How much is car insurance in Washington?
Car insurance in Washington cost an average of $1,235 a year for full coverage in 2023 (NAIC), sitting 14% below the $1,439 national average and coming to about $1,460 a year in Washington today (about $120 a month in August 2026 dollars). In Washington, the law asks for at least 25/50/10 liability, while Washington liability-only policies—the closest NAIC figure to minimum coverage—averaged $708 in 2023 (about $840 today).
Average car insurance cost in Washington: 14% below the US average
Typical Washington full-coverage price today
about $1,460 a year in Washington (about $120 a month)
Washington's 2023 NAIC full-coverage average ($1,235) adjusted +18% to August 2026 using the US motor-vehicle insurance price index; your Washington rate depends on your car, driving history, and coverage limits.
In 2023 NAIC data, Washington was the 21st least expensive of the 50 states and DC for full coverage ($1,235 vs $1,439 nationally), but ranked higher on liability alone (20th highest in the US at $708) because liability makes up 57% of a full-coverage Washington bill. Across all insured vehicles in Washington (including policies without collision or comprehensive), NAIC's 2023 average expenditure was $1,153 (25th highest in the US, about $1,370 today)—only 7% ($82) below Washington's $1,235 full-coverage benchmark.
How Washington compares with Idaho and Oregon
A typical policy in Washington ($1,235 in 2023) costs more than in Idaho and less than in Oregon. Among Washington's neighbors, Idaho had the lowest 2023 average ($981, moving to Washington is about $340 more a year) and Oregon had the highest ($1,268, moving to Washington is about the same).
| State | 2023 average | Moving to Washington from there |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $1,235 | Current state (Washington) |
| Idaho | $981 | About $340 more a year |
| Oregon | $1,268 | About the same |
| US average | $1,439 | US benchmark |
States with similar 2023 full-coverage averages: Virginia ($1,238 in 2023, about $1,470 today), West Virginia ($1,227 in 2023, about $1,450 today), Minnesota ($1,223 in 2023, about $1,450 today), and Illinois ($1,257 in 2023, about $1,490 today).
Washington: 25/50/10 minimums since 1980, with PIP offered unless you reject it in writing
- Washington liability (per person / per crash / property)
- $25,000 / $50,000 / $10,000
- Personal injury protection (PIP) in Washington
- Not required
- Medical payments in Washington
- Not required
- No-fault system in Washington
- No
- Uninsured motorist in Washington
- Included unless you decline in writing
- Underinsured motorist in Washington
- Included unless you decline in writing
Set by RCW 46.29.090, Washington'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 Washington, not a coverage recommendation, and it excludes collision or comprehensive repairs on your own car.
Liability-only coverage in Washington—the closest NAIC figure to what a Washington minimum policy costs—averaged $708 in 2023 (about $840 in Washington today), the 20th highest of the 50 states and DC. That makes liability 57% of Washington's full-coverage average ($1,235), while the remaining 43% goes toward collision and comprehensive coverage for your own car.
Washington requires at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash for injuries, plus $10,000 for property damage. Underinsured-motorist coverage (which also covers uninsured drivers) is included unless you reject it in writing. Your insurer must offer PIP, and you have to reject it in writing if you don't want it.
Good to know: The law calls PIP "an optional coverage" that insurers must offer, so it's marked not required. But to go without it, you have to turn it down in writing.
- Personal injury protection
- Insurers must offer PIP with at least $10,000 medical/hospital, $2,000 funeral, $10,000 income continuation (max $200/week), and $5,000 loss of services (max $200/week). You can reject it in writing.
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist
- Washington counts a driver with no insurance as underinsured, so one coverage handles both. It matches your liability limits unless you turn down all or part of it in writing.
- History and recent checks
- 25/50/10 unchanged since 1980 (RCW 46.29.090 history); no 2024-2026 change found. RCW 46.30.020 was amended by 2025 c 332 but the minimum amounts still reference RCW 46.29.090.
- Checked
- September 22, 2026
- Sources
- RCW 46.29.090
not less than twenty-five thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death of one person ... not less than fifty thousand dollars ... not less than ten thousand dollars because of injury to or destruction of property
- RCW 46.30.020
No person may operate a motor vehicle subject to registration ... unless the person is insured under a motor vehicle liability policy with liability limits of at least the amounts provided in RCW 46.29.090
- RCW 48.22.030
unless coverage is provided therein or supplemental thereto for the protection of persons insured thereunder who are legally entitled to recover damages from owners or operators of underinsured motor vehicles ... may reject, in writing, underinsured coverage
- RCW 48.22.085
may be issued unless personal injury protection coverage is offered as an optional coverage. (2) A named insured may reject, in writing, personal injury protection coverage
- RCW 48.22.095
must offer minimum personal injury protection coverage ... (a) Medical and hospital benefits of ten thousand dollars; (b) A funeral expense benefit of two thousand dollars
- RCW 46.29.090
Adding a 16-year-old driver in Washington: about $970 more a year
Adding a 16-year-old to a Washington policy
about $970 more a year
About $80 a month (+66% over a typical Washington adult policy of $1,460), bringing the combined Washington family policy to roughly $1,800–$3,200 a year.
