Colorado Auto Insurance [Rates + Cheap Coverage Guide]

If you’re living in Colorado, you’re lucky. The recreational activities at your doorstep are endless and the beauty around you is breathtaking.

You may have noticed your car insurance rates rising recently. In fact, car insurance in Colorado has been rising three times the pace of inflation, according to the Denver Post.

Higher bills are something no one looks forward to. But what choice do you have? You don’t have to feel stuck. We’ll help you navigate the insurance requirements as well as help you find ways to save.

One great way to save is to compare auto insurance quotes and find the lower rate and then switch to that company. You can compare quotes right here for free.

Colorado Car Insurance Coverage and Rates

The average Colorado resident drives just under 37 miles a day for a total of 13,443 in a year. Every mile on the road is a mile of risk for something to go wrong, especially when you live where ice and snow are possible half the year.

You need car insurance, but knowing how to get started finding the right kind of coverage can feel overwhelming.

You don’t need to worry. We’ll help you learn what is required, what you might want, and where you can find it for the best price.

Colorado Minimum Coverage

Colorado is a “fault” state. If you cause an accident, you are responsible to pay for all the damages. The state of Colorado requires car insurance with the minimum limits of 25/50/15 for anyone who drives. This is known as “basic coverage.”

Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage can be rejected in writing. If not rejected, it will automatically be applied to a basic policy.

*May be waived if rejected. UUM must be rejected in writing. MedPay may be rejected in writing or in the same way you buy insurance.

If, on the off chance, you have 25 or more vehicles registered in your name, you have the option to self-insure. According to the Colorado General Assembly:

Self‑insurance. Any individual who has over 25 vehicles registered to his or her name may qualify as a self‑insurer by applying for a certificate of self‑insurance from the state Insurance Commissioner.

The Insurance Commissioner must ensure that the individual will be able to pay the minimum coverages required by the state. For more information on self‑insurance, contact the state’s Division of Insurance within the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA).

The average person doesn’t have 25 vehicles! So, chances are pretty high you need traditional auto insurance. Now you know how much insurance you’re required to have.

But is the requirement enough? Probably not if you have assets or future assets to protect. Imagine you have the minimum required limits and you cause an accident which totals a $60,000 truck. Your policy will pay the $15,000 limit, and you’ll be responsible for the remaining $45,000.

Most experts recommend liability limits of 100/300/50.

The Wall Street Journal recommends the following rule of thumb in regards to insurance coverage limits:

Make sure you’re covered for an amount equal to the total value of your assets (Add up the dollar values of your house, your car, savings, and investments).

Keep in mind that basic coverage provides you with liability protection. It does not pay to repair or replace your vehicle following an accident that you cause or after non-accident related damage. Full coverage, which includes comprehensive and collision insurance, is what you need for that protection.

If you have a lease or loan, you will likely be required to carry full coverage.

Next up, we’ll look at the average Colorado resident and what he or she pays for car insurance. What you pay will probably vary from this, but this will give you a baseline idea.

Premiums as a Percentage of Income

Your Disposable Personal Income (DPI) is what you make after taxes have been taken out. The table below shows Colorado car insurance as a percentage of income:

Basic coverage is what is required by law. Full coverage includes liability, comprehensive, and collision insurance. We’ll break down the average cost of each.

We’ve examined some statistics about what car insurance costs the average Coloradan. Now, we’re going to look at an important statistic concerning insurance companies: loss ratio.

Loss Ratio

Why does this stat matter? What is a loss ratio? Well, a loss ratio shows you the comparison of the premiums taken in to the claims paid out. It matters because it shows you where a company’s money is going: into the company or back to the consumer.

Murphy and Prachthauser sum it up well:

Lower pay loss ratio means the insurance company is paying more for salaries, defense costs, and advertising, rather than paying the policyholders who purchased their coverage. All other things being equal, try to find car insurance companies with a higher pay loss ratio.

Add-ons, Endorsements, Riders

Uninsured/Underinsured motorist coverage is included in a basic policy unless the consumer rejects it in writing. Before you reject it, consider the following statistics about uninsured motorists in Colorado:

Over 13 percent of Colorado drivers don’t have insurance! If they cause an accident with you and you don’t have Uninsured Motorist Coverage, you will wish you did.

Medical Payments is another coverage that is included in a basic Colorado policy but can be rejected in writing or in the form in which the policy was purchased (e.g. internet or phone).

There are several additional coverage options that you can learn more about to decide if they’re a good choice for your situation. We’ll look at those right here:

• Guaranteed Auto Protection (GAP)
• Personal Umbrella Policy (PUP)
• Rental Reimbursement
• Emergency Roadside Assistance
• Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
• Non-owner Car Insurance
• Modified Car Insurance Coverage
• Classic Car Insurance

Pay-by-the-mile car insurance plans are growing in popularity, but currently, there are no companies offering by-the-mile plans in Colorado.

