Idaho Car Insurance – The Best Options You Will Find in 2024

On average, Idaho car insurance is cheaper than the national average. That is because of the mainly rural terrain and a low number of uninsured drivers.

But that doesn’t mean you should settle for the first insurance deal you come across. You can get even more affordable premiums if you know where to look.

Here, we tell you exactly where you should look for the ideal car insurance deals. We outline the best companies in the Gem State and some of its car insurance laws. We even tossed in some hints on how to get the best deal for your car insurance.

The Overall Winner: State Farm Idaho

For the majority of Idaho residents, State Farm provides the optimal insurance plan. It is mainly due to its enticingly low rates.

The typical State Farm user pays around $271 per year for their insurance premium. That’s well below the state average of $559 (for minimum coverage). If you want full coverage car insurance in Idaho, State Farm charges $965 per year on average.

You’d think someone paying so little for car insurance wouldn’t get too much in return. However, State Farm is well-known for its devoted customer service, along with some neat offerings.

Coverage-wise, you can expect the basics, such as liability, comprehensive, and collision. 

There are a few exciting coverages beyond that, though. One good example would be the company’s rental insurance, which covers meal, repair, and lodging expenses if your rental vehicle breaks down.

Not only does State Farm offer cheap car insurance Idaho drivers enjoy, but they also have plenty of discounts at their disposal.

The insurer’s discount selection is well-rounded, as you can see below:

• Multiple lines
• Good driving discount
• Passive restraint
• Steer Clear Driver Program
• Accident-free discount
• Driver training discount
• Drive Safe and Save
• Good student discount
• Multiple autos
• Anti-theft
• Defensive driving discount
• Vehicle safety
• Student away at school discount

As you can see, the discounts are diverse and numerous.

Something else this State Farm review should highlight is the State Farm app. 

From this app, you can view and manage your Idaho car insurance data. It removes much of the hassle on your part as you don’t need to call an agent for information on your insurance plan. 

That leads us to the main point. Namely, State Farm’s customer service is what shines the most in users’ eyes. The company’s app is handy enough, but the brand goes beyond that to please its clients.

Eager to earn the moniker of the best Idaho auto insurance company, State Farm makes sure every customer has an agent available for addressing issues and feedback. To that end, State Farm employs around 18,000 agents, significantly more than other companies of similar size.

Auto-Owners Insurance Idaho: Great Customer Satisfaction Rate

Auto-Owners is a terrific car insurance company that excels in pleasing users. It costs a bit above average ($771 per year), but it offers good deals for drivers with not-so-good records. 

There’s a catch, however, which may turn some people off of opting for Auto-Owners — the insurance is only available through its agents. All your insurance dealings go through your delegated agent. Nevertheless, the company does have 24-hour customer service available in case you can’t reach your agent.

For some people, this business model is enough to make them search for other companies, which provide auto insurance in Idaho. However, if you don’t mind dealing exclusively with an agent, Auto-Owners can be an excellent insurer.

For example, you can purchase a bundle called the Personal Automobile Plus Package.

This program offers a slew of coverages, such as the following:

• Lost/damaged cell phones
• Lock rekeying
• Stolen or damaged audio/video equipment
• Stolen vehicle transportation expenses
• Bail bonds
• Damage to non-owned trailers
• Waived/reduced deductibles (in some cases)
• Identity theft expenses
• Towing costs
• Personal property, stolen from your vehicle
• Vehicle breaking down during a trip
• Legal expenses

With this bundle, Auto-Owners could easily be considered Idaho’s best insurance provider. Unfortunately, you can’t get any of the above perks individually — it’s either all or none. That’s something plenty of Auto-Owners reviews agree is a bit of a letdown.

If you are interested in discounts, Auto-owners boasts a fair amount of them:

• Teen driver discounts
• Green discount
• Safety discounts
• Early payments discounts
• Multi-policy discounts

As our research revealed, Auto-Owners has an excellent customer satisfaction rate. For instance, National Association of Insurance Commissioners data shows Auto-Owners get less than half the complaints other auto insurance companies in Idaho receive.

Beyond that, Auto-Owners has outstanding financial strength. It means the odds that the company won’t compensate you (assuming your accident is eligible for compensation) are minimal.

GEICO Insurance ID: Great Technological Advancements

As almost any GEICO review will tell you, this insurer is an appealing choice for anyone tech-savvy. But it has more to offer than cool apps and websites.

For one, GEICO’s rates are accessible, riding the line between average and below average. Annually, the average GEICO customer spends $551. Its typical full coverage costs are somewhat cheap, too, costing $1,481 per year.

Moreover, GEICO gives plenty of benefits in return for the price it charges. Discounts are a good example, but we’ll cover those a little later. Instead, let’s briefly address coverages.

In terms of coverage, GEICO isn’t the best among Idaho car insurance companies. Beyond collision, comprehensive, and liability, GEICO offers policies like MBI (Mechanical Breakdown Insurance). This policy ensures the company will cover your car repair bills. However, it only applies if your vehicle is less than 15 months old and has traveled under 15,000 miles.

