5 Best Car Insurance Companies in Rhode Island

Money’s picks for the best car insurance in Rhode Island all offer standout coverage and draw from our national ranking of the best car insurance. But the Rhode Island list also considers data that’s specific to “Little Rhody” and New England as a whole.

This article also includes details on the car insurance you’re required to carry in Vermont, along with data about the state’s drivers – notably, the percentage of uninsured drivers on the state’s roads.

What to know about car insurance in Rhode Island

• Despite its small size, Rhode Island consistently ranks among the most expensive states in which to insure a vehicle in car insurance cost comparisons.
• Rhode Island’s compact geography and dense population lead to more traffic congestion and a higher likelihood of accidents than in many other states.
• Driving without insurance in Rhode Island is especially unwise. It can result in fines, license suspension and reinstatement fees—even for a first offense.

How we chose the best car Insurance in Rhode Island

Money’s picks for the best car insurance in Rhode Island all offer standout coverage and are based on the selections in our national ranking of the best car insurance providers. We also considered how companies fared in the 2024 J.D. Power U.S. Auto Insurance Study, which includes a ranking of customer satisfaction in New England, and complaints data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). For more details on how we select picks, see the methodology below.

Top picks for best car insurance in Rhode Island

Allstate
Amica
GEICO
Nationwide
State Farm

Ads by Money. We may be compensated if you click this ad.Ad

Best car insurance in Rhode Island reviews

These insurers are top picks among those that write auto insurance policies in Rhode Island, based on their rates, customer satisfaction and variety of offerings. Most or all of the best car insurance companies in Rhode Island have options for good drivers to lower their rates, discounts for bundling multiple policies and flexible coverage to help drivers save money. (See the methodology below for more details.)

Listed in alphabetical order:

Allstate scored a little above average in the 2024 J.D. Power U.S. Auto Insurance Study in New England. Its record of complaints with the NAIC is also better than the norm.

It’s among the companies that offer a diminishing deductible to customers who make no claims within a certain period. The optional Allstate’s Deductible Rewards program lets drivers earn an immediate $100 off their collision coverage deductible, and another $100 in deductible savings for each year they drive without getting into an accident, up to a maximum savings of $500 – a relatively generous schedule.

There are also decent discounts of up to 25% on both your car and homeowners insurance if you bundle both of those insurance types from Allstate. (However, Allstate car insurance premiums are often more expensive than competitors’, so be sure to research costs before assuming an Allstate bundle will necessarily be less expensive.)

Other pluses include a comparatively high discount of up to 40% if Allstate’s Drivewise telematics program determines that you are a good driver. One big drawback: unlike some competitors’ telematics programs, your rates could rise if Drivewise identifies risky behavior. A Milewise pay-as-you-go policy option allows you to pay a daily rate plus a per-mile charge on days you drive.

Amica is known for top-notch service. Save for USAA, which is available only to military families, Amica has the best score for customer satisfaction in New England from J.D. Power. Nationally, it has fewer complaints lodged with the NAIC than would be expected for an insurer of its size. It also has a standout B rating from body shops and other repair facilities that report to the Crash Network. (The Network grades most insurers as C or lower.)

The company’s telematics program stands out for allowing customers to redeem good-driving rewards for gift cards with merchants such as Amazon and Target.

Amica’s premiums tend to be more expensive than the norm in price comparisons, though, so this is an insurer best suited to those who value top-of-the-line customer service over cost savings.

GEICO is a decent, though not outstanding, insurer in most respects. It scored about average in customer satisfaction in New England in the 2024 J.D. Power U.S. Auto Insurance Study. Its record for complaints with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners is better than most insurers, though. Also, while GEICO’s premiums are generally middle-of-the-road, they’re sometimes notably less expensive than those of competitors for some drivers.

An area where GEICO stands out is in its telematics – or usage-based insurance (UBI) – policies. In its national rankings, J.D. Power ranks GEICO as among the most satisfying for telematics-based insurance.

GEICO’s UBI program, which runs on the company’s mobile app, includes the ability to upload a photo of vehicle damage and quickly receive a repair estimate via the app, streamlining the claims process.

GEICO stands out for offering an unusually wide array of discounts for which drivers can be eligible, including possible discounts to members of alumni and professional associations and clients of other businesses owned by GEICO’s parent company, Berkshire Hathaway.

