Car Insurance Quotes in Colorado

Car insurance requirements in Colorado, as in the rest of the 50 states, are required by the particular state rather than the United States government. Each state has its own laws with regard to insurance requirements.

Most have a Department of Insurance that oversees these laws, licensing of insurance companies and agencies, rates that may be charged for insurance in the state, as well as the minimal amounts of insurance legally required within the state.

Be sure to enter your ZIP code into the FREE comparison tool located at the top of this page!

In Colorado, this regulatory agency may be found under the acronym of DORA, Department of Regulatory Agencies.

Because Colorado is one of the Rocky Mountain States, the terrain and population varies widely from east to west as well as north to south.

Obviously, mountainous terrain is one of the advantages of the state but it is equally composed of high arid plains with agricultural activities and low population and the Front Range of the Rockies, the most populous area, consisting of an interface between mountain and plain.

The metro area of Fort Collins, Denver, Colorado Springs, and Pueblo form an almost continuous urban complex. This variation in population and terrain contribute to differences in insurance premiums depending upon the area in which cars are garaged.

Basic Insurance Requirements

Colorado requires the following limits of liability in order to maintain a drivers license in the state:

• $25,000 per person – Bodily Injury Liability – Your legal liability as driver/owner of the vehicle for injury to another person.
• $50,000 per accident – Bodily Injury Liability – Cumulative amount for up to two individuals for your legal liability as driver/owner of the vehicle for injury to another person.
• $15,000 per accident – Property Damage Liability – The amount for which you are legally liable as driver/owner of the vehicle.
• (As of 2009) $5,000 medical payments coverage for the insured driver and passengers to pay for their injuries – no matter who is at fault. Rejection of this coverage may be accomplished by the policyholder but must be done in writing by the purchaser.
• $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident coverage applying to un-insured or underinsured motorists is required to be offered to policy-holders, again, to be rejected in writing – if at all- by the purchaser.

Common sense recommends that higher limits of liability should be carried to prepare yourself for increased medical costs and inflation in the event of an accident.

Insurance companies will not pay more than the limits of liability stated on the policy in the event of an accident. This includes emergency treatment, loss of income, hospital and doctor bills, attorney's fees – if any, and rehabilitation costs. Therefore, the following limits of liability are recommended for individuals.

• $100,000 per person Bodily Injury Liability
• $300,000 per accident Bodily Injury Liability
• $50,000 per accident Property Damage Liability
• $5,000 Medical Payments
• $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident underinsured/uninsured motorists coverage

If possible, higher limits of liability than this are recommended to protect your financial well being if you should be involved in an at-fault accident.

Physical Damage to Your Own Vehicle

If you owe money on your automobile to the bank, credit union, or other lending institution, that institution will likely require that physical damage be purchased to protect their interest in your vehicle.

Ordinarily, a deductible is factored into the premiums to reduce premium costs. This deductible should be calculated carefully to comply with the requirements of your lender and the amount you can legitimately afford should the vehicle be damaged.

A deductible of $250 or $500 per accident is recommended. This type of coverage will be shown on your policy as:

• Comprehensive damage to your vehicle: theft, fire, vandalism, weather, and falling objects. In Colorado, many losses come from weather – hail damage is a very real factor in comprehensive coverage. This is the coverage that pays for when you run into a deer crossing the road. It does not include coverage for things such as stereos, CD players, navigation systems, and cell phones.
• Collision damage to your vehicle: caused by colliding with something else whether it is another vehicle or a stationary object.

Saving Money on Car Insurance

There are a number of ways of reducing the cost of car insurance. Among them are the following:

• Maintain good credit – insurance companies use your credit as a portion of the rating factors for car insurance
• Compare costs among carriers – it is recommended that you check three or more quotes before purchasing
• Combine insurance policies with one insurance company – putting your homeowners policy and automobile policy with one company can result in up to a 20% discount
• Check the costs of car insurance before purchasing a vehicle
• Choose safety features on your car such as anti-lock brakes, passive restraint systems, and alarm systems – all of which can reduce your insurance premiums
• Watch your tickets and accidents carefully – increased violations and claims can raise your car insurance rates
• Consider paying your premiums in full rather than by payment – many companies give a discount for this

Don't be satisfied with your current premiums because insurance companies adjust rates according to their experience.

Each year you should check premiums to assure yourself that you have the best prices possible. More consumer information can be obtained by accessing the National Association of Insurance Commissioners website.

Premium Comparisons

To show the differences among premiums for different areas of Colorado, these quotes will represent the same driver, limits, and automobile.

• Vehicle – 2012 Ford Fusion S FWD 2.5L, Duratec 14 Engine, 6 speed automatic transmission
• Driver – 35 year-old male, married, principal operator, drives less than 15 miles to work each way, with no traffic convictions or accidents within the last three years
• Coverage - $100,000/$300,000 Bodily Injury Liability, $50,000 Property Damage Liability, $5,000 uninsured/underinsured motorists coverage, $500 medical payments, as well as $500 deductible comprehensive and collision coverage.

Comparison Premiums by Location

• Grand Junction, Colorado – premiums vary from $277.00 to $882.00 every six months, depending upon the company. Grand Junction is located on the Western Slope of the Rockies just before entering Utah.
• Denver, Colorado – premiums vary from $368.00 to $3,037.00 every six months, again – depending upon the company. Denver is the main metropolitan area in Colorado
• Sterling, Colorado – premiums vary from $283.00 to $2,399.00 every six months – again, depending upon the company. Sterling is located east of Denver on the Great Plains

Exact premiums cannot be quoted without exact details of coverage, drivers, and automobiles to be covered. An exact quotation can be obtained from your local insurance agency or online from the Internet.

Choosing an Insurer

Discuss insurance with your neighbors, family, and co-workers to help you find companies and agents that meet their specifications. Obtain exact quotations from at least three of the agencies and companies that you select.

You will need the following information to obtain a quotation:

• Names, dates of birth, and license numbers for all drivers in the household
• Year, make, and model as well as VIN number for all the automobiles you own. – Be sure to include all vehicles, even the ones parked behind the garage that you're not driving at this time.
• Exact coverage that you need on each vehicle – be sure to keep this information the same so that you can acquire comparable quotes.

Be a wise consumer when choosing your insurance company and agency. Examine their history with the Better Business Bureau. Then make sure to compare your quotes quickly with our FREE tool below.