How to Get an Auto Insurance Quote With No Credit Check

Last Updated on December 12, 2025

Your credit history can impact your car insurance rates. Fortunately, you can still shop for auto insurance quotes without a hard credit inquiry — and without hurting your credit score.

Just keep in mind that “no credit check car insurance” can mean a few different things:

• You can get a quote estimate without a hard pull (most insurers use a soft pull, if any).
• You live in a state where insurers are restricted from using credit to price auto insurance.
• You’re shopping with a company that doesn’t weigh credit heavily compared to competitors.

Below, we’ll break down how credit affects car insurance, which states restrict credit-based pricing, and how to get an auto insurance quote with no credit check (or no hard credit check).

Key Takeaways

• “No credit check” usually means there’s no hard credit inquiry — many insurers use a soft pull (or none at all) when generating quotes.
• Most states allow insurers to use a credit-based insurance score for pricing, but seven states restrict it (including CA, HI, MA, MI, MD, OR, and UT).
• Poor credit can raise car insurance premiums dramatically, so shopping multiple quotes is one of the fastest ways to reduce your rate.
• If you have bad or limited credit, consider telematics discounts, higher deductibles, continuous coverage, and asking insurers to re-rate you after your credit improves.

How Credit Score Impacts Car Insurance

Insurance is all about risk. Insurers use dozens of data points to predict how likely you are to file a claim and how expensive that claim might be.

In most states, insurers don’t look at your “regular” credit score the same way a lender does. Instead, they use a credit-based insurance score — a score based in whole or in part on your credit report that’s designed specifically for insurance pricing.

How much does it matter? A lot. Recent industry studies show drivers with poor credit can pay dramatically more for the same coverage than drivers with good credit. And with the average American already paying thousands per year for full coverage, credit can be the difference between an affordable policy and a painful bill.

Whether you like it or not, insurers check credit scores to calculate rates (in states where it’s allowed) because it helps them build a risk profile and assign you a price.

Can You Buy Car Insurance Without a Credit Check?

Sometimes — but it depends on where you live and what you mean by “credit check.”

In most states, insurers are allowed to use a credit-based insurance score when quoting, underwriting, renewing, or pricing a policy. In those states, many companies will run a soft credit inquiry (not a hard pull) to generate an insurance score or credit tier.

However, seven states restrict or forbid auto insurers from using credit history in at least some way:

• California
• Hawaii
• Maryland (restrictions vary)
• Massachusetts
• Michigan (credit may still affect billing/installment options)
• Oregon (restrictions vary)
• Utah (restrictions vary)

Important: Even in states that restrict credit-based pricing, an insurer may still ask for personal information to verify identity, prevent fraud, pull your driving record, and set up billing. The key difference is that your credit history can’t be used (or is limited) when setting your premium.

Bottom line: it can be difficult to completely avoid any credit-related step in states where credit-based insurance scoring is allowed — but you can almost always shop around for quotes without a hard credit check.

How to Get an Auto Insurance Quote With No Credit Check (or No Hard Pull)

Thanks to online quoting tools, it’s easy to get a price estimate without a hard credit inquiry. Here’s the most reliable way to do it:

1) Gather the info insurers actually price on

• Your ZIP code (it matters more than most people realize)
• Your driver’s license number (often required for accurate quotes)
• Vehicle info (VIN is best)
• Your driving history and claims history
• Your annual mileage and how you use the car (commute, business, pleasure)

2) Start with quote tools that don’t require an SSN upfront

Many insurers and comparison tools will show an initial quote estimate without your Social Security number. If you want to minimize personal info while shopping, see our guide to car insurance quotes with no personal info required (no SSN).

3) Quote multiple companies using the same coverages

To compare apples to apples, keep the same liability limits, deductibles, and optional coverages when running quotes. Otherwise, the “cheapest” quote may just be the least coverage.

4) Ask one simple question before you finalize anything

Before you bind coverage, ask: “Will you run a soft pull or a hard pull?”

