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Texas Auto Insurance – Get Cheap Car Insurance Quotes in Texas
Here, and throughout “SR22Texas.org” we provide up-to-date information and news on current Texas auto insurance laws and upcoming changes. Peruse our articles, from general information on required Texas car insurance, to specific information on DWIs, reckless driving, teen driver and text messaging laws. Then, save a ton of money by comparing auto insurance quotes from the top eight insurance companies in Texas.
Auto insurance companies like Geico, AllState, AAA, AARP, Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, Progressive and more all provide truly great / cheap auto insurance quotes through our free online auto insurance quote comparison portal.
To be honest, we believe they offer the service, but hope you don’t take advantage of it. Simply put, seven have higher rates than one… so getting just one quote may not save you the most money. Taking a few extra minutes out of your day to get more than one quote through our comparison tool could save you hundreds of dollars a year on auto insurance. Getting multiple quotes is truly worth the time. Three to Five minutes of your time for a savings $500 is the equivalent of earning $2000 in one hour – are you worth it? We think so!
First Time Acquiring Auto Insurance Policy in Texas
An individual seeking to acquire an auto insurance policy in Texas for the first time might feel like the conditions, terms, regulations and rules relevant to every insurance law are the same for every US state.
The fact is that Texas car insurance law isn’t the same as all other states in the Country. This may seem absurd initially, but each state regulates their own insurance laws and therefore none are exactly the same.
The first and the most significant point of divergence between Texas car insurance law and some other states is the minimum mandatory insurance policy required. Each state has a different amount of minimums, and some states are “at-fault” states, while others are “no-fault” states.
Texas Car Insurance: How To Save Money
We all know the best way to save money is to shop around. The problem is time; we all have so little of it to spare. With the blue box above, you can shop for the cheapest Texas auto insurance in about 10 minutes, and get car insurance quotes from up to 8 of the most nationally recognized auto insurance companies in the US.
You have two alternatives when shopping online for auto insurance in Texas:
- Go to every Texas auto insurance provider’s website and get a quote
- Go to one website and get up to eight car insurance quotes in 5-10 minutes.
Let’s assume you choose option number two. The process is simple. Enter your zip code, current Texas car insurance status (insured or not), your homeowner status and your age and click the button.
From there you will be taken to a page that is https secured and launces you to each car insurance website you want to get an insurance quote from. For each car insurance company, the questions are more or less the same, so as you repeat the process for all eight, you’ll find that it’s fairly quick and easy to get the cheapest Texas car insurance quotes available.
Is it worth 10-15 minutes of your time to get the cheapest Texas car insurance quotes? Let’s do the math. Even on the high side if the process takes you 15 minutes and you save $500 – it’s the equivalent of earning $2,000 an hour – all to save money on car insurance, a pretty good use of your time. Now let’s assume you keep the same car insurance for the next five years and your rates don’t change – now you’ve earned $10,000 an hour.
Another way to look at your potential Texas car insurance savings is to just add it up. If you save $500 on your car insurance rates for five years, that’s a total savings of $2500. No matter how you look at it, finding the time to shop around for the cheapest Texas car insurance rates will save you money, potentially a lot of money. The problem is… most people don’t begin the process, they wait and then the urge to save dissipates.
We recommend you waste no more time and start shopping for savings on your car insurance in Texas right now. Enter your zip code in the banner above, there is no time like the present!
Texas Auto Insurance: Minimum Liability Requirements
- $30,000 for bodily injury or death to one person per accident
- $60,000 for bodily injury or death to two or more persons per accident
- $25,000 for damage or destruction to other property in an accident
In the state of Texas every personal and business vehicle owner must have general liability insurance coverage to meet the state’s “financial responsibility” minimums. You are required coverage of $30,000 for each injured person, up to a total of $60,000 for all injuries per accident and $25,000 for property damage per accident.
