Is Car Insurance Expensive in Delaware? What Drivers Pay and What Drives Your Quote

Yes, by national standards Delaware car insurance is on the expensive side. In 2022 NAIC data reproduced by the Insurance Information Institute (opens in a new tab), Delaware's average expenditure was $1,296.13 per vehicle for the year, the tenth highest among the states. Divided by 12, that is about $108.01 a month. These are statewide historical averages, not quotes. Your own price depends on your age, vehicle, driving record, where the car is kept, how it's used, the coverage and deductibles you pick, credit-based insurance scoring and the discounts you qualify for, according to the Delaware Department of Insurance Auto Insurance Guide (opens in a new tab).

If a quote in front of you looks high, the useful next step is to figure out which of those factors is moving it, then compare it against other quotes built on identical terms.

What Delaware drivers pay for liability, collision and comprehensive

The NAIC reports two different averages, and they answer slightly different questions. The average expenditure estimates what consumers actually spent per insured vehicle. The combined average premium adds together the average premiums for liability, collision and comprehensive, so it reflects a policy that carries all three.

Source: III table of NAIC data (opens in a new tab). Monthly figures are the annual averages divided by 12.

The NAIC data don't use the phrase "full coverage." The liability figure is the closest statewide benchmark for a liability-only policy, but it isn't a quote for a minimum-limit policy. The combined figure includes collision and comprehensive, yet real policies differ in limits, deductibles, PIP choices and uninsured motorist coverage, so no single number describes every "full coverage" quote.

For an earlier comparison, the NAIC 2021 Auto Insurance Database Supplement (opens in a new tab) put Delaware's 2021 liability average premium at $856.16, its comprehensive average premium at $143.09 and its combined average premium at $1,351.19.

Why Delaware insurance can cost more

Several separate pressures show up in a Delaware premium, and each one can be traced to a named source.

Required PIP is part of every policy. Delaware requires personal injury protection, which pays medical expenses and lost wages for you and your passengers whether or not you caused the crash, under 21 Del. C. § 2118 (opens in a new tab). That required benefit is built into the cost of the minimum policy.

Claim and repair costs have climbed. Broader auto premium increases come from supply-chain issues, accident frequency and severity, distracted driving, traffic congestion, extreme weather, more claims and higher settlement costs, according to the Department's 2024 consumer newsletter, What to Know About Auto Insurance (opens in a new tab). Nationally, the average collision claim cost passed $6,150 in 2021, up 18.6% from 2020, according to the NAIC's 2021-2022 Auto Insurance Database Report release (opens in a new tab).

Location, vehicle and driver profile matter too. Urban areas usually have more claims, and densely populated areas often have more theft and vandalism, which push claims and premiums up, according to the Department's Auto Insurance Guide (opens in a new tab). The same guide ties vehicle type to repair costs and the claims record for that model, and says coverage above the mandatory minimum and lower deductibles raise the premium.

What insurance Delaware requires

Every registered vehicle in Delaware needs three coverages. The minimums listed in the Delaware Department of Insurance Auto Insurance Guide (opens in a new tab), based on 21 Del. C. § 2118 (opens in a new tab), are:

• Bodily injury liability: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident.
• Property damage liability: $10,000.
• Personal injury protection (PIP): $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident.

PIP pays medical expenses and lost wages for the insured and passengers regardless of fault, and the Department's guide also lists up to $5,000 for funeral expenses. The share of your premium that goes to PIP varies by insurer, limit, deductible and rating plan, so ask the agency to show the premium with the required PIP and explain any PIP limit or deductible options.

What is optional, and what a lender might require

Collision and comprehensive cover damage to your own car. They are not required by Delaware law, but a lender will likely require them if the vehicle is financed, according to the Department's guide (opens in a new tab). Other optional coverages in the guide include uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist coverage, towing, and rental reimbursement. Uninsured motorist coverage provisions sit in Title 18, Chapter 39 of the Delaware Code (opens in a new tab).

Each of these adds to the price, and each changes what the policy will pay after a crash. If you're comparing a liability-only quote with a quote that includes physical-damage coverage, you're comparing two different products.

What changes a Delaware quote

The Delaware Department of Insurance (opens in a new tab) lists these rating factors: age, vehicle type and repair cost, driving record, discounts, amount of coverage, deductible, vehicle usage, where the vehicle is kept and used, and credit-based insurance scoring.

Age works at both ends. The youngest and oldest drivers typically have the most claims, according to the guide. Driving record counts as well: drivers with previous moving violations or accidents are considered higher risk and may pay more under the insurer's rating plan.

Credit has real limits in Delaware. Insurers may use credit information when you apply for a new policy. At renewal, credit information generally may not be requested unless you or your agent asks, and any rerating has to benefit you, according to the Department. Under 18 Del. C. § 8304 (opens in a new tab), an insurance score may not be based on income, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, education, address, ZIP code, race, ethnic group, religion, marital status or nationality, and an insurer may not deny, cancel, nonrenew or set a renewal rate solely on credit information.

That ZIP code restriction applies to the credit-based score. Location itself is still a listed rating factor, so where the car is garaged can affect your price through the insurer's territory rating.

A few other protections exist. 18 Del. C. § 2304 (opens in a new tab) restricts insurers from using certain non-driving-related arrests, charges and license actions in underwriting private passenger auto insurance. Title 18, Chapter 25 (opens in a new tab) bars a renewal increase based solely on reaching age 75 or older, and bars a higher rate solely because a spouse's death changed your marital status.