In most cases, insurance-related checks are soft pulls. But it never hurts to confirm, especially if you’re shopping with smaller or specialty carriers.

5) Expect the “final” premium to be based on verified reports

Even if you start with an estimate, your final price can change once the insurer verifies your driving record, prior coverage, garaging address, and (in most states) your credit-based insurance score.

Does a Credit Check Affect Your Credit Score?

Fortunately, getting a car insurance quote does not impact your credit score.

Insurers may run a soft credit inquiry when generating a quote or starting coverage. Soft inquiries don’t affect your score the way a hard inquiry (like applying for a credit card or loan) can.

Best Car Insurance Companies for Drivers with Bad Credit

Bad credit can make car insurance significantly more expensive — but it doesn’t mean you’re “stuck.” Different insurers weigh credit differently, so shopping around is the fastest way to find a better rate.

Also, if you’re being declined or quoted extremely high rates (especially if you have multiple risk factors), a high-risk car insurance company may be able to help you get legal coverage while you work on improving your profile.

Sample annual full coverage rates by credit tier (good vs. poor credit)

Below are sample full coverage rates that illustrate how big the credit gap can be. Your price will vary by state, vehicle, coverage, and driving history — but the comparison is useful.

If you have no credit score or a very limited credit history, you may run into additional friction when getting a quote. Some insurers treat “no-hit/no-score” drivers similarly to average credit, while others price them closer to poor credit.

If you feel like you’re being boxed out of the standard market, check whether a carrier can decline your business in your situation — and compare quotes with a mix of national insurers, regional insurers, and independent agents who can shop multiple companies at once.

Why Do Car Insurance Companies Check My Credit Score?

Car insurance is priced on risk. If the insurer expects you to file more claims or cost more when you do, your premium goes up.

Some risk factors are obvious: your driving history, prior claims, the type of car you drive, and whether you’ve had recent at-fault accidents all matter. A driver with a clean record is usually cheaper to insure than someone with tickets and recent claims.

Credit is used because insurers believe it helps predict risk (in states where it’s allowed). It’s also only one of the dozens of factors insurers use to calculate risk — which is why the best strategy is to compare quotes instead of assuming one company will be cheapest.

Insurers Use Credit Scores in Different Ways

Not all insurers weigh credit the same. One company might barely move your premium between credit tiers, while another might price poor credit much more aggressively.

That’s why getting multiple quotes matters so much — especially if you’re trying to lower costs without changing your car, your commute, or your coverage limits.

What’s a Good or Bad Credit Score?

Credit score ranges vary by scoring model, but for common FICO-style scores (300–850), these general ranges are often used:

• Poor: 300–579
• Fair: 580–669
• Good: 670–739
• Very good: 740–799
• Exceptional: 800–850

For auto insurance, what counts as “good” depends on the insurer’s model and the insurance score they’re using — but improving your credit habits usually helps your pricing over time in states where credit-based insurance scoring is allowed.

Insurers Check a Credit-Based Insurance Score (Not Your Regular Credit Score)

Technically, insurers usually don’t price your policy off the same “credit score” you see from a bank or credit card app. They check a credit-based insurance score, which is derived from your credit report but designed to predict insurance risk.

That’s also why your insurance score might use a different range than 300–850 and why two insurers can look at the same person and still produce very different premiums.

FAQs on No Credit Check Auto Insurance Quotes

Final Word on No Credit Check Auto Insurance Quotes

Getting a car insurance quote with “no credit check” is usually easy: many online tools let you compare estimates without a hard inquiry — and insurers typically use soft pulls that don’t impact your credit score.

In most states, insurers can still use a credit-based insurance score when finalizing or renewing coverage. But several states restrict or forbid the practice, and even in states where it’s allowed, the best move is the same: compare multiple quotes, keep your driving record clean, and take advantage of discounts and programs that fit your driving habits.