What Is My Car Insurance Score?

Last Updated on December 11, 2025

Your car insurance score quietly plays a big role in how much you pay for auto insurance. Yet most drivers have never seen their score, don’t know how it’s calculated, and aren’t sure how to improve it.

Below, we’ll break down what a car insurance score is, how it works, how it affects your premiums, what counts as a “good” score, and how to check and improve yours.

Key Takeaways

A car insurance score (credit-based insurance score) uses your credit history to predict how likely you are to file claims or miss premium payments.
In most states, a low insurance score can significantly raise your car insurance premiums, sometimes by 50% to 100% compared to drivers with good credit.
Each scoring company (FICO, LexisNexis, TransUnion) uses its own range, but scores in the mid-700s or higher are generally considered good.
You can improve your auto insurance score by paying bills on time, lowering credit card balances, avoiding excessive new credit, and monitoring your credit for errors.

Table Of Contents

Auto Insurance Scores Are Similar to Credit Scores
Why Is My Car Insurance Score Important?
How Do Auto Insurance Scores Affect Insurance Premiums?
What Is a Good Auto Insurance Score?
How Do I Check My Auto Insurance Score?
The Major Insurance Score Providers
How to Improve Your Auto Insurance Score
FAQs on Car Insurance Scores
Final Word on Auto Insurance Scores

Auto Insurance Scores Are Similar to Credit Scores

Your auto insurance score (also called a credit-based insurance score) is a three-digit number calculated using information from your credit score and credit history. The goal of the car insurance score is to predict how risky you are to insure – specifically, how likely you are to file a claim or fall behind on payments.

An auto insurance score works in a similar way to your credit score. In fact, your auto insurance score is largely based on your credit data: if you have a strong credit profile, you likely have a strong car insurance score as well.

Common factors used to build a credit-based auto insurance score include:

The age of your credit history (how long you’ve had or used credit)
The number of accounts you have in good standing
Your payment history (on-time payments vs. late or missed payments)
How much of your available credit you’re currently using (credit utilization)
The mix of credit types you have (cards, loans, etc.)
Recent applications for new credit

Although the two ratings are similar, your auto insurance score is not the same as your credit score. The two often have different score ranges, and insurers may use custom models.

Many drivers are also surprised to learn that their car insurance score has nothing to do with your driving record. Your driving record can strongly influence your premiums, but your traffic tickets and accidents are not part of a credit-based insurance score. Instead, insurers consider your driving history separately when pricing your policy.

Why Is My Car Insurance Score Important?

In most states, car insurance companies will look at your car insurance score when setting your premiums.

When you apply for car insurance, the insurer looks at dozens of factors to determine your risk as a policyholder, including:

Your driving history (tickets, at-fault accidents, DUIs)
Your age, location, and vehicle
Your prior insurance history (lapses or cancellations)
Your coverage limits and deductibles
Your credit-based auto insurance score (in most states)

Not all states allow insurers to use credit-based insurance scores when setting personal auto rates. A small but growing number of states have strict limits or bans on using credit with auto insurance. As of 2025, states with strong restrictions include California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon, and Utah.

If you live in one of these states, your credit information may not be used at all, or may only be used in limited ways. If you don’t, your insurance score is likely one of the key pricing factors behind the scenes.

How Do Auto Insurance Scores Affect Insurance Premiums?

In most states, someone with poor credit will pay significantly more for car insurance than someone with good or excellent credit – even with the same driving record.

Recent studies have found that:

On average, drivers with poor credit pay about 70%–100% more for full coverage than drivers with good or excellent credit.
In some states, drivers with poor credit pay more than double what drivers with exceptional credit pay.

To put that into perspective, imagine:

A driver with strong credit paying $1,500 per year for full coverage.
A similar driver with poor credit could easily pay $2,500 to $3,000 or more per year for the same coverage – purely because of credit-based scoring.

In other words, your premiums can jump dramatically if your credit-based auto insurance score is low. At the same time, improving your score over time can meaningfully reduce what you pay.

What Is a Good Auto Insurance Score?

There’s no single universal “auto insurance score scale.” Each scoring company has its own range and definitions, and insurers may even tweak those models.

As a rough guide:

Higher scores = lower perceived risk and typically lower premiums.
Lower scores = higher perceived risk and typically higher premiums.

