Adding a teen driver: what it costs
Adding a new 16-year-old to a typical policy costs about $1,130 more a year nationally, roughly two-thirds more than before. Here's why, what it looks like in your state, and what changes it.
Adding a 16-year-old to a typical policy, nationally
about $1,130 more a year (about $95 a month)
The whole policy: about $1,710 a year before, and roughly $2,100–$3,750 with the teen.
A typical policy here is one average car with full coverage, for a 40–64-year-old with a clean record, at the national typical price. The national average full-coverage cost in 2023 was $1,439, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). Car insurance prices have risen about 18% since then (government price index, August 2026), so we start from about $1,710.
How adding a teen works
When a new driver joins your policy, the insurer reprices the whole household. The best public evidence we have is California's published prices, which compare families with and without a 17-year-old: the whole bill goes up roughly two-thirds more. That's the figure we use everywhere, so outside California it's a rough guide and the range is wide.
On a policy of their own, a new 16-year-old pays far more: about $4,890 a year for the same kind of car (roughly $3,750–$7,000). That's why many families add a new driver to the policy they already have.
What changes it
- Where you live. Every figure scales with your state's typical price. It's about $720 more a year in Maine and about $1,560 more a year in Florida.
- The car they drive. Cars with cheaper repairs and fewer claims cost less to add a teen with. Cheapest cars to insure for a teen driver.
- Good grades and driver training. Many insurers give discounts for both. Discounts can bring it down noticeably; we don't have a public figure yet.
- Your coverage. A higher deductible (the part of a repair bill you pay yourself) lowers the yearly bill, and means paying more yourself after a crash. Try it on the What-if page.
By state
Adding a 16-year-old to a typical policy in each state, and the same teen on their own policy. Pick a state for its minimum coverage, its neighbors, and the cars that cost least to insure there.
| State | Adding them | Whole policy with them | Their own policy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | +$990 | $1,850–$3,300 | $4,310 |
| Alaska | +$990 | $1,850–$3,300 | $4,290 |
| Arizona | +$1,180 | $2,200–$3,900 | $5,120 |
| Arkansas | +$1,010 | $1,900–$3,350 | $4,410 |
| California | +$1,110 | $2,100–$3,700 | $4,820 |
| Colorado | +$1,290 | $2,450–$4,300 | $5,630 |
| Connecticut | +$1,180 | $2,200–$3,950 | $5,130 |
| Delaware | +$1,230 | $2,300–$4,100 | $5,340 |
| District of Columbia | +$1,420 | $2,650–$4,750 | $6,180 |
| Florida | +$1,560 | $2,900–$5,200 | $6,780 |
| Georgia | +$1,370 | $2,550–$4,550 | $5,940 |
| Hawaii | +$780 | $1,450–$2,600 | $3,390 |
| Idaho | +$770 | $1,450–$2,550 | $3,340 |
| Illinois | +$980 | $1,850–$3,250 | $4,270 |
| Indiana | +$810 | $1,500–$2,700 | $3,510 |
| Iowa | +$790 | $1,500–$2,650 | $3,440 |
| Kansas | +$920 | $1,750–$3,100 | $4,020 |
| Kentucky | +$940 | $1,750–$3,150 | $4,110 |
| Louisiana | +$1,550 | $2,900–$5,150 | $6,740 |
| Maine | +$720 | $1,350–$2,400 | $3,150 |
| Maryland | +$1,250 | $2,350–$4,150 | $5,450 |
| Massachusetts | +$1,110 | $2,050–$3,700 | $4,800 |
| Michigan | +$1,230 | $2,300–$4,100 | $5,350 |
| Minnesota | +$960 | $1,800–$3,200 | $4,160 |
| Mississippi | +$1,090 | $2,050–$3,650 | $4,740 |
| Missouri | +$1,030 | $1,950–$3,450 | $4,500 |
| Montana | +$930 | $1,750–$3,100 | $4,030 |
| Nebraska | +$930 | $1,750–$3,100 | $4,030 |
| Nevada | +$1,250 | $2,350–$4,150 | $5,440 |
| New Hampshire | +$810 | $1,500–$2,700 | $3,510 |
| New Jersey | +$1,320 | $2,500–$4,400 | $5,760 |
| New Mexico | +$1,020 | $1,900–$3,400 | $4,420 |
| New York | +$1,480 | $2,800–$4,950 | $6,450 |
| North Carolina | +$860 | $1,600–$2,850 | $3,730 |
| North Dakota | +$750 | $1,400–$2,500 | $3,270 |
| Ohio | +$810 | $1,500–$2,700 | $3,530 |
| Oklahoma | +$1,040 | $1,950–$3,450 | $4,500 |
| Oregon | +$990 | $1,850–$3,300 | $4,310 |
| Pennsylvania | +$1,000 | $1,850–$3,300 | $4,330 |
| Rhode Island | +$1,340 | $2,500–$4,450 | $5,820 |
| South Carolina | +$1,190 | $2,200–$3,950 | $5,160 |
| South Dakota | +$910 | $1,700–$3,000 | $3,940 |
| Tennessee | +$950 | $1,800–$3,150 | $4,120 |
| Texas | +$1,350 | $2,550–$4,500 | $5,870 |
| Utah | +$1,010 | $1,900–$3,350 | $4,370 |
| Vermont | +$750 | $1,400–$2,500 | $3,260 |
| Virginia | +$970 | $1,800–$3,250 | $4,210 |
| Washington | +$970 | $1,800–$3,200 | $4,200 |
| West Virginia | +$960 | $1,800–$3,200 | $4,170 |
| Wisconsin | +$780 | $1,450–$2,600 | $3,400 |
| Wyoming | +$920 | $1,750–$3,050 | $4,010 |
Help us make this better
What adding a teen costs outside California is one of the numbers we most need a public source for. If your state's insurance department publishes sample prices for a family before and after adding a 16- or 17-year-old, it would sharpen every figure on this page. Send us the link.
The What-if page adds a new 16-year-old to your own situation. Tell it what you pay now for the closest estimate. Here's how we got these numbers.
This is an estimate to help you plan, not a quote. We don't sell insurance, and we never pass your info to anyone. Only an insurer can give you a real price.