Michigan Car Insurance

Michigan is known for having the most comprehensive no-fault insurance system in the country – and some of the highest car insurance rates as well. The ZIP code 48227 in Detroit has the highest average annual rate in the U.S., at $7,415. Even a driver with a great record will pay thousands of dollars a year in many Detroit-area suburbs. Rates fall substantially in Michigan’s more rural areas.

While you don’t have a choice about whether to buy car insurance in Michigan, you do have options on how much you pay for it. We’ll show you how to be sure you are finding the cheapest car insurance in Michigan and provide average car insurance rates for your area so you can compare costs. We also explain Michigan car insurance laws.

The average car insurance rate in Michigan is $2,484 a year. The severity and frequency of claims in your neighborhood, your driving record, the type of car you drive, your credit and other variables are used by insurance companies to figure out the cost of your policy. That’s why the price for the same coverage can vary by hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars among insurance companies. For example, in ZIP code 48236 the highest rate among six carriers is ($5,825) is more than four times as much as the lowest ($1,388). That means you could overpay by $4,437 if you don’t shop around. Enter your ZIP code to see the average car insurance rate for your neighborhood. You will also see the highest and lowest rates from up to six major carriers surveyed to get an idea of what the most affordable car insurance price is in your area. For a more customized rate, choose from among six age groups and three coverage levels.

Cheap car insurance in Michigan

Michigan car insurance requirements

Michigan car insurance laws mandate that drivers carry minimum liability coverage limits of 20/40/10 on their vehicle.

Michigan laws also mandate that you have Property protection insurance (PPI). It is a mandatory coverage specific to Michigan. It provides up to $1 million in protection from damage to buildings, fences, poles, other inanimate objects and legally parked cars. Claims under PPI only apply to unintentional damage to other people's property, so if you run into your own fence, you'll pay out of pocket to fix it.

Personal injury protection (PIP) is also required. It is used to pay for medical expenses regardless of who is at fault. Michigan's no-fault system provides you and your family with unlimited lifetime coverage for medical expenses resulting from an auto accident, regardless of fault. And, it’s true that In Michigan, your bodily liability insurance will typically not be triggered for claims due to the pay outs that come under the no-fault PIP portion of your policy. But it’s still wise to consider buying extra car insurance coverage.

Here’s why: Under the few exceptions when your bodily injury coverage does come into play, you will only be covered up to your policy limits. If you have minimum bodily injury limits and are sued, you are responsible for paying the difference. For instance, if you kill another driver in an accident, and the family sues you for $100,000 for pain and suffering, your insurer will only pay out $20,000, leaving you to pay the remaining $80,000.

The good news is that full coverage usually isn’t that much more expensive than minimum coverage. You do pay more if you choose to get higher liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, but typically the extra protection is worth the relatively small increase you pay for the best car insurance in Michigan.

Increasing your insurance from the state minimum to full coverage with a $500 deductible costs, on average, $472 more, or $39 a month. Boosting liability limits without getting optional coverages may even lower your rate, a savings of $363 in this example, as you’ll see in the chart below. That’s because insurers in Michigan typically consider drivers carrying higher limits to be less accident-prone.

*The table shows the average annual rate of nearly every ZIP code in Michigan from up to six major insurance companies. Rates are for a male driver, age 40, with a clean record and good credit for a 2016 Honda Accord. Data was provided for CarInsurance.com by Quadrant Information Services.

Recommended car insurance coverage

If you have few assets or you have an old car, you may want to buy cheap Michigan auto insurance. But keep in mind that even a minor accident will typically cost more than what your insurance policy will pay out if you carry just the coverage required to drive legally in your state.

Car insurance companies by market share for Michigan

Source: A.M. Best market share rankings are based on direct premiums written in 2015.

Customer review rankings based on Insure.com's 2016 "Best Insurance Companies" survey of 3,700 customers. Scores are out of 100.

Michigan car insurance laws

Residual coverage in MI

Bodily injury liability and property damage liability – 20/40/10 – must be purchased in Michigan. But in Michigan what they cover is different compared to other states. They are referred to as residual coverage. This is because the no-fault law protects insured drivers from being sued, and covers injuries regardless of fault. So your required liability coverages usually won’t come into play. However, there are specific situations in which you can be sued. These include:

• If you cause an accident (in Michigan) in which someone is killed, seriously injured or permanently disfigured.
• If you're involved in an accident (in Michigan) with a nonresident who is an occupant of a vehicle registered outside of Michigan.
• If you're involved in an auto accident in another state.

If you’re sued for damages that exceed your liability limits, you will be responsible to pay the difference.

Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association fee

The Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association (MCAA) was created in the late 70s to help pay for auto claims under the state's unlimited no-fault law. 

