Finding dependable, cost effective auto insurance is not easy, and determining which companies quote the most affordable insurance rates for felons requires a bit more work.
Every auto insurer has a different process for filing rates in each state, so let’s rank the insurance companies with the overall best prices in San Jose. It’s important that readers know that California insurance rates are calculated based on many things which can substantially decrease or increase the price you have to pay for coverage. Taking a driver safety course, buying a home instead of renting, or having an accident can cause premium changes resulting in some companies being cheaper than competitors.
Find the Best Cheap Insurance for Felons
Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | Wawanesa | $1,146 |
2 | USAA | $1,155 |
3 | Century National | $1,190 |
4 | CSAA | $1,222 |
5 | Nationwide | $1,263 |
6 | 21st Century | $1,325 |
7 | Grange | $1,447 |
8 | Allstate | $1,497 |
9 | GEICO | $1,513 |
10 | Progressive | $1,542 |
11 | Mercury | $1,548 |
12 | Allied | $1,603 |
13 | MetLife | $1,606 |
14 | The Hartford | $1,623 |
15 | Unitrin | $1,682 |
16 | Esurance | $1,705 |
17 | State Farm | $1,733 |
18 | Travelers | $1,806 |
19 | Bristol West | $1,849 |
20 | Farmers | $2,026 |
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Wawanesa may have some of the cheapest car insurance rates in San Jose at around $1,146 annually. This is $505 less than the average rate paid by California drivers of $1,651. USAA, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide are also some of the best San Jose, CA car insurance companies.
As shown above, if you are a policyholder with CSAA and switched to USAA, you might achieve an annual premium reduction of approximately $67. Policyholders with Nationwide might save as much as $108 a year, and 21st Century policyholders might reduce rates by $170 a year.
Be aware that those rates are averages for all types of insureds and vehicles and are not factoring in a specific zip code for felons. So the auto insurance company that is best for you may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That affirms the importance of why you need to compare rates from multiple companies using your own driver data and vehicle information.
For felons, one of the more important factors that help determine the annual cost of car insurance is where you keep your car. Cities with larger populations or higher claim trends tend to pay slightly more, whereas areas with less crime or weather claims have the enjoyment of a little cheaper coverage.
The information below lists the highest-priced places in California for felons to buy an auto insurance policy in. San Jose is listed at #20 with a yearly premium of $1,395 for coverage, which is about $116 per month.
Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | Glendale | $2,121 |
2 | Los Angeles | $2,083 |
3 | San Francisco | $1,711 |
4 | Oakland | $1,704 |
5 | Sacramento | $1,669 |
6 | Long Beach | $1,626 |
7 | Stockton | $1,603 |
8 | San Bernardino | $1,580 |
9 | Garden Grove | $1,570 |
10 | Moreno Valley | $1,536 |
11 | Fontana | $1,535 |
12 | Santa Clarita | $1,533 |
13 | Modesto | $1,502 |
14 | Santa Ana | $1,497 |
15 | Anaheim | $1,488 |
16 | Riverside | $1,482 |
17 | Fresno | $1,457 |
18 | Huntington Beach | $1,416 |
19 | Fremont | $1,403 |
20 | San Jose | $1,395 |
21 | Bakersfield | $1,394 |
22 | San Diego | $1,381 |
23 | Irvine | $1,371 |
24 | Chula Vista | $1,350 |
25 | Oxnard | $1,304 |
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Rate information is estimated as vehicle location can revise auto insurance rates noticeably.
The vehicle model that needs insurance is one of the main factors that determines if you can find the most economical insurance for felons. Vehicles with limited top-end speed, advanced safety features, or a low likelihood of liability claims will cost substantially less to insure than higher performance models.
The next table outlines car insurance prices for a handful of the cheapest automobiles to buy insurance for.
Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
---|---|
Ford Explorer XLT 2WD | $1,006 |
Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $1,016 |
Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $1,027 |
Honda Odyssey EX | $1,040 |
Chevrolet Impala LS | $1,050 |
Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD | $1,062 |
Ford Focus SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $1,096 |
Hyundai Elantra Blue 4-Dr Sedan | $1,105 |
Ford Escape XLS 4WD | $1,101 |
Toyota Tacoma X-Runner 2WD | $1,118 |
Toyota Prius | $1,135 |
Chevrolet Malibu LTZ | $1,137 |
GMC Sierra 3500HD SLE Regular Cab 2WD | $1,159 |
Dodge Ram Quad Cab SLT 4WD | $1,165 |
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4WD 4-Dr | $1,174 |
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Table data assumes single female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-policy, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and safe-driver. Rate information does not factor in specific zip code location which can decrease or increase prices noticeably.
