Ohio Car Insurance Rates and How They Are Set

Ohio car insurance rates are set by each insurance company, not by the state. Ohio law requires every insurer to file the rates, rating plans and rules it proposes to use with the Superintendent of Insurance, and it may not issue a policy except in accordance with the filings in effect for it ¹. The Ohio Department of Insurance (ODI) then reviews those rates against the standards in state law ².

Ohio drivers have paid less than the national average in recent national data. ODI's 2025 annual report, citing National Association of Insurance Commissioners data, says Ohioans paid an average of $832 for auto insurance in 2022, the ninth lowest in the nation, against a national average of $1,127 ². That is a statewide average from 2022, not a quote, and it says nothing about what any one renewal will be. Our guide to why car insurance goes up covers the personal reasons a bill can change.

Ohio Revised Code section 3937.03 requires every insurer to file with the Superintendent every policy form, manual of classifications, rule, rate and rating plan it proposes to use, along with every change to them. Each filing must state its proposed effective date ¹. If a filing does not include the information that supports it, and the Superintendent does not have enough information to judge it, the Superintendent may require the insurer to furnish that information ¹.

The same section says no insurer may make or issue a policy except in accordance with the filings that are in effect for it ¹. In practice, that means the rate on an Ohio policy should trace back to a rating plan the company has on file with the department. Filing is not the same as a state-set price: two insurers can file very different rates for the same driver.

ODI describes the review itself in its annual report. The department's Product Regulation and Actuarial Services division reviews rates "to ensure they are not excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory," and the department says it reviews and approves about 6,200 company filings a year across life, health and property and casualty lines ². Our explainer on what a rate filing is covers what those documents usually contain.

Ohio limits how a gap in coverage can be used to price a new policy. Under section 3937.021, an insurer setting motor vehicle rates may not consider the fact that an applicant does not have auto insurance at the time of applying, unless the insurer has an actuarial justification ³. The same section lets an insurer consider the reasons an earlier policy was canceled, not renewed or otherwise involuntarily ended ³. Our page on what happens if car insurance lapses explains why gaps matter more broadly.

Ohio's financial responsibility law sets the minimum amounts a liability policy must carry. Under section 4509.51, an owner's policy must cover at least $25,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident, $50,000 for bodily injury to or death of two or more people in any one accident, and $25,000 for damage to the property of others in any one accident ⁴. The current version of that section took effect on December 22, 2013 ⁴.

Section 4509.101 says no one may operate, or let someone else operate, a motor vehicle in Ohio unless proof of financial responsibility is maintained for it ⁵. For a first violation, the statute provides for suspension of the driver's license and a $40 reinstatement fee, among other conditions for getting driving privileges back ⁵. The minimums cover damage you cause to others; they do not pay to repair your own car. Our comparison of minimum and full coverage prices shows how the two usually differ.

A low statewide average does not mean every Ohio renewal stays flat. Each insurer files its own rates, so a company-wide change is an average across its existing policyholders, and within that average some drivers see larger changes and some smaller. A renewal can also move because a driver was added, a ticket or at-fault accident was recorded, a discount ended, the vehicle changed or coverage limits changed. Our page on whether car insurance rates are going down explains why averages and single bills often move differently.

If a renewal notice is hard to follow, our guide to reading a renewal notice shows where the reasons for a change usually appear. Asking the insurer or agent which rating factors changed is a reasonable first step, and you can compare quotes from several insurers to see whether a price is in line with others.

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ODI's Consumer Services Division answers insurance questions and investigates complaints against insurance companies, agents and adjusters, including complaints about automobile insurance. Its 2025 annual report lists the Consumer Services line as 800-686-1526 ². ODI says that when Consumer Services receives a complaint against an insurer, a representative asks the company for an explanation of its position and reviews whether the issue was handled in line with the policy and state insurance law ². In the same report, ODI said the division fielded 19,353 inquiries and resolved 9,561 complaints during the fiscal year ².

For a question about a specific claim, start with your insurer and then ODI; we do not give claims advice. QuotePitStop is a lead-generation service, not an insurance company, agent or broker.

• ¹ Official record: Ohio Revised Code section 3937.03 as effective October 24, 2024, the requirement to file rates and rating plans, supporting information, and issuing policies only under filings in effect, checked October 13, 2026.
• ² Official record: ODI's 2025 annual report, the 2022 average auto premium of $832 and national average of $1,127 from NAIC data, the ninth-lowest ranking, about 6,200 filings a year, the rate review standard, the Consumer Services line and complaint process, and the 19,353 inquiries and 9,561 complaints, checked October 13, 2026.
• ³ Official record: Ohio Revised Code section 3937.021 on considering a lack of current insurance, checked October 13, 2026.
• ⁴ Official record: Ohio Revised Code section 4509.51, the $25,000, $50,000 and $25,000 minimum limits, effective December 22, 2013, checked October 13, 2026.
• ⁵ Official record: Ohio Revised Code section 4509.101 as effective September 30, 2025, the proof of financial responsibility requirement and the $40 first-violation reinstatement fee, checked October 13, 2026.