
State Farm, Nationwide, GEICO, Progressive, and The Hartford are our top picks in The First State.
Full Coverage Average in Delaware
Full Coverage Average Nationally
Full Coverage Average in Delaware
If you live in Delaware, you may know that car insurance costs more on average in your state than in many other U.S. states. You also may know that there are specific coverage policies you must have if you want to drive, including liability insurance and personal injury protection (PIP).
Most auto insurance providers offer such coverages, so how can you be sure to choose the right insurance carrier for you? On this page, we cover our top choices of insurance providers to help Delawareans find the right coverage for their needs.
Best Value: State Farm
Best for Low-Mileage Drivers: Nationwide
Best for New Drivers: GEICO
Best for Rideshare Drivers: Progressive
Best for Senior Drivers: The Hartford
With a monthly average full coverage premium of $232 and an annual average full coverage premium of $2,784, Delaware’s auto insurance rates are higher than the national average.
Exact rates will vary based on specific location, driving history, and auto insurance needs. To get the most accurate estimate tailored to you, we always recommend getting several quotes.
Area | Monthly average premium for full coverage | Annual average premium for full coverage |
---|---|---|
Delaware | $232 | $2,784 |
The U.S. | $200 | $2,399 |
Feature | State Farm | Nationwide | GEICO | Progressive | The Hartford |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Average Full Coverage Rate in Delaware | $1,906 | $1,808 (national rate) | $2,302 | $2,465 | $2,688 (national rate) |
Best For | Value | Low Mileage | New Drivers | Rideshare | Seniors |
Mid-Atlantic J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Rating out of 1,0001 | 652 | 642 | 647 | 624 | 648 |
AM Best Rating | A++ | A | A++ | A+ | A+ |
Full Review | State Farm review | Nationwide review | GEICO review | Progressive review | The Hartford review |
Having served millions of drivers in the U.S. for nearly a century, State Farm has earned its reputation as one of the industry’s highest-quality and most reliable auto insurers. Additionally, it offers some of the most competitive rates of insurance carriers in Delaware.
On average, a full coverage policy from State Farm will cost $878 less annually in Delaware than the statewide average. However, it’s worth noting that drivers with poor credit living in Delaware might want to look elsewhere. At $5,229 annually on average, a policy from State Farm will set you back over $300 more than the state average.
State Farm offers many ways for drivers to save on their premiums, including safe driving incentives, bundling, and other discounts. Learn about the different ways to save with State Farm below:
Program | Details | Potential discount |
Drive Safe & Save | Using the mobile app that leverages Bluetooth and location services to track driving behavior (e.g., acceleration, braking, cornering, speed, distracted driving, mileage) | 30% |
Steer Clear | Participating in driver-focused training for individuals under 25 years old that promotes safe driving habits and awards program certifications after completing the following:
|
15% |
Policy bundles | Bundling auto and home, auto and condo, auto and renters, or auto and life insurance policies | $722 to $1,127 |
Multiple automobiles | Insuring two or more vehicles from the same household | 20% |
State Farm has local agents throughout Delaware to provide customers with personalized and convenient support. Here are the Delaware cities with local agents:
FYI:
The two Delaware cities with the highest number of State Farm agents are Wilmington, with 18 agents, and Newark, with 11 agents.
State Farm receives consistently positive ratings from trusted third-party organizations that evaluate insurance companies, supporting its strong reputation for financial strength and overall customer experience.
For example, the company has an A++ rating on AM Best, demonstrating its superior financial strength compared with competing insurance companies. State Farm has an AA global rating from Standard and Poor’s (S&P), indicating the company’s strong claims-paying ability. State Farm also has a Claims Satisfaction rating of 710 out of 1,000 from J.D. Power, indicating a high level of customer satisfaction.2
Nationwide has protected millions of drivers in the U.S. for nearly 100 years, prioritizing its customer service and affordable rates. Thanks to the company’s comprehensive offerings of auto insurance and other forms of coverage, Nationwide customers can save by bundling insurance policies. It also offers a pay-per-mile program called SmartMiles to help drivers who drive less than average save money.