Based on these rates, we can expect cars like the Ford Explorer, Dodge Grand Caravan, and Honda CR-V will be the more affordable vehicles to insure for felons.
Rate difference between full and liability-only coverage
Finding cheaper insurance should be important to the majority of vehicle owners, and one great way to lower the cost of insurance for felons is to not insure for full coverage. The diagram below illustrates the difference between auto insurance rates with and without physical damage coverage. The rates are based on no accidents or driving violations, $100 deductibles, single marital status, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
If we average the cost for all age groups, full coverage costs an extra $3,385 per year more than buying just liability insurance. That may make you wonder if it’s worth it to buy full coverage. There is no exact rule that works best for making the decision to drop full coverage, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the annual cost of coverage is about 10% or more of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.
For example, let’s say your vehicle’s replacement cost is $11,500 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most your company would pay you is $10,500 after paying the physical damage deductible. If you are paying more than $1,050 a year for physical damage coverage, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.
How to get discounts on San Jose car insurance
Insurance providers that provide policies for felons may provide premium discounts that could lower prices by as much as 40% or more if you are eligible for them. A list of companies and their possible discounts can be found below.
- Progressive offers discounts including continuous coverage, good student, online signing, multi-policy, and online quote discount.
- MetLife may include discounts for accident-free, claim-free, multi-policy, defensive driver, good driver, and good student.
- Mercury Insurance has savings for good student, type of vehicle, accident-free, anti-theft, and multi-car.
- Nationwide offers discounts for anti-theft, business or organization, Farm Bureau membership, accident-free, good student, and family plan.
- GEICO may have discounts that include defensive driver, emergency military deployment, military active duty, federal employee, and multi-policy.
- AAA includes discounts for education and occupation, anti-theft, multi-policy, AAA membership discount, good driver, and pay-in-full.
The illustration below illustrates the comparison of car insurance rates with and without some available policy discounts. The premiums are based on a female driver, no violations or accidents, California state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $100 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows the average annual price with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with multiple policy, marriage, claim-free, vehicle safety, anti-theft, and defensive driving course discounts applied. When discounts are factored in, theamount saved on insurance for felons is 28% or $735.
The example below highlights how deductible choice can increase or decrease insurance rates when searching for cheap insurance for felons. The rates are based on a single female driver, full coverage, and no discounts are applied.
The data above shows that a 30-year-old driver could lower their car insurance rates by $400 a year by switching from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $604 by selecting a $1,000 deductible. Even younger insureds, like the age 20 example, could drop their prices up to $888 or more by using a higher deductible.
When choosing a higher deductible, it will be required to have enough savings set aside to satisfy the extra out-of-pocket expense. That is the one disadvantage of using higher deductibles.
Why you should be shopping around
San Jose insurance rates are determined by lots of factors that control the price you pay. Improving your credit rating, buying a different vehicle, or getting a couple of tickets can trigger changes in premium that can make some companies affordable when they were higher priced. Not only may your risk profile change, but companies modify pricing as often as every three months to ensure their profitability. Larger than normal claims may result in rate increases, while lower claims can result in cheaper San Jose car insurance rates.
To illustrate this example, the data below analyzes the cheapest car insurance in San Jose, CA for a 30-year-old female driver with no prior claims, no tickets, and great credit. If we look at prices based on her current rating profile, USAA may offer the best car insurance rates in San Jose at $1,204 per year. This is $447 less than the average rate paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Nationwide, and Century National are also on the list of the most affordable San Jose, CA auto insurance companies.
Now let’s give the driver from the first set of rates a claim surcharge, poor credit, and a traffic ticket or two. Because every insurance company has a unique formula to set their prices, comparing quotes may now show a significantly different list of cheap San Jose auto insurance companies as shown below.
Grange now has the best price on car insurance in San Jose, CA with Progressive, GEICO, Mercury, and Allied also being competitive. This illustrates why San Jose drivers need to shop around with many companies when trying to find the best insurance quotes for felons.
Insurance prices are impacted by many factors and change substantially, so the cheapest rate three years ago may now be costing you a lot of money.