For each Personal Injury Protection (PIP) medical claim paid in excess of a set amount -- currently $555,000 -- car insurance companies are reimbursed by the MCAA.  That means that the insurance company pays the entire claim, but is reimbursed by the MCCA for medical costs over $555,000.

All auto insurance companies operating in Michigan are assessed to cover the catastrophic medical claims occurring in Michigan. Those assessments are generally passed on to auto insurance policyholders. The 2017-2018 assessment is $170 per vehicle. However, that amount is increasing to $192, effective July 1.

Mini-tort law in Michigan

The "mini-tort" portion of the Michigan no-fault law establishes another situation in which you can sue or be sued. Under this provision, if you're 50 percent or more at fault in an accident and caused damage to another person's car and that vehicle is not completely covered by the owner's insurance policy, then you may have to pay up to $1,000 in damages.

This law also allows you to sue, or claim against, another driver who is 50 percent or more at fault for damage to your car if it isn't fully covered by your own insurance policy. You can receive up to $1,000 from the other party. If you have collision coverage, you're able to sue for your deductible amount (up to $1,000) from the other party.

More on MI PIP: Lost wages, rehab, household expenses, deductibles

PIP coverage in Michigan also pays, up to a limit, for wages you would have earned if you had not been hurt, for up to three years. Currently, the maximum wage loss per month under MI PIP is $5,392. PIP benefits also include coverage for rehabilitation. You additionally get paid $20 a day for up to three years to pay for household tasks and home maintenance that you can no longer do because you are injured.

Typically you will have to pay a deductible for your PIP. This is the amount you are responsible for before your insurer pays out benefits. The deductible varies by insurer, but is usually $300 or $500 for each accident.

If you are killed in an accident, your policy will pay your dependents up to the monthly amount for three years.

Michigan auto reform

Legislators have long recognized that Michigan’s unique car insurance law – combining no-fault coverage and unlimited medical benefits – significantly contributes to costs, making Michigan’s rates the highest in the nation. To that end, various reform bills have been pitched over the years to rein in costs. The latest Michigan auto reform effort stalled when lawmakers, insurance companies and hospitals failed to reach an agreement on how to overhaul the existing law.

Michigan car insurance eligibility points

Car insurance companies in Michigan assign you insurance eligibility points for certain traffic violations. These points are used when deciding whether or not to sell you a policy. Note, however, that the eligibility points used by insurers are not the same as the points on your driving record.

You can be turned down for automobile insurance if you have 7 or more eligibility points from violations within the past three years.

Here is how Michigan car insurance companies assign eligibility points:

• Driving more than 15 mph over the speed limit (careless driving) – 4 points
• Driving 11-15 mph over the speed limit – 3 points
• Driving 15 mph or fewer over the speed limit on freeways that used to have a maximum speed limit of 70 mph – 2 points
• Other moving violations – 2 points
• The first accident in which you are more than 50 percent at fault – 3 points
• The second and subsequent accidents in which you are more than half at fault – 4 points

For a list of driver license points for infractions, visit the Secretary of State Michigan driver point system website.

Basic Driver Improvement Courses (BDIC)

If you are cited for a traffic violation, you may qualify to take a driver improvement course. If you pass, the course provider will notify the Michigan Department of State electronically. This means no points from the ticket will be tacked on to your driving record and state department will not show the ticket information to insurance companies. The ticket information (but not the points) is still placed on your record, though, and may be viewed by courts and cops.

The course costs up to $100 depending on the provider. If are eligible, you will be notified by mail about the Basic Driver Improvement Courses (BDIC) process. You may participate if you:

• You have 2 or fewer points on your record
• The violation was not in a commercial vehicle
• The violation was not a criminal offense
• The ticket you received is for 3 or fewer points, and not for a major offense such as DUI or not for careless or negligent driving

MI health insurance and car insurance discount coordination

You may get a lower PIP rate if you “coordinate” your coverage with your health insurance as long as you do not have Medicaid, Medicare or a Medicare supplemental policy. If you go this route, your no-fault policy will pay your medical expenses or lost wages after you have used all the benefits under your health or disability plan. Check with your health insurance company to make sure your policy will pay for injuries related to a car accident before you try to coordinate coverage.

Work Loss Waiver, discount for seniors and retirees

If you are age 65 or older, Michigan car insurance laws require insurers to offer you a discount if you drive your vehicle less than 3,000 miles a year. If you are age 60 or over with no salary from a job, you can also get a lower PIP rate by waiving coverage for work loss that is paid out under PIP. You can waive this coverage for yourself and your eligible retired spouse, but you must still carry it for other persons who may be injured in your car or by your car in an accident.

How much does a speeding ticket raise your rates?

If you are convicted of speeding, your car insurance rates will go up 28 percent, on average, per year, according to an analysis of rates from six insurers for 10 ZIP codes in the state.