To give you an idea of what “good” looks like, here’s how one major provider, LexisNexis, generally classifies its Attract insurance score (range 200–997):

776 to 997: Good
626 to 775: Average
501 to 625: Below Average
500 and Below: Less Desirable

Other companies use slightly different ranges:

FICO insurance / auto-related scores: Typically range from 250 to 900.
TransUnion credit-based auto insurance score: Often cited as ranging from 300 to 900.

Because the ranges differ, a “good” auto insurance score is usually one that falls in roughly the top 20% to 30% of that model’s scale – which often means the mid-700s or higher, depending on the specific scoring system.

When you request your auto insurance score from TransUnion, LexisNexis, or another provider, you should get a breakdown of what your number means and how it compares to other consumers.

How Do I Check My Auto Insurance Score?

Curious whether your car insurance score is driving up your premiums? Unlike credit scores, you’re not automatically entitled to a free auto insurance score every year. But there are a few ways to see or estimate it.

1. Ask your insurance company

If your insurer uses a credit-based insurance score, you can ask:

Whether they used an insurance score to price your policy
Which scoring company they used (FICO, LexisNexis, TransUnion, or a proprietary model)
Whether they’re willing to share your score or at least the “tier” you’re in

If your rates go up because of information in your credit file, federal law usually requires insurers to send an “adverse action notice” explaining the main reasons. That notice can give you useful clues about what’s hurting your score.

2. Check your regular credit score

Services like Credit Karma, your bank, or your credit card issuer can show you a free credit score. These are not auto insurance scores – they’re usually VantageScore or FICO – but they’re strongly related. In general:

If your credit score is strong (often 700+), your auto insurance score is likely strong.
If your credit score is poor or fair, your auto insurance score is probably lower as well.

Improving your regular credit score over time usually helps your credit-based insurance score too.

3. Request your file from LexisNexis

LexisNexis is a major provider of credit-based insurance scores. You can request a free copy of your consumer disclosure file (which may include your Attract insurance score and the key factors affecting it) from LexisNexis.

4. Paid credit monitoring or score services

Some paid services (including those offered by FICO and the major credit bureaus) may include access to industry-specific scores, such as auto-related scores, as part of a monthly subscription. Pricing changes frequently, so check the provider’s website for current costs.

The Major Insurance Score Providers

Here are the three major auto insurance score providers, what their insurance score ranges generally look like, and how consumers may be able to see their scores:

Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO)

Auto Insurance Score / Auto-Related Scores: FICO industry-specific auto scores and insurance scores
Typical Score Range: 250 to 900
Credit Data Used: Credit reports from one or more of the major bureaus
How to Access: Often used behind the scenes by insurers; some consumers may see FICO auto-related scores through paid FICO subscriptions or certain lender/credit monitoring tools.

LexisNexis

Auto Insurance Score: LexisNexis Attract Auto Insurance Score
Score Range: 200 to 997
Credit Data Used: Credit reports and other data from major bureaus
How to Access: You can request your LexisNexis consumer report, which may include your Attract score and top “reason codes” explaining it.

TransUnion

Auto Insurance Score: CreditVision credit-based auto insurance score
Score Range: Commonly cited as 300 to 900 for TransUnion auto insurance scores.
Credit Data Used: TransUnion credit report and related data
How to Access: May be visible through certain insurers or as part of a TransUnion subscription; not always sold directly as a stand-alone product.

Auto Insurance Score Provider Comparison Chart

Provider	Car Insurance Score Name	Credit Report Used	Score Range	Cost (Consumer Access)
FICO	FICO Auto Score (industry-specific)	Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion (varies by lender/insurer)	250 to 900	Typically via myFICO subscription (around $19.95/month; pricing subject to change)
LexisNexis	LexisNexis Attract Auto Insurance Score	Primarily Equifax (may also use data from other bureaus)	200 to 997	Often available at low or no cost through a LexisNexis consumer disclosure report; standalone pricing varies
TransUnion	TransUnion Credit-Based Auto Insurance Score (CreditVision)	TransUnion	300 to 900	Generally bundled with paid TransUnion credit/monitoring products or provided to insurers; not usually sold as a stand-alone score

How to Improve Your Auto Insurance Score

If you have a low auto insurance score, improving it can meaningfully cut your premiums over time. Even a modest score increase can save you 10% to 20% per year on car insurance premiums, depending on your insurer and state. Conversely, drivers with no or very thin credit histories often pay considerably more than drivers with established, good credit.

