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Icon CheckLast updated: October 9, 2024

The Best Car Insurance in New Jersey

A survey of the best auto insurance providers in New Jersey

Best Cheap Auto Insurance in New Jersey
Geico Logo

With an average annual rate of $1,313 for full coverage, GEICO is the cheapest auto insurance provider in New Jersey. On top of that, GEICO insures nearly a quarter of the state’s drivers, making it the largest company in New Jersey.3

Best Auto Insurance After an Accident
NJM Logo 2024

NJM is the third-largest provider in the state and our top choice for affordable insurance after an accident.

Best Auto Insurance for Additional Coverage in New Jersey
Plymouth Rock Logo

Plymouth Rock offers the most flexible coverage plans on our list. You can choose from several coverage packages that come with policy add-ons and benefits.

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In 2023, over 1 million New Jersey drivers saw their annual premiums increase by about $130. There are a few reasons for the increase. Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law that mandated an increase in minimum liability limits from:

  • $10,000 in optional bodily injury
  • $5,000 in property damage
  • $15,000 personal injury protection (PIP)

to

  • $25,000 in bodily injury liability per person
  • $50,000 in bodily injury liability per accident
  • $25,000 in property damage
  • $15,000 personal injury protection

This 2023 mandate has led to higher average auto insurance rates in the state.1 On top of that, dozens of auto insurers have asked the state to approve rate increases in 2023, with Allstate asking for a 29 percent increase and GEICO asking for a 26 percent increase.2

Drivers in New Jersey, like in much of the country, will probably continue to see their rates increase into 2024, which is why it’s essential to employ smart shopping habits. Even with statewide insurance increases, you can still rely on tried-and-true strategies to find the best rates, discounts, and coverage.

Average Car Insurance Rate in New Jersey

Most drivers pay around $2,300 for car insurance in New Jersey, which is about 10 percent more than the national average of $2,071.

Pro Tip:

As new laws and statewide insurance premium settlements come into effect, it’s important to keep an eye on your rates. Providers’ average rates in New Jersey may change in the next few months, so be sure to pay attention to any rate increases and shop around if you aren’t happy with your premium.

Car Insurance Rates in New Jersey by City

With an average annual rate of $2,051, Edison boasts the cheapest rates among New Jersey’s most populated cities. Here’s the full breakdown by city in New Jersey.

City Monthly average cost Annual average cost
Edison $171 $2,051
Woodbridge $179 $2,150
Lakewood $194 $2,323
Jersey City $219 $2,630
Newark $236 $2,836
Elizabeth $242 $2,908
Paterson $245 $2,941

Comparison of the Best Auto Insurance Companies in New Jersey

Feature GEICO NJM Plymouth Rock Travelers Progressive
Average annual rate in New Jersey $1,313 $1,524 $1,724 $2,249 $2,395
Auto Claims Satisfaction Index Ranking out of 1,000 (J.D. Power)4 871 900 N/A 871       870
Best for People looking for the cheapest option People with a history of accidents Drivers who want customized insurance Drivers with hybrids and electric vehicles Business owners
Hybrid/electric vehicle discount Yes No No Yes No
Company review GEICO review N/A Plymouth Rock review Travelers review Progressive review

Summary of the Best Auto Insurance in New Jersey

  1. 1.

    Best Cheap Auto Insurance in New Jersey: GEICO

  2. 2.

    Best Auto Insurance After an Accident in New Jersey: New Jersey Manufacturer (NJM)

  3. 3.

    Best Auto Insurance for Additional Coverage in New Jersey: Plymouth Rock

  4. 4.

    Best Auto Insurance for Electric Cars in New Jersey: Travelers

  5. 5.

    Best Commercial Auto Insurance in New Jersey: Progressive

Detailed List of the Best Auto Insurance in New Jersey

1. Best Cheap Auto Insurance in New Jersey - GEICO

What We Like Most:

  • Save money with defensive driving courses
  • Cheapest rates after a speeding ticket
  • Save by installing safety equipment

GEICO insures 23 percent of drivers in the Garden State, making it the largest provider in New Jersey. It also offers the cheapest overall average rate and the cheapest average rate after a ticket.

ProsWho It's Best For
  • pro
    People looking for the cheapest option
  • pro
    Drivers of electric vehicles
  • pro
    Affiliate members
ConsWho It's Not Best For

Cheapest Average Rate in New Jersey

With annual average rates as low as $1,313, GEICO is about $1,000 cheaper than the state average. Here’s the full breakdown of the cheapest providers in New Jersey.