On a separate Washington policy of their own with the same car, a 16-year-old in Washington would pay about $4,200 a year (roughly $3,200–$6,000), so sharing a parent's Washington policy saves about $3,230 a year.
Our teen-driver multipliers come from California's published age-rating filings scaled to Washington's baseline. How adding a teen driver works.
Cheapest cars to add a teen with in Washington
In Washington, 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 $860 more a year on a Washington policy, versus about $1,450 more a year for the 2022 Tesla Model 3 at the top of Washington's list.
| 2022 model | Added to a Washington policy | Own Washington policy |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Subaru Forester | +$860 in Washington | $3,750 in Washington |
| 2022 Subaru Outback | +$860 in Washington | $3,760 in Washington |
| 2022 Subaru Crosstrek | +$870 in Washington | $3,770 in Washington |
| 2022 Honda CR-V | +$930 in Washington | $4,030 in Washington |
| 2022 Toyota RAV4 | +$940 in Washington | $4,100 in Washington |
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 Washington
In Washington, a 45-year-old with full coverage pays from about $1,390 a year for a 2024 Subaru Forester to about $1,610 for a 2024 Honda HR-V on these Washington sample models.
| Car | 45-year-old in Washington | Adding a teen in Washington |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Honda HR-V | about $1,610 a year | +$1,060 a year |
| 2024 Hyundai Kona | about $1,550 a year | +$1,020 a year |
| 2024 Toyota RAV4 | about $1,510 a year | +$1,000 a year |
| 2024 Honda CR-V | about $1,490 a year | +$990 a year |
| 2024 Subaru Forester | about $1,390 a year | +$920 a year |
| 2024 Subaru Outback | about $1,390 a year | +$920 a year |
| 2024 Mazda CX-5 | about $1,530 a year | +$1,010 a year |
| 2024 Hyundai Tucson | about $1,590 a year | +$1,050 a year |
See all 121 popular cars, SUVs, pickups, and EVs.
Common questions about car insurance in Washington
- How much is car insurance in Washington?
- In Washington, full-coverage car insurance averaged $1,235 a year in 2023 (the 21st least expensive of the 50 states and DC per NAIC), or about $1,460 a year ($120 a month) in Washington as of August 2026. Washington liability-only coverage averaged $708 in 2023 (57% of Washington's full-coverage figure, or about $840 today), and Washington drivers spent $1,153 per insured car across all policies.
- What are the minimum car insurance limits in Washington?
- Under RCW 46.29.090, Washington requires 25/50/10 liability: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash for bodily injury, plus $10,000 for property damage. 25/50/10 unchanged since 1980 (RCW 46.29.090 history); no 2024-2026 change found. RCW 46.30.020 was amended by 2025 c 332 but the minimum amounts still reference RCW 46.29.090.
- How much does adding a 16-year-old teen driver cost in Washington?
- Adding a 16-year-old to a parent's full-coverage policy in Washington adds about $970 more a year ($80 a month), bringing the Washington household policy to roughly $1,800–$3,200 a year versus about $4,200 a year (roughly $3,200–$6,000) on a standalone Washington teen policy.
- Is Washington a no-fault car insurance state?
- No—Washington follows fault-based crash rules, but Washington insurers must offer or include personal injury protection (PIP) unless you reject it in writing. Insurers must offer PIP with at least $10,000 medical/hospital, $2,000 funeral, $10,000 income continuation (max $200/week), and $5,000 loss of services (max $200/week). You can reject it in writing.
- How does Washington's car insurance cost compare with Idaho?
- Washington averaged $1,235 for full coverage in 2023 (NAIC) against $981 in Idaho (26% more than Idaho), and moving a sample policy from Idaho to Washington today is about $340 more a year. Other bordering states averaged $1,268 in Oregon in 2023.
Sources for Washington
- Washington average premiums ($1,235 full coverage, $708 liability-only, $1,153 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).
- Washington minimum coverage statutes (RCW 46.29.090; RCW 46.30.020; RCW 48.22.030; RCW 48.22.085; RCW 48.22.095), checked September 22, 2026. Page updated for Washington. 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.