You improve your auto insurance score the same way you improve your credit score:

Pay all bills on time – Payment history is one of the biggest factors. Set up autopay or reminders so you never miss a due date.
Keep credit card balances low – Aim to use less than 30% of your available credit, and lower is even better.
Pay down existing debt – Reducing revolving balances over time can steadily improve your score.
Avoid opening lots of new accounts at once – Too many recent applications can temporarily drag your score down.
Maintain older accounts – The length of your credit history helps; keeping long-standing accounts open can be beneficial.
Monitor your credit – Regularly review your credit reports and scores and dispute any errors that may hurt your standing.

Improvements usually don’t show up overnight, but consistent good habits over several months and years can move you into a better insurance-score tier and help lower your premiums.

FAQs on Car Insurance Scores

What is a car insurance score?

A car insurance score, also called a credit-based insurance score, is a three-digit number based largely on your credit report. Insurers use it to predict how likely you are to file a claim or fall behind on payments. A higher score generally means you’re seen as lower risk and may qualify for lower premiums, while a lower score usually leads to higher rates in states where credit-based scoring is allowed.

How is a car insurance score different from a credit score?

Your regular credit score is designed for lenders and predicts how likely you are to repay borrowed money on time. A car insurance score uses many of the same credit factors but is tuned specifically to predict insurance outcomes, like the likelihood of claims or payment problems. The score range can be different—for example, some insurance scores run from about 200 to 997 or 250 to 900—so the number you see won’t necessarily match your credit score even though they are closely related.

Does my driving record affect my car insurance score?

No. A credit-based car insurance score is based on credit information, not your tickets or accidents. However, your driving record still strongly affects your car insurance premium on its own. Insurers typically look at both: your credit-based insurance score to gauge financial and claims risk, and your driving history to assess how likely you are to cause accidents or violations.

Do all insurance companies use credit-based insurance scores?

Most major insurers use credit-based insurance scores in states where it’s allowed, but not all companies rely on them in the same way. Some insurers weigh credit more heavily than others, and a growing number of states limit or prohibit the use of credit for personal auto insurance. That’s why it’s smart to compare quotes—different companies and different states can treat the same credit profile very differently.

How much can a low car insurance score raise my premium?

It varies by state and insurer, but research shows that drivers with poor credit can pay 70% to 100% more for full coverage than drivers with good or excellent credit, even with similar driving records. In some states, the difference can be more than double. Improving your credit profile over time can move you into a better scoring tier and help lower your rates at renewal.

How can I check my car insurance score?

You’re not guaranteed free access to your auto insurance score each year, but you have a few options. You can ask your insurer whether it used a credit-based insurance score and if they can share your tier or score. You can also request your consumer report from LexisNexis, which may include your Attract insurance score and the key factors affecting it. Finally, checking your regular credit scores through your bank, card issuer, or credit monitoring services gives you a good proxy—strong credit usually means a stronger insurance score too.

Does checking my car insurance score hurt my credit?

No. Checking your own credit reports or scores is treated as a soft inquiry and does not affect your credit. Similarly, requesting a consumer disclosure from a company like LexisNexis does not hurt your credit. When insurers check your credit to generate an insurance score, that is typically also treated as a soft inquiry and does not impact your credit score the way a hard inquiry for a loan or credit card can.

How long does a low car insurance score affect my rates?

Insurers usually focus on your recent credit history, so negative items like late payments or high balances can affect you for several years. However, your score is not fixed—if you establish a pattern of on-time payments, lower your utilization, and avoid new debt, your credit and insurance scores can improve over time. Many companies will gradually reward that improvement with lower premiums at renewal, especially after 2–5 years of better habits.

Final Word on Auto Insurance Scores

A car insurance score, also known as a credit-based insurance score, is one of the key tools car insurance companies use to assess your risk as a policyholder. It’s built primarily from your credit history and is separate from your driving record, but both play important roles in your rate.

You’re not automatically entitled to a free auto insurance score each year like you are with credit reports. However, you can still:

Ask your insurer whether they used a credit-based score and what factors hurt or helped you
Request your LexisNexis consumer report, which may include your insurance score
Track and improve your traditional credit scores, which closely correlate with insurance scores

In many states, insurers will continue to use your auto insurance score – along with dozens of other factors – to calculate premiums. In a growing number of states with strict limits on credit, that impact is reduced or removed. Wherever you live, though, building and maintaining strong credit is still one of the best long-term strategies for keeping your car insurance rates as low as possible.