Is It Free to Get Car Insurance Quotes
Yes, getting quotes is free, and checking them won't lower your credit score or cost you anything.
Quotes are free because insurers compete for your business
Insurers give you a quote to compete for your business. They pull basic information, sometimes including a credit-based insurance score, and generate a price. None of that costs you anything, because you haven't bought a policy yet. You're not committing to anything by asking what they'd charge you.
The credit check insurers use is usually a soft inquiry. That means it doesn't appear to lenders and doesn't affect your credit score the way applying for a loan or credit card would. This is different from how credit works elsewhere, and it's worth understanding so you're not avoiding quotes out of a fear that doesn't apply here.
Why would a company spend time pricing you for free? Because the cost of giving quotes is small compared to the value of winning a new customer. Insurers run this math constantly. They'd rather quote a hundred people who don't buy than miss the ones who would. You are not a burden to them for asking.
Where this can differ is in how insurers verify identity or pull reports. Some ask for more information upfront, like your license number, which can feel more invasive even though it still doesn't cost you anything or hurt your credit. If an insurer ever asks to run a hard inquiry, that would be unusual for a quote, and you should ask why before agreeing.
Will shopping around for quotes hurt my credit score?
No. The credit check insurers use for quotes is a soft inquiry, the same kind that happens when you check your own score. Soft inquiries don't show up to lenders and don't affect your score no matter how many times they happen.
This matters a lot for your situation, because it means you can request quotes from as many insurers as you want without any cost to your credit. There's no penalty for comparing five companies instead of two. If an insurer ever tells you they need to run a hard inquiry just to give you a quote, that's not standard practice, and you should ask them to clarify or go to a different insurer instead.
The fear that comparing quotes costs money or hurts your credit is what's holding you back, and it isn't true.
Now that you know comparing quotes is free and won't touch your credit, go get a few and see where you stand.
What to know before you start requesting quotes
- No cost to ask Every quote you request is free, no matter how many insurers you check. There's no fee for the quote itself, only for the policy if you choose to buy one.
- Soft inquiries only Insurers typically use a soft credit pull for quotes, which doesn't affect your score. Confirm this with the insurer if you're unsure, since the term can vary.
- Information you'll need ready Have your address, vehicle details, and driving history on hand to get an accurate number. The more consistent your information across insurers, the easier it is to compare fairly.
- Prices will vary a lot Because insurers weigh credit differently, your quotes may spread wider than a friend's would. Get several quotes rather than two, since your range is likely to be bigger.
- No obligation to buy Getting a quote never locks you into a policy. You can walk away from any quote at any time without a cancellation or a call to explain yourself.
Checking quotes after a bankruptcy without expecting the worst
Someone two years out from a bankruptcy assumed quotes would either cost money to request or would all come back equally high, so there was no point comparing. They requested quotes from several insurers anyway, treating it as a test rather than a commitment, and gave the same driving and vehicle details to each one to keep it fair.
The quotes came back more different than expected. Some insurers weighted the bankruptcy heavily and priced high, while others focused more on the clean driving record and priced lower. None of the requests affected their credit score, and none of them cost anything beyond the time it took to fill out the forms. By the end, they had a real range to choose from instead of a guess, and picked a policy priced well below the first quote they'd gotten.
