How much is car insurance in the District of Columbia?
Full-coverage car insurance in the District of Columbia averaged $1,818 a year in 2023 (NAIC)—26% above the $1,439 US average and 4th highest in the US—which works out to about $2,150 a year in DC today (about $180 a month, brought to August 2026 with the federal price index). In the District of Columbia, the law asks for at least 25/50/10 liability, and DC's 2023 liability-only average—the closest NAIC figure to a minimum policy—was $891 (about $1,060 today).
What people pay in the District of Columbia: 4th highest average in the US
Typical DC full-coverage price today
about $2,150 a year in DC (about $180 a month)
DC's 2023 NAIC full-coverage average ($1,818) adjusted +18% to August 2026 using the US motor-vehicle insurance price index; your DC rate depends on your car, driving history, and coverage limits.
In 2023 NAIC data, the District of Columbia was the 4th most expensive of the 50 states and DC for full coverage ($1,818 vs $1,439 nationally), while ranking lower on liability alone (9th highest in the US at $891) because 51% of a full-coverage DC premium goes to collision and comprehensive coverage on your own car. Across all insured vehicles in the District of Columbia (including policies without collision or comprehensive), NAIC's 2023 average expenditure was $1,677 (4th highest in the US, about $1,990 today)—only 8% ($141) below DC's $1,818 full-coverage benchmark.
What sample drivers pay across DC insurers (DISB, 2024)
The DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) 2024 Automobile Insurance Premium Comparison lists six-month sample rates (shown below as yearly, ×2) across 29 insurer filings for minimum required coverages on a three-year-old Toyota Camry. For a 39-year-old single woman with a clean record, the median yearly premium is $1,420 (ranging from $562 to $6,860 across companies).
| Location | Companies | Median yearly rate | Lowest–highest company |
|---|---|---|---|
| District-wide | 29 | $1,420 | $562–$6,860 |
| Location | Companies | Median yearly rate | Lowest–highest company |
|---|---|---|---|
| District-wide | 29 | $1,920 | $750–$7,044 |
These are sample rates for minimum required coverages on one vehicle profile, not District-wide full-coverage averages. The DISB table quotes six-month policies, which are doubled here to yearly. Source: District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking, 2024 Automobile Insurance Premium Comparison: Sample Profiles (6 month policy) (2024 edition (company rate effective dates November 2022 to August 2024; six-month premiums doubled to yearly); checked September 22, 2026).
The District of Columbia costs more to insure than Maryland and Virginia
A typical full-coverage policy in the District of Columbia ($1,818 in 2023) costs more than in both bordering states (Maryland and Virginia). Among DC's neighbors, Virginia had the lowest 2023 average ($1,238, moving to DC is about $780 more a year) and Maryland had the highest ($1,602, moving to DC is about $290 more a year).
| State | 2023 average | Moving to DC from there |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $1,818 | Current state (DC) |
| Maryland | $1,602 | About $290 more a year |
| Virginia | $1,238 | About $780 more a year |
| US average | $1,439 | US benchmark |
States with similar 2023 full-coverage averages: Georgia ($1,746 in 2023, about $2,070 today), New York ($1,896 in 2023, about $2,250 today), Texas ($1,727 in 2023, about $2,050 today), and Rhode Island ($1,710 in 2023, about $2,030 today).
DC: 25/50/10 minimums today, scheduled to rise in 2027
- DC liability (per person / per crash / property)
- $25,000 / $50,000 / $10,000
- Personal injury protection (PIP) in DC
- Not required
- Medical payments in DC
- Not required
- No-fault system in DC
- Your choice
- Uninsured motorist in DC
- Required
- Underinsured motorist in DC
- Not required
Set by D.C. Code 31-2406(b)-(c), the District of Columbia's 25/50/10 minimum pays up to $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash for injuries you cause to others, plus $10,000 for others' property—the legal floor in DC, not a coverage recommendation, and it excludes collision or comprehensive repairs on your own car.
In the District of Columbia, drivers choose whether no-fault rules or traditional fault rules apply on their policy. Under no-fault in DC, your own policy pays for your injuries first regardless of who caused the crash.