Nationwide’s customer service isn’t scored for New England by J.D. Power, due to a lack of data; the company tends to be, at best, average on that measure in other regions. But the insurer is among the most satisfying in its claims handling, according to J.D. Power, and its premiums are often less expensive than those of competitors.

The company also tops J.D. Power’s ranking for satisfaction with insurance provided through telematics programs. Nationwide offers two such programs – one is focused on providing safe-driving discounts to customers with regular policies, and the other lets drivers pay for insurance coverage by the mile. Both programs stand out as among the comparatively few where you don’t risk higher premiums if the telematics monitoring finds your driving to be lacking. Neither program penalizes drivers with higher premiums if the monitoring software flags risky driving behaviors.

Additional pluses include an exceptionally generous policy for replacing new cars that are totaled — as in, declared a total loss. Whereas most competitors will provide a brand-new replacement for your car only until the vehicle is two years old, Nationwide extends that perk to cars that are up to three years old.

J.D. Power awards State Farm an above-average score for customer satisfaction in New England, and the insurer has fewer complaints than the norm lodged with NAIC.

State Farm’s premiums can be less expensive than some competitors, especially when it comes to insuring teen drivers.

State Farm stands out for its insurance for younger drivers. It offers teen drivers who maintain at least a 3.0 GPA a Good Student Discount of 25% until age 25, a steeper reduction than most other companies. It also offers a Student Away at School discount that only covers the student – and only charges for them – while they’re at home for breaks and holidays, a potential cost-saver for families with drivers who are at college.

Ads by Money. We may be compensated if you click this ad.Ad

A guide to car insurance in Rhode Island

Here are the steps to ensure your car insurance coverage in Rhode Island is sufficient, both to meet the state mandates and to ensure you are sufficiently protected.

Rhode Island’s insurance requirements

Like most states, [Rhode Island] imposes requirements for the types and amounts of insurance its drivers must carry in their policies. Here are the car insurance mandates required to drive legally in the state.

Bodily injury liability coverage

This part of your policy protects you financially if you injure someone in an auto accident. Your responsibilities might include payments for medical expenses, pain and suffering and lost wages.

Rhode Island’s coverage requirements for bodily injury liability are to have at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident.

Property damage liability coverage

This covers you if you cause damage to someone else’s property in a car accident. The coverage includes damage to other vehicles and property, such as fences or other structures.

Rhode Island’s coverage requirements for property damage liability are to have at least $25,000 per accident.

Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage

Rhode Island has one of the best records for the percentage of drivers on its roads who are carrying insurance. Nonetheless, the state mandates that car insurance sold in Rhode Island include coverage to protect you if the responsible party in a car accident lacks insurance or doesn’t carry enough of it.

Rhode Island requires insurers to offer this coverage, but drivers can reject it in writing.

Medical payments

This coverage can help pay for medical expenses injured drivers and passengers face after an accident, regardless of who is at fault. Medical payments coverage can cover the costs of ambulance rides, hospital stays, surgery and rehabilitation.

Rhode Island does not require MedPay, but it’s available as an optional coverage.

Buy more than the minimum coverage if you can afford it

Experts recommend you get more than the mandated minimums for car insurance, provided your budget allows it. That’s true even in Rhode Island, which has comparatively stringent requirements.

For liability coverage, a frequent recommendation is to carry at least $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident for bodily injury, along with $100,000 for property damage.

Even though Rhode Island requires drivers to carry more liability coverage than many states, its requirements fall short of these recommended amounts. Carrying less liability insurance than the expert recommendations can save you money on your premiums. However, it won’t do you any favors in an accident with a lot of injuries – which can result in a significant liability cost for you.

As for medical payments coverage, although it is not required in Rhode Island, you may want to consider it. For medical payments coverage on your car insurance, it’s generally recommended to select a limit that can cover your health insurance deductible and potential out-of-pocket expenses; limits typically range from $1,000 to $10,000. Review your medical coverage and decide whether to buy more coverage than the state minimum to meet this rule of thumb.

Consider the coverage lenders may require

Auto-loan lenders want to ensure that their investment in the vehicle is protected in case it is damaged or written off as a total loss. If the vehicle is financed, the lender holds the title until the loan is paid off, so they need to be certain the vehicle is insured.

That means lenders in Rhode Island may insist that vehicles they finance be insured, despite the fact that the state itself has no such requirement. In addition to carrying a specified level of liability coverage, auto loan lenders usually require the following types of insurance:

Comprehensive insurance, which covers damage to the vehicle from events other than collisions, such as theft, vandalism or natural disasters.

