Does being married lower your car insurance? | Carinsurance.com (2024)

Getting married can make a significant difference in your car insurance rates. Married couples generally pay less for car insurance premiums than single individuals. But that isn’t always the case. Learn about car insurance when you’re married vs. single and the differences in rates based on your marital status.

Car insurance for married couples vs. singles

Many car insurers give people a discount when they get married. The specifics vary from company to company and state to state, but on average, car insurance for married couples is 4% to 12% less than singles, according to a rate analysis by CarInsurance.com’s industry experts.

See the table below to see the average discount for car insurance for married couples in the table below.

Note: Montana, Massachusetts, Hawaii, and Michigan are states that do not allow marital status to be a determining factor for car insurance rates.

Why is car insurance cheaper for married couples vs. singles?

Insurers often expect married policyholders to be safer drivers than people who are single — they assume that married people are typically more mature and responsible and are less likely to drive recklessly. But this isn’t just their opinion: Statistics show that married drivers are involved in fewer accidents than single people and have a lower risk of insurance claims.

A study by the National Institute of Health found that unmarried drivers who had never been married had twice the risk of accident-related injury than drivers who were married.

“Many companies offer discounts for being married, with the assumption being that you are a more cautious driver,” says Loretta Worters, vice president of the Insurance Information Institute.

“This is probably larger if you are a younger person getting married. By settling down, you may become more reliable and less risky in the eyes of your insurance company. And that means lower premiums. Men under age 25 could see the biggest discounts since they often have the highest rates.”

When two people place both vehicles on one policy, they may also receive a discount for insuring multiple cars.

When isn’t car insurance cheaper when you’re married?

But getting married doesn’t always reduce your rates. If one spouse has a good driving record and the other has a poor driving history, the one with a bad record can negatively affect both rates.

“It does depend on your spouse’s driving record,” Worters says. “When you say ‘I do,’ you may be saying ‘I do’ to higher rates if you were a better driver.”

Since a car insurance policy usually covers all licensed household members listed on the policy (meaning you, your spouse and anyone else with a valid license in your household), if any of these people have a poor driving record, your insurance premiums can be affected.

If your spouse has a poor driving record that would boost your rates significantly, you may want to consider options like a named-driver exclusion, which is an endorsem*nt to your policy that states your spouse won’t be covered when driving your car.

“It may bring a lower premium — but the risk could be very high if your spouse has an accident,” Worters says.

Shop around for car insurance for married couples vs. single drivers

Contact your insurer when you get married to find out what will happen to your rates. The rules vary by state; each insurer has a different formula for setting rates.

So, it’s an excellent time to shop for the best car insurance for married couples and learn how your marital status will affect your car insurance premiums with other insurers. One company may offer a more significant discount than others for married couples, or another may not boost your rate as much if your spouse has a poor driving record.

Other related factors may also affect your rates with different companies — such as the size of the discount for insuring more than one car with the insurer. Also, your rate could change if you move when you get married.

“If you marry and move to another area of the country, you could see rates decrease,” says Worters. “Auto rates are based in part on where your vehicle is housed. For example, if you moved from a hail-prone area of the country to an area that doesn’t have hail, you could save money.”

Also, consider these factors if you get divorced or widowed and your marital status changes again. A study by the Consumer Federation of America found that some insurers raise rates if someone who was married becomes widowed. Still, other companies didn’t boost rates for policyholders whose spouses died.

See a table with the average rate for car insurance when you’re married in the table below.

See factors that affect car insurance rates for more information about spousal and other discounts.

Final thoughts: Does being married lower your car insurance?

Generally, car insurance for married couples is cheaper than for single people. This is based on statistics showing married drivers are often a lower driving risk. Whether married or single, there are things you can do to lower your car insurance rates.

If you are married or getting married soon, it’s worth contacting your insurance company to find the best car insurance options for married couples, which could save you money on your rates.

Resources & Methodology

Sources

1. Consumer Federation of America. “New Research Shows That Most Major Auto Insurers Vary Prices Considerably Depending on Marital Status.” Accessed June 2023.
2. National Institute of Health. “Motor vehicle driver injury and marital status: a cohort study with prospective and retrospective driver injuries.” Accessed June 2023.

Methodology

CarInsurance.com commissioned Quadrant Information Services to pull rates in 2023 for a 40-year-old male driver with a good driving record, 12-mile commute to work and full coverage insurance with 100/300/50 liability limits and $500 comprehensive/collision deductibles driving a 2021 Honda Accord LX.

— Kimberly Lankford contributed to this story.