Auto Insurance in Austin, TX
Protect your vehicle, your finances, and your liability with auto insurance options built around how you actually drive.
// AUSTIN VEHICLE PROTECTION
What Is Auto Insurance?
Auto insurance combines different types of coverage to help protect you from the financial consequences of accidents, vehicle damage, injuries, theft, and other covered losses.
A policy typically begins with liability coverage for injuries or property damage you are responsible for causing. Depending on your needs, you can also add coverage for your own vehicle, medical expenses, uninsured drivers, rental transportation, and other risks.
Risk Coverage Insurance helps Austin-area drivers review available coverage options based on their vehicles, driving habits, financial exposure, and preferred deductibles.
WHAT MAY AUTO INSURANCE COVER?
Auto insurance can combine several types of protection. The coverage included in your policy depends on the options and limits you select.
Bodily Injury Liability
May help pay for eligible injuries you are legally responsible for causing to another person in a covered auto accident.
Property Damage Liability
May help pay for eligible damage you cause to another person's vehicle or other property in a covered accident.
Collision Coverage
May help repair or replace your insured vehicle after a covered collision with another vehicle or object.
Comprehensive Coverage
May help protect your vehicle against certain non-collision losses such as theft, vandalism, hail, fire, falling objects, and other covered events.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage
May help with eligible injuries or vehicle damage when an at-fault driver has no insurance or does not have enough liability coverage.
Personal Injury Protection
May help pay eligible medical expenses, lost income, and certain other costs following an auto accident, subject to policy terms and limits.
WHO SHOULD CONSIDER AUTO INSURANCE?
Anyone who owns or regularly operates a vehicle should review their auto insurance needs. The right coverage depends on more than simply meeting minimum insurance requirements.
Drivers with newer or higher-value vehicles may want physical damage protection for their own car. Households with multiple drivers or vehicles may need to consider how each vehicle is used and who regularly drives it. Drivers financing or leasing a vehicle may also have coverage requirements established by their lender or leasing company.
Austin drivers should also consider how much financial exposure they would be comfortable accepting after a serious accident, vehicle theft, weather-related damage, or collision with an uninsured driver.
What Affects Auto Insurance Cost?
Insurance companies evaluate a combination of driver, vehicle, location, and coverage factors when determining the price of an auto policy.
Driving history and prior accidents or claims
Vehicle make, model, age, value, and repair costs
Annual mileage and how the vehicle is used
Liability and other coverage limits selected
Driver age, experience, and other rating characteristics allowed by the insurer
Where the vehicle is kept and regularly driven
Number of vehicles and drivers on the policy
Collision and comprehensive deductibles
Two drivers with similar vehicles can receive different premiums because insurers evaluate multiple risk factors and use different rating methods. Comparing available options can help identify meaningful differences in both price and coverage.
LIABILITY COVERAGE VS. COVERAGE FOR YOUR OWN VEHICLE
These coverages address different financial risks. Understanding the distinction can help you decide what protection belongs in your policy.
Liability Coverage
Designed to help with eligible injuries or property damage you are legally responsible for causing to others in a covered accident.
Common protection may include:
- Bodily injury liability
- Property damage liability
- Legal defense for covered liability claims
- Payments up to the selected policy limits
Liability coverage generally does not pay to repair or replace your own vehicle after an accident you cause.
Coverage for Your Own Vehicle
Collision and comprehensive coverage can help protect the vehicle listed on your policy against certain types of physical damage.
Common covered risks may include:
- Collision damage
- Theft
- Vandalism
- Hail and certain weather losses
- Falling objects
- Other covered non-collision losses
These coverages address risks to your own insured vehicle that liability insurance alone does not cover.
Texas minimum liability limits are 30/60/25: $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. Minimum limits may not be enough for every driver.
WHAT AUTO INSURANCE USUALLY DOES NOT COVER
Damage Beyond Your Selected Coverage
An auto policy only pays according to the coverages, limits, deductibles, conditions, and exclusions contained in the policy.
For example, liability coverage alone generally will not repair your own vehicle after a collision you cause. Damage may also exceed the limits selected on a policy, leaving you responsible for additional costs.
Common Exclusions and Limitations
Auto insurance is not designed to cover every vehicle expense or loss.
Examples may include:
- Mechanical breakdown or normal wear
- Intentional damage
- Certain excluded drivers or uses
Coverage varies by insurer and policy, so exclusions should be reviewed before selecting coverage.
IMPORTANT AUTO INSURANCE DECISIONS
Choose Liability Limits Carefully
Minimum limits may satisfy legal requirements, but they may not be enough to cover the full cost of a serious accident.
Decide How to Protect Your Vehicle
Consider your vehicle's current value, repair costs, financing requirements, and how easily you could replace it yourself after a major loss.
Review Deductibles and Optional Coverage
review options such as rental reimbursement, medical coverage, uninsured/underinsured motorist protection, and other available endorsements instead of focusing only on premium.
Related Coverage Options
Auto insurance can include several types of protection. These coverage options address different risks to you, your passengers, and your vehicle.
Collision Coverage
May help repair or replace your insured vehicle after a covered collision with another vehicle or object.
Comprehensive Coverage
May help protect your vehicle from certain losses that do not involve a collision, including theft, vandalism, weather damage, and falling objects.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage
May help when an at-fault driver has no insurance or does not carry enough insurance to address an eligible loss.
// faq
AUTO INSURANCE FAQS
What auto insurance is required in Texas?
Texas drivers are generally required to show financial responsibility. For a standard liability policy, the current minimum limits are $30,000 for injuries to one person, up to $60,000 for injuries per accident, and $25,000 for property damage per accident, commonly called 30/60/25.
Minimum requirements should not automatically be treated as the amount of coverage that is appropriate for every driver.
What is the difference between liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage?
Liability coverage helps address eligible injuries or property damage you are responsible for causing to others.
Collision coverage may help repair or replace your insured vehicle after a covered collision, while comprehensive coverage addresses certain non-collision losses such as theft, vandalism, hail, fire, and falling objects.
Do I need collision and comprehensive coverage?
That depends on your vehicle, financial situation, lender requirements, deductible preferences, and how much risk you are comfortable keeping yourself.
If your vehicle is financed or leased, the lender or leasing company may require physical damage coverage. If you own the vehicle outright, consider whether you could comfortably repair or replace it yourself after a major loss.
What is Personal Injury Protection?
Personal Injury Protection, or PIP, can help pay eligible medical expenses and may also provide benefits for lost income and certain other costs following a motor vehicle accident.
Texas auto policies provide PIP unless the named insured rejects the coverage in writing.
What does uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage do?
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage may help when you are involved in an eligible accident with a driver who has no insurance or does not carry enough insurance to cover the loss.
Texas insurers must provide UM/UIM coverage unless the named insured rejects it in writing. It can also apply in certain hit-and-run situations.
Does auto insurance cover a rental car while my vehicle is being repaired?
Rental reimbursement coverage may help pay for temporary transportation when your insured vehicle is being repaired after an eligible covered loss.
It is typically an optional coverage and is subject to the limits and conditions of the policy.
What information do I need to request an auto insurance quote?
You will generally need information about the vehicles and drivers you want insured, where the vehicles are kept, how they are used, approximate mileage, current coverage, and the limits or deductibles you want to consider.
You can begin with the auto insurance quote form, which will guide you through the information needed to start reviewing available options.
//Talk to an Insurance Expert
Compare Auto Insurance Options
Tell us about your vehicles, drivers, and current coverage needs. A licensed insurance agent can help you review available auto insurance options for your Austin or Central Texas household.