. If your insurance limits aren’t high enough to cover the damages you cause in an accident, Ohio law allows injured parties to pursue your assets or garnish your wages.
Uninsured motorist coverage, medical payments coverage, and physical damage coverage, including comprehensive and collision insurance, offer additional financial protection.
Liability policies average $64/mo.
Ohio is one of the more affordable states for car insurance. Annual premiums are well below the national average, and average rates in the Buckeye State have decreased year over year, according to Insurify data.
Although you may feel that your initial payment is high, Ohio car insurance premiums benefit from the following factors:
Fairly low minimum car insurance requirements: Ohio requires only bodily injury and property damage liability insurance, and at fairly low limits. This helps keep costs low.
Relatively low cost-of-living index: Ohio has a lower-than-average cost of living, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. The average hourly mechanic labor rate in Ohio is also lower than in most other states.
Low risk of natural disasters: Ohio’s natural hazards include flooding, tornadoes, and winter storms, according to the Ohio Emergency Management Agency.[5] Still, five of the 10 U.S. cities with the lowest risk of climate disasters are in Ohio.[6]
Low fatal crash rate: With a crash death rate of 9.7 deaths per 100,000 people, Ohio ranks 17th lowest among U.S. states, according to data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.[7]
While there’s no such thing as no-deposit car insurance in Ohio, you can find cheap car insurance with a low deposit if you know where to look. Below are answers to frequently asked questions about getting cheap car insurance with a low initial payment.
State Farm has the cheapest car insurance in Ohio, averaging $36 per month for liability coverage, according to Insurify data. It’s important to compare quotes to find the cheapest low-down-payment car insurance for you. Mile Auto and Progressive also offer cheap average premiums.
Typically, no. Liability-only insurance meets state requirements, but it doesn’t protect you against every risk. Your liability insurance won’t pay to fix your vehicle or cover your medical expenses. It also won’t cover theft, vandalism, or weather damage. A policy with full coverage, including medical payments, helps protect against these risks.
Auto insurance companies in Ohio require you to make a payment to secure coverage, but some insurers will issue a policy for just one month’s premium.
Some insurers let you pay as you go, with some offering coverage after you pay only a few days’ worth of premium. You can get cheap car insurance by comparing quotes, bundling policies, and taking advantage of safe driver discounts or telematics programs.
If a company offers you zero-down car insurance, it’s probably a scam. Licensed, reputable Ohio auto insurance companies require a minimum premium payment to issue a car insurance policy. But you can get an auto policy in Ohio through some insurers with a very low initial payment.
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:
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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5+ years in auto insurance and personal finance writing
Featured in top personal finance publications
Featured in
Licensed property and casualty insurance agent
10+ years editing experience
NPN: 21630969
25 years teaching risk management and insurance course
Former commercial lines underwriter
At Insurify, our goal is to help customers compare insurance products and find the best policy for them. We strive to provide open, honest, and unbiased information about the insurance products and services we review. Our hard-working team of data analysts, insurance experts, insurance agents, editors and writers, has put in thousands of hours of research to create the content found on our site.
We do receive compensation when a sale or referral occurs from many of the insurance providers and marketing partners on our site. That may impact which products we display and where they appear on our site. But it does not influence our meticulously researched editorial content, what we write about, or any reviews or recommendations we may make. We do not guarantee favorable reviews or any coverage at all in exchange for compensation.
