While most people love exploring the outdoors on their ATV’s, you never know what might happen. Because of the possibility of ATV accidents, many avid ATV riders get ATV insurance. Is ATV insurance worth the cost?
ATV insurance is worth the cost if someone regularly rides ATVs or has personal assets worth protecting. ATV insurance covers the cost of bodily injuries, property damage, and can also cover collisions, comprehensive damages, and additional issues caused by ATV accidents. Most ATV insurance plans cost between $10 and $150 per month.
Keep reading to learn more about why ATV insurance is worth the cost.
Benefits and Average Costs of ATV Insurance
Usually, ATV full coverage insurance plans will cost an average of between $99 and $1,500 per year. For most people, ATV insurance can be worthwhile since ATV operation carries tons of risks and chances for accidents.
That being said, even though most ATV insurance plans cost roughly $100 or less per year for basic coverage and around $327 per year for full coverage, this still may be too high of a price for some individuals and families. However, it is usually better to be safe than sorry, so nearly all ATV experts and riders will highly recommend having an ATV insurance plan.
The table below shows the average cost of ATV insurance plans provided by popular insurance companies.
| Insurance Provider | Average Cost of Basic ATV Insurance | Average Cost of Liability Only Insurance | Average Cost of Full Coverage Insurance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Markel | $40.75 | $61 | $352 |
| Nationwide | $69.75 | $93.17 | $134.25 |
| Gieco | $145 | $70 | $421 |
| Progressive | $47 | $75 | $188 |
| Dairyland | N/A | $106 | $165 |
| Allstate | $103 | $126 | $510 |
The main appeal of getting ATV insurance is that drivers can pay a flat cost on a monthly or yearly basis that covers the costs associated with a vast majority of the losses that might occur. You can tailor your policy to only include the coverages you want so that you only pay for what you need. Depending on where the ATV owner lives, liability coverage may be required to own and operate an ATV.
Having some form of ATV insurance is always a good idea since you never know what might happen. Even while riding responsibly you could end up causing significant damage that you are legally liable for. Shop around between different insurance companies and plans to find an ATV insurance plan that best suits your needs.
Buying ATV insurance can also be a huge benefit to drivers and riders, as some popular or well-kept ATV riding locations require you to have up-to-date insurance on an ATV before it can be operated on their trails or parks! If an ATV operator doesn’t have insurance, they could be barred from using some really fun ATV riding areas. ATV insurance is worthwhile and opens up many fun avenues for ATV enthusiasts.
What Do ATV and Off-Road Insurance Usually Cover?
The first coverage on an ATV policy are your liability coverages, liability meaning it covers damage you caused to others that you are legally liable for. So these coverages won’t cover your injury or damages, just the damages you caused to others. Some of the coverage names seem self explanatory but let me clarify what each of these coverages do.
Bodily injury – Covers injuries to other parties caused by your ATV.
Property Damage – Covers the cost of repair or replacement to any property belonging to others that your ATV damaged.
Next are some additional coverage that help protect you and the ATV
Uninsured motorist – Covers the cost of injuries caused by another party that doesn’t have insurance.
Medical – Covers the cost of treatment for the insured’s injuries that were caused by an accident.
Comprehensive – Covers the cost of repair or replacement for damage caused by something other than a collision. These claims would include theft, a tree falling on it, or it was in a garage that caught fire.
Collision – Covers damage caused to the ATV in a collision
Both comprehensive and collision coverages are going to have a deductible, meaning the amount you would pay before the insurance company covers the rest. The higher the deductible the lower the premium but I would recommend getting quotes with both a high deductible ($1k to $5k) and low deductibles ($100 to $500) to see the difference. If your ATV isn’t super expensive the lower deductibles are often a pretty similar price to the high deductible. If you have a supercharged Can-Am or something else pricey you’ll likely see a much bigger difference in price.
ATV owners should research each type of insurance plan in-depth to discover the unique types of accidents and injuries any given plan will cover. There are a number of restrictions on these policies that are worth knowing about, such as who is covered while operating the ATV. Make sure to find out if your policy would cover someone else driving your ATV if you think that might happen. Many many accidents happen to people who just got behind the wheel of someone else’s ATV.
Factors that Impact the Cost of ATV Insurance
Here is a list of factors that affect the cost of ATV insurance.
Location
Your ZIP code heavily affects how much your ATV insurance will cost. Why? Your state may have specific laws regarding what kind of insurance you need in order to go out riding your property. While most states don’t have laws regarding ATVs, a few do. Before going out on your ATV, make sure to properly observe your state’s requirements.
Along with this, aspects such as the crime rate for both theft and vandalism can affect how much you have to pay in order to cover your ATV. These details tend to be determined by the region you live in rather than the state.
ATV Use
How often you use your ATV can affect the cost of your ATV insurance. The more often you ride your ATV, the higher your insurance will be. Companies may offer a discount based on the amount of time you typically have your ATV in storage.
Age
If you are a young driver or have younger drivers using your ATV, you will have to pay more for ATV insurance. This is because younger drivers are more likely to drive fast and do more dangerous or risky stunts. They also often don’t have a lot of experience driving ATVs, which increases the odds they will cause or be involved in an accident. Taking safe driver courses can help you save money if you have a young driver on the insurance plan. You may also save money by adding an older family member to your policy. For me, I was able to add my Dad to my policy which helped increase the “average age of operators” and save me nearly $100 a year
Driving History
Your driving history will also determine how much you pay. If you have a large number of speeding tickets or have been in an accident, you will have to pay more for ATV insurance. However, this also can help you, as you can take a driver’s safety course that will show insurance companies that you are a great driver, which will help you save money.
