Does car color affect insurance rates?

Car color does not affect car insurance rates.

Car insurance companies do not ask for or track your vehicle's paint color. When you apply for insurance, companies use your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), which identifies the make, model, year, and features of the car—not its color.

Why the Myth Exists

• Sports Cars: The popular belief that red cars cost more to insure comes from the false idea that bright colors attract higher accident rates or more speeding tickets. In reality, insurers charge more for certain sports cars because of their high-performance engines and expensive repair costs, not because they are red.
• The VIN limitation: Paint color is not recorded in a vehicle's VIN data, meaning insurers have no practical way to factor color into their pricing models.

The Only Exception: Custom Paint Jobs

Standard factory paint colors have zero impact on rates. However, if you invest in an expensive custom paint job or specialized wrap, standard insurance policies may not fully cover the added value if the car is damaged. To protect a custom paint job, you must purchase extra coverage, such as custom parts and equipment (CPE) endorsement, which can slightly raise your overall premium.

What Actually Affects Insurance Rates

Insurers determine your rate based on real, measurable risk factors:

• Vehicle type: Make, model, safety ratings, engine size, and repair costs.
• Driving history: Your record of accidents, traffic tickets, and DUIs.
• Location: Where you live and park your car.
• Personal factors: Your age, gender, marital status, and credit-based insurance score (where allowed).

No car color is cheaper or more expensive to insure because car color does not affect insurance rates.

Insurance companies use your car's Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), which does not contain information about the car's color. The myth that red cars cost more to insure is completely false.

Real Factors That Change Insurance Costs

Instead of color, insurers look at these details:

• Make and model: Fast sports cars or expensive luxury cars cost more to cover than standard family sedans.
• Driving history: Tickets, accidents, and DUI records raise your rates.
• Location: Areas with high rates of theft, vandalism, or traffic congestion cost more.
• Coverage type: Choosing full coverage costs more than basic liability.

When Color Can Indirectly Affect Costs

• Custom paint jobs: A unique, expensive custom paint or wrap can cost more to repair, which may require extra custom equipment coverage from Progressive or other providers.
• Vehicle price: Popular standard colors sometimes carry a higher purchase price at the dealership, which can slightly alter overall vehicle value.

The color of a car does not affect how much you pay for auto insurance.

Why Color Doesn't Matter

• No tracking: Insurance companies do not ask for or track your car's paint color.
• The VIN rule: Rates are calculated using the 17-character Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), which identifies the make, model, trim, and safety features—not the hue.
• The red car myth: The old rumor that red cars cost more to insure is false. People often confuse high insurance rates on sports cars (which happen to be red) with the paint color itself.

What Actually Affects Your Rate

• Vehicle type: Luxury cars and high-performance vehicles cost more to insure than standard sedans or minivans.
• Driver profile: Your age, gender, driving record, and credit score play a major role.
• Location: Areas with higher rates of traffic, theft, or weather damage increase your costs.
• Custom paint: A unique or custom paint job can indirectly raise rates because it requires extra coverage for special parts and equipment.

No, a standard paint job or changing your car to a different factory color will not make your car insurance go up.

Standard Paint vs. Custom Paint

• Standard / Factory Color Change: Insurance companies do not track paint color, and it is not part of your vehicle identification number (VIN) data. Painting your car a normal color (like going from silver to blue) changes nothing.
• Custom or Luxury Paint Jobs: If you get an expensive custom paint job (such as multi-color, matte finishes, metal flakes, or hand-painted art), your insurance may go up slightly. This happens because a custom finish increases your car's total value and repair costs after an accident.

When You Should Tell Your Insurer

• You need to update your policy with Progressive or your specific provider if you add a high-end custom paint job.
• You may need to buy optional Custom Parts and Equipment (CPE) coverage to make sure the expensive paint is fully protected if your car gets damaged.

Black is statistically the least safe color for a car because it has the highest risk of involvement in traffic accidents.

Why Black is Least Safe

• Low visibility: Black cars absorb light rather than reflect it. They blend into shadows and dark pavement, making them very hard to see at night or during dawn and dusk.
• Higher crash rates: Landmark studies, such as the major research from Monash University, show that black vehicles carry up to a 47% higher risk of crashing during low-light hours like dawn and dusk compared to high-visibility cars.

Other Risky Colors

• Gray and Silver: These shades blend easily into concrete roads and overcast skies, carrying a roughly 10% to 11% higher crash risk than white.
• Blue and Green: Dark blue can look black at night, while green can blend into trees and foliage.
• Red: Despite being bright, red can get lost against traffic lights and brake lights.