Does where you live in Delaware matter?

Yes. Where you live is a listed rating factor, and urban areas tend to see more claims, theft and vandalism, according to the Department's guide (opens in a new tab). That's why a Wilmington quote and a Sussex County quote for the same driver and car can differ.

To see how your address is being treated, ask the agency to quote using the vehicle's actual garaging address and to explain which territory classification applies. Use your real address. Falsely reporting where a vehicle is normally garaged is auto insurance fraud, according to the Department's auto insurance fraud page (opens in a new tab).

What young drivers should expect

Younger drivers have more claims on average, which is why age is a rating factor in Delaware. For a household adding a teen, ask for a quote that names the young driver, the vehicle they'll use, the coverage, the deductible and every discount applied.

Discounts can offset part of the increase. The Department's guide (opens in a new tab) describes discounts for an approved defensive-driving course, good students, mature drivers, an accident-free record, multiple cars, airbags and anti-theft equipment, and other insurance with the same company. If all drivers of a vehicle complete an approved defensive-driving course, the discount can be 10% on a portion of the auto premium for three years, and a refresher course taken just before that period ends can bring a 15% discount, according to the guide. Confirm eligibility, the qualifying course and how the insurer applies the discount before you count on it.

How to compare Delaware quotes fairly

Premiums vary between companies, so getting quotes from several licensed insurers is a sensible step, according to the Department's Need Insurance page (opens in a new tab). A quote is only an estimate, according to the Department's guide (opens in a new tab).

Two quotes only tell you something when they describe the same policy. Keep these constant:

• Drivers and household members.
• Vehicle year, make, model and use.
• Garaging address.
• Liability and PIP limits.
• Collision and comprehensive deductibles.
• Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.
• Rental reimbursement and towing.
• Discounts and payment plan.
• Effective date and policy term.

When you talk with an agency, these questions get to the heart of a high quote:

• Is this based on the minimum required coverage or more?
• How did my driving record and prior claims affect the price?
• Was credit information or an insurance score used, and when can the policy be rerated?
• Which discounts were applied, and is a defensive-driving or good-student discount available?
• Does a lender require collision or comprehensive on this car?
• What changes if I raise the deductible or drop an optional coverage?
• Are there payment-plan charges, and what happens if a payment is late?
• Is the insurer licensed in Delaware, and who handles claims?

Riskado's directory lists insurance agencies across the US, state by state, including agencies in Wilmington, Newark, Dover and the rest of Delaware, so you can find several to ask.

How tickets, accidents and lapses affect what you pay

Moving violations and accidents raise risk in an insurer's eyes, and the Delaware DMV tracks them with points. The DMV's violations page (opens in a new tab) lists 2 points for speeding 1 to 9 mph over the limit, 4 points for 10 to 14 mph over, 5 points for 15 mph or more over, 3 points for running a stop sign or red light, and 6 points for reckless driving or passing a stopped school bus. Points count at full value for 12 months after the violation and at half value for the next 12 months. An advisory letter goes out at 8 points, 12 points brings a required behavior-modification course or a possible two-month suspension, and longer mandatory suspensions start at 14 points.

If an agency asks about your record, you can buy a certified Delaware driving record online for $25, with three-year, five-year and full-history options, from the DMV's driving record page (opens in a new tab). Mail and in-person requests are explained on the DMV's record request page (opens in a new tab).

A coverage lapse costs money on its own. Under 21 Del. C. § 2118 (opens in a new tab), the DMV may suspend the registration and assess a $100 penalty per vehicle for up to 30 days, plus $5 for each day starting on day 31, and charge a $50 registration reinstatement fee. A first conviction for driving without required insurance carries a $1,500 to $2,000 fine and a six-month suspension; a second within three years carries $3,000 to $4,000 and another six-month suspension. If you're switching insurers to get a better price, make sure the new policy starts before the old one ends.

Frequently asked questions

How much is car insurance per month in Delaware?

The 2022 statewide average expenditure of $1,296.13 works out to about $108.01 a month. A policy with liability, collision and comprehensive averaged $1,388.67 a year, or about $115.72 a month, according to the III table of NAIC data (opens in a new tab). Neither is a quote.

Is full coverage required in Delaware?

No. Delaware law requires bodily injury liability, property damage liability and PIP. Collision and comprehensive are optional under state law, though a lender will likely require them on a financed vehicle, according to the Department of Insurance (opens in a new tab).

Does a speeding ticket raise insurance in Delaware?

Previous moving violations mark a driver as higher risk, according to the Department of Insurance, and the size of any increase depends on the insurer's filed rating plan. On the DMV side, the points lose half their value after 12 months.

Can a Delaware insurer raise my renewal because of my credit?

Not on credit alone. 18 Del. C. § 8304 (opens in a new tab) bars setting a renewal rate solely on credit information, and the Department says credit generally may not be pulled at renewal unless you or your agent request it.

Getting a clearer number

Delaware's averages give you a benchmark, but your quote is built from your own drivers, car, address, record and coverage choices. Gather your current declarations page, your driving record if needed and the details for every household driver, then ask two or three licensed agencies to quote the same limits and deductibles. The differences between those quotes will tell you far more about your price than any statewide average.