What car insurance costs in Connecticut

Connecticut's bill compared with the U.S.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) publishes what insurers charged per insured car in each state. Its 2023 data, the most recent by state, show a Connecticut average expenditure of $1,394, up 9% from $1,279 in 2022, a smaller rise than the 14% national increase. A car with liability, collision and comprehensive averaged $1,508.

Liability does most of the work here. At $854 it was about 16% above the national average, while comprehensive, at $177, was about 26% below and collision was close to the U.S. figure. Because every driver buys liability, it lifts the average for liability-only and fully covered cars alike. Your own price depends on your age, record and town; see how age and experience affect price.

Coverage Connecticut requires

The Connecticut Insurance Department lists the minimum liability as $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 per accident for property damage: 25/50/25. The department strongly urges drivers to consider higher limits.

• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage of at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident is required (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 38a-336). The Insurance Research Council estimated 11.8% of Connecticut drivers were uninsured in 2023.
• Collision and comprehensive aren't required by law, though a lender or leasing company may require them.
• Cancellations are reported. Insurers must notify the Department of Motor Vehicles when a policy is canceled.

Higher uninsured motorist limits cost more, but they decide how much you can collect when the other driver has little or no insurance. Our guide to limits and deductibles shows how to weigh them.

How Connecticut reviews prices

Insurers file personal auto rates with the Connecticut Insurance Department. A department bulletin on personal auto rate filings (PC-68) says base rates for bodily injury liability and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage are subject to prior approval unless they are part of a "flex" filing, which follows separate rules. The same bulletin lists credit among the classification factors insurers use, alongside age, vehicle type, mileage and driving history.

In other words, credit-based insurance scores are part of Connecticut auto pricing, and a change in how a company uses credit has to be supported in its filing. Because companies weigh factors differently, the same driver can see a wide spread of prices. Read more on credit-based insurance scores.

For drivers no insurer will take

The Connecticut Automobile Insurance Assigned Risk Plan, administered by AIPSO, is for drivers who have tried and failed to get insurance in Connecticut within the previous 60 days. Applicants must certify that, and show they couldn't get coverage at rates no higher than the plan's. Our guide to assigned-risk plans explains the process.

Lowering a Connecticut premium

1. 1 Shop every year. The Insurance Department recommends shopping around yearly; compare at least three quotes on the same limits.
2. 2 Use the senior course discount. State law (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 38a-683) requires a discount of at least 5% for at least 24 months for a principal operator aged 60 or older who completes an approved accident prevention course. More in our course discount guide.
3. 3 Ask about anti-theft devices. The department notes that they may help lower your premium.
4. 4 Get help from the department. Its Consumer Affairs Division is at (860) 297-3900; the toll-free line is (800) 203-3447, and complaints can be filed online.

Questions drivers ask