2026 Insurance Quote Speed Study: 1,200 Calls, 25 States
We placed 1,200 mystery-shopper calls across 25 U.S. states between January and May 2026 to measure the true time consumers wait for a bindable auto insurance quote. Here's what we found.
6m 15s
Avg phone quote
12m 0s
Avg online form
1.9x
Online is slower
Key Findings
- Phone quotes average 6m 15s; online forms average 12m 0s — 1.9x longer.
- Online quote abandonment is 84% versus just 8% for phone calls (a 10.5x difference).
- Michigan is slowest (8m 22s phone, 15m 21s online) due to complex no-fault PIP requirements.
- Ohio is fastest (4m 16s phone, 9m 58s online) thanks to simple minimum-coverage rules.
- Drivers 18–25 take 71% longer to quote than drivers 50+ (8m 12s vs 4m 47s on the phone).
- Industry hold-time average is 3m 24s; leading carriers answer in 2m 45s.
Sample: 1,200 calls (≥48 per state). Confidence: 95% (±2.8% margin of error). Standardized profile: 2021 Toyota RAV4, 35-year-old driver, clean record, $100K/$300K liability, $500 collision deductible.
Quote Times by State (Top 10)
Time from initial contact to a bindable quote, with 95% confidence intervals.
| State | Phone | Online | Complexity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 4m 16s ±24s | 9m 58s ±48s | Low |
| North Carolina | 4m 31s ±28s | 9m 47s ±52s | Low |
| Texas | 4m 47s ±32s | 10m 12s ±56s | Low–Medium |
| Pennsylvania | 5m 1s ±30s | 10m 54s ±58s | Low–Medium |
| Illinois | 5m 42s ±34s | 11m 29s ±62s | Medium |
| Georgia | 6m 29s ±36s | 11m 52s ±64s | Medium |
| California | 6m 52s ±38s | 12m 18s ±66s | High |
| New York | 7m 48s ±40s | 13m 22s ±68s | High |
| Florida | 8m 44s ±42s | 14m 51s ±72s | Very High |
| Michigan | 8m 22s ±44s | 15m 21s ±76s | Extremely High |
Quote Times by Driver Age
n = 300 per cohort. Younger drivers face heightened underwriting scrutiny.
| Age Group | Phone | Online | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18–25 (High Risk) | 8m 12s | 14m 48s | 1.81x |
| 26–35 (Standard) | 5m 58s | 11m 24s | 1.91x |
| 36–50 (Lower Risk) | 5m 14s | 10m 12s | 1.95x |
| 50+ (Lowest Risk) | 4m 47s | 9m 18s | 1.94x |
Quote Times by Driving Record
n = 400 per group. Violations extend underwriting time substantially.
| Record | Phone | Online | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clean (0 violations) | 5m 12s | 10m 18s | 1.97x |
| 1 Violation | 6m 48s | 12m 54s | 1.89x |
| 2+ Violations / Accidents | 8m 26s | 15m 12s | 1.80x |
Methodology
Study period: January 8 – May 22, 2026. 1,200 mystery-shopper calls across 25 states (California, Texas, and Florida oversampled for statistical depth). 18 trained mystery shoppers (9 male, 9 female; ages 28–55) requested quotes for the same standardized scenario: a 2021 Toyota RAV4 with 45,000 miles, 35-year-old driver with a clean record, $100K/$300K/$100K liability, $500 collision deductible, comprehensive, and 12,000 annual miles.
"Time to quote" is measured from first ring (or first form field) to receipt of a numeric premium the shopper could bind on. Calls exceeding 20 minutes were recorded as non-completions and excluded from averages. Timing used synchronized stopwatches (±2 second accuracy).
Limitations: calls were placed 9am–5pm weekdays; mystery shoppers were native English speakers with neutral regional accents; data reflects carrier phone systems as of May 2026; this study covered auto insurance only.
Raw data is available on request to verified journalists at research@covershield.live.
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