Icon CheckLast updated: February 10, 2023

Best Auto Insurance for Military & Veterans

We found the best rates and coverage for military families, veterans, and active military members.

Best Overall
USAA Logo

USAA has been dedicated to serving military members for over 100 years. It offers some of the cheapest rates available ($1,151 annually, on average) and comes with discounts and perks catered to the unique needs of military members, whether you want minimum coverage or full coverage.

Best Cheap
Clearcover Logo

Clearcover is the cheapest auto insurance provider on this list and provides a good option for military members on a budget. Clearcover is only $1,119 annually, which is about half the national annual average of $2,071.

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Active military members and veterans have unique auto insurance needs. Whether you need to leave your vehicle in storage, find additional insurance for your family in the U.S., or take advantage of the best military/veteran discounts, you’ll want to make sure you’re in good hands. And if you’re preparing for deployment, you probably already have a lot to think about: your family back home, your career and future in the military, your deployment time, your children’s education, and more.

That’s where we come in. AutoInsurance.com is dedicated to providing the most accurate and helpful auto insurance recommendations so you don’t have to. Below is our list of best auto insurance providers for military members.

Summary of the Best Auto Insurance Companies for the Military

  1. 1.

    Best Overall Auto Insurance for Military: USAA

  2. 2.

    Best Cheap Auto Insurance for Military: Clearcover

  3. 3.

    Best Auto Insurance Discounts for Military: Geico

  4. 4.

    Best Auto Insurance Add-ons for Military: American Family

  5. 5.

    Best Auto Insurance Bundling Options for Military: Farmers

Comparison of the Best Auto Insurance Companies for the Military

Feature #1. USAA #2. Clearcover #3. GEICO #4. American Family #5. Farmers
Average annual cost $1,151 $1,119 $1,194 $1,400 $1,878
Student discounts

for full-time students with at least a B average

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Bundling discounts (renters or homeowners insurance) Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Vehicle storage options Yes No No No No
Military discounts and resources Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
J.D. Power satisfaction ranking (out of 1,000) 884 N/A 828 899 848
Our full review USAA review Clearcover review GEICO review Coming Soon Coming Soon

Detailed List of the Best Auto Insurance Companies for the Military

1. Best Overall Auto Insurance for Military - USAA

What We Like Most:

  • Lowest rates for military members, veterans, and their families
  • Rideshare insurance available
  • Usage-based insurance available for low-mileage drivers

USAA has facilitated the financial security of its members since 1922. It offers the cheapest rates out of the top 10 largest insurance providers and has a wide range of discounts, perks, and bundling options for military members.1

TIP:

The more you bundle, the more likely you are to qualify for discounts. Look for deals for bundling your renters or homeowners insurance, life insurance, and other types of policies with your car insurance.

USAA is only available to military members. With a USAA membership, you can enjoy affordable rates, financial advice, and a number of other exclusive benefits like travel deals, shopping rewards, and car rental discounts.

ProsWho It's Best For
  • pro
    Active military members, veterans, and military families
  • pro
    Deployed military members who need vehicle storage in the U.S.
  • pro
    Safe drivers
  • pro
    Drivers looking to take advantage of military/veteran discounts
ConsWho It's Not Best For
  • con
    Non-USAA members
  • con
    Non-military members or families
  • con
    Anyone with a DUI on their record

Unique Membership Perks

There’s a reason that USAA is our top choice for military members, veterans, and military families. It’s one of the few providers to offer discounted vehicle storage insurance when you’re on deployment, and all of its perks extend to your spouses and children so you know they’re taken care of while you’re away. Here are some of the more notable USAA membership perks:

  • 24/7 membership support for insurance, deployment questions, and transition to life abroad or back in the U.S.
  • Multiple vehicle bundling
  • Banking advice to help with your auto insurance, loans, and other everyday needs
  • Expert advice for managing debt, investing, saving, and planning for events like retirement or buying a new home
  • ADT home security discount
  • Discounts for shopping, hotels, cruises, vacation tours, and travel insurance

Robust Car Insurance Discounts

USAA members can benefit from an impressive number of discounts. Many of these apply to auto insurance, you’ll also gain access to other insurance options, financial advice, and guidance for when you return to civilian life. The average driver saves $725 a year with USAA discounts. Those discounts and perks include the following:

  • Good student discounts
  • Up to 15 percent off for keeping your car on a military base
  • Up to 60 percent off for keeping your car in storage when you’re deployed overseas
  • Safe driver discounts for going five or more years without an accident
  • Up to 10 percent off for bundling your home and car insurance
  • A 3 percent discount for making automatic payments

International Insurance and Guidance

USAA understands the challenges of deployment, leaving your family behind in the U.S., and acclimating to life abroad. Its insurance policies and features are designed to help make your time abroad as seamless as possible. With USAA, you won’t have to cancel your insurance policy if you’re deployed for a permanent change of station (PCS). Rather, USAA offers liability coverage, vehicle storage, and personal injury coverage even when you’re abroad.

