Buying Auto Insurance After Child Is Legal Driving Age

The legal driving age is determined not at the federal level but by each state independently. Depending on where you live your teenager may begin driving anywhere from age 14 on up to age 18.

When your teen becomes of legal driving age you'll need auto insurance. Auto insurance for a boy tends to be more costly than a girl. Some consumers have seen their auto insurance costs double after adding their teenage son onto their auto insurance policy. Teenagers happen to be the riskiest drivers on the road and carry the highest auto insurance premiums. One source indicates that accidental death by car crash is the number one cause of death for teenagers, a sobering statistic.

You can take steps to keep your teen safe on the road and lower your auto insurance rates. Good grades and additional safe driving or defensive driving courses are helpful in lowering auto insurance rates with a teenager on the policy.

Legal Unsupervised Driving Age by State

Age 14 1/4

• South Dakota

Age 15

• Idaho
• Montana

Age 15 1/2

• South Carolina
• Mississippi
• New Mexico

Age 16

• California
• Oregon
• Washington
• Nevada
• Arizona
• Utah
• Wyoming
• Colorado
• Texas
• Oklahoma
• Kansas
• Nebraska
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• Iowa
• Louisiana
• Arkansas
• Wisconsin
• Illinois
• Ohio
• Michigan
• Tennessee
• Alabama
• Georgia
• Florida
• North Carolina
• West Virginia
• Vermont
• New Hampshire
• Maine

Age 16 1/4

• Maryland
• Virginia

Age 16 1/3

• Connecticut

Age 16 1/2

• Indiana
• Kentucky
• Delaware
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• Massachusetts
• New York
• Washington D.C

Age 17

• New Jersey