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 lower insurance losses—cheaper crash repairs, fewer injury claims—such as the Subaru Forester, Subaru Outback, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Honda Civic, and Toyota Corolla—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 Try a change 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 Try a change page adds a new 16-year-old to your own situation. Tell it what you pay for your car 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 nothing you type is sent to us. Only an insurer can give you a real price.