Washington Car Insurance Quotes & Rates (2026)

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For a 40-year-old driver with a clean record, Washington car insurance averages about $254 a month ($3,053 a year) for full coverage, based on the rates insurers had filed with state regulators as of Aug. 31, 2026. That’s 9% above the national average in our data. It’s higher than in Oregon and Idaho. GEICO has the lowest full-coverage average among insurers anyone can buy from in our statewide table, at about $163 a month.

Washington car insurance: key numbers

• Full coverage: about $254 a month ($3,053 a year)
• Liability only (25/50/10): about $93 a month
• Lowest-priced insurer: GEICO has the lowest full-coverage average among insurers anyone can buy from in our statewide table, at about $163 a month
• Recent price change: −2.0% for full coverage (same insurers and ZIP codes)
• Most and least expensive counties: Pierce County (about $289 a month) and Jefferson County (about $209)

Where you live matters. The Puget Sound area costs the most in our data: Pierce County averages about $289 a month, King County $283 and Snohomish County $264. The Olympic Peninsula costs the least, led by Jefferson County at $209 and Clallam County at $210. Use these averages as a benchmark for where you live, then compare Washington State auto insurance quotes for your own car and address.

_{Cost data comes from the auto rates insurers file with state regulators, priced across 290 Washington ZIP codes, compiled by Quadrant Information Services and updated as new rates are filed.}

Rates as of Aug. 31, 2026. Page reviewed Oct. 7, 2026.

How Much Is Car Insurance in Washington State?

Full coverage in Washington State averages about $254 a month ($3,053 a year), and liability-only coverage at the state’s 25/50/10 minimum averages $93 a month ($1,111 a year). The figure is for a 40-year-old driver with a clean record and uses rates insurers had filed with state regulators as of Aug. 31, 2026.

Full coverage costs about 2.7 times as much as liability-only coverage for our benchmark driver, because it adds higher liability and uninsured motorist limits plus comprehensive and collision coverage for your own car. Here’s each coverage level we price, along with Seattle, Spokane and the national average.

• Full coverage (100/300/100, $500 deductibles): $3,053 a year ($254 a month)
• 50/100/50 with $500 deductibles: $2,932 a year ($244 a month)
• Liability only (25/50/10): $1,111 a year ($93 a month)
• Seattle: $3,502 a year ($292 a month) for full coverage
• Spokane: $2,854 a year ($238 a month) for full coverage
• National average: $2,806 a year ($234 a month) for full coverage

Safeco is far more expensive than the other insurers here: its full-coverage average of about $450 a month is 2.1 times the average of the other five. We keep it in our averages because it’s a rate the insurer filed with state regulators; without Safeco, the Washington average would be about $215 a month.

How Washington Compares With Neighboring States

Washington’s average is about $81 a month above Oregon’s and $101 above Idaho’s. It’s the 10th-highest of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., in our data.

Cheapest Car Insurance in Washington: Companies Compared

• Lowest average among insurers anyone can buy from, full coverage: GEICO, at about $163 a month ($1,951 a year).
• Next lowest any driver can buy: State Farm, at about $175 a month, then Progressive at $200.
• Lowest liability-only average among insurers anyone can buy from (25/50/10): GEICO, at about $64 a month, then State Farm at $71. USAA, which sells only to military families, is lower still, at about $48 a month.
• Also on our list: USAA at about $120 a month, American Family at $189, Travelers at $201 and Farmers at $208 (USAA sells only to military families).
• Most expensive in our data: Safeco, at about $450 a month for full coverage, $3,450 a year more than GEICO.

GEICO has the lowest full-coverage average among insurers anyone can buy from in our statewide table. USAA averages even less, at $120 a month, but it sells only to military members, veterans and their families. The four recent statewide Washington rate studies we reviewed, one per publisher, disagree on which insurer is cheapest for full coverage: two put GEICO first, one Oregon Mutual and one Mutual of Enumclaw, apart from USAA, which sells only to military families. For liability-only coverage at 25/50/10 limits, GEICO has the lowest average among the six major insurers we compared (Allstate, GEICO, PEMCO, Progressive, Safeco and State Farm) that are among insurers anyone can buy from, at about $64 a month, followed by State Farm at $71. USAA comes in even lower, at about $48 a month, but it sells only to military families.

These are statewide averages for our benchmark driver. See how we calculated these rates. Your own price depends on your car, driving record and coverage, so compare free car insurance quotes before you buy.

See What You’d Pay in Washington

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How Washington’s Major Car Insurers Compare

Here’s where each insurer in our rate data lands for our benchmark driver, and how its price has moved over the past nine months.

Are Car Insurance Rates Going Up in Washington?

