Reviewed and approved by Samuel Corso, licensed Texas insurance agent.

Published July 31, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026

How to compare auto insurance in Texas

This guide shows how to compare car insurance quotes in Texas using the state regulator's shopping pages. It covers what goes into a price, which coverages and deductibles to line up, what to check besides price, the discounts to ask about, and the order to follow when you switch.

The short version. To compare auto insurance in Texas, the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) checklist How to shop smart for auto insurance asks how much liability coverage to get, whether you need other coverages and what your deductible should be, and says to check a company's complaint record and license. TDI's Shopping smart: Tips for buying auto and home insurance says: "Insurance coverages and rates vary from company to company."

What TDI says goes into a car insurance price

Car insurance rates in Texas vary from company to company, according to TDI's Shopping smart guide. TDI's Auto insurance guide (last updated 12/11/2025) describes the process behind a price: "Insurance companies use a process called underwriting to decide whether to sell you a policy and how much to charge you."

According to the same guide, most companies consider these things when deciding your auto insurance premium: your driving record and claims history, where you keep your car, the kind of car you have, and how you use your car. It adds that some companies use your credit score to decide what to charge you. TDI's Shopping smart guide (last updated 10/6/2025) gives a similar list and also includes your age.

For a shopper, this means one quote shows what one company would charge. Shopping around to find the policy that fits your needs and budget is a good idea, according to TDI's Tips to help you shop for auto insurance.

Two items on TDI's list can be checked before you shop:

• Claims history. Most companies use the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) to learn your claims history, according to TDI's Auto insurance guide, and a company can charge you more or refuse to sell you a policy based on the information in your CLUE report. You can get a free copy of your report each year by calling LexisNexis at 866-312-8076, the guide says.
• Credit score. Some companies use your credit score to decide what to charge you, the same guide says, and HelpInsure.com shows which companies use credit scores.

Comparing coverage line by line

Comparing auto insurance quotes in Texas starts with what each policy covers. TDI's Shopping smart guide puts it this way: "Compare apples to apples. Make sure you know what the policies you're considering cover. A cheaper policy might provide less coverage."

There are eight basic auto insurance coverages, by the count in TDI's Auto insurance guide, which adds that coverages vary by policy and depend on the types of coverages you choose. The table below paraphrases how that guide describes each one. The right-hand column is our suggestion for what to line up, so that each quote describes the same policy.

Liability limits come first. TDI's Auto insurance guide (last updated 12/11/2025) states the minimum this way: "Texas law requires you to have at least $30,000 of coverage for injuries per person, up to a total of $60,000 per accident, and $25,000 of coverage for property damage." The guide suggests thinking about buying more, and says the minimum limits might be too low if you cause a multi-vehicle accident or the other driver's car is totaled. A quote at the minimum limits and a quote at higher limits describe different policies. Our guide to what car insurance is required in Texas covers the minimum limits in more detail.

TDI says you must tell the company in writing if you don't want PIP or uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. On PIP, TDI's Auto insurance guide says: "All auto policies in Texas include PIP coverage. If you don't want it, you must tell the company in writing." TDI's Shopping smart guide words the first part differently, saying all auto policies in Texas must offer PIP coverage. On uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, both guides say insurance companies must offer it to you and that you must tell the company in writing if you don't want it. When one quote is lower than another, check whether either coverage is missing from it.

How you use the car belongs in the comparison too. In a table of what most policies do and don't cover, TDI's Auto insurance guide lists accidents that happen while you're driving for a ride-hailing service or delivering food or other items for a fee, and accidents while driving for business, among the things most policies don't cover. The guide says to read your policy or talk to your agent to be sure of your exact coverages. If you drive for work, deliver or drive for a ride-hailing service, ask each company about it before you buy.

Complaint record, license and TDI's comparison tool

TDI's shopping pages for Texas auto insurance point to things to check besides price. Its Shopping smart guide tells shoppers to consider factors other than price, and its checklist How to shop smart for auto insurance lists a company's complaint record and license among its shopping tips.

