Is it mandatory to have auto insurance?
Most states require all cars to not only be registered, but to carry liability coverage at least.  Click here (list, by state, of all Dept of Motor Vehicles) to see exactly what your state requires, or check with your local Department of Motor Vehicles.

Does the law require me to have full or just liability coverage?
Most states are only concerned that you carry liability coverage.  To see exactly what your state requires, check with your state's Dept. of Motor Vehicles or click here (list, by state, of all Dept of Motor Vehicles).

What is the big difference between full coverage and liability only?
Full coverage usually refers to a policy that includes coverage to repair your vehicle (known as collission coverage) and liability coverage (which covers the car and/or the people you strike) in the event of an accident caused by your car.  "Liability only" is used to describe a policy which only has coverage for the other car (and/or people) you strike, whom you are liable to, hence the term liability.

If I lease a car do I have to purchase full coverage or can I get liability only?
Most leasing companies will not allow you to lease their cars without full coverage.  The reason for this is because you are merely leasing (or renting, in plain english) their car for a specified term.  Therefore, they need to be sure their car is fully protected and in the event of an accident will be fully repaired.  And since it is their car (not yours, remember, you are basically renting it from them) they could be sued for something you did in their car. This is why they usually specify not only that you carry liability insurance coverage, but that you carry higher than basic limits.  Check your lease agreement for complete details or contact your leasing company.  Most advisedly, it is best to look into this before entering into a lease contract as all contracts tend to vary.

What is a deductible and how does it work?
First of all, a deductible is the dollar amount that you are responsible for before the insurance company pays anything.  So let's say a rock hits and shatters your windshield while driving down the highway.  And this windshield costs $300 to replace, but your deductible is $500.  Therefore, you would not even need to turn in this claim because the insurance company has no responsibility.  Why?  Because the damage did not exceed $500.  Many would argue that even if the windshield cost $550 to replace they would not turn in this claim because it's not worth $50 of their time, nor do they want it to be on their record (for fear it sends a message to the insurance company that they are a bad risk).  It depends on your philosophy about why you carry insurance but many people carry insurance only to protect against major losses that would create an unbearable financial burden, not the small losses.  Obviously these are the people that insurers tend to favor.

What are the collision and comprehensive deductibles?
Collision deductible is the amout of money you are responsible for in fixing your car, in the event you are involved in a collision or accident you caused.

Comprehensive deductible is the amount of money you are responsible for in fixing your car, for any other damage sustained by your car than that of a collision.  So that leaves things like (most commonly) fire, flood, vandalism, damage while parked - like a tree falling over on it, and theft.  Check your policy though because policy coverages vary.

Do tickets and accidents really affect my insurance rate?
Yes, tickets and accidents really have a big impact on your insurance costs.  Obviously the more tickets and/or accidents you have tells the insurance company how likely you are to be involved in a future accident.  And even though you may only have 1 ticket on your record, this can eliminate the "good driver discount" which in most cases is 15%.  That's $135 you could be saving on a $900 policy if you remain ticket and accident free for (usually) the last 3 years.

How can I lower my insurance costs?