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Thanks to the popularity of vacation destinations such as Las Vegas, Reno, and Lake Tahoe, the state of Nevada has become somewhat synonymous with casinos and gambling.

However, if you’re a Nevada resident, gambling with the cost and extent of your auto insurance coverage can be a risk that’s not worth taking.

The best way to assure yourself that you’re getting the proper car insurance coverage for your situation at the best possible rates is to compare auto insurance quotes from multiple companies.

Enter your ZIP code to start comparing quotes today!

Nevada Insurance Coverage and Rates

Despite the distance between the wide-open desert and the decadent destination spots for which Nevada is known, a resident of Nevada drives less than the average American. On average, Nevadans drive about 12,900 miles each year, which is about 600 miles less than the national average.

Due to having a shorter than average commute time, Nevadans are on the road less than their counterparts in neighboring states like California, Arizona, and Colorado.

Every mile on the road is a mile of potential risk. You need adequate auto insurance to mitigate that risk.

Knowing what constitutes adequate coverage and how to find affordable auto insurance can be burdensome.

No 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.

Nevada Minimum Coverage

Nevada is a traditional “fault” state, meaning that if you cause an accident, you’re responsible to pay for all the resulting damages.

The country recently increased the required state minimum coverage for auto insurance in Nevada to 25/50/20 for all motorists. This means that car owners must carry the following minimum levels of liability insurance:

• $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person in an accident caused by the owner of the insured vehicle
• $50,000 for total bodily injury or death in an accident caused by the owner of the insured vehicle
• $20,000 for property damage per accident caused by the owner of the insured vehicle.

Nevada does not require you to carry Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage, but it is available, and it can protect you and your passengers if the at-fault driver has no insurance or not enough insurance or if you’re the victim of a hit-and-run.

Is it in your best interest to only get the minimum coverage? Maybe. Maybe not.

If you have assets or future assets that you wish to protect, you want to consider increasing your liability coverage.

The experts at the Wall Street Journal recommend liability limits of 100/300/50 and offer the following advice for choosing your 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).

Please be aware that basic coverage only provides you with liability protection; It will not pay to repair or replace your car for an accident that you cause.

If you’re looking to repair or replace your car after an accident, then collision and comprehensive coverage are worth the investment. These policies come with a deductible and they pay out based on the current value of your car, not necessarily the price you might have paid for it.

Self-insurance and fleet registration is available to individuals and businesses with 10 or more cars registered in the state of Nevada.

Moving on, we will examine the average Nevadan pays for auto insurance. The amount you pay may, in all likelihood, be higher or lower than these figures, but this data will give you an initial frame of reference.

Premiums as a Percentage of Income

American entrepreneur, Robert Kiyosaki, has often said, “It’s not how much money you make, but how much money you keep.”

That often-repeated quote can also serve as a definition of one’s Disposable Personal Income (DPI), which is what one makes after Uncle Sam takes his cut in taxes.

You are mandated by law to carry at least the basic coverage. A full-coverage policy includes liability, comprehensive, and collision insurance. Here’s a peek at the average cost of each:

The average cost of insurance across the nation varies, with Nevada’s average cost being slightly higher than normal.

Now that we have delved into some data about auto insurance costs to the individual consumer, let’s take a look at some important statistics about the corporate entities, the insurance companies themselves.

First, let us examine the loss ratio.

Loss Ratio

What exactly is a loss ratio? And what is its effect on your premiums?

The insurance loss ratio is the loss to the insurance company for claims that were paid out, divided by the premiums collected. A high loss ratio means that an insurance company has too many customers filing claims, which will subsequently lead to a rise in future premiums for all consumers.

Add-ons, Endorsements, Riders

More than 10 percent of drivers in Nevada don’t have insurance! That stat alone might make you think twice about declining the optional (but recommended) Uninsured Motorist Coverage.

Medical Payments Coverage is optional in Nevada. If you choose that additional coverage, the minimum limit in Nevada is $1,000 per person. However, you may select a higher limit or reject the coverage entirely, in writing and signing where indicated.

Med Pay insurance applies regardless of whether the insured or another driver was at fault. It even applies when the insured or the insured’s family are pedestrians on the street and are struck by another motorist.

Despite the increasing popularity of pay-by-the-mile auto insurance plans offered by companies like Metromile, they are currently not being offered in Nevada.

No need to fret because Usage-Based Insurance programs (UBI) are active and available to Nevada residents. With these programs, you can get a discount based on how well and how much you drive.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has introduced a new tool DriveCheck to help consumers determine what UBI, if any, would be right for them.

Additionally, here are several more optional enhancements that you can explore to decide if any of them are the right fit for you:

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

Average Monthly Auto Insurance Rates by Age & Gender in NV

In an attempt to explain the differences between the sexes, Dr. John Gray posited that Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus. Dr. Gray failed to explain whether those differences amounted to any significant difference in their auto insurance quotes.