• Complaint record. Looking at a company's complaint record is on TDI's checklist, which gives the TDI Help Line, 800-252-3439, for checking a company's complaint history. The Shopping smart guide describes a company's complaint index as a measure of its customer service and its financial rating as a sign of how strong the company is financially.
• License. TDI's Shopping smart guide says: "Buy only from licensed companies. If you buy from an unlicensed company, your claims could go unpaid." It adds that you can learn whether a company is licensed in Texas by calling the Help Line.
• HelpInsure. HelpInsure.com lets you compare rates and coverages for the companies that sell the most insurance policies in Texas, according to the same guide. TDI's Tips to help you shop for auto insurance (last updated 4/9/2025) says to use HelpInsure to get sample prices and compare policies, then contact your top choices directly to get up-to-date price quotes.

The tips page also says to get price quotes from several companies, and that you can use an independent agent to help you get quotes. In TDI's sequence, sample prices come first and quotes from the companies themselves come second.

The questions TDI tells you to ask

TDI's How to shop smart for auto insurance is a checklist of questions for comparing auto insurance in Texas, and TDI says it can help you make sure your auto insurance fits your needs and budget. The checklist groups its questions under coverages and costs.

Under coverages, the checklist asks:

• How much liability coverage you should get.
• Whether you need other coverages. It names collision and comprehensive, uninsured or underinsured motorist, medical payments or personal injury protection, and rental reimbursement.
• Whether the policy covers how you use your car, or whether there are any exclusions.

Under costs, it asks:

• What your deductible should be, and what discounts you qualify for.
• Whether you can get a lower premium if you don't drive much.
• Whether the price is different if you pay in advance.

Putting the same questions to every company gives you answers you can set side by side.

How the deductible changes a quote

The deductible on a Texas auto policy affects both the premium and what you pay on a claim. TDI's Auto insurance guide defines it: "A deductible is the amount of a claim that you must pay yourself." The guide says you must pay a deductible for collision, comprehensive, and uninsured/underinsured motorist claims.

The higher your deductible, the lower your premium, according to TDI's Tips to help you shop for auto insurance. TDI's Ways to save money on car insurance (last updated 11/1/2024) says switching to a higher deductible can lower your insurance premium, but that a higher deductible means you'll pay more out of pocket if you do have a claim. That page suggests thinking about how much you can afford to pay if your car is damaged.

When you compare, a quote can come in lower because the deductible behind it is higher. Ask for every quote at the same deductible, one you could afford to pay, so the prices describe the same policy.

Discounts TDI lists for auto insurance

Discounts on Texas auto insurance are set company by company. Each company decides what discounts to offer and the amount of the discount, according to TDI's Auto insurance guide, and TDI's Tips to help you shop for auto insurance says most companies offer discounts.

TDI's pages name different discounts, so the list below keeps each with its page:

• TDI's Auto insurance guide. You might be able to get a discount if you have airbags, antilock brakes, and antitheft devices in your car, have completed a defensive driving or driver education course, have more than one car on a policy, have other policies with the same insurance company, or have no claims and a good driving record.
• TDI's Ways to save money on car insurance. Ask your company whether it offers discounts for driving fewer miles, maintaining a good driving record, setting up automatic payments and going paperless, signing up for a driving monitoring program, or certain occupations or group memberships.
• TDI's shopping checklist. Its discount list is safe driver, low mileage, defensive driving class, good student, and automatic payments and going paperless.

Whether a discount applies to you, and how much it is, is each company's decision, so name the ones that might fit when you ask for a quote. Your company should sign you up for the discounts you qualify for, according to TDI's Ways to save money on car insurance, which suggests asking to make sure it does. The same page says to tell your insurance company if you're working from home and no longer driving to work, because it might offer a pay-per-mile policy. It also says to check how much insurance costs before you buy a car, because some types of cars are more expensive to insure.