Contact USAA’s advice center to learn about the ins and outs of deployment to these countries and territories:

  • Azores
  • Belgium
  • Cuba
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Guam
  • Italy
  • The Netherlands
  • Portugal
  • Puerto Rico
  • South Korea
  • Spain
  • U.S. Virgin Islands
  • United Kingdom
2. Best Cheap Auto Insurance for Military - Clearcover
Clearcover Logo

What We Like Most:

  • One of the lowest-cost auto insurance providers on average
  • Schedule repairs through the app
  • Discounts for active-duty members of the military

Clearcover is our most affordable pick for military members. It’s priced at $1,119 on average annually, and it offers a handful of unique perks like excellent rideshare coverage. Clearcover has lightning-fast claim payouts (its record is seven minutes) and some of the most generous discounts for military personnel and their families.

ProsWho It's Best For
  • pro
    Rideshare drivers
  • pro
    People looking for cheap insurance
  • pro
    Drivers looking for quick claims
  • pro
    People living in one of the following states:
    • Alabama
    • Arizona
    • California
    • Georgia
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Kentucky
    • Louisiana
    • Maryland
    • Mississippi
    • Missouri
    • Nebraska
    • Ohio
    • Oklahoma
    • Pennsylvania
    • Texas
    • Utah
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wisconsin
ConsWho It's Not Best For
  • con
    Drivers who don’t own or enjoy using smartphones.
  • con
    Drivers who want bundling options
  • con
    Drivers who need an SR-22 form

FYI:

If you have a history of DUIs, at-fault accidents, repeat offenses, or other traffic violations, you may need an SR-22 to drive legally.

Military Discounts

On top of safe driver discounts, vehicle feature discounts, and upfront payment discounts, Clearcover gives all active military service members 15 percent off on their auto insurance. If you’re living in Louisiana, you and your children under the age of 25 can receive an additional 25 percent discount. Speak to an agent to see how you can save money and get discounts on car insurance rates from Clearcover.

Quick Claims

Clearcover is a good option for military personnel who value lightning-speed claims resolution. Clearcover pays off most claims in under a week, and its record is less than seven minutes.

You can manage and track your claims all through the mobile app. All you need to do is upload photos of the damages into the app, answer a few questions, and let Clearcover take care of the rest. If you don’t want to file a claim through the app, you can call 855-441-1875.

Mobile App Friendly

Clearcover isn’t just cheap; it’s convenient as well. You can manage most of your auto insurance needs like claims, bills, and customer service requests from its award-winning mobile app. This is good news for military members who want to stay on top of their insurance needs from their phones, wherever they are.

3. Best Auto Insurance Discounts for Military - Geico

What We Like Most:

  • Discounts for military and government employees
  • Good for all driving records
  • Repair estimates straight from the mobile app

There’s more to GEICO than a gecko mascot, funny commercials, and an iconic slogan. GEICO offers military personnel some of the lowest prices in the country ($1,194 on average annually) and a long list of military discounts. If you’re on a budget and you want a trusted and reliable provider with some attractive offerings, GEICO might be for you.

ProsWho It's Best For
  • pro
    Drivers who want lower car insurance costs
  • pro
    People who own multiple vehicles
  • pro
    Military members who can take advantage of GEICO’s discounts
  • pro
    Good student drivers
ConsWho It's Not Best For
  • con
    Drivers looking for gap insurance
  • con
    People who want rideshare insurance
  • con
    Someone looking for an early sign-up discount

Accessibility

There’s a reason why GEICO covers over 28 million vehicles as an insurance provider. GEICO is available in every state and district in the U.S., and it has great car insurance rates for new drivers, older adults, military members, veterans, and others.

Its web accessibility policy guarantees that it’ll provide you with the information you need if you can’t find the information online or have trouble reading its documents or web pages for any reason. GEICO’s affordable auto insurance rates, wide geographic range, and commitment to providing you with the information you need make it one of the most accessible insurance providers in the country.

