Car insurance in Utah

Posted on September 26, 2014

Shown here is a handy summary of rates, facts, statistics and other information regarding car insurance in the state of Utah. Reading this will help you maneuver the lowest possible premium rates on Utah auto insurance.

Utah Minimum Liability Coverage

In Utah, the minimum coverage on auto insurance is known as 25/65/15. This means $25,000 to cover injury to the driver, $65,000 to insure others injured in the accident, and $15,000 to cover property damage. So, if you purchase the minimum car insurance in the state of Utah, the insurance company will pay out a maximum of $105,000 per accident.

Penalties for Driving Without Insurance in Utah

The penalty for getting caught driving an uninsured car in Utah is a fine of $400 for a first offense. Subsequent offenses within a three year period result in a fine of $1,000 and a suspended driver’s license until proof of insurance is furnished. Drivers convicted of operating uninsured vehicles also face higher annual premiums and reinstatement fees.

Auto Insurance Rates in Utah

The average annual car insurance premium in the state of Utah was $1,061 in 2016. This figure dipped well below the national average of $1,347, even though Utah has a median age of 28, the youngest median age of any state in the nation. Also, Utah is one of twelve “no-fault” states. This means that car insurance companies in Utah will pay monetary benefits regardless of who (if anyone) caused the accident. No-fault laws are often accompanied by higher annual premiums. However, according to reports from Top50States.com, counterbalancing factors affecting Utah auto insurance premiums include Utah’s relatively low rate of uninsured vehicles (only about eight percent), as well as a low population density, low neighborhood crime rates and a low percentage of DUI traffic fatalities.

Low Cost Car Insurance Programs in Utah

Utah vehicle owners have access to a number of ways to cut car insurance costs. Popular premium-reducing maneuvers include paying annual premiums all at once, increasing one’s deductible, improving one’s credit score, choosing vehicles that are relatively inexpensive to insure and qualifying for every possible discount. Discounts available from most car insurance carriers include good driver discounts, good student discounts, defensive driving course discounts and multiple auto discounts, among others. When receiving a quote from an insurance agent, always factor in the discounts to compare rates.

Obtaining Auto Insurance Quotes in Utah

Based on consumer reports, Utah’s favorite auto insurance carriers are Farmers Insurance, Farm Bureau and American Family Insurance. Still, some local vehicle owners are more comfortable with locally owned businesses like Western National. Whatever your personal style, all you need to do is call around and compare quotes. And ask about the discounts. Then take the best offer. Local car insurance carriers are, after all, more or less competitive.

Utah Car Insurance

There are many interesting things to learn about Utah car insurance. This text will provide you with everything need to know about reducing your auto insurance premium rates in the state of Utah. If you are attempting to purchase a car insurance policy in Utah, you need to learn all the relevant facts you can find to reduce your premium rates on car insurance.

Here’s where Utah drivers can find out about the types of car insurance coverage they need. They can also find help choosing the right car insurance company, starting by viewing a list of the 10 largest car insurance companies in the state of Utah, and a list of the 10 largest car insurance companies in America. You can also scan Utah poverty statistics, unemployment rates, population data, median incomes, and other details that influence car insurance premiums in the state of Utah. This page even features a short collection of outdated (but still existing) Utah state traffic laws.

Learn the statewide average car insurance premium rate for the state of Utah. Then check the average car insurance premium rates for eight different Utah zip codes. See where the state of Utah lands among states in terms of the average annual cost of car insurance. Find out how to reduce your own Utah car insurance rates to a bare minimum.

There are many creative ways in which Utah drivers can actively save a lot of money on their car insurance premiums. Scroll down for details.

Utah Car Insurance Statistics

Despite ranking 10^th among states in land area, the state of Utah is home to just over 3 million people, according to a 2017 census bureau population estimate. In fact, Utah is one of the 10 least densely populated states in America. This fact is reflected in Utah’s relatively low rates on car insurance. A 2017 study showed that the statewide average annual premium rate for a car insurance policy purchased in the state of Utah was roughly $1,199. This figure is a noticeable margin below the national average car insurance rate, which was around $1,355 at the time.

