Auto insurance · Traverse City, MI
Auto insurance in Traverse City, explained before it’s priced.
Lind & Birch compares car insurance from several carriers for drivers in Traverse City and across Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties. We walk you through Michigan’s no-fault choices (PIP medical level, liability limits and mini-tort) so you choose your coverage on purpose, not by default. Most quotes take one phone call.
Written and last reviewed by Erik Lind, CIC, licensed agent ·
Michigan no-fault, in three numbers
The rules changed in 2020. Most policies never got a second look.
These are the state’s numbers, not ours. They decide how much of a crash your policy pays and how much could come out of your savings.
The year Michigan drivers started choosing a PIP medical level instead of everyone carrying unlimited coverage.
The default bodily injury limit per person ($500,000 per accident). Choosing less takes a signed form.
The most you can be held responsible for under mini-tort, for another driver’s uncovered vehicle damage.
Plain-language summary, not legal advice. Source: Michigan DIFS, michigan.gov/autoinsurance.
Six decisions most people never hear about.
Nobody should pick these by default. We go through each one with you, in plain English, in about fifteen minutes.
PIP medical level
Pays medical bills and lost wages after a crash, no matter who’s at fault. You choose the limit; we check how it fits with your health plan.
Bodily injury liability
Protects your savings if you hurt someone. The default is $250,000/$500,000; going lower takes a signed form.
Property protection (PPI)
Required in Michigan. Pays for damage your car does to other people’s property in the state, like buildings and fences.
Mini-tort
Pays up to $3,000 of another driver’s vehicle damage when you’re at fault. Optional, and usually worth it.
Comprehensive
Deer, falling branches, hail, theft and broken glass. The coverage Northern Michigan drivers use most.
Collision options
Michigan carriers commonly offer more than one collision option. We explain how each one pays before you choose.
Who we help
Families, commuters, and the second car in the barn.
- Households bundling cars with a home or cottage
- New drivers and teens getting their first policy
- Drivers whose renewal jumped and want it re-shopped
- Classic cars, trucks, snowmobiles, ATVs and RVs
- Spanish-speaking drivers (Luis explains PIP en español)
What affects your price
The honest list. No rate promises.
- Your driving record and claims history
- The vehicles you drive and how you use them
- The PIP medical level and liability limits you choose
- Your deductibles for comprehensive and collision
- Discounts like bundling, good student and paid-in-full
We don’t publish prices: every carrier underwrites differently.
14 carriers, one call.
On a live site, carrier names appear here as text first. A logo is added only after that carrier approves it in writing.
- Carrier 01
- Carrier 02
- Carrier 03
- Carrier 04
- Carrier 05
- Carrier 06
- Carrier 07
- Carrier 08
- Carrier 09
- Carrier 10
- Carrier 11
- Carrier 12
- Carrier 13
- Carrier 14
Auto insurance questions, answered plainly
The questions we hear most from Traverse City drivers.
Which PIP medical level should I choose in Michigan?
Since July 2020, Michigan drivers choose their Personal Injury Protection (PIP) medical level instead of everyone carrying unlimited coverage. The options range from unlimited down to lower limits, and some people with qualifying health coverage or Medicare can choose less or opt out. The right level depends on your health insurance and who lives with you, so we review your health plan with you before you pick. The state explains the options at michigan.gov/autoinsurance.
What is mini-tort, and do I need it?
In Michigan, if you cause an accident you can be held responsible for up to $3,000 of the other driver’s vehicle damage that their own insurance doesn’t pay. Limited property damage (“mini-tort”) coverage pays that for you. It’s optional and usually inexpensive, which is why we suggest most clients add it.
Does car insurance cover hitting a deer in Northern Michigan?
Usually yes, if you carry comprehensive coverage. Hitting a deer is generally a comprehensive claim. Swerving to miss the deer and hitting a tree or guardrail is usually a collision claim instead. With as many deer as we have on our back roads, we look closely at your comprehensive deductible.
What are Michigan’s liability limits now?
Michigan’s default bodily injury liability limits are $250,000 per person and $500,000 per accident. You can sign a form to choose lower limits, down to the state minimum. We’ll show you the price difference so you can decide, but lower limits leave more of your savings exposed if you cause a serious accident.
Is it cheaper to bundle my home and auto insurance?
Often, yes. Many carriers give a multi-policy discount, and one agent for both means fewer gaps. It’s not always the cheapest option, though, so we quote it bundled and separately and show you both.
Can you insure a teen driver, a classic car or a snowmobile?
Yes. We add teen drivers (and look for good-student and driver-training discounts), and we can place classic cars, motorcycles, snowmobiles, ATVs and RVs, often with the same carrier as your daily car.