Best Car Insurance in New Hampshire
Last Updated on May 12, 2021
New Hampshire has some of the cheapest car insurance premiums in the United States. It’s also one of the few states where drivers aren’t required to carry car insurance to legally drive.
The average driver in New Hampshire pays around $1,013 per year for full coverage car insurance. The only state with cheaper average car insurance premiums is New Hampshire’s neighbor, Maine, where drivers pay around $945 per year. In comparison, the average American pays approximately $1,450 per year for full coverage car insurance.
Car insurance in New Hampshire is cheap, but you can make it even cheaper by choosing the right insurer. Keep reading to discover the best car insurance companies in New Hampshire for your unique needs.
Table of Contents:
- The 10 Best Auto Insurance Companies in New Hampshire
- New Hampshire Auto Insurance Requirements
- Driving Without Insurance in New Hampshire
- Car Insurance in New Hampshire with a DUI
- Car Insurance in New Hampshire with At-Fault Accidents
- Car Insurance in New Hampshire with Speeding Tickets
- Car Insurance in New Hampshire for Young Drivers
- Car Insurance in New Hampshire with Poor Credit
- SR-22 Insurance in New Hampshire
Top 10 Auto Insurance Companies in New Hampshire
New Hampshire drivers have plenty of options for car insurance, including regional companies that exclusively serve the northeast as well as nationwide providers that serve the entire country.
Some of the best car insurance companies in New Hampshire include:
- USAA: USAA membership is open to military personnel, their spouses and children, and certain other qualifying family members. If you qualify for membership, then USAA may be the cheapest full coverage car insurance in New Hampshire. The average USAA policy in New Hampshire is priced at around $793 per year for full coverage car insurance.
- Concord Group: Concord Group is the only insurance company on this list based in New Hampshire. The Concord-based company is one of the most popular insurance providers in the state. They charge competitive rates to young and old drivers alike, and many customers appreciate the strong customer service and claims satisfaction. You could pay as little as $802 per year for full coverage car insurance in New Hampshire with Concord Group, according to our research.
- GEICO: GEICO is popular throughout New Hampshire, insuring thousands of drivers across the state. Expect to pay rates slightly higher than USAA with GEICO while enjoying the amenities of America’s second-largest insurance company. GEICO charges around $833 per year for full coverage car insurance in New Hampshire, on average.
- State Farm: State Farm, like GEICO, is a large insurance company with predictable offerings. In New Hampshire, State Farm offers competitive rates similar to GEICO and other nationwide providers serving the state. You can expect to pay around $902 per year for full coverage car insurance with State Farm in New Hampshire.
- Allstate: Allstate is one of America’s top ten largest insurance companies, and Allstate continues to offer great prices in urban and rural areas of New Hampshire. Allstate’s rates are around $934 per year for full coverage car insurance, according to the average rates across our model driver profiles.
- Progressive: Progressive is ideal for drivers who qualify for discounts. If you are bundling home and auto insurance, insuring multiple vehicles, or have a safe driving history, then Progressive may be the best choice for you. Progressive charges competitive rates on car insurance to drivers across New Hampshire, with drivers paying roughly $963 per year for full coverage car insurance, according to our research.
- Auto-Owners: Auto-Owners is a large insurance company available across the United States, including to drivers throughout New Hampshire. With rates of around $979 per year for full coverage car insurance, Auto-Owners is competitive with other providers on this list while offering the amenities of a larger organization.
- Amica: Amica isn’t the cheapest insurance provider on this list, but they’re frequently one of the best-rated insurance providers in the state. Amica Mutual routinely ranks among the best in the region according to J.D. Power, earning top marks for claims satisfaction and customer service. Expect to pay average rates of around $1,021 per year with Amica in New Hampshire.
- Safeco: Safeco is popular throughout the northeastern United States. In New Hampshire, Safeco is particularly popular for drivers seeking minimum liability insurance coverage. You could pay as little as $350 per year for minimum liability insurance with Safeco in New Hampshire. For full coverage car insurance, average rates are priced around $1,034 per year with Safeco.
- MetLife: MetLife sells insurance throughout the northeastern United States and across the country. Although it’s not as cheap as the providers above, MetLife is known for strong claims satisfaction and customer service. Average rates are around $1,053 per year.
New Hampshire Insurance Requirements
New Hampshire is one of the few states in America where drivers are not legally required to carry car insurance. Nevertheless, most New Hampshire drivers buy car insurance for protection. The New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles also strongly recommends and urges all motor vehicle owners to carry standard liability and property damage insurance.
There are no minimum insurance limits in New Hampshire. Car insurance companies may offer a 25/50/10 plan as a standard starter point. However, drivers can choose any type of plan they want – including a plan with 100/300/100 of coverage or a plan with zero coverage whatsoever.
Some drivers in New Hampshire need to carry car insurance. The Division of Motor Vehicles will notify you of SR-22 (proof of insurance) requirements. You may need to file an SR-22 with the state after multiple driving-related convictions, at-fault accidents, or other incidents that make you a high-risk driver.
If you need to file an SR-22 certificate in New Hampshire, then your car insurance needs to legally meet the following minimum requirements:
- $25,000 of bodily injury liability coverage per person
- $50,000 of bodily injury liability coverage per accident
- $25,000 of property damage liability coverage
Overall, New Hampshire has some of the most unique car insurance rules in the United States. It’s the only state where drivers can legally drive without insurance with no further penalty (Virginia allows drivers to drive without insurance, but they must pay an uninsured driver penalty each year).
