Requesting Car Insurance Quotes With Your Age and Zip Code

When it comes to requesting car insurance quotes, it’s important to know what variables will affect your quoted premium. Where a driver lives can impact which providers are available and how much coverage will cost. Additionally, each state has its own set of minimum car insurance requirements that can affect what you pay for insurance. As of 2025, several states have updated their rules: California’s minimum liability limits increase to 30/60/15 for policies issued or renewed on or after Jan 1, 2025 (and to 50/100/25 in 2027), Virginia now requires insurance for all registered vehicles and raises minimums to 50/100/25 for policies effective on or after Jan 1, 2025, New Jersey increased minimums in 2023 and will step up again on Jan 1, 2026, and Florida continues to require $10,000 PIP and $10,000 property damage liability without a general bodily injury mandate. Use a current state law resource to verify the exact requirements where you live.

As insurers base rates on risk factors, both the ZIP code and age of a driver also indicate to insurers the likelihood of a driver eventually filing a claim. While not all states allow these risk factors to be considered when determining your premium, most do. Certain areas may be more populous, for example, leading to dense traffic and a higher chance of collision. In addition, drivers who are younger are more likely to get into accidents and receive speeding tickets. A few states restrict non-driving factors: four states (California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Michigan) prohibit credit-based insurance scores for auto; Michigan also bars the use of sex, marital status, home ownership, education, occupation, and postal zone, and several states limit or ban gender as a rating factor. Colorado is pioneering new governance and testing requirements for models that use external consumer data to prevent unfair discrimination.

Requesting auto insurance quotes with your ZIP code and age helps ensure that you are receiving accurate quotes based on your state’s requirements, insurers available in your area, and your driver profile. Including accurate mileage, garaging address, and whether you’ll participate in a telematics/usage-based program can further improve accuracy and potential discounts as many insurers now use verified mileage and driving behavior in pricing.

Comparing Auto Insurance Quotes

Car insurance rates are personal and unique to each driver. How much someone pays each year depends on a number of risk factors, including their age, driving history, vehicle, credit score, and address (although some states limit which factors can be used). Every insurer evaluates these risk factors differently, meaning premiums can vary significantly (sometimes hundreds of dollars per year) from company to company. Recent market conditions have also pushed rates higher across many states since 2022 as claim costs rose, making it even more important to compare. To help ensure you’re getting the best car insurance rates, consider comparing quotes from multiple companies and, where available, asking about telematics/usage-based programs.

Factors That Affect Auto Insurance Prices

Driving History

Driving history is one of the most important factors in determining car insurance quotes. Auto insurance companies usually begin the underwriting process by evaluating driving records for incidents like accidents, traffic violations, or previous insurance claims. Typically, insurance companies assume that a larger number of negative reports equates to a higher level of risk and generally charges a higher premium for coverage. On average, a single speeding ticket can raise a full-coverage premium roughly 16–20%, one at-fault accident about 40–45%, and a DUI 70–90%, though actual changes vary by state and insurer. Negative marks on records typically impact insurance rates for a period of about three to five years (longer for serious offenses in some states). Maintaining a clean driving record usually gives drivers access to more insurance options and discounts that could lead to lower car insurance premiums; for example, California requires at least a 20% good-driver discount, and many carriers offer savings for safe-driving telematics.

Vehicle type

Auto insurance premiums reflect the specific vehicle insured on a policy, factoring in the make, model, and year. More expensive, luxury, classic, or sports vehicles can be more costly to repair and replace, for example, often leading to higher premiums. In 2024–2025 data, minivans and many mainstream SUVs tend to have among the lowest average full-coverage premiums, while performance/luxury models and many electric vehicles (EVs) are pricier on average. EVs often show lower or similar claim frequency but higher repair severity due to battery and specialized repair/calibration costs, which can keep premiums 20–30% higher than comparable internal-combustion models, depending on the vehicle. Popular pickups and theft-targeted models can also see higher comprehensive rates.

Vehicle type, age, and safety features are reflected in the way that insurance companies calculate premiums. These details may also be useful to policyholders as the car a driver insures can also have a positive impact by reducing the cost of insurance. Advanced driver-assistance systems can reduce certain crash types and injury claims, but sensors and calibration needs can raise repair costs, so the net effect varies by model. Discounts for these features can be an important factor for someone seeking cheap auto insurance.

Coverage choice

Most car insurance companies offer a variety of policy combinations and levels of coverage, all of which impact the cost of a new policy. Laws exist in most states to regulate minimum insurance levels, but consumers often elect for additional coverage. In no-fault states, Personal Injury Protection (PIP) is required in addition to liability (for example, Florida requires $10,000 PIP and $10,000 property damage liability and does not generally mandate bodily injury liability), while states like New Jersey and New York require PIP alongside liability. In general, a buyer can expect to receive higher auto insurance quotes for higher levels of coverage or add-ons. For example, collision and comprehensive coverage both offer vehicle damage coverage for your automobile, but do so in different ways and for different prices.

Collision insurance covers car damage in the event of an accident, whereas comprehensive coverage provides additional protection from things like vandalism, fire, theft, weather, and other non-collision events. This upgraded policy provides an additional level of protection, but typically costs more than a minimum coverage policy.

Credit Score

While not used in every state — like California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Michigan — many insurers factor a driver’s credit score in determining rates. Auto insurance companies have done studies that show a correlation between a policyholder’s credit score and both their likelihood of filing a claim and the resulting claim size. In states where credit is permitted, independent rate analyses consistently find that moving from good/excellent to poor credit can raise auto premiums by roughly 50–100% or more, though impacts vary by state and insurer. Washington State currently allows credit-based scoring again after a temporary pandemic-era ban ended, and many states include consumer protections such as notices and “extraordinary life circumstances” exceptions. Though many states are resisting this at the legislative level, car insurance companies often offer lower rates to customers with higher credit scores in the vast majority of U.S. jurisdictions.

Other Personal Information

Car insurance companies weigh personal factors quite heavily when calculating insurance premiums. Factors like age, gender, and ZIP code could all impact a car insurance quote, depending on the state of residence. Several studies have found teenagers to cause more accidents than other age groups. Location is also a significant factor as it helps the car insurance company calculate likelihood of vehicle theft, patterns in accidents nearby, and even how much it costs to repair a damaged car in certain areas. However, some states limit these inputs: Michigan prohibits the use of sex, marital status, home ownership, credit score, education level, occupation, and postal zone in auto rating, and California forbids credit-based insurance scores for auto and has barred gender rating for private passenger auto. Specific counties and states impose regulations on car insurance companies that may also impact minimum insurance levels and car insurance quotes.

Although a less intuitive measure, a driver’s occupation and education level may also be considered in setting insurance premiums. Policyholders who identify themselves as working a low-paying job without a post-secondary degree could pay higher auto insurance premiums than a doctor, for example. However, several jurisdictions restrict or prohibit the use of education and occupation in auto rating, and regulators are tightening governance around external consumer data and AI-driven models (with Colorado’s framework and New York’s 2024 guidance illustrating the trend).

These factors, combined with your age, ZIP code, and other variables unique to you and your situation are what lead to an accurate quote from auto insurance companies. Because each company weighs these factors differently, it is recommended to get quotes from several providers to find the best fit. Verify your state’s current minimums and effective dates, and ask about telematics discounts and re-rating after credit improvement where allowed.