Company Monthly average cost Annual average cost
GEICO $101 $1,313
NJM $127 $1,524
State Farm $144 $1,633
Plymouth Rock $152 $1,724
Allstate $169 $2,222
Travelers $171 $2,249
Progressive $183 $2,395

Cheapest After a Speeding Ticket

If you have a speeding ticket on your record, there’s a good chance your provider will increase your premium. On average, GEICO offers the best rates after a speeding ticket in New Jersey.

Company Monthly average cost Annual average cost
GEICO $118 $1,421
Plymouth Rock $151 $1,814
State Farm $168 $2,019
NJM $191 $2,292
Progressive $210 $2,521
Allstate $224 $2,688
Travelers $273 $3,276

Several Ways to Save

GEICO has one of the longest lists of discounts with some of the most sizable savings. Here are a few ways you can save with GEICO.

Discount Maximum savings
Military emergency deployment 25%
Electric vehicle 25%
Multi-vehicle 25%
Airbag 23%
Anti-theft system 23%
Military 15%
New vehicle 15%
2. Best Auto Insurance After an Accident in New Jersey - New Jersey Manufacturer (NJM)

What We Like Most:

  • Cheap rates after an accident
  • Third-most-popular provider in New Jersey
  • Excellent customer satisfaction scores

NJM offers all-around affordable rates, with the cheapest average rate in the state for drivers after an accident. You can benefit from NJM’s robust set of discounts, auto insurance add-ons, and several coverage types.

ProsWho It's Best For
  • pro
    People on a budget
  • pro
    Drivers with one or more accidents on their record
  • pro
    People who want gap insurance
  • pro
    People who want to bundle policies
ConsWho It's Not Best For
  • con
    People who want to manage insurance from their phones
  • con
    People who live in New York and commute to New Jersey

Cheapest Provider After an Accident

If you’re seeking the cheapest rate after an accident, look no further. NJM will probably have the best average rate out of the biggest providers in New Jersey.

Company Monthly average cost Annual average cost
NJM $135 $1,620
GEICO $153 $1,836
Plymouth Rock $221 $2,652
Progressive $256 $3,072
State Farm $277 $3,324
Travelers $290 $3,480
Allstate $320 $3,837

Excellent Third-Party Scores

J.D. Power awarded NJM with a 900/1,000 rating on its customer satisfaction index, which is the highest score on our list and the third-highest score out of any large provider in the country. J.D. Power determines its score by assessing a few metrics, including repair cycle times, customer preferences between digital and personal customer service, and rental coverage satisfaction.

Customize Your Policy

You can customize your policy with NJM through the following auto insurance coverage add-ons:

  • Gap insurance
  • Transportation expense coverage, which offers additional funds for rentals
  • Roadside assistance
  • Coverage for trailers and campers
  • Rideshare coverage
3. Best Auto Insurance for Additional Coverage in New Jersey - Plymouth Rock
Plymouth Rock Logo

What We Like Most:

  • Local agents
  • Discounts on sports games in New England and New York
  • Towing and labor coverage available

Plymouth Rock offers lower-than-average rates and several ways to add coverage to your vehicles in New Jersey. You can choose to gain traditional coverage (minimum liability or full coverage) or sign up for a coverage package, which comes with additional coverage and benefits, like a deductible waiver.

ProsWho It's Best For
  • pro
    People looking for more coverage
  • pro
    People who want to manage insurance from their phones
  • pro
    Young adults
  • pro
    Safe drivers
ConsWho It's Not Best For
  • con
    Federal employees
  • con
    Military members

Assurance Packages—Get More Out of Your Policy

Plymouth Rock offers several coverage packages to cater to your unique needs. You can customize your auto insurance policy through four packages: Essential Assurance, Assurance Plus, Assurance Preferred, and Assurance Premier.