Liability-only coverage in the District of Columbia—the closest NAIC figure to what a DC minimum policy costs—averaged $891 in 2023 (about $1,060 in DC today), the 9th highest of the 50 states and DC. That makes liability 49% of DC's full-coverage average ($1,818), while the remaining 51% goes toward collision and comprehensive coverage for your own car.
D.C. requires at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash for injuries, plus $10,000 for property damage. Uninsured-motorist coverage is mandatory, while personal injury protection and underinsured coverage are options. A new law raises the minimums to $50,000/$100,000/$20,000 starting October 1, 2027.
No-fault is your choice here. If you don't choose, ordinary fault rules apply.
Coming October 1, 2027: D.C. Law 26-155 raises the minimums to $50,000/$100,000/$20,000 (and uninsured-motorist coverage to match) for policies from 1 October 2027. Source
Good to know: D.C. is a "choice" no-fault system. PIP is optional, and the limit on lawsuits only applies if an injured person who has PIP chooses PIP benefits. Without PIP, ordinary fault rules apply.
What we couldn’t confirm: We found no way to turn down uninsured motorist coverage in the law, so it's marked required. We marked medical payments coverage not required because we found no law requiring it, not because a law says it's optional.
- Personal injury protection
- Optional. Insurers must offer PIP (medical and rehabilitation, lost work, funeral), and you can buy any or all parts.
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist
- Uninsured motorist coverage is required: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash for injuries, and $5,000 for property damage (with a $200 deductible). You can buy up to 100/300/25. Underinsured motorist coverage is optional; insurers must offer it.
- History and recent checks
- Today's minimums are 25/50/10. A 2026 law (D.C. Law 26-155) takes effect on 1 October 2027: injury liability rises to $50,000/$100,000, property damage to $20,000, and uninsured motorist coverage to 50/100/20. It also requires underinsured motorist coverage (or an "enhanced" version), with ways to waive it, and raises the minimums again every 10 years starting 1 January 2037.
- Checked
- September 22, 2026
- Sources
- D.C. Code 31-2406(b)-(c)
$10,000 for property damage in any 1 accident ... shall be $25,000 per person injured in any 1 accident and $50,000 for all persons injured in any 1 accident
- D.C. Code 31-2403(a)
Each owner of a motor vehicle which is required to be registered ... shall maintain insurance required by § 31-2406
- D.C. Code 31-2406(c-1), (f)(2)
shall include coverage for bodily injury or death in amounts of $25,000 per person ... $5,000 for property damage; optional underinsured motor vehicle coverage
- D.C. Code 31-2404(a); 31-2405(b)
each insurer shall offer ... optional personal injury protection insurance; An insured may obtain, solely at his or her option
- D.C. Law 26-155, secs. 2(a) and 3
inserting the phrase "$20,000 for property damage in any one accident" ... "$50,000 per person ... $100,000 for all persons" ... This act shall apply as of October 1, 2027.
- D.C. Code 31-2406(b)-(c)
Adding a 16-year-old driver in the District of Columbia: about $1,420 more a year
Adding a 16-year-old to a DC policy
about $1,420 more a year
About $120 a month (+66% over a typical DC adult policy of $2,150), bringing the combined DC family policy to roughly $2,650–$4,750 a year.
On a separate DC policy of their own with the same car, a 16-year-old in the District of Columbia would pay about $6,180 a year (roughly $4,700–$8,800), so sharing a parent's DC policy saves about $4,760 a year. In District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking's 2024 sample survey (Single male, age 25 (minimum required coverages)), the median company quote in District-wide is $1,920 a year ($750–$7,044).
Our teen-driver multipliers come from California's published age-rating filings scaled to the District of Columbia's baseline. How adding a teen driver works.
Cheapest cars to add a teen with in the District of Columbia
In the District of Columbia, the 2022 Subaru Forester and Outback come out the same, the least of the 33 cars on the site's popular lists to add a teen with: about $1,270 more a year on a DC policy, versus about $2,140 more a year for the 2022 Tesla Model 3 at the top of DC's list.
| 2022 model | Added to a DC policy | Own DC policy |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Subaru Forester | +$1,270 in DC | $5,520 in DC |
| 2022 Subaru Outback | +$1,270 in DC | $5,530 in DC |
| 2022 Subaru Crosstrek | +$1,280 in DC | $5,550 in DC |
| 2022 Honda CR-V | +$1,370 in DC | $5,930 in DC |
| 2022 Toyota RAV4 | +$1,390 in DC | $6,040 in DC |
The order is the same in every state, because our car data is national. What changes from state to state is the price level. See all 33 teen cars and how we rank them.
