Missouri Car Insurance [Rates + Cheap Coverage Guide]

Whether you say “Missour-ee” in the traditional Midwestern dialect or “Missour-uh” with a southern drawl that rolls along like the highways there, the Show Me State offers plenty of car insurance options.

Thankfully, learning about the coverage you need is easier than figuring out a different accent, and with a little know-how, you’ll get the hang of the jargon.

So, let this be your guide to Missouri car insurance and rates, insurers, state laws, and more helpful information. Buckle up and get ready to learn something new.

Comparing car insurance rates is a great way to save money. Start today with just your zip code.

Missouri Car Insurance Coverage and Rates

As you look at your coverage options, you might be in a “show me” state of mind. While you think about car insurance, check out this video about how Missouri became known as The Show Me State.

Don’t worry, Missouri!  We’ve got the proof you need to help you get the right coverage.

– Missouri Minimum Coverage

Liability insurance pays everyone — drivers, passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists, etc. — owed money for property damage and/or injuries from a car accident you or anyone under your policy has caused.

Missouri is an “at-fault” accident state, which means, if you are the driver responsible for an accident, you will be held liable for any personal injury or property claims.

As such, Missouri requires liability insurance at these minimum coverage amounts:

• $25,000 – for injury or death of one person in an accident you caused
• $50,000 – to cover total injuries or the death of more than one person in an accident you caused
• $10,000 – for property damage in an accident you caused

Missouri also requires all motorists to carry uninsured motorist coverage (UM) for greater protection beyond liability. UM can protect you and your passengers if the at-fault driver is uninsured or if you’ve been in a hit-and-run accident. Missouri requires UM coverage of $25,000 in bodily injury per person and $50,000 in bodily injury per accident, but UM doesn’t cover vehicle damage after an accident.

– Required Forms of Financial Responsibility in Missouri

The penalty for operating an uninsured vehicle is a fine no less than $1,500 nor more than $2,000 and mandatory driver’s license suspension and/or driving privileges for six months. For each subsequent offense occurring within three years of a prior violation, the fine shall be no less than $3,000 nor more than $4,000.

Providing false proof of insurance will result in an additional fine of $500 and/or 30 days in jail and suspension of driver’s license for six months.

The insurance ID card presented must be valid or it won’t be accepted.

Insurance Cards expire every six months and therefore need to be reissued every six months. Insurance companies are required to issue a new ID card every six months.

Owners with valid and current license plates who cancel insurance for any reason must surrender their valid license plate to the division. Failure to surrender your license plates before insurance cancellation will result in fines.

The Missouri Department of Motor Vehicles randomly audits for proof of insurance on active registrations. The penalty for being uninsured is $100 for one to 30 days and an additional five dollars per day until coverage is obtained, tags are surrendered, or the registration expires.

Also, the DMV imposes suspensions on the registration and the driver’s license of all owners who fail to respond to the request. Once they suspend them, reinstatement fees cost $50 for the driver’s license and $50 per registration.

– Premiums as a Percentage of Income in Missouri

In 2014, the annual per capita disposable personal income (DPI) in Missouri, after taxes have been paid, was $36,690.

The average annual cost of car insurance in Missouri is $845, which is 2.3 percent of the average DPI.

From 2012 to 2014, premiums rose $46 and the DPI hovered around two percent. Of the eight states Missouri borders, only Kentucky and Oklahoma had higher premiums — over $900.00 — while the rest, except for Iowa, with average annual premiums below $700.00, had about the same rates.

The average Missouri resident has $3,058 each month to buy food, pay bills, etc. Car insurance will take about $70 out of that, and possibly more if your driving record isn’t exactly spotless.

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Fortunately, you won’t have to pay as much as you would if you had to insure a monster truck like the Bigfoot 4×4, the first one ever built. It was made in Pacific, Missouri, and it’s more of a car crusher than a highway hog. It’s just one of the offbeat landmarks and oddities of the “Show Me” state.

If you have money to burn, American Consumer Credit Counseling suggests saving 20 percent of every paycheck. That adds up to $612 every month, and that could help you get a better deal on your car insurance.

How much do you save every month?

– Core Car Insurance Coverage in Missouri

The above table shows the most recent data the leading source on the matter, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, has provided. Expect Missouri car insurance rates to be significantly higher for 2019 and on.

Remember: Missouri has a mandatory insurance law for liability coverage and uninsured motorist coverage, but experts suggest drivers buy more than the state law requires for an “at-fault” state like Missouri.

Let us show you some of the most popular coverage options to add to a basic auto insurance policy.

– Additional Liability Coverage in Missouri

A loss ratio compares how much a company spends on claims to how much money they take in on premiums. A loss ratio of 60 percent indicates the company spent $60 on claims out of every $100 earned in premiums.

MedPay is optional in Missouri, however, uninsured motorist coverage is required. In 2015, 13 percent of drivers in the U.S. and 14 percent of motorists in Missouri were uninsured, despite the potential penalties.

Missouri ranked 17th in the nation in 2015 for uninsured or underinsured drivers.

Requiring uninsured motorist coverage seems to have lowered the loss ratio. Unless you sign a form that states you don’t want uninsured motorist coverage, your agent is legally required to provide it to you.

– Add-ons, Endorsements, and Riders

We know getting the complete coverage you need for an affordable price is your goal.

Good news: there are lots of powerful but cheap extras you can add to your policy.

Here’s a list of other useful coverage available in Missouri. 

• Guaranteed Auto Protection (GAP)
• Personal Umbrella Policy (PUP)
• Rental Reimbursement
• Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
• Non-Owner Car Insurance
• Modified Car Insurance Coverage
• Classic Car Insurance
• Pay-as-You-Drive or Usage-Based Insurance

– Demographic Rates – Male Vs. Female vs. Age

We’ve partnered with Quadrant to provide data on insurance premiums.

These are average annual premiums for males and females of all ages. Allied and USAA offer some of the lowest rates, especially for teen drivers, while Allstate, Farmers, and Safeco trend toward the high side.

– Demographic and Insurance Carrier

Below are some of the most expensive demographic rates by age. As expected, 17-year-olds have the highest rates.

– Cheapest Rates by Zip Code

These rates are all over the map.