Your driving history is the largest factor that affects the cost of ATV insurance. The better the driver you have been throughout your life, the lower your ATV insurance premium will be.
Your Vehicle
The type of ATV and age of the vehicle will affect how much your ATV insurance will cost. The more expensive your ATV, the more money you will have to pay for insurance. Also, racing ATVs will be more expensive to insure than utility ATVs. This is because the odds of a racing ATV getting into an accident are much higher than on a more utility model. If you get a supercharged model you can expect to have a much higher premium.
What Community ATV Forums Say about Insurance
ATV drivers have hundreds of useful and modern resources and tools to help them figure out if ATV insurance is worth the cost. One great way of researching this topic is by talking to people who have bought and used ATV insurance. These people can be easily found and talked to on community ATV forums and text chains online on Reddit and ATV websites.
On websites like Texas Bowhunter, firsthand ATV and insurance users have a lot to say about this topic. People in these threads want to discover and discuss if ATV insurance is worth the cost too. People in these threads report that if an ATV ever gets stolen, ATV insurance is worth it. However, this is something for you to weigh the options for yourself because the likelihood of theft mostly depends on where an ATV owner lives and travels to.
Most ATV owners enjoy getting insurance on everything ATV-related because ATVs and their corresponding equipment and repairs are expensive. I’d say the biggest value I get from my full coverage insurance is peace of mind. There are a million things that can go wrong on the trail and knowing that I won’t be sued out of house and home because of an unavoidable accident helps me enjoy the ride.
Many ATV users report that paying for premium ATV insurance is worth the cost because they know fellow people who had their ATVs stolen. These ATVs were torn apart and sold for parts or never recovered. ATV insurance can at least help to reduce the cost to repair these damages or purchase a new ATV.
Some people in the community threads say that they buy their ATV insurance through well-known companies like Progressive, Farmers’ Subsidiary Foremost, or Maine Auto Insurance. A few people in these threads report paying around $268 per year for ATV insurance.
Sometimes, companies that sell car insurance also sell ATV insurance plans! Ask your car insurance provider if this could be a convenient way to solve your lack of ATV insurance.
Best Insurance Companies for ATV Insurance
Should an ATV owner decide to get ATV insurance, they should be made aware that every insurance plan comes with unique strengths and weaknesses.
Many ATV users consider Progressive to be a company that offers insurance plans at the best average value for users. This is a driving reason why so many ATV drivers choose to get ATV insurance through Progressive.
The Dairyland insurance company is best for full-time ATV riders based on its superb plans. Professional ATV owners will appreciate Dairyland’s lowest $7 per month insurance plan or their more expensive $84 annual plan. Tradespeople, ranchers, and farmers who constantly use their ATV-type vehicles will benefit greatly from Dairyland’s coverage for collision, comprehensive, medical expenses, and guest passenger insurance!
If someone has a custom ATV, they should buy an insurance plan from the Markel company. Markel has a 25% disappearing deductible and mechanical breakdown coverage! However, insurance quotes are not available online, they do not have a mobile app for users to operate, and it is not available in North Carolina or Massachusetts.
This company is great for custom ATV owners because it has high policy limits paired with low deductibles, which is helpful if the ATV gets damaged in a crash! ATV coverage through this company can start at less than $50 per month and more affordable rates than other insurance companies are often offered at Markel.
If an ATV driver is a military service member or veteran, the USAA company will give them great rates! Some of the best things about the USAA insurance company are the low-cost coverage, coverage availability, and versatile coverage that is available to cover children, former spouses, and spouses of military service personnel. USAA’s coverage is impressively available in all 50 states. However, you have to be an active military service member or veteran to get ATV insurance through USAA.
If you are looking for flexible payment options, consider getting ATV insurance through Geico. This company is fantastic and highly regarded for its low-cost coverage, savings that are offered with multiple discounts, and the quotes that can be given online, by phone, and in person. However, Geico has an above-average number of complaints listed with NAIC, so read through some of them before buying an ATV insurance plan through Geico to see if it will be worth it.
Personally, I found that my best deal was with Foremost Insurance which is a subsidiary of Farmers Insurance. I’m able to get full coverage with low deductibles and $250k in bodily injury liability for only $217 a year for my 2021 Polaris Sportsman 570.
Tools for Finding Ideal ATV Insurance Plans
When looking for competitive quotes the best way to get those is by reaching out to multiple companies individually to see how their rates and coverages compare. There are all sorts of websites that say they offer multiple quotes in minutes but what they really do is sell your contact information to multiple insurance companies who might call and email you relentlessly. Instead, I would reach out to your primary insurance company, who ever you carry other policies through, and ask them if they offer ATV insurance. If so they likely offer an additional discount for being a loyal customer. If not I would turn to Progressive, Foremost, Allstate, and Geico to find out what they can offer.
You can also talk to friends that have ATVs about the insurance they have and whether or not they like it. If none of your friends have ATV insurance, look on ATV forums and see if people talk about their ATV insurance so you can find the best plan for you. Keep in mind that people’s opinions about ATV insurance will vary on their experiences, so if someone thought their ATV insurance should have covered more than it did, they will have a negative opinion of the insurance plan and company.
Overall, ATV insurance is worth the cost. Keep in mind that even if you are good at driving ATVs, that doesn’t mean the people around you are good at driving ATVs, so you never know when you will need ATV insurance. Like they say, its better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. I was personally in an ATV accident where the other party was life-flighted to the nearest hospital. Luckily she was okay and I wasn’t the one at fault for the accident so I wasn’t responsible for that bill but that could have been tens of thousands of dollars I would have been responsible for just getting her to the hospital. If she needed long-term care that would have come out of my pocket as well. That’s why I am more than happy to pay for $250k in bodily injury liability since that coverage only costs $38 a year.