The median age of the residents of Utah is a relatively young 30.6 years. The state’s poverty rate hovers around 11.3 percent, which is quite a bit lower than the national average poverty rate of 13.5 percent. The unemployment rate in the state of Utah is approximately 3.1 percent, a marked distance below the national average unemployment rate of 4.4 percent. In fact, Utah has one of the 10 lowest unemployment rates among states.

Recently, a group from the Insurance Research Council studied drivers in the state of Utah. The study showed that only 5.8 percent of vehicles on Utah roads are uninsured. Among states (including Washington DC), Utah has the 4^th lowest rate of uninsured drivers. The only states with a lower percentage of uninsured drivers than Utah are New York, Maine, and Massachusetts.

The Largest Utah Car Insurance Companies

How do we know which company to choose when there are so many Utah car insurance companies to choose from? One reasonable notion is to look at some of the more popular favorites, on both the local and national levels.

According to the results of a recent study, the ten largest car insurance companies in the United States are Allstate Insurance, State Farm Insurance, Geico, Progressive Insurance, Nationwide Group, AAA, Liberty Mutual Insurance, 21^st Century Insurance, GMAC, and AIG, in that order. In this case, car insurance companies were ranked in the order of their total annual dollar amount in written premiums.

Now compare America’s top ten car insurance companies to the list shown below of the ten largest car insurance companies in Utah. Again, rankings were based on the total amount of direct annual premiums written for each carrier. This dollar amount indicates each company’s total market share within the state of Utah.

Rank	Company	Premiums ($)	Market Share (%)
1	State Farm Group	$231,248	16.64
2	Farmers Insurance Group	$176,133	12.67
3	Allstate Insurance Group	$168,368	12.11
4	Progressive Insurance Group	$103,046	7.41
5	Berkshire Hathaway Insurance	$97,863	7.04
6	Bear River Mutual Insurance	$69,859	5.03
7	American Family Insurance Group	$65,829	4.74
8	USAA Group	$61,503	4.43
9	Liberty Mutual Insurance	$56,641	4.08
10	Nationwide Group	$52,287	3.76

As you can probably tell, the most popular insurance companies in Utah seem to be State Farm Group, Farmers Insurance, and Allstate Insurance. Altogether, these three companies hold more than 40 percent of all the car insurance policies sold in Utah. Still, there are other major Utah auto insurance companies to like, as well as quite a few smaller, regional carriers. Which insurance carrier is the best depends somewhat on your demographic situation. There is basically no such thing as The One Best Utah Car Insurance Company.

Cutting Costs on Utah Car Insurance

A little research can go a very long way when you compare Utah car insurance quotes. Drivers in the state of Utah can use any of several basic methods to reduce their auto insurance premium rates.

The first thing Utah drivers should do is to read several recent consumer reviews from several different major Utah car insurance companies. These companies tend to be competitive, with each carrier targeting particular demographic segments of populations. To pick the car insurance company that’s best for you, try reading consumer reviews.

Next, list some of your favorite Utah car insurance companies, based on the reviews you’ve read. Then visit the company websites and compare quotes online from different insurance companies, and also for different Utah zip codes from the same insurance company. For instance, you could get a quote for your home zip code, a quote for your work zip code, and a quote for your school zip code.

Also be sure to find out about the discounts offered by each company. When in doubt, call an insurance agent to see if you qualify. Be extremely proactive about discounts. Types of car insurance discounts you can qualify for may include billing discounts, occupational discounts, vehicle discounts, low mileage discounts, senior discounts, good student discounts, and safe driver discounts, to name a few. There is typically no limit to the discounts you can get on car insurance.

Racking up the discounts and comparing auto insurance quotes between zip codes are two sure ways to lower your rates on Utah car insurance.

What Types Of Car Insurance Do Utah Drivers Need?

Utah state law requires all drivers to purchase car insurance policies with minimum liability coverage limits of $25,000 against bodily injury to others, $65,000 in per-accident coverage, and $15,000 coverage against the cost of property damage.

Unfortunately, the minimum state-mandated coverage amounts are usually not high enough to pay the cost of actual auto accidents.

Also recommended for Utah drivers are the same liability limits in uninsured and underinsured motorist protection (UMI). The state of Utah is not so bad in terms of its rate of uninsured drivers, but even vehicles that are insured with state minimum coverage often turn out to be underinsured.

