Alaska Car Insurance Guide

Though Alaska is known for its wide-open spaces and having plenty of room, the state has still decided that in order to operate a vehicle legally on the highways and streets of The Last Frontier, a driver must maintain minimal levels of liability insurance coverage as protection in case they are involved in an accident where they are partially or completely at fault.

The three ways available to stay on the right side of the law in Alaska when it comes to auto insurance are to either: self-insure, buy auto insurance, or post a bond from the DMV in an amount that is set by them. Alaska has some of the highest insurance requirements in the country the minimum levels of liability insurance required are:

• $50,000 - Bodily injury: This insurance provides for the medical expenses of any single person that you are involved in an accident with where you are ruled to be partially or completely at fault. The insurance will pay for medical expenses up to the maximum, and any additional charges may have to be borne by you.
• $100,000 - Bodily injury per accident: This insurance coverage is the maximum amount of expenses that will be paid out for any number of people who are injured in an accident with you if you are at all at fault.
• $25,000 - Property damage - This insurance will pay for any damage that you do with your vehicle to state property, or another vehicle or private property in an accident where you are found to be at fault.

When shopping for cheap auto insurance in Alaska it is important to keep in mind that there are various factors that will determine what rate you are offered by the insurance companies including:

• Your age: Teenage drivers are notoriously expensive to insure due to the very high likelihood of reckless, accident-causing driving habits.
• Your driving record: If you’ve had previous accidents your insurance rates with any new company are bound to be higher. If you’ve had enough accidents you may become a high-risk and many auto insurance companies will refuse to write a policy for you at all, in which case you will have to turn to the smaller, high-risk insurance pools which are significantly more expensive.
• Your credit score: It is a statistical fact that people with lower credit are more likely to file claims than those with higher credit scores. Many insurance companies will use this information to adjust your premiums.
• Usage: The more you drive, the further your commute to and from work each way (or to the kid’s soccer practice) the more expensive your insurance premiums are likely to be as well.