Best Car Insurance For College Students In North Carolina 2024

The average annual cost of full coverage in North Carolina exceeds $2,000, a figure that gets even higher for college students given their higher risk for accidents. College students don’t have as much experience as other drivers and have a higher chance of distracted driving, not wearing seat belts, alcohol use, speeding, and driving on nights and weekends.

That said, there are ways that North Carolina college students can save on their car insurance.

Cheapest Overall Rates For College Students In North Carolina

Average Cost For 18 Year Old College Students In North Carolina

Average Cost For 19 Year Old College Students In North Carolina

Average Cost For 20 Year Old College Students In North Carolina

Average Cost Of Car Insurance For 21 Year Old College Students In North Carolina

Average Rates For 22 Year Old College Students In North Carolina

Average Rates For 23 Year Old College Students In North Carolina

Average Auto Insurance Rates For 24 Year Old College Students In North Carolina

Average Rates For 25 Year Old College Students In North Carolina

Average Cost Of Car Insurance On Family Policy vs. Individual Policy

Average Rates For College Students In North Carolina – By City

How Can Students Save On Car Insurance In North Carolina

If you are attending college in North Carolina, you might find that your average car insurance premiums are significantly higher than those for drivers just a few years older.

Getting on a parent or guardian policy can save you money, but if that isn’t an option, you will need ways to lower your monthly premiums.

The table below summarizes the potential savings based on types of discounts in North Carolina:

Below are some things to consider:

Student Discounts

The most common student discounts for college car insurance in North Carolina relate to grades. College students in North Carolina can get anywhere between 5% and 20% off their car insurance by maintaining a B average or higher.

Other options include discounts for completing a special driver’s education in North Carolina or attending college more than 100 miles from home.

Affiliation Discounts

Some car insurance providers like Geico offer quotes between 2% and 5% for those who participate in eligible partner organizations and this can include sororities, fraternities, and other charitable organizations.

Used vs. New

The make, model, and age of your vehicle will influence your premiums.

So, while you might be thinking that a newer car is a great present or investment because it saves on gas, it typically comes with higher insurance costs.

This is because insurance providers decide on premiums based on the vehicle accident risk for the driver and how the vehicle influences driving behavior.

Consider that adding features to a new car, even high-tech safety features or a more powerful engine might seem like a good investment, but car insurance providers see a bigger engine as a risk factor for increasing speed and accidents and high tech safety equipment as a more costly repair in the event of a claim.

Car Security And Safety Improvements

Research has indicated that anti-lock brakes can help vehicles stop when braking at a shorter distance or under heavy braking. Long-term data from the US Department of Transportation has found that passenger vehicles with anti-lock brakes provided a reduction in accidents across 17% of drivers.

For these reasons, having anti-lock brakes on a vehicle can get college students in North Carolina discounts of around 5%-10%.

Common Auto Insurance Claims In North Carolina

Generally, North Carolina auto insurance claims fall into four common categories, including:

• Property Damage Claims (3.36 claims per 100 years of vehicle use)
• Comprehensive Claims (2.81 claims per 100 years of vehicle use)
• Collision Claims (5.8 claims per 100 years of vehicle use)
• Bodily Injury Claims (0.95 claims per 100 years of vehicle use)

Parking lot accidents and rear-end collisions are the cause of the higher rate of collision claims in North Carolina with the higher rate of property damage from things like basic repairs and comprehensive damage from things like vandalism and theft.

Do College Students Need Their Own Insurance, or Can They Stay On A Parent’s?

In North Carolina, college students can typically stay on a parent’s policy if a parent’s home remains their permanent residence.

Students who are away at school can take advantage of a way at school discounts, especially if the vehicle they use remains at home.

However, if the vehicle is titled to the student and the student has their own permanent residence where that vehicle remains, then they need to take out their own policy.

Temporary Car Insurance

Not every car insurance provider offers temporary coverage, but it’s a great option for college students who won’t be driving much.

Most temporary auto insurance policies provide six months of coverage and give customers the option to cancel once the term is over. This is ideal for college students who don’t need extra months of coverage while at school and for those planning to study abroad for a semester.

Try Usage-Based Car Insurance

Similar to telematics, usage-based car insurance tracks driving habits, but it has an extra component that is especially appealing to college students.

Usage-based car insurance allows you to get discounts and reduce premiums by driving less annually. These “Pay-Per-Mile” plans offer an affordable coverage option, especially if your car is parked in the dorm lot or at home for most of the school year.

How To Buy Car Insurance As A College Student In North Carolina

When you are ready to purchase your own car insurance policy as a college student in North Carolina, use platforms like Insuranceopedia to make the car insurance shopping experience straightforward and pleasant.

Before you get started, take some time to figure out not only the minimum requirement for coverage in North Carolina but how much you prefer to carry beyond that, as well as what you are comfortable paying for premiums and deductibles.

Gather all of your important information, including your driving record, policyholder data from a previous policy, vehicle details, and personal information like your driver’s license and Social Security number.

From there, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Choose whether to buy insurance online or from an agent.
• Step 2: Compare quotes from at least three different insurers.
• Step 3: Buy your policy, pay your first premium, and get your insurance information in the mail.

Note: If you are switching policies, inform your previous insurance provider.

How To Get Discounts

As a college student, getting discounts on your car insurance policy can be very simple. Remember that each provider has various discounts for policyholders, and you can compare options available to you before buying your plan. These can include the following:

• Vehicle safety devices
• Anti-theft device
• Affiliates
• Paid in full
• Multi-vehicle
• Multi-policy
• Military
• Student away
• Good student
• Safe driver
• Defensive driving
• Low mileage
• Accident-free

Telematics Car Insurance For College Students

For college students, exploring innovative ways to cut car insurance costs is essential. Telematics is one of the most effective strategies to lower your monthly premium.

Insurance companies use telematics devices to track and evaluate your driving behavior. The safer you drive, the lower your rates will be, and you’re more likely to receive discounts for being a safe driver.

North Carolina Car Insurance Laws To Know

All drivers must be continuously insured with minimum requirements of $30,000 for bodily injury for each person under the policy, $60,000 for total bodily injury for all persons in an accident, and $25,000 for property damage.

Drivers in North Carolina must also include uninsured motorist coverage, which provides protection in the event that you are injured by a driver who doesn’t carry insurance.

You can add underinsured motorist coverage if you want as a separate policy to protect when individuals with whom you have an accident do not have adequate insurance.

In addition to the minimum insurance requirements it is imperative that college students know North Carolina does not accept out of state policies. That means if you are going to college in North Carolina but you are from another state you will need to get new coverage offered by a company licensed in North carolina.

Liability coverage in North Carolina applies to anyone living in the household of the policyholder, so if you are under your parent’s policy, their liability coverage will apply to you, but if you are the primary policyholder, your liability coverage will extend to anyone living in your household. Similarly, your car insurance goes with your vehicle, not you as the driver, and that means letting a friend borrow your car, which means that they are also borrowing the insurance policy you have.

License plates in North Carolina will not be provided to drivers until they have proof of sufficient liability insurance. Failure to keep insurance can result in fines and similar penalties.