How Much Does Car Insurance Cost for a Learners Permit in North Carolina?

Anytime the topic is car insurance, the words “affordable” or “cheap” shouldn’t be used as a descriptor for car insurance rates. Sad but true, cheap car insurance for a learners permit may be a thing of the past. But don’t let that discourage you, because we can show you some ways you can find and buy car insurance that is cheaper than your current rate.

Finding out which companies have the lowest-priced insurance rates for a learners permit will take a bit more work in order to find the lowest price quote. Each auto insurer uses different criteria to determine rates, so let’s take a look at the most affordable insurance companies in North Carolina.

Keep in mind that North Carolina insurance rates are influenced by many factors that will increase or decrease the cost of coverage. Simply improving your credit, getting married, or getting a driving violation may generate price changes that can now make some companies much cheaper than others.

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Progressive has some of the best car insurance rates in North Carolina at around $639 annually. Utica National, Liberty Mutual, NC Farm Bureau, and Penn National also qualify as some of the best North Carolina auto insurance companies.

In the above example, if you are a policyholder with Liberty Mutual and switched to Progressive, you may see annual savings of roughly $89. North Carolina drivers with NC Farm Bureau might save as much as $91 a year, and Penn National customers might reduce prices by as much as $108 a year.

It’s important to note that these premium estimates are averaged across all ages of drivers and types of vehicles and do not take into consideration a rate increase for a learners permit. So the auto insurance company that fits your needs best may not even be included in the list of companies above. That helps illustrate why you need to compare rates from multiple companies using your own personalized driver profile and vehicle information.

One of the many components that impact the amount you pay for auto insurance is where you live. Areas with more people or higher crime rates like Fayetteville, Charlotte, and Gastonia are more likely to have higher rates, whereas areas with less congestion have the luxury of lower rates.

The illustration below shows the most expensive places in North Carolina for a learners permit to purchase car insurance in.

Annual rates are comparative as specific location information can revise premiums substantially.

Drive responsibly or pay higher rates

The recommended way to maintain affordable insurance rates in North Carolina for new drivers is to drive attentively and avoid accidents and traffic citations. The information below demonstrates how citations and fender-benders can drive up insurance prices for different categories of driver ages. The premiums are based on a married male driver, comp and collision included, $1,000 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.

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The chart shows that the average cost of an auto insurance policy in North Carolina per year with no accidents or violations is $897. Receive one speeding ticket and the average cost jumps to $1,030, an increase of $133 each year. Now add two accidents along with the one speeding ticket and the annual cost of insurance for a learners permit goes up to an average of $2,294. That’s an increase of $1,397, or $116 per month, just for not being attentive to the road!

State Farm, Progressive, Geico, or Allstate: Which is best?

If you’re looking for the cheapest auto insurance for new drivers in North Carolina, some of the first companies to look at are State Farm, Progressive, Geico, and Allstate. The following table shows some of the different features that may be available in your state.

Cheap insurance quotes for new drivers

Thanks to the internet, there are a lot of ways to shop for and buy insurance in North Carolina, but the most frequently used ways are from a non-exclusive or independent agent, an exclusive agency such as State Farm or Liberty Mutual, or from a direct company like Geico or Progressive.

Each way is similar, but insurance buyers need to understand the differences in how they function.

Independent agencies work for many companies and can quote your policy with each one. These agents can quote with many companies and get prices from more than one company, which can give you improved chances of finding a lower rate. If premiums increase, they can switch companies in-house which requires no work on your part.

An exlusive, or captive, agency is ‘exlusive’ to a single company, for example Allstate or State Farm agents. Exclusive agents cannot provide rate quotes from other companies, so if rates are not competitive, they cannot give other choices.

Consumers who buy insurance direct forego an exlusive or independent agent and instead shop direct either online or via phone. Shopping for insurance direct may be preferred by people who do not have a lot of assets and have a decent understanding of what coverages they need.

So comparing independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct, which one works best to find cheap car insurance for a learners permit in North Carolina? It would be premature to say shopping direct yields the cheapest rates because there are no middleman commissions, but that turns out to not be true. It would also be easy to say buying from an independent agent saves the most money due to more options, but that assumption is also not necessarily accurate. In many circumstances, exclusive agencies have price quotes well below independent agents AND direct companies.

Due to the large number of rating factors, the one way to ensure you are not overpaying for insurance is to compare, compare, and compare some more. It’s recommended that drivers get price quotes from all three to give yourself the best selection. A great place to start is our list of online companies offering discounts: click here to view.

How to find the cheapest auto insurance for a learners permit

The list below summarizes many thrifty solutions that can help you locate more affordable auto insurance.

• Buy a safer vehicle
• Be a safe driver
• Good credit scores may make rates cheaper
• Having at-fault accidents will increase rates
• Increase your physical damage deductibles
• Compare price quotes at least once a year

That final tip is highly critical, as was discussed in this article. Coverage rates change a lot, so don’t be hesitant to buy from a different company if you find a better deal. Having a favorite company is fine, but it’s not recommended if that faithfulness ends up costing you lots of hard earned cash every month. In just a couple of minutes you could shop around and find cheaper auto insurance for a learners permit.