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How age, gender and marital status affect car insurance
Why insurers charge by age, gender and marital status, what crash data shows, and which states ban or limit these factors, verified against state law.
In most states, insurers may charge different prices by age, gender and marital status because their claim data shows these groups crash, and file claims, at different rates. Age has the biggest effect: teenagers pay the most, prices usually fall through the twenties and level off in middle age, and they can rise again for drivers in their seventies and beyond. Several states ban some or all of these factors, including California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania for gender.
What the crash data shows
Insurers point to crash statistics like these from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:
- Teenagers: per mile driven, the fatal crash rate for drivers 16 to 19 is just over three times the rate for drivers 20 and older, and risk is highest at 16 and 17 (IIHS). About three of every four teenagers killed in crashes in 2024 were male.
- Men and women: in 2022, male drivers had 2.8 fatal crash involvements per 100 million miles traveled versus 1.9 for female drivers, a 48% difference. The gap was large among drivers 16 to 29, smaller from 30 to 69, and reversed at 70 and older, when women's rates were higher (IIHS).
- Older drivers: fatal crash rates per mile begin to rise at ages 70 to 74 and are highest for drivers 85 and older, largely because older people are more vulnerable to injury rather than more likely to crash (IIHS).
Fatal crash data is only part of the picture; insurers price on all claims, including fender-benders and injuries. Insurers that use marital status say their data shows married drivers file fewer claims than single drivers of the same age. Critics, including California's insurance commissioner, argue that price should depend on how you drive, not on personal characteristics you cannot control or that say little about driving.
How each factor typically works
- Age and experience: the steepest surcharges apply to newly licensed drivers. Many insurers phase them down through the early twenties; some rate on years licensed rather than age. Adding a teen is covered in adding a teen driver to your car insurance.
- Gender: where allowed, young men usually pay more than young women. The difference typically narrows with age.
- Marital status: where allowed, married drivers often pay less. A divorce or the death of a spouse can raise a premium; see car insurance after a divorce or separation.
- Older drivers: rates may creep up from the seventies, and many insurers and states offer mature driver course discounts; see car insurance for seniors and mature driver course discounts.
Where these factors are banned or limited
These rules were checked against each state's statute, regulation or court ruling as of October 2026.
| State | Gender | Marital status | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | Banned since January 1, 2019 by regulation (CDI) | Allowed as an optional factor since 1996; the commissioner proposed ending it on September 16, 2026 | Rates rest on years of driving experience, a mandatory Prop 103 factor |
| Hawaii | Banned | Banned | Banned, along with length of driving experience (HRS 431:10C-207) |
| Massachusetts | Banned | Banned | Banned, except a required 25% reduction for qualifying drivers 65 and older (c. 175E, s. 4) |
| Michigan | Banned since the 2019 reform | Banned | Allowed: insurers may use age, length of driving experience or years licensed (MCL 500.2111) |
| North Carolina | Banned since 1975 | Not restricted by this statute | Banned; the state rating plan surcharges inexperienced drivers instead (G.S. 58-3-25) |
| Pennsylvania | Barred since the state Supreme Court's 1984 decision in Hartford Accident and Indemnity Co. v. Insurance Commissioner, which relied on the state Equal Rights Amendment | Not addressed by the ruling | Not addressed by the ruling |
Two common claims need correcting. Montana is often listed as banning gender and marital status rating because of its 1985 unisex insurance law, but a 2021 amendment says it is not a violation for insurers to use accepted ratemaking methods based on sex or marital status in setting premiums, outside health insurance (MCA 49-2-309). And California's marital status change is only a proposal until the regulation is finalized; it follows a July 16, 2026 appeals court decision, Ison v. Lara, upholding the commissioner's authority over optional rating factors (CDI).
Some states protect against specific situations rather than banning a factor. Maryland bars an insurer from increasing an auto premium for a policyholder who becomes a surviving spouse based solely on that change in marital status (Ins. 27-501). Rules elsewhere vary; check your state guide.
What to do at each stage
- New and teen drivers: ask about good student discount eligibility, driver training credits and telematics programs, and compare adding the teen to your policy with a separate one; see should a teen have a separate car insurance policy?.
- In your twenties: re-shop at birthdays that move you into a new rating band and after a few clean years, since some insurers move drivers out of young-driver classes faster than others.
- When you marry: tell your insurer and compare a combined policy; multi-car and bundling discounts often add to any marital status credit. Make sure every licensed household member is listed.
- After divorce or a spouse's death: ask how the change affects your rating before it renews, and re-shop. Decide who will be the named insured on any policy that continues.
- From your late sixties: ask about a defensive driving course or mature driver discount, and review mileage, since many retirees drive less.
Key takeaways
- Age is the largest demographic factor: drivers 16 to 19 crash at about three times the per-mile fatal rate of drivers 20 and older.
- Gender and marital status rating is legal in most states but banned for gender in California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
- Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan also ban marital status, and Hawaii, Massachusetts and North Carolina restrict age.
- Montana's unisex law no longer bars sex or marital status in insurance pricing since a 2021 amendment.
- Because insurers weigh these factors differently, life changes such as a birthday, wedding or divorce are good moments to compare quotes with the car insurance quote comparison worksheet.