Progressive and Allstate both offer usage-based programs in Colorado. With these programs, you can get a discount based on how well and how much you drive.

Male Versus Female Rates in Colorado

We compiled actual quotes for hypothetical 25-year-olds. One hypothetical person was male, the other female. Besides that difference, all other variables were equal. Here’s how their rates compared:

Both companies charged the female driver more than the male.

In another study, we compared rates for 55-year-olds and with identical demographic and driving history information, besides gender, you can see how their rates compared:

Once again, the female quotes are slightly higher than the male quotes.

Cheapest and Most Expensive Colorado Insurance Rates by County

Denver’s average rates are nearly $500 higher than Grand Junction’s.

Colorado Car Insurance Companies

You have so many options for who to use as your insurer. It’s hard to know where to begin. Who’s going to give me the best rates? Who is going to be the easiest to work with? Who’s good?!

We’ll answer those questions and show you how to get started finding the best insurance company for you.

When you choose a car insurance company, its reputation matters as much as or more than its rates. We’ll show how the largest companies rate in the areas of financial stability and customer satisfaction.

Financial Ratings

AM Best is a credit rating agency. They evaluate insurance companies and then give them a grade based on their financial stability. The table below shows the ten largest insurance companies in Colorado by market share with their AM Best rating.

Customer Satisfaction Ratings

Companies in Colorado With the Least and Most Complaints

When you deal with an insurance company, ideally, you’ll work together and both be satisfied with the outcome. That doesn’t always happen, and when the consumer is dissatisfied, he or she can file a complaint. Those complaints, whether justified or not are considered in the complaint ratios shown below.

Obviously, a large company will have more complaints than a small company due to the sheer volume of business they conduct, so what matters more than the number of complaints is the complaint ratio.

How many complaints does a company receive per one million dollars of business? The answer is the complaint ratio.

These are the companies that had the best complaint ratios in the state.

Next are the companies that had the worst complaint ratios.

Complaint Ratios for Colorado’s 10 Largest Car Insurers

Here’s how the largest companies by market share compare for complaint ratios.

Colorado Car Insurance Rates by Company

Below is a list of the most expensive and the cheapest car insurance companies in Colorado by their average rates.

Largest Car Insurance Companies in Colorado

There are hundreds of licensed insurers to choose from in Colorado, 858 to be exact.

Comparing quotes will help you know where to get started. Once you find the company that offers the best rates to you, do some more research into their financial rating, customer satisfaction rating, and complaint ratios. Then, you can confidently choose your insurer.

Don’t stop now that you know how to choose an insurance company! Make sure your rates stay as low as possible by being a good driver. We’ll show you the laws you need to know to keep your driving record clean.

Colorado Laws

It would take a long time to memorize every law in Colorado. It’s important to follow the laws, but it can be confusing. We’ll help clear the confusion by listing some of the driving laws most important to know.

Car Insurance Laws

Insurance companies in Colorado don’t have free reign to set rates however they want. Although they have leeway, they are governed.

Car Insurance Rate-setting Regulations

While rates are regulated by “open competition,” if the insurance commissioner decides the rates are excessive or could be harmful to the company’s solvency, the commissioner will regulate the rates.

High-risk Insurance

If your license has been revoked or suspended, you may need to file an SR-22 to have your licenses reinstated. The SR-22 form is available from your insurance company but it is not an insurance policy.

The form is just assurance that you will have car insurance coverage. If your policy is canceled, the form ensures the insurer will notify the DMV of insurance cancellation, at which point, your license will be suspended.

You can change insurance companies while you’re required to file an SR-22, but you must get a new SR-22 with the new company before the old one goes out of effect.

Your license may be suspended for any of the following:

• A DUI conviction
• Driving without insurance
• Repeat traffic offenses

Windshield Coverage

Some insurance companies may offer windshield replacement with comprehensive coverage, but there are no laws requiring insurers to cover windows.

Automobile Insurance Fraud in Colorado

The insurance industry estimates that fraud accounts for 10 percent of its operating costs. Why does that matter? If 10 percent of an insurance company’s income goes to fraudulent activities, that essentially means 10 percent of your premiums are being thrown away.

If companies didn’t have to throw that money out, they could reduce your rates.

There are two classifications of fraud: hard and soft.

• Hard Fraud – A purposefully fabricated claim or accident
• Soft Fraud – A misrepresentation of information to the insurance company

Soft fraud is more common than hard fraud. Twenty to 40 percent of consumers admitted to lying to their insurer about one of the following:

• Number of annual miles driven
• Number of drivers in the household
• How the vehicle would be used

Committing insurance fraud is a crime, even if you’re “just” telling a white lie to get a lower rate. If you suspect insurance fraud, you can fill out and turn in this form.