Fear not! We have done the research for you. Take a look at the statistics we pulled together below.

As we can see, males typically have higher rates. While this may seem unfair, the most important thing to realize is that age is the predominant factor in determining rates. Rates level out and become more equal as both men and women get older, simply because they gain more experience as drivers.

Cheapest Nevada Insurance Rates by Location

Liability #1 is the minimum required coverage in Nevada of 25/50/20 with a $250 comprehensive deductible, $500 collision deductible.

Liability #2 is the recommended coverage of 100/300/50 with a $250 comprehensive deductible, $500 collision deductible.

While Las Vegas and Reno are both known for their casinos and resorts, your liability insurance will be over 50 percent more costly in Sin City.

Nevada Auto Insurance Companies

Trying to pick the best auto insurance company for your situation can be a daunting task.

Who’s going to give you the best rates? Who has the best customer service? Do you qualify for any discounts or upgrades? Like a bachelor on a limited budget on his first Vegas weekend, it’s hard to even know where to begin.

We will show you how you can have confidence in choosing the best company for your specific needs.

When selecting which auto insurer to give your business, your end game should be to find the company with the best reputation.

A company’s public reputation can sometimes be an indicator of the kind of rates it offers to its consumers. 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. It evaluates insurance companies and grades them based on their financial stability. The table below shows the ten largest insurance companies in Nevada as measured by direct premiums written with their AM Best rating.

Customer Satisfaction Ratings

Companies in Nevada With the Least and Most Complaints

For any relationship to be successful and long-lasting, trust has to be a major factor. Both parties must work together to achieve satisfaction.

Unfortunately, satisfaction isn’t always 100 percent guaranteed. When a consumer is dissatisfied, he or she can file a complaint. Those complaints, justified or not, are factored into a company’s complaint ratios.

The complaint ratio is how many complaints a company receives per one million dollars of business.

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.

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

Complaint Ratios for Nevada’s 10 Largest Auto Insurers

Here’s how the largest auto insurance companies in Nevada compare with one another in terms of complaint ratios.

Nevada Auto Insurance Rates by Company

Below is a list of the most expensive and the cheapest auto insurance companies in Nevada by their average premiums.

Largest Auto Insurance Companies in Nevada

Looking for a licensed auto insurance company in Nevada? You’ve got 882 companies from which to choose. Nine of them are locally based in state, but the vast majority are foreign to the Silver State.

The best way to ensure that you’re getting the best possible coverage at the best possible rates for your specific circumstance is to compare rates from multiple carriers. Comparing rates and shopping around for more affordable coverage is an exercise you should do every six months to a year.

Another sure-fire way to make sure your rates stay as low as possible is to be a good driver. And being a good driver entails knowing the rules of the road and adhering to them. We’ll go over the laws of the land to keep you informed and your driving record spotless.

Nevada Laws

It would be both impossible and impractical to list and memorize every traffic law in Nevada. We’ll help clear the confusion by listing some of the most pertinent driving laws of which all Nevadans should be aware.

Auto Insurance Laws

Insurance companies in Nevada do not have complete autonomy in setting rates for auto insurance. They are afforded a lot of authority in deciding such matters, but ultimately they are governed and regulated by the NAIC.

Auto Insurance Rate-setting Regulations

“Open competition” is the capitalistic process in which rates are formed; however, if the insurance commissioner decides that rates are excessive or could be harmful to the company’s solvency, he or she will step in and adjust those figures.

High-risk Insurance

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

If you are required to maintain an SR-22 filing as a condition of your reinstatement, it must be maintained for three years from the date you reinstate your driver license.

If at any time during the three-year period you fail to maintain the SR-22, your driving privilege will be suspended. This may result in starting the three-year requirement again. If we receive a cancellation of your SR-22, you will be notified of a possible suspension by certified mail.

Please be sure to have the correct address on your driver’s license to ensure that you receive our notice.

In Nevada the following offenses may lead to your license being suspended:

• Point Suspension — When you accumulate 12 or more demerit points against your license in a 12-month period.
• Driving Under the Influence — If breath, blood or urine tests reveal you are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs or if you are convicted of DUI.
• Collision with Bicyclist or Pedestrian — If you cause a collision with a person riding a bicycle or a pedestrian.
• Failure to Appear — If you receive a traffic ticket and do not pay the fine on time or do not appear as required.
• Security Deposit — If an accident occurs with more than $750 in damage (personal injury or property damage) and you do not have liability insurance. Driver’s license and vehicle registration are suspended.
• Failure to Maintain Insurance –
  • If you are required to provide proof of financial responsibility because of a license suspension or revocation and do not do so, or;
  • if you are cited by law enforcement and convicted of failure to maintain insurance, or;
  • if you have repeated lapses in vehicle liability coverage.
• Child Support — If you are in arrears in court-ordered child support payments.
• Graffiti — If you are found guilty of a graffiti violation.
• Firearms — If a juvenile is found guilty of certain offenses related to firearms.
• Street Racing — If you are found guilty of participating in, or organizing, an unauthorized speed contest on a public highway.
• Alcohol and Drugs — If a juvenile is found guilty of buying, drinking or possessing alcohol; or using, possessing, selling or distributing any controlled substance.

