New York state law requires that you all drivers in New York state must be covered by liability insurance. Insurance prices in upstate NY are not low, though they can be considerably lower than those in other states. Insurance costs will depend on many factors, such as age, gender, previous driving record, the type of car you drive, etc. Even basic liability insurance costs may be hefty: you can easily find yourself paying over $1000 a year! The actual costs will vary widely from company to company, so it is important to shop around. Based on a narrow survey of graduate students, one recommended company is Progressive Auto Insurance (CLICK HERE). Progressive offers competitive rates, good customer service, and generally responds to claims quickly. Furthermore, you can quickly obtain insurance quotes and buy a policy over the web. Other possible insurers are Geico Direct (CLICK HERE), All State (CLICK HERE), State Farm (CLICK HERE), etc. You can obtain quotes and find the offices of their local underwriters through their websites. In general, it is advisable to obtain quotes from as many insurers as possible, as it is often hard to predict who will have the best rates. You may also want to check out section 5.5.2 for additional information about buying car insurance.