Getting married can affect your finances in a number of ways. But when it comes to auto insurance, married couples can often qualify for lower premiums. In this guide, we’ll explain how marriage can impact the cost of your car insurance, and what insurance providers are the best for married couples.
Our rates are based on public rate filings obtained by analytics company First Interpreter. While we may partner with some of the carriers you see on our site, we maintain editorial independence and it does not affect the rates you see. Read more about our rating methodology or see our rigorous editorial policy.
Marital status does affect your car insurance. If you’re married, you might be able to qualify for certain discounts, and potentially, lower premiums. Some studies have shown that married drivers are less likely to get into accidents, which means married drivers are often less risky to insure. Because of this, companies that use marital status as a rating factor often offer lower rates to individuals and couples that are married.
When you apply for a car insurance policy, you might be asked to disclose your marital status. There are a few reasons why car insurance companies want to know if you’re married or single.
First, marital status is often used as an insurance rating factor, meaning it can impact the rates you pay. If you check the box for “married” rather than “single” or “divorced,” the insurance company can use that information when calculating your rate. Married people often pay slightly less for auto insurance than single people.
If you’re married, your car insurance company may also want to make sure all the drivers in your household are added to your policy. Even if you and your spouse have separate insurance policies, you might be asked to add your spouse to your policy in case they borrow your car.
Additionally, insurance companies can use your marital status to offer certain discounts. For example, you might be able to take advantage of a multi-vehicle discount if you and your spouse insure your personal vehicles on the same policy. Many insurers also offer a policy bundling discount if you purchase auto insurance and homeowners or renters insurance.
Yes, married couples are allowed to have separate insurance policies. While there’s no legal requirement to have one policy with both drivers and both vehicles insured, combining insurance policies can have benefits, especially if your insurance company offers a multi-vehicle discount.
In general, car insurance is cheaper if you’re married. Because marital status is typically used as a rating factor, some insurance companies will automatically assign a lower premium if you’re married. However, married couples can also qualify for special discounts, which can further reduce the cost of auto insurance.
According to our data, the average cost of car insurance for 35-year-old married couples is $1,357. For comparison, the average rate for a single 35-year-old male is $1,300 and the average rate for a single 35-year-old female is $1,310. By combining car insurance policies, some married couples can save a significant amount on their policy.
After analyzing recent rate data, we found that Erie Insurance has the cheapest car insurance premiums for married drivers, followed by Progressive and American Family. In the table below, you can see the average cost of car insurance for an individual married driver at some of the top car insurance companies that serve a large portion of the United States. Note that these providers may not be available in your state.
Of course, the cheapest car insurance company for you and your spouse may be very different than the national average depending on where you live, the vehicles you want to insure, and a variety of other personal factors such as your driving history or credit score. The only way to know the company that will give you the best rates for your unique situation is to compare personalized rates at a few different companies.
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Car insurance rates usually go down when you get married. This can happen in a few ways.
Let’s say you get married in the middle of your policy period. If you contact your insurance company and notify them of your marriage, they might recalculate your premium and apply any reductions when the policy renews.
After getting married, you might also be able to qualify for certain discounts. For example, if you and your spouse get married, you can combine insurance policies and potentially get a discount for insuring multiple vehicles.
Keep in mind that your car insurance rate will not drop automatically after getting married. Unlike adding a new driver to your policy or getting into an accident, your insurance company probably doesn’t have a way of knowing if you got married until you tell them. You should contact your insurance company and let them know you recently got married to take advantage of any savings.
You can also speak to an agent about how your insurance provider uses marriage as a rating factor, and what discounts you might be able to qualify for with your spouse so you can decide if combining policies is the right fit for you.
While it’s not a guarantee, single people usually pay more for car insurance than married people. Single drivers might be riskier to insure than married drivers, and they may not be able to qualify for certain discounts that married people can claim.
However, marital status is only one rating factor that insurance companies use to calculate premiums. And compared to some other rating factors, marital status does not hold as much weight.
For instance, a married driver with several accidents on their record or a poor credit score will probably pay more for auto insurance than a single driver with a clean driving record and excellent credit.
The age of the couple can also impact their premium. A 22-year-old married couple could pay more for car insurance than a single 50-year-old driver, given that young drivers often pay the highest car insurance rates.
There isn’t a single best car insurance company for all married couples. The best car insurance company for you depends on unique criteria like your location, coverage needs, budget, and the discounts you can qualify for.
To find the most affordable auto insurance for your situation, it’s important to compare rates at a few different insurers. Take our short quiz to see how much you and your spouse can expect to pay at leading car insurance companies near you.
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Rate Retriever rates are based on public rate filings obtained by analytics company First Interpreter. This data comes from the rating plans insurance carriers submit to each state’s department of insurance. Rating plans detail how each carrier calculates premiums using factors such as location, age, gender, and driving record, and they ensure that insurance premiums are both fair and competitive.
For the data on this page, we made the following assumptions: a 35-year-old male with a clean driving record and Good credit score, driving a 2022 RAV4. We adjusted this profile by marital status and gender to generate the data on this page.
These rates should only be used for comparative purposes. Your rates can vary significantly based on your unique driver profile.
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