Your license may be canceled for an incorrect or fraudulent license application or it may be canceled if a check written to pay driver license fees is returned for insufficient funds.

Windshield Coverage

Nevada has no specific laws requiring windshield replacement. The state also doesn’t require insurance companies to offer special glass coverage or no-deductible windshield replacement. Your windshield being covered will depend on your specific insurance policy.

Check also Nevada Windshield Replacement Insurance.

Automobile Insurance Fraud in Nevada

Did you know that fraud accounts for roughly 10 percent of operating costs for the insurance industry as a whole? Why does that matter to you as a consumer?

That 10 percent that insurance companies use to investigate, combat, and pay to fraudulent claims is essentially 10 percent of your premiums that are wasted.

And if those fraud numbers continue to escalate it is more likely that the insurance will pass on some of that cost to you as the consumer in the form of increased premiums.

If companies didn’t have to waste your premium dollars on false claims, you could see a reduction in the rates you pay.

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

Insurance fraud in the state of Nevada is a felony. A person convicted of insurance fraud faces up to four years in prison, must pay restitution to the insurance company defrauded, may be ordered to pay for the cost of investigation and prosecution, and may be ordered to pay up to $5,000.00 in fines.

Insurance fraud is a crime no matter how you slice it. Even the “little, white lie” you tell to get a lower rate can lead to harmful consequences. That kind of willful misrepresentation of facts is called known as “Rate Evasion” and is $16 billion annual expense to auto insurers.

If you suspect insurance fraud, you can fill out and turn in this form.

In conjunction with the Attorney General’s Office, Nevada has employed an Insurance Fraud Unit to investigate fraudulent activity throughout the state.

Statute of Limitations

Nevada’s statute of limitations for filing a claim are as follows:

Vehicle Licensing Laws

If you plan to travel through the deserts and mountains and wide-open roadways of the Nevadan landscape, your motor vehicle must be registered and insured. If not, you might suffer some pricey consequences.

Penalties for Driving Without Insurance

Nevada DMV has an online portal where residents can perform tasks such as renew their registrations and drivers’ licenses, update or change their address, and retrieve their driving history. Vehicle registration and insurance information can be easily accessed through the state database.

Proof of Insurance

Nevada accepts the following forms as proof of insurance:

• Electronic — picture of current insurance card or pdf file of coverage on a phone, tablet, or another electronic device
• Insurance Card
• Declaration Page

Affidavit of Non-operation

Any Nevadan who owns a vehicle or vehicles that will not be operated for a period of time or that will be temporarily garaged out of state with valid out of state insurance should complete the Affidavit of Non-operation and submit it to his or her local motor vehicle office.

Teen Driver Laws

When it comes to teen drivers in Nevada, having hands-on experience behind the wheel is a matter of the law.

Young drivers are required to complete 50 hours of behind-the-wheel experience.

Teens must have a licensed driver, who is 21 or older and has been licensed for at least one year, seated next to them at all times while driving.

Ten hours of the experience must be completed in darkness. The darkness requirement does not apply to motorcycle licenses. Motorcycle experience should be completed in daylight only.

If driver education is not offered within a 30-mile radius of your residential address and you do not wish to complete an online course, you must complete 100 hours of supervised experience, 10 hours of which must be in darkness.

Older Driver License Renewal

Older drivers must get their licenses renewed every four years as opposed to every eight years for the general population. Also, older Nevadans must adhere to the following regulations:

• Age 65 and older — Must renew in person
• Age 70 and older — Must undergo a brief physical evaluation or supply a vision and medical report; cannot renew online

New Resident Licensing

If you’ve recently relocated to the Silver State, you may have some questions regarding how and when to apply for a Nevada license. The Nevada DMV states the following:

New Nevada residents must obtain their driver license and vehicle registration within 30 days. The initial fine for failing to register your vehicle is $1,000. It may be reduced to not less than $200 upon compliance.

A valid, state-issued driver license from your previous state of residence should allow you to forego having to retake a driving or written exam. When you go to the DMV to get your new Nevada license, be prepared to surrender your previous state’s license, and bring along with you the following documents:

• Proof of your identity (name and date of birth)
• Separate proof of your social security number
• Two documents verifying your Nevada residence
• Money for any applicable fees

License Renewal

Driver licenses must be renewed every eight years. Renewals may be completed online, in person, or by mail. You should not wait until your license expires. Early renewal options are available.