Nationwide has a pay-per-mile auto insurance program, SmartMiles, that could save you money if you drive less than average. You get a fixed base rate as well as a variable per-mile rate, both of which are determined based on factors like your driving record and age, just like your standard premium.
Each month, you’ll be charged your base rate in addition to your per-mile rate multiplied by the number of miles you drove. For example, let’s say your base rate is $70 per month, and your per-mile rate is $0.05 per mile. If you drive 500 miles in May, you’ll pay $95 for insurance that month ($70 + $0.05 x 500).
SmartMiles can be a great option for some drivers, but always make sure to check whether the math works out. A standard policy may still end up being cheaper depending on just how little you drive.
Nationwide’s extensive list of insurance policies creates many opportunities to save on your car insurance rate. If you need any of the following insurance policies, Nationwide may be a great option for you — the company claims that customers who bundle home and auto save an average of $1,023, but you can also get a discount if you bundle any of the following policies:
If you appreciate the convenience of mobile apps, you’ll value Nationwide’s easy-to-use app. The Nationwide mobile app is rated 4.7 out of five stars in the Apple App Store and 4.5 out of five stars in the Google Play Store. It also ranked first in the service category of J.D. Power’s Digital Experience Study with a score of 730.3
Download the app for free on your Android, iPhone, or iPad to perform any of the following tasks:
As one of the largest auto insurers in the country, GEICO offers a range of coverage options for drivers of all ages and experience levels. Its variety of coverage policies, benefits, and discounts provides new drivers, in particular, the financial protection they need.
GEICO DriveEasy is a usage-based car insurance program that allows drivers to access potential discounts (up to 15 percent) on their auto insurance rates based on their driving behaviors. With DriveEasy, customers simply download the GEICO app, which tracks driving data such as braking, acceleration, phone use, and driving smoothness. The app uses this data to calculate a driving score, which determines how much drivers can save on their premiums.
DriveEasy is especially helpful for teens who are learning how to drive because the app tracks driving habits and data that parents can monitor through the GEICO app. See if your teen is really adhering to the parent-teen contract you signed!
Another benefit of GEICO is its variety of discounts, many of which apply specifically to young drivers. Full-time college or high school students who maintain an average grade of B or above (3.0 GPA) or attend school at least 100 miles away from home without regular access to their car can receive a discount. GEICO also provides a discount for members of approved alumni associations, colleges, universities, or student organizations.
Here are some of the other discounts that GEICO offers that provide the largest percentage off your premium:
Besides the typical auto insurance coverages, drivers in Delaware can opt to add the following extra insurance coverages with GEICO:
Progressive is one of the largest and most reputable insurance companies in the U.S., and it has a wide range of add-on coverages to help you customize your policy. This includes rideshare coverage, which is vital for those who drive for companies like Uber or Lyft, as the company-provided coverage is usually not sufficient.
Rideshare insurance is a specific policy add-on that is typically required by auto insurance companies for rideshare drivers. Not all providers offer this coverage, but Progressive is a great option if you find yourself in need of it. Although rideshare companies provide some amount of coverage, it may not adequately cover you, specifically during the period when you’re driving around waiting to match with a driver.
A rideshare endorsement on your policy provides much more robust financial protection. Even if your rideshare company provides some coverage while you’re waiting to match with a rider, Progressive can offer higher liability limits as well as comprehensive and collision coverage to cover damage that may occur to your vehicle while you’re in between riders, which the rideshare company will not cover.
Progressive offers a range of discounts to help drivers save on premiums. One of the best savings comes with bundling — Progressive allows policyholders to bundle auto with either home or renters insurance, and doing so can save you a significant amount of money each year. The company claims that new customers save an average of $983 by bundling their home and auto.
