The U.S. is home to more than 2 million active-duty military personnel and 17 million veterans, according to census data.[?] [?] If you’re an active-duty member, veteran, or family member of someone who served, you can find cheap car insurance to help cut costs. Auto insurance companies offer discounts specifically for members of the military community.
While it’s a good idea to shop around and compare quotes from multiple companies, you’ll likely find that USAA, which specifically caters to the military community, offers the lowest rates.
Here’s what you need to know about military car insurance.
USAA offers the cheapest car insurance for military personnel and exclusively serves the military community.
Some auto insurance companies, like GEICO, Farmers, and Liberty Mutual, serve military service members and veterans with unique discounts.
Before you go on deployment, notify your car insurer and learn about your options for coverage.
Best car insurance for veterans and military
Here’s an overview of the best car insurance companies for veterans and members of the military.
Insurance Company | IQ Score The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores. | Full Coverage | Liability Only | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 9.1 | $99 | $52 | Customer service |
| Liberty Mutual | 7.7 | $218 | $161 | Veterans |
| GEICO | 9.2 | $139 | $91 | Military discounts |
Our editorial team spent more than 350 hours developing the Insurify Quality (IQ) Score and scoring insurance companies. The IQ Score objectively analyzes and calculates a score for insurers using more than 15 crucial criteria. The team weighted criteria by importance to the consumer — factors such as customer reviews and affordability influence the score more than availability and third-party ratings.
We rate each company on a 1 to 10 scale based on five categories: financial ratings, customer satisfaction, affordability, customer support and transparency, and availability. Insurify updates ratings once a year or as more recent information becomes available.
- Third-party financial ratings: Insurify uses data from AM Best, S&P, Moody’s, and more to compare insurance companies’ credit and ability to pay out future claims.
- Customer satisfaction: To calculate this score, Insurify analyzed more than 55,000 customer reviews across 155 car insurance companies. We also consider third-party ratings from J.D. Power, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and Trustpilot.
- Affordability: Our data scientists analyzed more than 90 million real-time auto insurance rates from our partners across the U.S., as well as available discounts, to calculate an affordability score.
- Customer support and transparency: This measures coverage options, ease of claims filing, and the insurer's transparency surrounding discounts, coverages, and claims process.
- Availability and reach: Insurify scores availability and reach by identifying the number of states in which insurers offer coverage and company size by market share.
Best insurer for customer service: USAA
Best insurer for veterans: Liberty Mutual
Best insurer for military discounts: GEICO
Cheapest car insurance for veterans
Your car insurance rates as a military member or veteran depend on your age, location, ZIP code, driving record, vehicle, and more. But you can get cheaper car insurance with these tips:
Shop around. Do your research and get car insurance quotes from at least three auto insurance companies. This way, you can compare your options and make an informed decision for your unique needs.
Ask about discounts. Find out whether you’re eligible for a military discount or other discounts like a loyalty discount, multi-car discount, and anti-theft device discount. A licensed insurance agent can help you learn more about which discounts are available to you.
Bundle coverage. If you have home insurance, condo insurance, renters insurance, life insurance, or another type of coverage, you may want to bundle it with your auto insurance. Many insurers offer bundling discounts.
Review and adjust your policy. You can adjust your comprehensive and collision deductibles and coverage. Higher deductibles and less coverage usually mean cheaper premiums. Just make sure you can afford a more expensive deductible and you have enough protection on the road.
Here are some of the cheapest car insurance companies for active-duty military personnel and veterans.
Insurance Company | Average Monthly Quote |
|---|---|
| COUNTRY Financial | $40 |
| Auto-Owners | $45 |
| USAA | $52 |
| State Farm | $56 |
| NJM | $63 |
| Mile Auto | $68 |
| Allstate | $74 |
| American Family | $79 |
| Erie | $80 |
| Commonwealth Casualty | $86 |
| Safeco | $88 |
| Root | $90 |
| Dairyland | $91 |
| GEICO | $91 |
| The General | $94 |
| Direct Auto | $95 |
| Mercury | $95 |
| National General | $95 |
| Nationwide | $96 |
| Travelers | $99 |
| Bristol West | $101 |
| Progressive | $101 |
| GAINSCO | $103 |
| Farmers | $110 |
| Anchor | $112 |
| Elephant | $118 |
| Chubb | $119 |
| CSAA | $125 |
| AssuranceAmerica | $127 |
| 21st Century | $131 |
| Clearcover | $143 |
| Shelter | $148 |
| State Auto | $148 |
| Liberty Mutual | $161 |
| The Hartford | $161 |
| Hugo | $180 |
| Amica | $287 |
Military discounts by insurance company
Some car insurance companies offer exclusive military discounts, but how much you’ll save depends on the insurer and your unique situation. It’s a good idea to work with an insurance agent or contact the insurance company directly to get more information about discounts you qualify for.
Even though many auto insurance companies don’t have military-specific discounts, you can still take advantage of low rates and other discounts that may apply to you.
Insurance Company | Military Discount | IQ Score The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores. |
|---|---|---|
| GEICO | Up to 15% | 9.2 |
| Farmers | For active-duty, active reserves, retired, and honorably discharged military veterans | 8.5 |
| Liberty Mutual | For active, retired, or reserved members of the U.S. Armed Forces | 7.7 |
| Direct Auto | Up to 25% in Alabama, Florida, and Louisiana | 8.3 |
| USAA | Up to 60% if you store your vehicle on a military base while you're deployed | 9.1 |
What to do about car insurance during deployment
If you’re deployed, don’t cancel your car insurance, because it causes a lapse in coverage. A lapse in coverage can make it difficult to get auto coverage in the future. Depending on your situation, you may be able to suspend your policy. The Texas Department of Insurance recommends storing your car so no one can drive it and making sure you set up automatic payments for your premiums while you’re away.[?]
USAA asks that you call a representative at 1 (877) 2-DEPLOY or go to the USAA website to inform it of your deployment. You may be able to get a vehicle storage discount if you store your vehicle on base.
Depending on the state you live in, you may have to fill out an affidavit of non-use document, which notifies the state that you won’t drive your vehicle for an extended time. Don’t forget to research or ask an agent whether you qualify for any deployment discounts.
Once you return from deployment, contact your insurer to restart your coverage. Then, ensure your vehicle registration is valid and update your insurance information on any required paperwork.
Military car insurance FAQs
Check out Insurify’s guide to canceling auto coverage and the answers to some frequently asked questions about military car insurance below.
Is USAA car insurance just for military members?
Yes. USAA exclusively serves active-duty military members, veterans, and their families.
Which company has the cheapest auto insurance for military?
USAA offers some of the cheapest auto insurance rates for military-affiliated drivers. Its average rates are $52 for liability insurance and $99 per month for full coverage.
Is car insurance cheaper for active-duty military?
You may lock in more affordable car insurance coverage if you’re an active-duty military member because of special discounts or suspending your policy while on deployment. It depends on your age, location, driving history, discounts, the insurance company, and other factors.
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