Texas Car Insurance: Requirements, Average Cost and How ZIP Codes Change Your Rate
Enter the ZIP code where your car is parked overnight to compare Texas auto insurance quotes with the same limits and deductibles.
By the AutoQuotesByZip editorial team. Last reviewed: October 4, 2026. Data: NAIC, IRC, IIHS, NICB and official state sources listed below.
Texas drivers spent an average of $1,578 a year on auto insurance in 2024, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). That is about 10% above the national average and the 13th-highest figure among the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Since 2020 the Texas average has climbed 45% — the steepest four-year increase in the NAIC data.
The detail that matters most for Texas shoppers sits in the physical-damage lines. The average comprehensive premium here was $455, the 4th-highest in the country and roughly 60% above the U.S. average. Comprehensive pays for hail, flood, fire and theft, so where your car is parked overnight — the ZIP code on your policy — has an outsized effect on a Texas quote.
Enter the ZIP code where your car is parked overnight to compare Texas auto insurance quotes with the same limits and deductibles.
Texas car insurance at a glance
| Fact | Texas | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum liability limits | $30,000 per person / $60,000 per accident bodily injury; $25,000 property damage (30/60/25) | Texas Department of Insurance |
| Personal injury protection (PIP) | Included in every policy unless you reject it in writing | Texas Department of Insurance |
| Uninsured/underinsured motorist | Must be offered; you can reject it in writing | Texas Department of Insurance |
| Average annual spending on auto insurance (2024) | $1,578.45 — 13th highest of 51 (US: $1,431.63) | NAIC |
| Change in average spending | +10.5% vs 2023; +45.4% vs 2020 (US: +11.7% and +36.6%) | NAIC |
| Average liability / collision / comprehensive premium | $893 / $569 / $455 | NAIC |
| Estimated uninsured drivers (2023) | 14.5% — 19th highest (US: 15.4%) | IRC via III |
| Traffic deaths (2024) | 4,160 — 13.3 per 100,000 people; 1.35 per 100 million miles (US: 11.5 and 1.19) | IIHS |
| Vehicle thefts (2025) | 75,269 — the 2nd-highest total of any state; Houston (23,659) and Dallas–Fort Worth (21,638) were among the ten metros with the most thefts | NICB |
| Fine for driving without insurance | $175–$350 for a first offense; $350–$1,000 for later offenses | Texas Transportation Code §601.191 |
Compare Texas quotes for your ZIP code — use 30/60/25 only as a floor and keep the same limits on every quote.
What 30/60/25 covers — and what it leaves out
Texas liability insurance pays for injuries and damage you cause to other people. The state minimum is $30,000 for each injured person, $60,000 for all injuries in one crash and $25,000 for property damage, according to the Texas Department of Insurance. It does not repair your own car. If a lender holds the title, the lender will usually require collision and comprehensive as well.
Two coverages are built into Texas policies by default. Personal injury protection is included unless you sign a rejection, and insurers must offer uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, which you can also reject only in writing. With about 14.5% of Texas drivers estimated to be uninsured, declining UM/UIM is a decision worth making deliberately rather than by habit. Our uninsured motorist guide compares the rate in every state.
Why Texas premiums run above average
NAIC splits the average Texas bill into three parts. Liability averaged $893 (13th nationally), only moderately above the U.S. figure of $813. Collision averaged $569 (8th). Comprehensive, at $455, is where Texas separates from most of the country. That pattern points to weather and theft losses rather than unusually expensive injury claims.
| 2024 NAIC measure | Texas | United States | Rank (1 = most expensive) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average expenditure (all coverages actually bought) | $1,578.45 | $1,431.63 | 13th of 51 |
| Liability premium | $892.78 | $813.27 | 13th |
| Collision premium | $569.26 | $516.39 | 8th |
| Comprehensive premium | $455.00 | $283.15 | 4th |
| Liability + collision + comprehensive combined | $1,917.05 | $1,612.81 | 6th |
NAIC averages describe what policyholders actually bought, so they mix minimum-limit policies with full coverage. Use them to understand the market, not as a quote. See the 50-state cost table for context.
How your ZIP code changes a Texas quote
The Texas Department of Insurance tells consumers directly that rates can differ between ZIP codes in the same city, because insurers price the claims history of each area. Theft is one visible example: NICB counted 23,659 vehicle thefts in the Houston–Pasadena–The Woodlands metro and 21,638 in Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington in 2025, together more than half of the statewide total of 75,269. Hail and flood exposure, traffic density and repair costs vary by neighborhood in the same way.
Because of that, a quote is only as accurate as the garaging address you give. Use the ZIP code where the car is parked overnight, and if you move within a metro area, re-shop at the new address rather than assuming your old rate carries over. Our step-by-step ZIP comparison method explains how to keep quotes comparable.
Proof of insurance and penalties in Texas
Texas checks insurance electronically through TexasSure, the state's verification database used at registration and by law enforcement. Driving without the required coverage carries a fine of $175 to $350 for a first conviction and $350 to $1,000 for later convictions under Transportation Code §601.191.
If two insurers have turned you down, TDI notes that you can apply through the Texas Automobile Insurance Plan Association (TAIPA), the state's residual market for drivers who cannot find coverage elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum car insurance required in Texas?
Texas requires liability coverage of at least $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 per accident for injuries and $25,000 for property damage (30/60/25). PIP and uninsured motorist coverage are added unless you reject them in writing.
How much does car insurance cost in Texas on average?
NAIC reports average spending of $1,578.45 per insured vehicle in 2024, the 13th-highest in the U.S. Your own quote depends on your ZIP code, vehicle, driving record and the coverage you choose.
Is Texas a no-fault state?
No. Texas is an at-fault (tort) state: the driver responsible for a crash pays through liability coverage. PIP is still included in Texas policies unless you decline it in writing.
Why do quotes differ between Texas ZIP codes?
Insurers price the local cost of claims — theft, hail and flood, crash frequency and repair costs. The Texas Department of Insurance notes that rates can differ between ZIP codes even inside the same city.
Sources
- Texas Department of Insurance — Auto insurance guide
- Texas Transportation Code §601.191
- TxDMV — TexasSure insurance verification
- NAIC, 2024 Auto Insurance Database Average Premium Supplement
- Insurance Information Institute, Facts + Statistics: Uninsured motorists (Insurance Research Council estimates for 2023)
- NICB, U.S. vehicle thefts experience historic decline (2025 data)
- IIHS-HLDI, Fatality facts 2024: State by state
- Insurance Information Institute, Background on: No-fault auto insurance
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