If your expiration date is less than six months away, the new year of expiration will be set four or eight years ahead. If the expiration date is six months to one year from the date of renewal, the year of expiration will be set seven years ahead.

The same six-month rule applies if you are renewing more than a year ahead of expiration.

For example, if the expiration is one year and five months from the date of renewal, the new year of expiration will be set three years or seven years ahead. If the expiration is one year and seven months away, the new year of expiration will be six years ahead.

Rules of the Road

Nevada is a fault state, meaning that the person at fault in an accident is responsible to pay for damages done to the other party. This is also commonly referred to as a tort state.

Keep Right and Move Over Laws

Nevada law requires that you keep right if driving slower than the average speed of traffic around you. According to the Nevada Department of Transportation, standard move over laws for emergency vehicles have been in place since 2003. These laws require drivers to

• Slow down
• Proceed with caution
• When possible, move to the far lane

In 2017, these laws were expanded to apply to NVDOT vehicles stopped on the side of the road with flashing amber or non-flashing blue lights on.

Speed Limits

Seatbelt Laws

Nevada requires drivers and passengers six years old and older to wear a seatbelt. A violation is not a primary offense.

Not wearing a seatbelt by itself cannot be a cause for your getting pulled over but should you be stopped for some other traffic violation, you can be ticketed for failure to wear a seatbelt. The minimum fine is $25.

Car Seat Laws

All children five years old or younger and weighing less than 60 pounds are required to be seated in a child safety seat, according to the child safety seat laws in Nevada.  They are not permitted to use an adult seatbelt under any circumstances. Nevada law states no preference for rear-facing car seats.

Ridesharing

The following insurance companies offer coverage for ridesharing services:

• Allstate
• Mercury
• State Farm

The level of coverage available for ride-sharing varies. The Nevada Division of Insurance reminds consumers that using ride-sharing apps and services can put them at risk of being uninsured.

The Division recommends that passengers ask to see proof of commercial liability insurance before accepting a ride. Using a vehicle to carry passengers for a fee is typically known as livery services, and requires a commercial auto insurance policy.

Automation on the Road

Safety Laws

The goal of all safety laws should be to ensure the wellbeing of all motorists and pedestrians on the road. The Nevada Department of Transportation is no exception. They have partnered with the DMV, law enforcement, and other agencies statewide to reduce roadside fatalities.

You can learn more about Zero Fatalities NV and how you can volunteer your time to help educate others about roadside safety.

DUI Laws

The Blood-Alcohol Content (BAC) limit in Nevada is 0.08 percent; the High BAC limit is 0.18 percent. The first two instances of a DUI are classified as misdemeanors. Every successive DUI within seven years will be a Class B felony.

Drug-impaired Driving Laws

Nevada has a marijuana-impaired limit of THC per se (two nanograms).

Nevada Can’t-miss Facts

Here are some interesting tidbits for motorists in the state of Nevada.

Vehicle Theft in Nevada

No matter how safe or how luxurious a given state is, none is immune from auto theft. Is the vehicle you’re currently driving make you more susceptible to this kind of larceny? Check out the chart below to find out.

Vehicle Theft by City

The table below gives a breakdown of the top cities for auto theft within the state.

Risky and Harmful Behavior

For your information, we’ve compiled a list of all driving-related fatalities in Nevada.

Fatalities Involving Speeding by County

Fatalities by DUI or Alcohol-Impaired Driver by County

Fatality Rates — Rural Versus Urban

Fatalities by Person Type

EMS Response Time

Transportation

How bad is the commute look for the motorists of Nevada? How does rush-hour traffic compare to the rest of the nation? What methods do they use to get to work? The answers to those questions are coming up next.

Car Ownership

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS), 39.8 percent of households in Nevada owned two cars. That’s a little less than the national average of 40.3 percent.

Commute Time

The average Nevadan has a shorter commute time than the average U.S. worker. Also, 1.92 percent of the workforce in Nevada have “super commutes,” which is any commute that is over 90 minutes long.

Commute times are one of the factors that companies consider when determining your rates. Compared to other factors, it’s effect is relatively small, but it is still worth considering!

Commuter Transportation

The ACS also found that 78.3 percent of Nevadans drive to work alone. Only 10.5 percent carpooled during their daily commute.

Traffic Congestion

Luckily for Nevadans, Las Vegas is the only city in the state with any notable traffic congestion. Sin City ranks 50th in the US for traffic (56th in North America; 314th worldwide) among major cities, its drivers spending only eight percent of their drive time in congestion.

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

Don’t gamble on your insurance rates. Enter your ZIP code below to compare auto insurance quotes to ensure you’re getting the best rates. Dealing with a disreputable company and settling for ruthless premiums is not worth the risk.

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20.02.2019 / auto insurance by state / car insurance by state