On occasion these minimum coverage amounts may fall short in the case of a serious car accident. If you are considered “at-fault” for the damage, then you will have to pay your deductible and any amount above your maximum payouts. If you have the state minimum requirements, the “maximum” payouts are listed above.
Consumer Reports suggests that a general guideline for adequate bodily injury liability limits is $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident, plus $100,000 for property damage. This much coverage will be paid by your insurance company for the damages incurred in an accident you are held liable for. It is also recommended in order to all risks, that you also get a $100,000 uninsured motorist policy. This will cover your medical costs and pay for bodily injury liability when someone with no coverage hits you.
Learn more about the mandatory Texas auto insurance requirements.
Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) Laws
If you drink and drive, your Texas auto insurance rates will sky rocket. Just a few years ago, Texas was considered the “DWI State”. In 2018, there were more deaths in drunk driving accidents (1,677) than in any other US State. Now it has some of the Country’s toughest drunk driving laws. If you are stopped by an officer for suspicion of DWI, they will most likely ask you to take a field sobriety test and a chemical test.
There are three field sobriety tests in Texas:
- The horizontal gaze test
- The walk and turn test
- The one leg stand.
These tests are designed to measure your physical and mental acuteness. If asked to take these tests, you have the right to politely decline. The officer may also ask you to take a chemical test as well. This test is usually administered to measure you Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC).
Texas law basically states that whenever you drive you are consenting to take an alcohol or drug test if a police officer deems it necessary. If you do not consent (even politely) to the chemical test after 41 days, your license will be suspended for 180 days.
There are two definitions of DWI in Texas:
- When the person driving does not have “normal use of mental or physical faculties – because of the introduction of alcohol, a controlled substance, drug or a combination of two or more of these substances in the body
- Having a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or higher.
If you like to save money, it’s a bad idea to get a DWI. If you do you can be sure your auto insurance rates will rise. Learn more about DUI Laws – including first, second and third DWI offense penalties.
SR22 “Insurance” Certificate Requirements
If a person is convicted of DWI or other high risk moving violations, it’s likely that they’ll need an SR22 Certificate to get their license back. Technically, SR-22 “Insurance” – as most people refer to it, is a certificate showing proof that the minimum amount of in state Texas auto insurance required by law, has in fact been purchased.
When you file an SR22 form, your license will be reinstated after a suspension or it may be used to prevent the suspension from occurring if filed within 30 days of the directive.
The SR-22 certificate, which again is technically not Texas auto insurance, is issued in one of three forms:
- Operator’s Certificate – Motorists operating non-owned vehicles can get the policy
- Owner’s Certificate – Drivers operating owned vehicles can buy an owner’s certificate
- Operators-Owners Certificate – The policy covers all vehicles owned or non-owned by the driver.
Learn more about Texas SR22 certificate requirements.
Distracted Driver Laws
Your Texas auto insurance rates are not directly affected by the distracted driver laws. In fact, there is no state-wide ban on cell phone use or texting, except in school zones and for teenage drivers. If you do violate the distracted driver laws and are penalized, it will go on your driving record. When this happens in Texas, auto insurance rates rise.
The law specifically states:
- Drivers under the age of 18 are not allowed to use wireless communications devices at all (calling or texting)
- Learners permit holders cannot use handheld cell phones until they have completed the first six months of driving
- School bus drivers cannot use cell phones while driving if there are children riding in the bus
- Drivers of all motor vehicles are not allowed to use handheld devices in school crossing zones.
Be wary though, because some Texas local towns and cities have passed cell phone prohibition laws specific to their towns.
Some cities with their own cell phone banning laws are:
- Alvin
- Amarillo
- Burnet
- El Paso
- McAllen
- Missouri City
- San Antonio
- Stephenville
TexasSure – The Texas Auto Insurance Verification Program
While most residents comply with the Texas auto insurance legal requirements, some motorists do not (about 20%). This is why the state government has come up with the program TexasSure. This program is designed to verify a driver has the proper auto insurance in Texas at all times.