Coverage and benefits Essential Assurance Assurance Plus Assurance Preferred Assurance Premier
Airbag discharge coverage No No Yes No
Advanced claims Yes No Yes Yes
Child car seat replacement No Yes No No
Deductible dollars No No No Yes
Electronic key replacement No No No Yes
Enhanced bail bond No Yes No No
Enhanced rental coverage No Yes No No
Enhanced towing and labor coverage No No No Yes
Glass deductible waiver No Yes No No
Guaranteed repairs Yes No Yes Yes
Laptop replacement No Yes No No
Gap insurance No No No Yes
Loss of earnings protection No Yes No No
Mobile device replacement No Yes No No
New-car replacement No No No Yes
Access to online services Yes Yes Yes Yes
Personal property insurance No Yes No No
Pet coverage No Yes Yes Yes
Roadside assistance No No Yes Yes
Seatbelt/airbag perks No Yes No No
Taxi ride reimbursement Yes No Yes Yes
Trip interruption No No No Yes
Collision deductible waiver No Yes No No
Windshield replacement deductible waiver No No Yes No
Depreciation waiver No No Yes No

New Mobile App

Plymouth Rock has made several updates to its mobile app, which it released in 2022. The updates have seen the app become one of the highest-rated mobile apps for car insurance in both the Apple App Store and Google Play. It has a 4.7 rating out of 5 for Android and a 4.9 rating for iOS.

Through the app, you can:

  • Pay bills
  • Enroll in paperless billing and automatic payments
  • Update your policy information, including your address, drivers, and payment plan
  • Report and track claims
  • Access your ID cards

Cover More Vehicles

Want to ensure more than your personal cars? Plymouth Rock offers coverage for the following vehicle types:

4. Best Auto Insurance for Electric Cars in New Jersey - Travelers

What We Like Most:

  • High financial strength rating from AM Best
  • Great customer service reviews
  • Discounts for safe drivers, homeowners, electric vehicle owners, and more

Travelers has been around since 1864, making it one of the oldest insurers in the country. It has several coverage options to bolster your car insurance plan and is one of the few companies that offers discounts for hybrid and electric cars.

ProsWho It's Best For
  • pro
    People with electric vehicles
  • pro
    New-car owners
  • pro
    Homeowners (even if they aren’t insured with Travelers)
  • pro
    Safe drivers
ConsWho It's Not Best For
  • con
    People who want rideshare coverage (unavailable in New Jersey)
  • con
    People looking for the cheapest option

Electric/Hybrid Discount

Travelers is one of the only car insurance companies to advertise an electric vehicle/hybrid vehicle discount. If you own or lease an electric/hybrid, you can save up to 10 percent on your policy.

Did You Know?

New Jersey is one of more than a dozen states that are following California’s low-emission and zero-emission vehicle mandate. The plan will require vehicle manufacturers to ramp up their zero-emission production for light-duty vehicles by 2027 and transition to 100 percent zero-emission vehicles by 2035.5

Low Number of Customer Complaints

In 2022, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners scored Travelers with a 0.31 on the complaint index rating. This means that customers complain at nearly half the rate to Travelers as they do for the rest of the industry.6

Homeowner Discount

All homeowners, whether their home insurance is provided by Travelers or someone else, are eligible for a homeowners discount with Travelers. The discount would apply to your car insurance and applies to owners of homes and condos.

5. Best Commercial Auto Insurance in New Jersey - Progressive

What We Like Most:

  • Cheaper rates for drivers with a DUI
  • Several ways to save if your premium increases
  • Accident forgiveness automatically applies to policy in most states

The Jersey City–Newark–New York area accounted for more truck drivers in 2021 (63,590) than any other region in the U.S.7 With several commercial auto discounts and commercial coverage for a variety of vehicle types, including trucks and trailers, Progressive is our top pick for commercial auto insurance in New Jersey.

ProsWho It's Best For
  • pro
    Business owners
  • pro
    Truck owners
  • pro
    Businesses with fleets
  • pro
    People with a DUI on their record
ConsWho It's Not Best For
  • con
    People looking for the cheapest option

Fun Fact:

Businesses in New Jersey employ more than 214,000 truckers, which means truckers make up 1 in every 16 workers in the state. Many of these truckers are employed by nearly 23,000 small trucking businesses.8

Fleet Management Program

Progressive’s fleet management program, Snapshot ProView, allows businesses with commercial vehicles to leverage free fleet management tools. You get a 5 percent discount just for signing up with the program and a maximum of 20 percent savings at your next renewal.