Misrepresentation to an insurance company is considered a misdemeanor and falsifying claims is a class 5 felony.

Colorado has employed an Insurance Fraud Unit to investigate fraudulent activity throughout the state. According to the Attorney General’s Office, The Unit also works closely with other agencies including the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), Colorado Division of Insurance, FBI, and local police departments.

They are working to eliminate insurance fraud in the state.

Statute of Limitations

The length of time you have to make a claim in Colorado cannot exceed the state’s statute of limitations.

The clock starts ticking on the day of the accident. Any lawsuit or claim about that accident will be dismissed if it’s made more than three years after that date.

In the case of an accident-related fatality, the statute of limitations is two years from the day of the death.

Vehicle Licensing Laws

These are important laws to get familiar with. Your car has to be registered and insured to go on the road. If not, you’ll pay.

Penalties for Driving Without Insurance

Colorado has a Motorist Insurance Information Database (MIIDB) program to which the police and DMV have access. Registration information is updated in the MIIDB daily and insurance information is updated weekly or more. The following table lists the penalties for driving without insurance in Colorado:

Proof of Insurance

The following forms of proof of insurance are accepted in Colorado

• Electronic – picture of current insurance card or pdf file of coverage on a phone, tablet, or another electronic device
• Insurance Card
• Declaration Page
• Letter/Binder – from the insurance company on their letterhead

Affidavit of Non-use

According to the Colorado DMV, “Colorado residents who wish to register vehicles that will not be operated for a period of time or are temporarily residing out of state with valid out of state insurance, may complete the Affidavit of Non-use and submit it to their county motor vehicle office.”

Teen Driver Laws

Since adopting Graduated Driver Licensing laws in 2002, teen motor vehicle fatalities have dropped 67 percent! Here are the restrictions and requirements parents and teens need to know.

Older Driver License Renewal

Older drivers must get their licenses renewed every five years, which is the same requirement for the general population. The only difference is how they can renew. The exceptions to getting a license renewed in person are as follows:

• General population – limited to two consecutive renewals online before having to go in person or every other renewal by mail
• Over 66 years old – every other renewal may be by mail

New Resident Licensing

If you’ve recently moved to Colorado, you may be curious about when you’re required to get a Colorado license. The Colorado DMV website says you need a Colorado license within 30 days of residency. The residency requirements are as follows:

• Own or operate a business in Colorado OR
• Are gainfully employed in Colorado OR
• Reside in Colorado for 90 consecutive days

Your valid driver license from your previous state of residence should be enough for you to not have to take a driving or written exam. When you go to the DMV to get a Colorado license, be prepared with the following documentation:

• A valid driver license from the previous state of residence
• Proof of your social security number
• Two proofs of current Colorado address
• Proof of lawful presence
• Money for fees

After becoming a Colorado resident, you must register your vehicle within 90 days.

License Renewal

Driver licenses must be renewed every five years. You should not wait until your license expires.

Renewals may be completed online, in person, or by mail. There are restrictions on renewing online or by mail:

• May renew by mail only every other renewal
• Limited to two times in a row renewing online
• Those 66 years and older are limited to renewing by mail every other renewal at most

Rules of the Road

Colorado is a fault state, so the person at fault in an accident is responsible to pay for damages done to the other party. A fault state is also known as a tort state.

Keep Right and Move Over Laws

When driving, you must keep right when traveling slower than the average speed of traffic around you. On roads with a speed limit over 65 mph, the left lane is reserved for passing.

When stationary vehicles with emergency lights are presents, drivers must vacate the lane nearest those vehicles if safe to do so, or they must slow down.

Speed Limits

Seatbelt Laws

Colorado requires drivers and front seat passengers 16 years old and older to wear a seatbelt. A violation is a secondary offense. You can’t be pulled over for no seatbelt use alone. But you can be pulled over for another offense and ticketed for failure to wear a seatbelt. The minimum fine is $65.

For unbelted passengers under 16 years old, the offense is primary and you may be pulled over for that reason alone.

Riding in the cargo section of a pick-up truck is prohibited unless the cargo area is fully or partially enclosed on all four sides.

Car Seat Laws

Child safety seat laws are primary and you can be pulled over for violating them. The table above lists Colorado’s car seat requirements. The penalty is a $65 fine and a six dollar surcharge.

Ridesharing

The following insurance companies offer coverage for ridesharing services:

• Farmers
• USAA
• Geico
• Allstate
• SafeCo
• State Farm
• MetLife
• American Family

The level of coverage available for ride-sharing varies. Some of these companies won’t provide coverage while a customer is in the car, others will with a surcharge, but none of these companies will drop you for offering ride-sharing services.