What popular cars cost to insure in the District of Columbia
In the District of Columbia, a 45-year-old with full coverage pays from about $2,000 a year for a 2024 Chevrolet Traverse to about $2,350 for a 2024 Kia Sorento on these DC sample models.
| Car | 45-year-old in DC | Adding a teen in DC |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Mazda CX-90 | about $2,330 a year | +$1,540 a year |
| 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe | about $2,250 a year | +$1,490 a year |
| 2024 Hyundai Palisade | about $2,350 a year | +$1,550 a year |
| 2024 Kia Telluride | about $2,250 a year | +$1,480 a year |
| 2024 Kia Sorento | about $2,350 a year | +$1,550 a year |
| 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer | about $2,310 a year | +$1,520 a year |
| 2024 Chevrolet Blazer | about $2,330 a year | +$1,540 a year |
| 2024 Chevrolet Traverse | about $2,000 a year | +$1,320 a year |
See all 121 popular cars, SUVs, pickups, and EVs.
Common questions about car insurance in the District of Columbia
- How much is car insurance in the District of Columbia?
- In the District of Columbia, full-coverage car insurance averaged $1,818 a year in 2023 (the 4th most expensive of the 50 states and DC per NAIC), or about $2,150 a year ($180 a month) in DC as of August 2026. DC liability-only coverage averaged $891 in 2023 (49% of DC's full-coverage figure, or about $1,060 today), and DC drivers spent $1,677 per insured car across all policies.
- What are the minimum car insurance limits in the District of Columbia?
- Under D.C. Code 31-2406(b)-(c), the District of Columbia requires 25/50/10 liability: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash for bodily injury, plus $10,000 for property damage. Today's minimums are 25/50/10. A 2026 law (D.C. Law 26-155) takes effect on 1 October 2027: injury liability rises to $50,000/$100,000, property damage to $20,000, and uninsured motorist coverage to 50/100/20. It also requires underinsured motorist coverage (or an "enhanced" version), with ways to waive it, and raises the minimums again every 10 years starting 1 January 2037.
- How much does adding a 16-year-old teen driver cost in the District of Columbia?
- Adding a 16-year-old to a parent's full-coverage policy in the District of Columbia adds about $1,420 more a year ($120 a month), bringing the DC household policy to roughly $2,650–$4,750 a year versus about $6,180 a year (roughly $4,700–$8,800) on a standalone DC teen policy.
- Is the District of Columbia a no-fault car insurance state?
- In the District of Columbia, you choose between no-fault rules and traditional fault rules when you buy or renew a DC policy. Optional. Insurers must offer PIP (medical and rehabilitation, lost work, funeral), and you can buy any or all parts.
- How do sample car insurance rates vary across the District of Columbia in District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking's 2024 survey?
- In District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking's 2024 comparison (Single female, age 39 (minimum required coverages)), the median quote across 29 DC insurers in District-wide is $1,420 a year, ranging from $562 to $6,860 across companies.
Sources for the District of Columbia
- DC average premiums ($1,818 full coverage, $891 liability-only, $1,677 average expenditure): National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), 2022/2023 Auto Insurance Database Report (2023 data, trended to today with the BLS CPI motor-vehicle insurance series).
- DC sample rate survey: District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking, 2024 Automobile Insurance Premium Comparison: Sample Profiles (6 month policy) (checked September 22, 2026).
- DC minimum coverage statutes (D.C. Code 31-2406(b)-(c); D.C. Code 31-2403(a); D.C. Code 31-2406(c-1), (f)(2); D.C. Code 31-2404(a); 31-2405(b); D.C. Law 26-155, secs. 2(a) and 3), checked September 22, 2026. Page updated for the District of Columbia. See methodology and all sources.
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.