Collision insurance, which covers damage to the vehicle in a collision with another vehicle or object.

Some lenders may also require additional coverage types, such as paying the uninsured driver fee. Rhode Island does not offer or require an uninsured driver fee. But lenders may also demand coverage that isn’t required in the state, such as acquiring gap insurance, which covers any shortfall between the depreciated value of the vehicle (the usual maximum payout in the event the car is written off for insurance purposes) and the remaining balance of the loan.

If you fail to maintain the required insurance coverage, your lender may purchase insurance for you. That can be more expensive than if you bought the coverage yourself, and the lender may add the cost to your loan balance, which means you will pay interest on it.

Review your loan agreement to understand the specific insurance requirements of your lender.

How to pay less for car insurance in Rhode Island

Some simple strategies can lower the cost of your car insurance. (In addition to taking one or more of the moves below, you can, of course, consider changing insurers to get a lower price; here’s how to switch car insurance.)

Research discounts

As in all states, companies that write car insurance policies in Rhode Island offer a range of discounts depending on how good your driving skills are, how loyal you are to your insurer and more. Common rate reductions include those for maintaining a clean driving record, with no claims or traffic violations; taking a defensive driving course, which is now offered online; and maintaining good grades as a student.

Bundle insurance policies

A number of insurers allow you to bundle your car insurance with homeowners insurance or renters insurance and reward you with lower rates on both. The discount if you bundle auto and home insurance typically ranges from about 5% to 15%, which means you might save hundreds of dollars a year.

Increase your deductible

The deductible is the portion of a claim you’re required to pay out of pocket before your insurance company pays the rest. Increasing your deductible can make your premiums more affordable. However, be careful not to raise the amount to a figure you’d be hard-pressed to pay in the event you were to have an accident.

Review your policy regularly

It’s wise to reassess your policy when it comes up for annual renewal, or whenever you make life changes that affect it, such as adding or subtracting drivers for the car or changing how far or how often you commute. These reviews ensure that you get the coverage you need, and only that.

Reduce coverage

You can reduce your annual premium by dropping collision or comprehensive coverage on vehicles that don’t have a lease or loan. However, be wary of eliminating this coverage if you can’t afford to replace your car.

Consider usage-based insurance

You can potentially save in several ways by switching to usage-based insurance (UBI). With such coverage, also known as “telematics,” you agree to use an app or device to monitor driving behaviors like how fast you drive, how quickly you turn and how abruptly you brake.

You can sometimes save for a time simply for trying out telematics. After the trial, assuming your driving passes the test, you should enjoy ongoing savings on your insurance.

Shop around for cheaper rates

Shopping around and comparing quotes from at least three different insurance providers can help you get the cheapest rate without sacrificing important coverage. However, resist letting rates and discounts alone determine your choice. You should also consider companies’ track records for customer service, including claims handling, and flexibility in account options, such as deductibles. You might also assess the insurers’ apps and other digital features.

Methodology

We selected our picks by researching and evaluating the following factors to arrive at the standout companies. Factors are listed in rough order of importance in our analysis:

• Customer experience: We favored companies that scored well in one or more credible satisfaction studies. Where available, we used the insurer’s customer satisfaction score for New England in J.D. Power’s 2024 U.S. Auto Insurance Study. Where unavailable, we used J.D. Power national data on satisfaction with claims and the shopping experience. We considered the complaints index of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, where a lower number means the company received fewer complaints than would be expected for its size, and the CRASH Network’s report, which rates insurers based on feedback on claims handling from automotive collision repair professionals.
• Pricing profile: While the car insurance rate you will pay will vary based on your personal factors, we analyzed eight online analyses of car insurance rates to determine each company’s price profile compared with its competitors.
• Discounts: We rewarded the range and generosity of each company’s discounts, including those for bundling car coverage with other types of insurance options, remaining loyal and/or claim-free with the insurer, being a good student and taking a defensive driving course.
• Technology: Most insurers now use apps to facilitate obtaining premium quotes, filing claims and more. Companies received credit for the quality and functionality of their apps, as reflected in our reporting and J.D. Power’s assessment of the best auto insurance apps.
• Financial stability: An insurance company’s financial stability can be gauged by its A.M. Best financial strength rating. We chose insurers with an A rating or better.

Summary of the picks for best car insurance in Rhode Island

Allstate
Amica
GEICO
Nationwide
State Farm