Colorado was the first to pass a regulatory bill for ridesharing companies in 2014. The bill requires ride-sharing companies to provide their drivers with insurance from app on to app off. Experts say this bill protects other consumers from rising insurance costs to subsidize ride-sharing insurance costs.

Automation on the Road

Red Light Cameras

Red light cameras are used in Colorado. The fine for a violation is $75 and there are no points added to your record. If you are stopped in person for a red light offense, the fine is $110 and four points are added to your license.

Speed Enforcement Cameras

Speed enforcement cameras are also used in Colorado. If you are stopped the traditional way, the fine is $151 and four points are added to your license.

Puffing Laws

When it’s cold outside and your vehicle has frost on the windshield, you may be tempted to start it and let it warm up while you go back inside. That’s called “puffing” and in Colorado puffing is illegal. The reasoning behind this law is to prevent vehicle theft.

The only exception is that you can use remote start if you have it because then your vehicle is locked and the keys aren’t in the ignition.

Safety Laws

Without a standard, each person would decide for himself or herself how to drive best. Sometimes they’d make good decisions, and sometimes not.

DUI Laws

The first three DUI offenses are classified as misdemeanors. The fourth and following offenses are class 4 felonies. There is no official lookback period, so any DUI, no matter how far in the past can be considered in your sentence.

Colorado has two levels of intoxicated driving offenses:

• Driving Under the Influence (DUI) – Blood alcohol content 0.08 percent or higher
• Driving While Ability Impaired (DWAI) – Blood alcohol content 0.05 percent to 0.07 percent

The penalties for driving under the influence in Colorado are below:

A law went into effect recently eliminating a loophole and mandating all persons with a felony DUI conviction to spend time behind bars.

Drug-impaired Driving Laws

Driving under the influence of drugs is illegal and is subject to the same penalties as driving under the influence of alcohol.

Distracted Driving Laws

The table above outlines the cellphone and texting restrictions in Colorado. The penalties for using a handheld device illegally while driving are as follows:

Points

The point system for minors under 18 years old using a handheld device while driving are as follows:

The point system for 18 to 21 year olds using a handheld device while driving are as follows:

The point system for adults 21 and older using a handheld device while driving are as follows:

Colorado Can’t-miss Facts

There are a lot of interesting facts about Colorado. We’re going to focus on some of the facts related to driving that are interesting and helpful to know.

You don’t want to miss what’s next: The hottest vehicles for thieves. Is your car on the list?

Vehicle Theft in Colorado

Even in the safest cities and states, you need to cautious of potential vehicle thefts.

Top Make and Model for Theft

Vehicle Theft by City

Now, we’ll look at the number of thefts in each of these cities.

Vehicle thefts are rising. Check out the six-year trend below.

Risky and Harmful Behavior

For your information, we’ve listed the statistics of driving-related fatalities below by county.

Fatality Rates by County

Fatality Rates Rural Versus Urban

Fatalities by Person Type

Fatalities by Crash Type

(1) Crash Involved Only One Coded Vehicle
(2) Crash Involved at Least One Large Truck
(3) Crash Involved at Least One Vehicle Speeding
(4) Crash Involved at Least One Vehicle That Rolled Over
(5) Crash Involved at Least One Vehicle That Departed the Roadway (FHWA Definition)
(6) Crash Occurred Within an Intersection or Within the Approach to an Intersection
*A Fatality Can Be in More Than One Category. Therefore Sum of the Individual Cells Will Not Equal the Total Due to Double Counting

Fatalities Involving Speeding by County

Fatalities in Crashes Involving an Alcohol-impaired Driver by County (BAC 0.08 percent or greater)

Teen Drinking and Driving

Unfortunately, Colorado ranks number seven nationally for under 18 drunk driving arrests.

DUI Arrests Under 18

Under 21 Drinking and Driving Fatalities

Per every 100,000 people, Colorado experienced 1.2 alcohol-related fatalities for residents under 21 years old. Colorado ranks at exactly the U.S. average for deaths per capita in that age group.

EMS Response Time

Transportation

How does the commute look for Colorado residents? How many own a car? How do they get to work? We’ll answer those questions next.

Car Ownership

In Colorado, 40.9 percent of households owned two cars in 2018. That’s slightly above the national average of 40.3 percent.

Commute Time

The average commute time lasted 23.7 minutes in 2018, which is slightly lower than the national average. A little more than 2 percent of workers have “super commutes,” which are 90 minutes or longer.

Commuter Transportation

Almost 75 percent of Coloradoans drive alone on their daily commute. Equal numbers of workers either carpooled or worked at home at 8.5 percent.

Top Cities for Traffic Congestion

Now, you have a great foundation for understanding what you need for insurance, what you can expect your rates to be, and how you can stay safe and obey the traffic laws.

Get started on the path to saving by entering your ZIP code below and comparing car insurance quotes side-by-side for free!