Long List of Discounts

On top of providing some of the cheapest rates in the country, GEICO has a long list of discounts that means you can save a ton on your insurance. Here are some of its most appealing discounts for military members:

  • 15 percent off for active-duty or retired members of the military, National Guard, or Reserves
  • Up to 25 percent off for military members who are part of an emergency deployment
  • Up to 12 percent off for all active or retired federal employees (eagle discount)
  • Up to 15 percent for students with a 3.0 GPA
  • Up to 23 percent if you have a built-in anti-theft system in your car to prevent car burglary
  • 22 percent off with the five-year accident-free good driver discount
  • 23 percent off airbag discount
  • 15 percent off new vehicle discount

Military Resources and Perks

Aside from a long list of regular discounts to benefit from, you might be eligible for some of GEICO’s military perks and resources. GEICO’s Military Center is staffed with U.S. veterans from all services and has been providing military auto insurance for over 85 years. Its program has a dedicated support team catered to military members and veterans, custom military insurance and ID cards, a fast and convenient military pay plan, and more.

On top of that, you can get info on deployment, overseas insurance, military pay charts through GEICO’s brochures and online military resources.

4. Best Auto Insurance Add-ons for Military - American Family
American Family Logo

What We Like Most:

  • Add-on roadside assistance
  • Will pay for a rental car if yours is in the shop
  • Diminishing deductibles

Though not available in every state, American Family is a great option for military members looking to gain additional car insurance coverage and add-ons, like gap insurance and accidental forgiveness. It ranks highest for midsized insurance providers on J.D. Power’s customer satisfaction rankings with a score of 899.2 Its annual rate of $1,400 is not much more expensive than Clearcover and USAA, making it a good alternative for military drivers or veterans on a budget.

ProsWho It's Best For
  • pro
    Drivers with DUIs on their records
  • pro
    People who need insurance add-ons like gap insurance
  • pro
    Young drivers
  • pro
    Drivers with low credit scores
ConsWho It's Not Best For
  • con
    Drivers who don’t live in one of the following states or districts:
    • Arizona
    • Colorado
    • Georgia
    • Idaho
    • Illinois
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Minnesota
    • Missouri
    • Nebraska
    • Nevada
    • North Dakota
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • South Dakota
    • Utah
    • Washington
    • Wisconsin
  • con
    Drivers with good records

Coverage Options

Deployed military members can gain peace of mind with a wide array of coverages for their families during deployment. One of American Family’s biggest appeals is its auto insurance add-ons and coverage options. On top of liability coverage, underinsured/uninsured motorist protection, medical payments (PIP), collision, and comprehensive coverage, you can also get the following protections:

  • Accident forgiveness
  • Diminishing deductible
  • Gap insurance
  • Rental reimbursement
  • Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts
  • Emergency roadside coverage
  • Accidental death and dismemberment coverage
  • Credit theft protection
  • Sump pump and water backup
  • Commercial auto insurance
  • Matching siding protection

Young Driver and Student Discounts

American Family has several great discounts for young drivers and students. Whether you’re a student driver in the military or you’re the parent of a young driver, you can benefit from the following young driver and student discounts:

  • 10 percent off with the TeenSafeDriver program
  • An away-at-school discount for students under the age of 25. You must be more than 100 miles away from home and your park must be parked at home
  • A young volunteer discount for drivers under the age of 25 who register 40 volunteer hours annually with a nonprofit
  • Up to a 20 percent off if you enroll in American Family’s KnowYourDrive program, which allows American Family to track and assess how safe you drive
  • A generational discount if your parents are American Family customers
  • A loyalty discount (the longer you stay a customer of American Family, the higher your discount will be)

NOTE:

The average cost of car insurance for college drivers ages 18 to 22 is just over $3,000 annually.

Best Customer Service and Satisfaction

The last thing you or your family members need while you’re away on deployment or active duty is difficult customer service interactions. American Family has the highest J.D. Power customer satisfaction score for midsized auto insurance providers. As a member of the military, you can rest easy knowing American Family will take care of any claims, auto insurance issues, billing questions, or other issues that may come up while you’re serving your country.

5. Best Auto Insurance Bundling Options for Military - Farmers

What We Like Most:

  • Good drivers can save money with the Signal app
  • Transportation costs covered when your vehicle is being repaired
  • Roadside assistance available

Farmers is a reliable insurance provider with excellent bundling options for military members. While its rates aren’t the cheapest option ($1,878 annually on average), it has a number of military and non-military discounts that can bring your total price down. We think Farmers is a good option for families and military personnel looking to unify their various insurance needs under the same provider.

