Summary: Worried that shopping for car insurance might hurt your credit? Don’t be. Getting quotes uses a soft credit check, which won’t affect your score. Insurers may look at your credit-based insurance score to help set your rate, but they can’t use credit alone to make a decision. Our guide explains how it works, how to protect your score, and how to compare quotes with confidence. Estimated Read Time: 3 mins

Table of Contents:

  1. How Car Insurance Quotes Affect Your Credit
  2. What Happens When Insurers Check Your Credit?
  3. How to Shop for Car Insurance Without Hurting Your Score
Comparing car insurance quotes is an essential part of finding the lowest price available, but many drivers have concerns about how the process affects their credit. Our guide helps break down exactly how your credit score is impacted, what carriers use your credit history for, and how to find the right coverage with peace of mind.

How Car Insurance Quotes Affect Your Credit

Simply put, you don’t have to worry about your credit score when comparing car insurance quotes. This is because these are known as soft inquiries, which don’t show up on your credit report or lower your score.

Hard inquiries do, but these are not used by carriers. Feel free to compare quotes and find the best deal without worrying about it affecting your credit.

What Happens When Insurers Check Your Credit?

You know credit scores matter for loans, but they can also affect your car insurance rates. Insurers use a credit-based insurance score, which looks at things like payment history, debt, and credit age to help gauge your risk.

The better your score, the more likely you are to pay less for coverage. If your score is low, you might pay more, or in some cases, be denied coverage.

But don’t worry. States like Texas have rules to protect you. Insurers must explain how they use your credit and can’t base your rate only on your score.

If your credit was hurt by something like identity theft, you may be able to ask for an exception.

Remember, checking your score for an insurance quote is a soft inquiry, so it won’t hurt your credit, and is simply being used to provide you with an estimate.

Maintaining a high credit score is important for many reasons, including keeping your insurance bills low. This is because your credit history is part of the overall insurance score that carriers will look at when calculating your premiums.

However, premiums aren’t based on your credit alone in most cases, and getting a quote isn’t going to negatively impact your credit score. To learn more about your insurance score, click the link.

How to Shop for Car Insurance Without Hurting Your Score

If you’re comparing car insurance rates, it’s smart to keep your credit score in mind. Many people don’t realize that shopping around won’t hurt your credit if you do it the right way.

Here’s a simple guide to help you get the best quote without putting your score at risk:

  • Use quote tools that perform soft credit checks. Most online quote tools only run a soft inquiry, which won’t impact your credit score at all.
  • Compare quotes in a short window of time. If any hard inquiries do happen, doing your shopping within a few days can limit the effect.
  • Ask if the inquiry is soft or hard. Before you give out personal info, ask the company what kind of credit check they use. Again, this will overwhelmingly be a soft inquiry.
  • Wait to apply for other credit. Try not to apply for credit cards or loans while shopping for insurance. Too many checks at once can lower your score, as these can involve hard inquiries.
  • Ask if they use credit scores. Not all insurance companies look at credit. If yours isn’t great, choosing one that doesn’t use it might help you save.
  • Talk to an agent you trust. A good agent can guide you through your options. Some won’t even check your credit until you’re ready to buy.
  • Keep an eye on your credit report. Review your report for mistakes. Fixing errors can improve your insurance score and save you money.

Shopping for car insurance doesn’t have to be stressful or risky for your credit. When you understand how the process works, you can compare rates with confidence.

Use soft-check tools, ask the right questions, and don’t be afraid to shop around. With the right approach, you’ll find a great policy and keep your credit score safe.

Sources:

Hard vs Soft Inquiries: Different Credit Checks, TransUnion. Accessed June 2025. https://www.transunion.com/blog/credit-advice/the-difference-between-hard-and-soft-credit-inquiries

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