How often to shop, and how to switch safely

TDI gives a timeframe for checking prices and an order for switching auto insurance in Texas. Its general tip sheet How to shop smart for insurance (last updated 10/6/2025), which covers home and auto policies together, says: "Make sure to check prices for home and auto policies at least every three years." That is TDI's view on how often to look. What any driver is quoted depends on the company and on the driver's own details.

On switching, TDI's Tips to help you shop for auto insurance says, under the heading about avoiding gaps in coverage: "Never cancel a policy until you get your new policy or a written statement that proves you have coverage." TDI's shopping checklist gives the same instruction about your current policy. In practice the order is new policy or written proof of coverage first, cancellation second.

For drivers who can't find a company willing to sell them a policy, TDI's Auto insurance guide describes the Texas Automobile Insurance Plan Association (TAIPA). You can get TAIPA coverage if two insurance companies have turned you down, according to the guide. It says TAIPA sells liability, personal injury protection, and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages, doesn't sell collision or comprehensive coverage or liability limits above the state minimum, and is more expensive than coverage from other insurance companies. To get TAIPA coverage, the guide says to talk to your agent.

What to do with this

These are steps you can take when you compare auto insurance quotes in Texas.

• Liability limits. Decide the limits you want before you look at prices, then ask every company for a quote at those limits.
• Deductible. Pick one deductible and use it across all quotes.
• PIP and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Check whether each quote includes them, and whether you turned either one down in writing.
• Complaint record and license. Call TDI's Help Line at 800-252-3439 about any company you're seriously considering.
• Order of switching. Get the new policy or written proof of coverage before you cancel the old one.

Key facts

• TDI's Shopping smart: Tips for buying auto and home insurance (last updated 10/6/2025) says insurance coverages and rates vary from company to company, and that a lower-priced policy might provide less coverage.
• TDI's Auto insurance guide (last updated 12/11/2025) says most companies consider your driving record and claims history, where you keep your car, the kind of car you have and how you use it when deciding your premium, and that some companies use your credit score.
• The same Auto insurance guide says Texas law requires at least $30,000 of liability coverage for injuries per person, up to a total of $60,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage, and that these minimum limits might be too low if you cause a multi-vehicle accident or the other driver's car is totaled.
• TDI's Auto insurance guide says all auto policies in Texas include PIP coverage and that insurance companies must offer uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, and that you must tell the company in writing if you don't want either one. TDI's Shopping smart guide says all auto policies must offer PIP.
• TDI's checklist How to shop smart for auto insurance includes looking at a company's complaint record and making sure the company is licensed, and gives the Help Line, 800-252-3439, for both.
• TDI's Shopping smart guide says HelpInsure.com compares rates and coverages for the companies that sell the most insurance policies in Texas, and TDI's Tips to help you shop for auto insurance says to then contact your top choices directly for up-to-date price quotes.
• TDI's How to shop smart for insurance (last updated 10/6/2025) says to check prices for home and auto policies at least every three years, and TDI's Tips to help you shop for auto insurance says never to cancel a policy until you get your new policy or a written statement that proves you have coverage.

Sources: Texas Department of Insurance, Auto insurance guide, Tips to help you shop for auto insurance, How to shop smart for auto insurance, Shopping smart: Tips for buying auto and home insurance, Ways to save money on car insurance and How to shop smart for insurance. This page is general information, not legal advice — for questions about your legal rights, check your policy or contact the Texas Department of Insurance.

Take the next step

Before you ask for quotes, settle the liability limits, deductible and coverages you want, so that every quote answers the same request. Our guide to what car insurance is required in Texas covers the minimum limits, and independent agency vs direct explains the two ways to buy. Credify surveys roughly 20 licensed Texas carriers for home, auto and bundled insurance from one quick form, web chat or phone call, 24/7. Your details stay in your Credify account, so you can compare again without re-entering everything.

Get a second opinion on your policy — free. Credify is a licensed insurance agency in Texas that helps you compare car insurance from roughly 20 licensed Texas carriers, so you can see whether your auto coverage fits your needs. It takes a few minutes, and there's no obligation. 📞 Talk to Credify 24/7.

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