Now, let’s talk about discounts. Here’s a list of the available discounts:

• Driver education discounts
• Multi-policy discount
• Vehicle equipment discounts
• Multi-vehicle discount
• 50 and older discount
• Good student discount
• Good driver discount
• Defensive driving discount
• New vehicle discount
• Military and public service discounts
• Seat belt use discount

If cheap Idaho auto insurance is your priority, these discounts can be of great help to you.

Something else that will doubtless prove helpful is GEICO’s app. The app is comprehensive to the point where you rarely need to call the company to ask anything. This insurer has great tech integration due to the GEICO website and tools like an online premium calculator.

The potential downside to this virtual model is that GEICO offers fewer opportunities for in-person interaction. It has put all its eggs in the online/app basket, so to speak, so the virtual service is noticeably better.

For that reason, GEICO’s car insurance for Idaho drivers feels more tailored for the technologically inclined.

Farm Bureau: Great Blend of Affordable Rates and Discounts

Being a beneficiary of Farm Bureau’s car insurance involves paying an annual membership fee. This typical fee is around $100. 

The initial cost can sour your first impression of the Farm Bureau. It’s also the first thing almost every Farm Bureau review mentions, including this one. But despite this fee, the company is one great option for auto insurance in Idaho.

Farm Bureau’s average coverage costs are pretty low. Expect to pay around $477 per year ($1,586 for full coverage).

For this modest price, you become entitled to some sweet policies.

Beyond comprehensive, liability, and collision coverage, you can enjoy identity theft coverage. It is somewhat rare among insurance companies, making it a good selling point for Farm Bureau. 

The discounts available at Farm Bureau are as follows:

• Multi-policy discount
• Accident-free discount
• Continuous coverage discount
• Postgraduate discount
• Insurance score discount
• Farm discount
• Financial responsibility discount
• Driver training discount
• Customer loyalty discount
• Good student discount
• Defensive driving discount

Your car insurance in Idaho can become incredibly cheap with the right mix of the above discounts. We should note that the selection is admirably large but not mind-blowing. You are to find most of these discounts at other insurers.

However, it’s worthwhile mentioning that Farm Bureau also grants discounts not necessarily related to car insurance. These include discounts on agricultural equipment, prescriptions, rental cars, hotel stays, and entertainment venues. Some of these discounts make this insurance company quite appealing to all sorts of clients.

Reviews for Farm Bureau are favorable – for the most part. While many have dubbed it Idaho’s best insurance provider, there was a notable common thread in the reviews we have read. 

Quite a few people have complained about Farm Bureau being slow to resolve disputes. The company does manage to address almost all issues, but it doesn’t seem to be particularly hasty about it.

Allstate: Impressive Premium Selection

Allstate is the third-biggest of all Idaho car insurance companies in the United States. As such, it has an accordingly high reputation to maintain. Its financial strength is quite solid for this reason.

If you’d like to get insured under Allstate, you have to pay an annual fee of $560. That’s right around the average car insurance cost in Idaho.

The coverage options under Allstate are robust. Here’s what you can enjoy with its insurance:

• Physical damage
• Gap insurance
• Uninsured motorist
• Liability
• Rental reimbursement
• Rideshare
• Roadside assistance

Allstate also offers Your Choice Auto®, a particularly intriguing program that rewards safe driving. Enrolling in this program can reduce premiums. While that reduction won’t match the rates of cheap auto insurance in Idaho, it does come with other perks like preventing the rates to increase.

In terms of discounts, here’s a quick rundown of Allstate’s availabilities:

• Economy car discount
• Early signing discount Al
• Anti-lock brakes discount
• Daytime running lights
• Defensive driving course discount
• Smart student discount
• 55 and retired discount
• New car discount
• Full Pay® discount
• Drivewise
• Utility car discount BI, PD, PIP
• The Good Hands People discount
• Farm vehicle discount
• Premier discount
• Good payer discount
• Homeowner discount
• Multiple policy discount
• Premier plus discount
• Senior adult discount
• Resident student discount
• Allstate Easy Pay Plan discount
• Anti-theft discount
• Safe driver bonus
• Passive restraint discount
• Allstate eSmart® discount

Few auto insurance companies in Idaho have such a vast and varied discount offering. It’s a highlight for this company and a major draw for anyone who loves excellent discounts.

Allstate also has a claim satisfaction guarantee program — if you’re unhappy with your claims payout, you receive a six-month credit towards your premiums. Nine times out of ten, customers raising a complaint receive this credit.

Cheapest Car Insurance in Idaho (By City)

Car insurance doesn’t cost the same in every part of the Gem State. Some areas of Idaho demand their residents to pay more for car insurance than others.

To give you a more nuanced view of car insurance in the region, we examined the financial prospects in a few key Idaho cities. The below prices apply to a 30-year-old male with a clean record driving a 2012 Honda Accord.

Car Insurance Idaho – Laws & Regulations

Now you know about the best auto insurance providers in Idaho. But we’d like to prepare you even better for Idaho’s world of car insurance. 

