(The Center Square) – It’s probably not quite the break Washington state drivers were hoping for, but the rate of increase in the cost of auto insurance appears to be slowing down.
“I checked the numbers just to see where we're at for 2025 through six months, and we're at 1.8%,” said Aaron VanTuyl, communications manager at the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner, noting that’s not likely won’t show up in premium rates for the remainder of the year but should result in much smaller increases for 2026.
“Last year it was up 17.5% and in 2023 the average for that was 24.7%,” he added.
Rates dipped for most drivers just after the pandemic because there were far fewer vehicles on the road and, as a result, far fewer accidents and claims.
VanTuyl explained that OIC must approve annual rate adjustments for insurance providers.
“We’re required to approve rate changes as long as they are adequate and not excessive or unfair,” he said. “What that means is there's a process in place for rates to come in and be evaluated, and actuaries have to take a look and basically make sure that the insurance companies are accounting for the need to increase rates, so we can keep pace with the cost of claims and to pay out administrative costs.”
According to VanTuyl, OIC’s experts spend months making sure they can legally justify the rate change insurance companies are requesting.
According to AutoInsurance.com, the average cost of full coverage car insurance in the state of Washington in 2024 was $1,452 per year, which translates to about $121 per month. Rates can be dramatically higher for those who have been involved in an auto accident, received a speeding ticket, or have committed other driving infractions.
According to an AutoInsurance.com report, “Teen drivers face the highest auto insurance rate in every state. In Washington, the average annual cost of full coverage for drivers aged 16 to 19 is $4,294, compared to an average of $2,755 for drivers in their 20s.”
Like the report's authors, VanTuyl OIC suggests shopping around for a better rate.
“We do recommend people shop around, because, like the study shows, you can usually reduce costs by getting a new policy somewhere else,” he said. “And the other thing to look into is maybe if you've got an older car and it's already paid off, and all, maybe you don't need full coverage. Talk to an agent or broker, and ask them about discounts, and ask if switching to somewhere else can get you a better deal.
