Tennessee drivers pay an average of $1,429 per year for full coverage. CoverShield agents compare 40+ carriers licensed in TN on one call — most Tennessee drivers save $400–$700 a year by re-shopping.
Average wait: 12 sec · Licensed in TN
Avg Tennessee full-coverage premium
$1,429/yr
Avg Savings After Re-shop
$400–$700/yr
Carriers Licensed in TN
40+
Tennessee ranks #15 in US population and is an at-fault (tort) auto-insurance state. State minimum liability is 25/50/15, but roughly 23.7% of TN drivers carry no insurance at all — one of the strongest arguments for adding uninsured-motorist coverage to your policy. Average full-coverage premium in Tennessee sits at $1,429/yr, and Nashville ZIP codes typically run 10–25% above that.
Local underwriting notes
Tennessee full-coverage auto insurance averages $1,429/year, roughly 17% below the 50-state average of $1,714/yr. That matters because carriers do not price Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville the same way; ZIP-level claim frequency and repair costs can move quotes hundreds of dollars apart inside the same state.
Tennessee is an at-fault state, so liability limits and lawsuit exposure matter more than basic state-minimum compliance. The legal minimum is 25/50/15, but a serious crash in a higher-cost metro can exhaust those limits quickly. Tennessee has an unusually high uninsured-driver rate, so UM/UIM coverage is not optional in practice even when the state minimum looks cheap.
Because Tennessee is a mid-to-large insurance market with meaningful city-by-city price swings, carrier appetite can swing between dense metro neighborhoods, college towns, rural commute corridors, and weather-exposed areas. Agents also check tornadoes exposure, garaging address, mileage, prior-insurance gaps, and whether a household qualifies for telematics, multi-car, paid-in-full, or homeowner discounts.
Tennessee market notes
Carrier appetite, regulation, and weather exposure that change how auto insurance is actually priced in Tennessee.
Tennessee has one of the country's highest uninsured-driver rates (~24%) — UM/UIM coverage is essential. Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, and Chattanooga are the urban markets; rural TN is significantly cheaper. Tennessee Farmers Insurance is a major TN-domiciled carrier with deep rural broker presence.
Notable TN auto insurance carriers
TN state law sets the legal floor at 25/50/15, but most CoverShield agents recommend 100/300/100 or higher because medical and repair costs in Nashville routinely exhaust state-minimum limits after a serious crash.
| Coverage | TN minimum | What it pays for |
|---|---|---|
| Bodily injury — per person | $25,000 | Medical bills for one person you injure in an at-fault crash. |
| Bodily injury — per accident | $50,000 | Total bodily-injury cap across all people hurt in one crash. |
| Property damage | $15,000 | Repairs to vehicles, fences, structures you damage. |
Source: TN Department of Insurance, 2026. State minimums are the legal floor — not a recommendation.
These are the carriers we see win the most TN quotes — but the cheapest carrier for you depends on age, vehicle, driving record, credit (where allowed), and ZIP. CoverShield re-shops all of them on one call.
State Farm
Active across TN. Competitive in Nashville ZIPs and surrounding counties.
GEICO
Active across TN. Competitive in Memphis ZIPs and surrounding counties.
Allstate
Active across TN. Competitive in Knoxville ZIPs and surrounding counties.
Progressive
Active across TN. Competitive in Nashville ZIPs and surrounding counties.
Tennessee Farmers
Active across TN. Competitive in Memphis ZIPs and surrounding counties.
An SR-22 is a certificate TN requires after a DUI, reckless driving, at-fault crash without insurance, or license reinstatement. It's not a separate policy — it's a filing your insurer sends to the TN DMV proving you carry at least the 25/50/15 state minimum.
Filing fee
$15–$35
One-time, paid to your carrier.
How long required
3 years
Continuous coverage — any lapse restarts the clock.
Premium impact
+40–80%
Compared to standard TN rates for 3 years post-incident.
Not every TN carrier files SR-22s. Standard-market insurers often non-renew after a major violation, pushing drivers into non-standard carriers (Direct Auto, Acceptance, Bristol West, Dairyland) at higher rates. CoverShield agents know which TN-admitted carriers still file SR-22 at competitive premiums — and which ones to avoid.
We serve every ZIP in Tennessee. Common quote requests come from Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, and Nashville — but rural and small-town TN drivers get the same agent attention.
Tennessee — Common Questions
Tennessee requires liability limits of at least 25/50/15 (bodily injury per person / per accident / property damage). Most CoverShield agents recommend higher limits because medical and repair costs in Nashville routinely exceed state minimums after a serious crash.
Premiums in Tennessee are driven by population density, uninsured-motorist rates, severe weather exposure (tornadoes), and repair costs. Re-shopping every 6 months is the single biggest lever Tennessee drivers control.
Most TN-licensed carriers can bind a policy the same day — usually within minutes once payment and license info are confirmed. Useful for dealerships, lease handoffs, or SR-22 court deadlines.
Yes — every ZIP code, from Nashville to Nashville. CoverShield works with carriers admitted in all of TN.
No — Tennessee is a traditional tort (at-fault) state. The at-fault driver's liability insurance pays for the other party's injuries and damages. That's why carrying more than the 25/50/15 state minimum is strongly recommended in TN — a serious crash can leave you personally liable for everything above your limits.
Roughly 23.7% of drivers in Tennessee are uninsured (IRC data). That's well above the US average, which is why uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage is a near-must for TN drivers — without it, a crash with an uninsured driver leaves you paying your own medical bills.
No forms, no spam. One call, real TN-licensed agent.
Local auto insurance pages for the largest Tennessee cities. Rates and minimums vary by ZIP — pick your city for a localized breakdown.
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Avg North Carolina full-coverage premium: $1,392/yr
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Avg Illinois full-coverage premium: $1,485/yr
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Avg Utah full-coverage premium: $1,496/yr
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Avg Washington full-coverage premium: $1,500/yr
Auto Insurance in Alaska
Avg Alaska full-coverage premium: $1,502/yr