Here are some other discounts you may be eligible for with Progressive:
Progressive also offers great accident forgiveness perks, which can help you save money if you get into an accident, even one you caused. In Delaware, having an at-fault accident on your record can cause your rates to increase by an average of 23 percent, but accident forgiveness can prevent that increase.
Progressive has three categories of accident forgiveness available.
As its name suggests, The Hartford is headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut, and was founded over 200 years ago. It now offers various insurance types, including auto, home, and business insurance. It underwrites insurance policies for AARP members through a partnership with the organization — only AARP members who are at least 50 years old can get auto insurance through The Hartford.
The Hartford underwrites auto insurance policies for the AARP and offers multiple benefits and discounts for members. For starters, you get up to 10 percent off your policy just for being an AARP member.
Here’s a look at some of the other discounts and benefits offered by The Hartford AARP insurance program:
The Hartford is highly rated on various industry customer satisfaction studies, including J.D. Power’s 2024 U.S. Auto Insurance Study for the Mid-Atlantic region. It received a score of 648, which is technically below average, but it still ranked fifth overall because the average is skewed higher by the top companies, not all of which sell auto insurance in Delaware.
It also ranks above average in J.D. Power’s Claims Satisfaction study, indicating that customers are generally happy with its claims resolution process.
Although it’s a lesser-known insurance company, The Hartford has a good reputation and solid financial strength ratings from various third-party agencies, meaning it can be trusted to pay out claims to policyholders. Here are its ratings from various agencies:
Agency | Rating |
---|---|
AM Best | A+ |
Moody’s | A1 |
Standard & Poor’s | A+ |
At AutoInsurance.com, we evaluate auto insurance providers in Delaware based on four key factors:
Read more about our ratings and methodology.
Auto insurance in Delaware is more expensive for several reasons, including its no-fault auto insurance laws, higher cost of living, and population density:
Average rates will be higher if you get full coverage car insurance or you have a bad driving record, but average rates will be lower if you get minimum coverage car insurance or you are a driver with a clean record. ZIP code also matters, as drivers in urban areas pay more, on average, than those in suburban or rural areas.
Compare rates among multiple auto insurance companies to find cheap car insurance, as the cheapest car insurance companies for you may be different from those of even your next-door neighbors.
These are the minimum required auto insurance coverages in Delaware:
According to Delaware’s Division of Motor Vehicles, DUI sentences stay on driving records for at least five years. The penalties for DUI convictions in Delaware vary based on offense number, age, and blood alcohol level (BAC) and can include fines, jail time, and license revocations. Extra fines and mandatory community service hours may also occur if you carry underage passengers.
Offense number | Jail time in years | Fine amount | Length of license revocation in months based on BAC | Community service requirement in hours (if carrying passengers under 17 years) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1st | 1 | $500-$1,500 | 0.15%: 12
0.15%-0.20%: 18 Over 0.20%: 24 |
40 |
2nd | 1.5 | $750-$2,500 | 0.15%: 18
0.15-0.20%: 24 Over 0.20%: 30 |
80 |
3rd | 1-2 | Up to $5,000 | 0.15%: 24
0.15%-0.20%: 30 Over 0.20%: 36 |
80 |
4th and subsequent | 2-15 | Up to $15,000 | Any BAC level: 60 | 80 |
Note that Delaware is one of the few U.S. states that does not require SR-22 forms to reinstate a driver’s license after a DUI.
According to the Delaware DMV, driving without auto insurance in Delaware can lead to a minimum fine of $1,500 for the first offense and $3,000 for subsequent violations within three years.
2024 U.S. Auto Insurance Study. J.D. Power. (2024, Jun 11).
https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2024-us-auto-insurance-study
2024 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study. J.D. Power. (2024, Oct 29).
https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2024-us-auto-claims-satisfaction-study
2025 U.S. Insurance Digital Experience Study. J.D. Power. (2025, May 14).
https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2025-us-insurance-digital-experience-study