As such, we’ll take a look at the state’s car insurance laws. Understanding the Gem State’s car insurance laws is vital for not violating them while on the road.

Idaho Automobile Insurance Plan Plan (ID AIP)

Driving without insurance in Idaho makes you liable to paying fines or doing jail time.

Depending on the case, a first offense is punishable by a fine ranging from $75 to $1,000. The offender may also need to provide proof of financial responsibility for a year at most.

However, each repeat offense puts the driver at risk of paying another fine of up to $1,000. The offender could also face jail time lasting up to 6 months.

We’d like to outline some new Idaho car insurance laws you should be aware of as a driver in this state.

• Texting while driving is outlawed.
• Talking over the phone while driving is technically legal. However, it’s grounds for a citation if proven to contribute to an accident.
• Drivers cannot leave their cars running while unattended. They must turn the engines off, lock the ignitions, and take the keys with them.
• All motorized vehicles need two lamps/headlights on both sides of the vehicle’s front end. These lights need to be on from sunset to sunrise and under conditions that make seeing other drivers within 500 feet difficult.

Idaho Auto Insurance Requirements

If you want your car to be eligible for insurance in Idaho, it can’t be older than 20 years.

For those after the lowest possible insurance in Idaho, here are the requirements:

• $25,000 per person per accident for bodily injury
• $50,000 for all persons per accident for bodily injury
• $15,000 for property damage liability
• $25,000/$50,000 in coverage for uninsured/underinsured motorists

SR22 Insurance Idaho

If you have a suspended license, you must have SR22 insurance in Idaho. It also applies if you have a revoked license due to a serious offense (vehicular manslaughter, for example).

Here are some offenses that make grounds for license suspension:

• Leaving an accident scene that results in either injury or death
• Action/conviction in another jurisdiction that would constitute revocation, suspension, or disqualification in Idaho
• Not paying a judgment for damages incurred in an accident
• DUI / DWI
• Committing a felony with a motor vehicle
• Reckless driving
• Driving while revoked, suspended, or disqualified

Idaho Car Insurance for New Residents

People moving to Idaho should be aware of a few things in terms of car insurance.

To get your car insured in the Gem State, you need an Idaho driving license. You have 90 days after taking residence to have your current license converted. You’ll need the following documents to do so:

• Proof of lawful presence in the U.S. (court order, marriage certificate, divorce documents, etc.)
• ID proving identity and age (birth certificate, passport, citizenship certificate, etc.)
• Documentation confirming your Idaho residency (school enrollment records, utility bill, rental agreement, etc.)
• If applicable, proof of name change.

Beyond the above Idaho car insurance requirements, you’ll also have to pay some fees. Don’t worry: they amount to a little under $40. You must pay for the following:

• Written knowledge test: $3
• Driving test fees: $28.50
• County fees for said driving test: $6.50

No-Fault Laws in Idaho

Idaho isn’t a no-fault state. Moreover, it uses an at-fault model (also known as a tort-based model).

That means, when an accident takes place, the involved parties need to determine who was at fault. The guilty party’s insurance is then responsible for paying for damages.

For example, if you have Auto-Owners insurance in Boise and cause a crash, Auto-Owners will have to pay for the other party/parties’ injury and repair bills.

Price Optimization in Idaho

Price optimization is illegal in Idaho. In other words, Idaho forbids raising premium prices based on people’s data like education level or shopping behavior. 

Some car insurance companies have attempted to slide price optimization under the radar in the past. So, while it is illegal, don’t entirely discount the possibility of price optimization happening.

How to Get the Best Car Insurance in Idaho

With insurers and laws out of the way, let’s talk about what you can do to get the best deal. We’ll share a few tips on how to get the best balance of affordability and excellence.

Check Car Insurance Reviews

Reviews are a great way to get an impartial perspective on a car insurance company. Reading people’s and experts’ experiences with a given insurer gives you a solid gauge of its quality. Just be sure to read multiple reviews for the same company to remove any chance of bias.

Compare Idaho Car Insurance Quotes 

Once you’ve narrowed your options down to a few companies, it’s time to ask for quotes.

Don’t be shy about getting quotes. Get as many of them as you need to feel confident about your assessment of the best price.

You should also get more than one quote from each company. There’s always a chance a single quote doesn’t accurately reflect your final premium price. But if you have several car insurance quotes from Idaho insurers, you end up with a more precise average.

See Who Provides the Highest Discounts

Looking only at premium prices is a fine enough way to get a good deal for your car insurance. However, by doing that, you miss out on a potential way to make otherwise pricier premiums way cheaper. Of the various car insurance companies in the Gem State, you can find quite a few that offer considerable discounts. 

Beyond checking out the best auto insurance rates in Idaho, pay attention to discounts, too. See what discounts an insurance company offers, see how much they reduce your premium, and so on. You’d be surprised how much you can cut your costs by being careful with your policy selection.

You should also make sure you understand the requirements each discount entails. For instance, some are only available if you have a good GPA or attend a course.

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