The Department of Public Safety, local law enforcement, and state vehicle registration offices verify the validity of proper Texas auto insurance coverage by cross-referencing the information with insurers.
TexasSure is also known as the State of Texas Financial Responsibility Verification Program. It is a joint venture with regards to Texas auto insurance, that is directed by the 79th Texas Legislature and created by the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV), and the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR).
The State implemented this program to make the process of weeding out uninsured drivers faster. With the program, the process of verifying whether a vehicle is insured or not can be done fairly quickly by the law enforcement officers and designated state users.
With this immediate auto insurance verification made possible by TexasSure, errant drivers that carry fraudulent or false proof of coverage, will be easily caught by law enforcement officers. Motorists who get a valid auto insurance and then drop it later, can also be easily caught and punished.
With this program, the state is working steadily towards its goal to lower the number of uninsured motorists. As per the Texas Department of Insurance, there are roughly 20% of vehicles on the roads with no Texas auto insurance at any given time. Weeding out these uninsured drivers is made easier by TexasSure, which provides instant access to up-to-date coverage information on any given vehicle to the law enforcement agencies and others.
The process of TexasSure begins when a motorist becomes an auto insurance policy holder, the insurance company reports that information to the state. The state is also informed of dropped auto insurance policies or even lapsed coverage. This means that the enforcement agencies have the latest proof of financial responsibility information of every licensed driver in the Lone Star State.
How To Lower Your Texas Auto Insurance Rates
If you live in Texas, auto insurance can be expensive. To lower them, keep in mind certain “factors”. Your driving record says a lot about your character, and this affects your auto insurance rates. Observe all the rules and be considerate to fellow drivers. Avoiding accident creating situations will reduce the chance of making insurance claims. If you have no history of claims, then your rates will be lower. Apart from keeping your driving record impeccable, check out these other factors too.
Your Credit Score: Paying your bills on time will increase your credit score. If your auto insurance company feels you can be trusted and that you are “a good bet”, then your premiums be lower.
All for One Auto Insurance Coverage: If you have more than one vehicle, it literally pays to have one auto insurance company cover both (or all three) vehicles. When you encompass your auto, home and other items that need coverage, your rates will be even lower.
Raise the Deductible: The deductible is the amount that the policy holder is willing to pay out of his or her pocket when there is a claim. If you are willing to pay a higher deductible – you are gauging your own risk (betting on yourself) – and your premiums will be lower.
Read the top 10 ways to save money on Texas auto insurance rates
Learn more about the minimum coverage requirements for Texas auto insurance
Teen Driver Laws
For teen drivers, Texas has created a graduated driver license program. It was created to reduce the rate of teen driving accidents and help keep others safe on the road. The graduated license program in Texas works in two phases of driving requirements. Each phase defines the prohibitions and education requirements for teenage (younger than 18 years) drivers.
- The state utilizes a Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) system for teen drivers
- Teens need to be 15 years of age to apply for an instruction permit.
Texas auto insurance rates for teen are higher than the average adult, because teens are considered “high risk” drivers. With the GDL program, teen driving accidents may be reduced over time and the Texas auto insurance rates for younger drivers may go down.
Learn more about the teen driving laws in Texas, and the graduated driver license program.
Online Texas Auto Insurance Quotes and Coverage Options
There are so many car insurance companies in Texas that most people are baffled by the many choices and options available. It’s not physically possible (for most people) to visit each company (even via the web) and inquire about their policies and get quotes.
All the major companies manage a website that you visit, input your information and get a quote. But there is a much simpler method to review multiple quotes, from an independent neutral source.
By entering your zip code in the banner on this site, you will be taken to a page that includes up to eight companies vying for your business. In less than five minutes you can get a quote from each company and compare rates, then choose the best auto insurance coverage for you and your family.
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