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Car insurance rates depend on a number of factors. These include:

• Personal details like age, sex, and marital status
• Where you live
• Average annual distance driven
• Your vehicle
• Your credit
• Your coverage amount and type

In most states, some level of car insurance is required. The minimum amount of coverage may just be liability insurance, or it may include uninsured/underinsured motorist or additional medical coverage.

New Hampshire and Virginia do not require that drivers buy auto insurance, but do have minimums in place for drivers who do choose to buy insurance. You can find out how much auto insurance is required in your state here.

You should buy auto insurance before you begin driving, as it’s required in most states (see below). Driving without insurance is often illegal and leaves you financially vulnerable.

Yes. The market value of your car and the history of other drivers with the same make and model play a factor in your auto insurance rates. Certain safety features may not automatically qualify you for cheaper car insurance, but they can prevent you from getting into accidents, saving you money indirectly.

Your car insurance coverage depends on the type of policy you purchase. Different types of car insurance include:

• Bodily injury (BI) and property damage (PD) liability coverage for damaged caused to other people or property.
• Personal injury protection (PIP) to cover medical expenses and other damages.
• Collision and comprehensive coverage for damage done to your vehicle in collisions, and in non-collisions (i.e., fire, vandalism, or theft).
• Uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage protects in the event of an accident where the at-fault driver doesn’t have insurance.

The first thing you should consider is how much coverage is required by your state. This can be found through your state’s DMV. That’s how much car insurance you have to buy, and should be the floor of your car insurance budget. Beyond that, you should buy as much car insurance coverage as you feel comfortable with and can afford.

You may decide to max out your car insurance budget with available options. UM/UIM is often overlooked but can be crucial in accidents with uninsured drivers and is a relatively inexpensive add-on; comprehensive coverage is usually more costly, but if you live in an area that has a high level of car theft, it might be a more valuable addition to you.