For our benchmark driver, full coverage isn’t going up. Comparing the five insurers that are in both sets of rates, in the same Washington ZIP codes, their full-coverage average fell from $3,339 a year nine months earlier to $3,273 in rates as of Aug. 31, 2026, a 2.0% drop. State Farm cut its Washington average 9.0% and Progressive 5.0%, while Allstate’s, PEMCO’s and Safeco’s averages were about unchanged. GEICO is new in our rates over the past nine months, so it’s left out, which is why these averages differ from the Washington average above. Liability-only coverage at 25/50/10 limits rose 7.0%, led by Progressive, which raised its liability-only average 33.7%.

Because insurers change their rates on their own schedules, the cheapest company for you can change from one renewal to the next.

What to Know About Washington Car Insurance Costs

Washington’s full-coverage average is the 10th-highest of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., in our data. Three things stand out in our numbers and in state law.

• The Puget Sound area. Pierce, King and Snohomish counties are the three most expensive in our data, at $264 to $289 a month. Tacoma averages $305 and Seattle $292, while Spokane averages $238.
• Coverage that comes with every policy. Insurers must include underinsured motorist coverage and personal injury protection unless you reject them in writing, so a standard Washington policy carries more than the liability minimum.
• Rating by address. The Office of the Insurance Commissioner says state law lets insurers base rates on your address, where you keep your car, along with factors such as age, credit history and marital status. That’s why prices differ across the state.

Washington Car Insurance Rates by City

Among cities with at least three ZIP codes in our data, Tacoma is the most expensive, at $305 a month for full coverage, followed by Auburn at $297 and Kent at $296. Of those cities, Bellingham is the least expensive, at about $213. Across all 163 cities and towns we price, averages run from about $305 in Tacoma to $203 in Port Townsend and Sequim.

The table lists all 163 Washington cities and towns in our data, using each place’s own ZIP codes, from most to least expensive. Search it for your town.

Washington City Car Insurance Guides

Each city guide has local prices, how the insurers compare there and, for cities where prices vary by ZIP code, a ZIP code table.

Washington Car Insurance Rates by County

Pierce County is the most expensive county in our data, at about $289 a month for full coverage, followed by King County ($283) and Snohomish County ($264). The least expensive in our data are Jefferson County ($209), Clallam County ($210) and San Juan and Douglas counties (both $215). We price 33 of Washington’s 39 counties.

How Much More Does Better Coverage Cost in Washington?

Raising liability limits from 50/100/50 to 100/300/100 adds about $121 a year on average statewide in our data, with the same $500 deductibles. Across the six insurers, the step up costs $15 (Allstate) to $221 (PEMCO) a year. Statewide, that’s about $10 a month for double the per-person injury limit, three times the per-crash limit and double the property damage limit, and the full-coverage package also raises uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage to 100/300. Liability-only coverage is far cheaper, but it has no comprehensive or collision, so it won’t pay to fix or replace your own car.

Washington Car Insurance Rules at a Glance

What Car Insurance Is Required in Washington?

Drivers in Washington need liability coverage of at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash for injuries, plus $10,000 for property damage (25/50/10), unless they use another approved form of financial responsibility. Unless you reject them in writing, insurers must also include personal injury protection and underinsured motorist coverage.

Every Washington driver must carry liability insurance or another approved form of financial responsibility, under RCW 46.30.020. The minimum policy is:

• Bodily injury liability: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash, under RCW 46.29.090.
• Property damage liability: $10,000 per crash.
• Other approved forms: instead of a policy, a certificate of deposit or a liability bond of at least $60,000, according to the Department of Licensing.

Two more coverages come with every policy unless you reject them in writing:

• Underinsured motorist coverage, which in Washington also pays when an uninsured or hit-and-run driver hits you. It matches your liability limits unless you reject it, and the property damage part can carry a deductible of up to $100, or $300 for a hit-and-run.
• Personal injury protection, which pays your own medical bills and some lost income no matter who caused the crash. The minimum is $10,000 in medical and hospital benefits, $2,000 for funeral costs, $10,000 in income continuation and $5,000 for loss of services.

The liability-only prices on this page use 25/50/10 limits with 25/50 uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. Our full-coverage prices include it at 100/300.

Proof of Insurance and Penalties in Washington

Failing to provide proof of insurance is a traffic infraction, and state law accepts proof on paper or on your phone, under RCW 46.30.030. The Department of Licensing says driving without the required insurance can bring a fine of $550 or more. If you’re uninsured and involved in a crash that injures someone or causes at least $1,000 in damage, the DOL can suspend your license if you don’t pay for the damage, and that suspension can last three years from the crash.