Snapshot ProView will track your drivers’ habits, providing you with key insight into how safely and efficiently they’re driving. It comes with:

  • Vehicle tracking features
  • Trip reports
  • Safety scorecards
  • Geofencing notifications (shows when drivers leave predefined routes)

Truck Claims Service

A lengthy claims process can be a hindrance to any business, which is why Progressive offers a dedicated truck claim service. Progressive employs in-house specialty insurance adjusters who are trained to handle truck and heavy equipment claims. Its truck claims services come with:

  • A network of preapproved repair centers
  • 100 percent in-house heavy truck claims specialists
  • A network of Progressive-approved auto shops that must complete a probationary period and meet specific qualification standards
  • A single point of contact that you communicate with, so you aren’t contacting multiple representatives or customer service centers to get updates on your claim

Commercial Auto for Various Vehicles

You can insure more than truck fleets with Progressive. Gain the commercial coverage you need for the following vehicle types:

  • Cars
  • Light trucks
  • SUVs
  • Vans
  • Trucks
  • Tractor trailers
  • Commercial trailers
  • Large dump body trailers
  • Pickup utility trailers
  • Tractors

Frequently Asked Questions

Which provider offers the cheapest rates for teens in New Jersey?

With annual average rates starting around $2,400 per year, GEICO offers the best rates for teens in New Jersey.

Which provider offers the best insurance for seniors in New Jersey?

Both Amica and NJM offer the cheapest average rates (around $1,500 per year) for older Americans in New Jersey.

What should I Increase my limits to?

We recommend you increase your liability limits as much as you can afford. A good overall liability plan would include at least $100,000 in property damage and $250,000 in personal injury protection (PIP).

Why is personal injury protection required in New Jersey?

New Jersey is among 12 no-fault states that require personal injury protection (PIP). If a state enforces a no-fault law, then each driver will file a claim with their own insurance provider regardless of who is at fault in an accident. Since the other driver will not cover your injuries (even if they’re at fault), New Jersey requires PIP so you can finance any medical expense or lost wages to you or your passengers.

Methodology

  • State-relevant recommendations: We curate our guides based on the laws, driver demographics, available providers, and industries of every state we cover. Our list for New Jersey is based on the most relevant needs of drivers in the state, including the most affordable overall rates, best regional providers, and relevant niche coverage options, like auto insurance for truckers in New Jersey.
  • Proprietary data: Many of our guides are based on the millions of data points we’ve gathered at AutoInsurance.com. For more than 20 years, our team has helped drivers find the best auto insurance based on their location, background, and driving needs. We leverage that data to identify which types of customers have had the best quotes and policies with which insurers.
  • Insider guidance: Our team works closely with Paul Ford, president of insurance at Centerfield, AutoInsurance.com’s parent company. With decades of experience and tenures at some of the largest insurance companies in the country, Paul brings a wealth of wisdom and auto insurance expertise that guides our recommendations.

Citations

  1. 2022 Market Share Reports For Property/Casualty Groups and Companies by State and Countrywide. National Association of Insurance Commissioners. (2023, Sep).
    https://content.naic.org/sites/default/files/publication-msr-pb-property-casualty.pdf

  2. Auto insurance companies seek rate hikes in NJ. PBS. (2023, Jun 22).
    https://www.pbs.org/video/car-insurance-1687452535/

  3. Murphy signs costly auto insurance law that will affect 1.1M N.J. drivers. NJ.com. (2022, Aug 12).
    https://www.nj.com/politics/2022/08/murphy-signs-costly-auto-insurance-bill-that-will-affect-11m-nj-drivers-into-law.html

  4. Auto Insurers Manage Customer Expectations as Repair Cycle Times Double in Two Years, J.D. Power Finds. J.D. Power. (2023, Oct 26).
    https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2023-us-auto-claims-satisfaction-study

  5. Murphy Administration Adopts Zero-Emission Vehicle Standards to Improve Air Quality, Fight Climate Change, and Promote Clean Vehicle Choice. State of New Jersey. (2023, Nov 21).
    https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562023/20231121a.shtml

  6. Results by Complaint Index. National Association of Insurance Commissioners. (2024).
    https://content.naic.org/cis_refined_results.htm?TABLEAU=CIS_COMPLAINTS&COCODE=25658&:refresh

  7. Cities and States with the Most Truck Drivers. CDL Training Today. (2024).
    https://cdltrainingtoday.com/cities-states-most-truck-drivers/

  8. New Jersey Trucking Fast Facts. New Jersey Motor Truck Association. (2020, Apr).
    https://truckingresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/New-Jersey-Fast-Facts-2020.pdf