What car insurance costs in Wyoming

Wyoming's bill, line by line

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) reports what insurers collected in each state. For 2023, its latest year by state, Wyoming's average expenditure was $948 per insured car, up 12% from $848 in 2022. That average includes cars with liability only. A car with liability, collision and comprehensive had a combined average premium of $1,180.

Two lines pull in opposite directions. Liability, at $390, is about 47% below the national average, and collision is about 27% lower. Comprehensive, at $452, is about 90% higher, and in Wyoming it is the largest of the three coverages. Comprehensive pays for damage other than a collision, so a driver who drops it saves more than the national average would suggest, but also takes on more risk. Where the car is kept matters too; see how location sets a price.

Wyoming's coverage minimums

Wyoming's financial responsibility law sets the minimum at $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person, $50,000 for two or more people and $20,000 for damage to other people's property in one accident.

• Uninsured motorist coverage must be included in any policy covering bodily injury liability for a car registered or principally garaged in Wyoming, at the state's minimum bodily injury limits.
• You can turn it down. The named insured may reject uninsured motorist coverage. Once rejected, the insurer need not add it at renewal unless you ask for it in writing.
• Collision and comprehensive are your choice under state law, though a lender will expect both on a financed car.

The Insurance Research Council estimated that 6.7% of Wyoming drivers were uninsured in 2023, among the lowest shares in the country. Keeping uninsured motorist coverage still protects you against the drivers who aren't covered; our page on limits and deductibles explains how to set it.

How Wyoming handles rates

Wyoming's rating law presumes a competitive market. Where a market is competitive, insurers must keep their rates and supporting information on file and hand them over when the Insurance Commissioner asks. Only in a market found noncompetitive must an insurer file rates at least 30 days before they take effect. The commissioner can still disapprove rates under the state's rating standards.

Credit can count, within limits. A 2003 law, W.S. 26-2-134, has the Insurance Commissioner set rules for credit scoring in personal auto and homeowners policies: credit can't be the sole basis to cancel, deny or nonrenew a policy, it may be used only with other underwriting factors that don't depend on credit, and the insurer must tell you when it uses credit and when the result works against you. If your credit raises your price, ask the insurer for the reasons in writing and contact the Department of Insurance's Consumer Affairs section. More on credit-based insurance scores.

Coverage for hard-to-insure drivers

A driver no company will take can get coverage through the Western Association of Automobile Insurance Plans, which the Wyoming Department of Insurance lists for this purpose. An agent can submit the application. Expect higher prices than the regular market, and shop again as your record improves; our guide to assigned risk plans explains how these plans work.

Ways to pay less in Wyoming

1. 1 Use the department's shopping aids. The Wyoming Department of Insurance posts an Auto Insurance Shopping Tool and a guide to usage-based insurance on its consumer page, along with links to NAIC auto guides.
2. 2 Price comprehensive carefully. Since it is the costliest line on an average Wyoming bill, compare a higher comprehensive deductible across insurers before you decide to drop the coverage.
3. 3 Check the break-even point. The deductible break-even calculator shows how many claim-free years a higher deductible needs to pay off.
4. 4 Get help from Consumer Affairs. File a complaint through the department's online portal, or call 307-777-7402 or toll-free 800-438-5768.

Questions drivers ask