Driving Without Insurance in New Hampshire
For most drivers with a clean record, it’s legal to drive without insurance in New Hampshire. However, some drivers are legally required to carry car insurance in New Hampshire, including drivers with multiple at-fault accidents or other incidents on their record.
Unsure if you need car insurance in New Hampshire? Contact the Division of Motor Vehicles and ask for your Driver Record Report. This report will state one of the following:
“No Proof of Financial Responsibility is Required”: The driver can legally drive without car insurance. You are still responsible for any damage you cause while driving, and you must personally pay for any damage if you don’t have insurance.
“Proof of Financial Responsibility is Required”: You must submit an SR-22 certificate to the state verifying you have car insurance.
You may need to file an SR-22 certificate if you:
- Were convicted of driving while intoxicated (DWI), in which case you must file an SR-22 certificate for three years from the date of conviction
- Are a habitual offender with multiple driving offenses
- Were caught driving uninsured
- Have other serious driving convictions on your record, including DWI, underage DWI, leaving the scene of accident violations, conduct after accident violations, and reckless driving convictions, among other incidents
The New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles will notify you if you need to submit an SR-22 certificate.
If you require an SR-22 certificate but cannot provide proof of insurance upon request, then you could face the following penalties:
- Suspension of your license plate, vehicle registration, and driver’s license until requirements fulfilled
- $100 license and driving privilege reinstatement fee
- $25 registration restoration fee
- SR-22 requirements for three years
After three or more years of safe driving, you should be able to drop your SR-22 status and resume buying car insurance as you normally would in New Hampshire.
Car Insurance in New Hampshire with DUI
Getting convicted of a DUI or related offense is a guaranteed way to raise car insurance premiums. However, some companies continue to charge competitive rates even after one or more DUI convictions. In other cases, you may need to buy insurance from a specialty insurer after your DUI.
The best car insurance companies in New Hampshire after a DUI include:
- USAA: $1,293 per year
- GEICO: $1,321 per year
- Progressive: $1,351 per year
- State Farm: $1,397 per year
- Concord Group: $1,422 per year
Car Insurance in New Hampshire with At-Fault Accidents
At-fault accidents will raise car insurance premiums in New Hampshire. If you were involved in an accident and found to be at fault, then you may face higher insurance premiums.
However, some companies put less emphasis on driving history than others. The best car insurance in New Hampshire for drivers with at-fault accidents include:
- USAA: $1,093 per year
- GEICO: $1,213 per year
- Progressive: $1,254 per year
- State Farm: $1,246 per year
- Concord Group: $1,326 per year
Car Insurance in New Hampshire with Speeding Tickets
A speeding ticket will raise insurance premiums in New Hampshire. One or two minor speeding tickets may have little impact on insurance, but multiple speeding tickets could lead to significantly higher rates.
Fortunately, some companies deal with speeding tickets better than others. Consider requesting a quote from the following insurers if you have one or more speeding tickets on your record:
- USAA: $924 per year
- GEICO: $956 per year
- Progressive: $1,021 per year
- Amica: $1,056 per year
- Concord Group: $1,099 per year
Car Insurance in New Hampshire for Young Drivers
Young drivers in New Hampshire cause more serious accidents every year than drivers of any other age group. Even if you’re a good young driver, you’ll pay higher insurance premiums because of your perceived risk.
Fortunately, some insurers welcome young drivers into their pool to balance rates. Consider requesting a quote from the following insurers in New Hampshire as a driver under 25:
- USAA: $1,469 per year
- GEICO: $1,556 per year
- Progressive: $1,599 per year
- Amica: $1,604 per year
- Concord Group: $1,792 per year
Car Insurance in New Hampshire with Poor Credit
Having a bad credit score will raise rates in New Hampshire. Insurance companies are allowed to use your credit-based insurance score to calculate rates. Drivers with a bad credit score or no credit score could pay more than $1,000 per year for full coverage car insurance.
Some companies weigh credit scores less heavily than others. Consider working with the following insurers if you have a poor credit score in New Hampshire:
- USAA: $1,424 per year
- GEICO: $1,556 per year
- State Farm: $1,621 per year
- Amica: $1,756 per year
- Concord Group: $1,812 per year
SR-22 Insurance in New Hampshire
Some drivers in New Hampshire are required to submit an SR-22 certificate to the Division of Motor Vehicles to reinstate driving privileges. If you were recently convicted of one or more at-fault accidents, DUIs, uninsured driving violations, or other serious driving offenses, then you must submit an SR-22 certificate to the Division of Motor Vehicles.
Most insurers can submit an SR-22 certificate to the DMV on your behalf. However, certain high-risk drivers may need to work with specialty insurers and high-risk insurers to obtain car insurance.
Your SR-22 certificate verifies you meet minimum liability insurance requirements in New Hampshire of 25/50/25, or $25,000 of bodily injury liability coverage per person, $50,000 of bodily injury liability coverage per accident, and $25,000 of property damage liability coverage.
You must carry SR-22 insurance for three years or more, depending on your driving record. If you maintain a clean driving record, then you should be able to resume operating under normal New Hampshire insurance laws.
Conclusion: How to Find the Best Auto Insurance in New Hampshire
Buying the best auto insurance in New Hampshire is easy. By comparing quotes, taking advantage of discounts, and shopping for coverage, you can choose the best provider for your unique needs.
Start comparing quotes online today to find the best car insurance in New Hampshire.