Since Jan. 15, 2026, cars with collector vehicle plates must carry insurance too, under a 2025 state law that ended their exemption.

How to Lower Your Car Insurance Rate in Washington

1. Quote several insurers. Statewide, the lowest and highest averages among insurers anyone can buy from are about $287 a month apart for the same driver and car.
2. Compare GEICO and State Farm first. They have the two lowest full-coverage averages among insurers anyone can buy from statewide in our data, about $163 and $175 a month.
3. Decide on personal injury protection. Insurers must include PIP unless you reject it in writing. It pays your medical bills and some lost income no matter who caused the crash, starting at $10,000 in medical coverage, so check what your health insurance already covers before you decide.
4. Keep underinsured motorist coverage. In Washington it also covers crashes with uninsured and hit-and-run drivers, and it’s included at your liability limits unless you reject it in writing, under RCW 48.22.030.
5. Keep your digital ID card handy. Washington accepts proof of insurance on your phone, and an officer may only look at the proof of insurance on it, under RCW 46.30.030.
6. Know how credit is used. Washington insurers can use credit information to set prices, but the insurance commissioner says they can’t use your credit history by itself to deny or cancel a policy.
7. Ask why a renewal went up. Under a new state rule, starting in March 2027 Washington insurers must list up to three primary factors behind a premium increase.
8. Compare at every renewal. Over the past nine months, State Farm has cut its statewide average 9.0% and Progressive 5.0%, so the order in our table can shift.
9. Ask about discounts and check your deductible. Many insurers lower rates for a clean driving record, paying in full or insuring more than one car, so ask which car insurance discounts you qualify for. Our full-coverage prices use $500 deductibles. A higher deductible lowers your premium but means you pay more yourself after a claim; see how your deductible works.
10. Price a bundle. Pairing your auto policy with a home or renters policy usually earns a multi-policy discount. See home insurance costs in Washington and our home insurance guides for Seattle and Spokane, then compare free home insurance quotes.

Compare Washington Car Insurance Quotes

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How We Calculated Washington Car Insurance Rates

Insurers must file their rates and rating rules with each state’s insurance regulator. Quadrant Information Services uses those filings to calculate what each insurer would charge a specific driver, and InsuranceQuotes analyzes those prices. This page uses rates in effect on Aug. 31, 2026.

• Sample: 1,740 full-coverage premiums from six insurers across 290 Washington ZIP codes, plus the same number of liability-only and 50/100/50 premiums.
• Driver: a single 40-year-old driver, licensed 24 years, with good credit and no accidents or violations, driving a 2024 Toyota Camry LE they own, for personal use.
• Coverage: full coverage is 100/300/100 liability with $500 comprehensive and collision deductibles and 100/300 uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. We also price 50/100/50 with the same deductibles, and liability-only coverage at Washington’s 25/50/10 minimum, with 25/50 uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage and no comprehensive or collision. Washington insurers must also include underinsured motorist coverage and personal injury protection unless you reject them in writing; the requirements section of this page explains both.
• Calculation: for each insurer we take its lowest eligible price in each ZIP code and average those prices across the ZIP codes. The overall average is the mean of every insurer-and-ZIP price. Monthly figures are annual premiums divided by 12 and rounded.
• Rankings: we name a cheapest insurer only where it’s priced in at least half the ZIP codes and its lead over the next insurer isn’t so wide that it looks like an outlier. Annual prices within 3% of each other are called effectively tied.
• Rate changes: we compare the same insurer in the same ZIP codes, for the same driver and coverage, in rates as of Nov. 30, 2025, and Aug. 31, 2026. GEICO is new in our rates since November 2025, so it’s left out of rate-change comparisons; the other five insurers are in both sets of rates. Rate-change percentages are calculated from the annual premiums shown; other percentages use the rounded monthly figures.
• Insurers marked *: priced from published 2026 Washington rate studies, scaled to our benchmark driver. They aren’t included in our averages or rankings.
• What this isn’t: a quote. These are modeled prices for one driver profile, calculated from insurers’ rate filings. Your price depends on your ZIP code, vehicle, driving record, coverage choices and discounts.

Coverage requirements come from Washington law and the Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner. We refresh these figures when new rate data is released.

More Washington Car Insurance Breakdowns

The table in this section comes from an additional InsuranceQuotes rate analysis. It uses its own driver profile and mix of insurers, so its prices differ from the averages above. Use it to compare vehicle types with each other.

Washington Car Insurance Rates by County and Vehicle Type

In this analysis, an SUV is the least expensive vehicle type to insure in all 39 counties, and a coupe costs about 47% more on average. Trucks and hybrids fall in between.

Washington Car Insurance FAQ