United States insurance experts suggest that Utah drivers buy more than the minimum amount of car insurance coverage required by state law. Analysts recommend coverage amounts of $100,000 for personal injury protection, $300,000 for bodily injury to others, and no less than $50,000 to cover the cost of property damage.

For first rate vehicle protection, Utah drivers can also purchase comprehensive and collision coverage. These insurance types will cover the cost of vehicle damage caused by unfortunate incidents such as car collisions, animal collisions, wind damage, floods, wildfires, falling trees, and flying objects, among other unwelcome events.

Odd and Outdated Utah State Traffic Laws

In Utah, it is against the law to have sex in the back of an ambulance that is responding to an emergency call.
In Utah, birds have the right of way on all highways.
It is illegal to repeatedly step on the cracks between paving stones on the sidewalk of a Utah state highway.
In Salt Lake County, it is illegal to walk down a street carrying a paper bag that contains a violin.

Best And Worst Zip Codes For Utah Car Insurance

The car insurance premium rates on your Utah policy can depend a lot on your specific Utah zip code. Premium rates are typically determined by the driver’s traffic record, as well as by the driver’s zip code demographics. Auto insurance rates change from one zip code to the next, primarily because of the differences in population densities, unemployment rates, median resident ages, median income levels, poverty rates, crime data, and the percentage of uninsured drivers on the road.

Here is a list of the four most expensive zip codes in the state of Utah to buy car insurance. Annual premium rates in these zips can range from about $735 to around $1,915. Utah car insurance premiums are highest in Salt Lake City, the largest city in Utah.

Zip Code	Pop Density	Unemployed %	Poverty %
84104 (Salt Lake City)	1,176	11.30%	34.60%

Unemployment is high, and the poverty rate is more than three times the state average in this zip code, which is home to about 25,000 people.

Zip Code	Pop Density	Unemployed %	Poverty %
84101 (Salt Lake City)	2,667	14.90%	25.90%

The population density is average in this neighborhood of about 5,000 people. However, the unemployment rate and the poverty rate are quite far above the state average.

Zip Code	Pop Density	Unemployed %	Poverty %
84129 (Salt Lake City)	0	0%	0%

This zip code belongs to a neighborhood called Taylorsville. This is one of the four priciest zip codes to buy Utah car insurance.

Zip Code	Pop Density	Unemployed %	Poverty %
84118 (West Valley City)	4,028	6.00%	12.10%

This part of Salt Lake City is home to about 69,000 people. The unemployment rate and the poverty rate are slightly higher than the state average in this neighborhood.

Now compare the Utah zip codes above to the Utah zip codes shown below. Here is a list of the four least expensive zip codes (on average) in the state of Utah to buy car insurance. Annual premium rates in these Utah neighborhoods will range from about $650 to just over $1,400.

Zip Code	Pop Density	Unemployed %	Poverty %
84721 (Cedar City)	86	10.90%	21.90%

Cedar City is situated roughly 250 miles south of Salt Lake City. This Iron County zip code has a population of about 22,000. The unemployment rate and the poverty rate are both high above the state averages in this neighborhood. Perhaps the low rates on Utah car insurance are a function of the low population density.

Zip Code	Pop Density	Unemployed %	Poverty %
84774 (Toquerville)	44	11.40%	7.60%

Less than 2,000 people live in this Washington County neighborhood. The unemployment rate is more than three times the state average, but the poverty rate is well below the state average.

Zip Code	Pop Density	Unemployed %	Poverty %
84720 (Cedar City)	65	9.40%	21.50%

This zip code is home to more than 20,000 residents. The population density is quite low, although the unemployment and poverty rates are above the state averages.

Zip Code	Pop Density	Unemployed %	Poverty %
84742 (Kanarraville)	8	12.70%	2.80%

The population density is very light in this neighborhood of only about 200 people. Unemployment seems high compared with the state average, but the poverty rate is shockingly low.

Altogether, the state of Utah is home to 344 zip codes sprinkled over 29 counties made up of 251 cities, from Alpine to Woods Cross and everywhere in between. There is quite a difference in annual premium rates between the least expensive zip codes and the most expensive zip codes in Utah to buy car insurance.

How much money can you save on Utah car insurance? Look up your zip codes today.

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