ProsWho It's Best For
  • pro
    Homeowners looking to bundle their home and auto insurance.
  • pro
    Drivers who can benefit from multi-policy bundling options
  • pro
    People who own alternative-fuel vehicles
  • pro
    Drivers looking for rideshare coverage
ConsWho It's Not Best For
  • con
    People living in the following states:
    • Alaska
    • Delaware
    • Hawaii
    • Maine
    • New Hampshire
    • Rhode Island
    • Vermont
    • Washington, D.C.
    • West Virginia
  • con
    Drivers who need gap insurance

Bundling Options

Depending on where you live and the specifics of your insurance policy, you can expect to save as much as 20 percent by bundling home and auto insurance coverage. Additionally, you can save by bundling any business insurance, life insurance, and other insurance plans with your car coverage. Military members can save time by bundling the following insurance types under a single Farmers policy:

  • Flood insurance
  • Renters insurance
  • Condo insurance
  • Life insurance
  • Business/commercial insurance
  • Boat insurance
  • ATV and off-road insurance
  • Mobile home insurance
  • Pet insurance
  • Umbrella insurance

Unique Discounts

Farmers Insurance offers a few unique discounts for military and non-military personnel. You can speak to an agent to learn if you’re eligible for a business/professional military group discount on your auto insurance. These are some of the other discounts you might be eligible for:

  • Up to 30 percent off with the Signal tracking app
  • Multi-car/multi-line bundling discounts
  • E-policy discount for paperless insurance
  • Good payer discount for drivers who avoid late fees for at least one year
  • Safe driver discount
  • Alternative fuel discounts
  • Homing device discount
  • VIN etching discount
  • Military professional group discount

Customizable Packages

If you don’t need all of the perks or additional bundling options that Farmers offers, you can opt for one of its minimal insurance packages. You have three options: Standard, Enhanced, or Premier.

Package Feature
Standard Affordable rates designed for new homeowners
Enhanced Higher policy limits and extra coverage options
Premier Available everywhere except California; highest coverage limits and guaranteed Farmers Replace Cost, which covers 100% of the cost to rebuild your home after a loss

Methodology

Our focus throughout this guide was to find the best rates, perks, and incentives for members of the military, veterans, and military families. While our data-driven numbers show what your prices and incentives might look like on average, the most accurate way to get a price range is to ask an agent.

Your age, location, driving history, gender, and other specific factors play the strongest role in determining your costs and policies. Based on the company information available to us, direct quotes, and data we’ve collected, we think these rates/benefits will apply to most military drivers who fall under the region/specifications of each provider. This is our methodology for how we ranked and evaluated each provider.

  • Proprietary data: AutoInsurance.com has been aggregating millions of data points based on car insurance sales for over 20 years. We use that data to determine what demographics of customers have the most success with specific insurance providers and policies. Our data-driven approach allows us to find accurate ranges for what kind of policies, providers, and incentives you can look out for to find the best policies at the best prices.
  • Public studies: There is a ton of misinformation about car insurance out there. From a list of auto insurance myths to convoluted laws and tedious policymaking processes, it’s hard to get clear answers on how your insurance works. That’s why we only use the most credible third-party public studies to accompany our proprietary data. We look at AM Best, the Better Business Bureau, Moody’s, J.D. Power, S&P Global Ratings, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and other trusted industry leaders to gather information on customer satisfaction and the financial strength of insurance providers.
  • Insider knowledge: With two decades of involvement in the auto insurance world, we’ve aggregated insider knowledge on each insurance provider’s pros and cons. We consult with Paul Ford, president of insurance at Centerfield, AutoInsurance.com’s parent company. Paul has nearly three decades of experience in the insurance industry, with terms at Capital One Insurance Services, NetQuote, Bankrate, Canadian Access, InsLogic, and Datalot. Paul’s expert guidance and insider knowledge have enabled us to help customers find the best insurance policies for them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the best provider for retired military members and veterans?

USAA and GEICO are the best providers for retired military members and veterans. Many of their incentives, benefits, and support systems are available to the active military as well as retired military members. Both GEICO and USAA have support teams that are designed to work directly with military members, veterans, and military families.

What address do I use for car insurance during deployment?

Most insurance providers will require you to list the address where you store your vehicle, which may be different from your permanent or mailing address. To get the most accurate information, reach out to an agent to confirm the local laws and policies.

Who offers the best car insurance for military families?

Both USAA and GEICO are affordable and offer attractive incentives, perks, and discounts for military members and their families. Depending on where you live, your kids under the age of 25 can get a 25 percent discount from GEICO, and USAA has several military family discounts.

Who offers the best car insurance for military drivers under 21?

USAA offers the best car insurance for military drivers under the age of 21. Its rates are around $1,600 annually for teens, which is two to four times cheaper than the average for drivers ages 16 to 21. With a number of benefits and incentives, you can expect to get some of the most competitive rates with USAA.

Citations

  1. Facts + Statistics: Insurance company rankings. Insurance Information Institute. (2022).
    https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-insurance-company-rankings

  2. Auto Insurance Shopping Surged during Pandemic in 2020 but Little Brand Differentiation Apparent, J.D. Power Finds. J.D. Power. (2021, Apr 29).
    https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2021-us-insurance-shopping-study