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Last updated: October 31, 2023Best Auto Insurance for Military & Veterans
The best rates and coverage for military families, veterans, and active military members.
Best for Veterans and Military Members with Families
Full Coverage Averages
• Annual Premium: $1,151
• Monthly Premium: $96
Read our USAA review.
✓ International availability for deployed/stationed members
✓ Insurance extends to children and spouses
X Available only to active duty military, veterans, and dependants
Cheapest Auto Insurance for Military Members
Full Coverage Averages
• Annual Premium: $1,119
• Monthly Premium: $93
Read our Clearcover review..
✓ Offers the cheapest rates
X Available in only 20 states
X Military discounts aren’t available to veterans
Best Resources and Perks for Military
Full Coverage Averages
• Annual Premium: $1,194
• Monthly Premium: $96
Read our GEICO Review.
✓ Dedicated military support team
✓ Wide set of discounts
X Not as many benefits to young military members
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Active military members, military families, and veterans have unique auto insurance needs. Whether you need to leave your vehicle in storage while you’re stationed out of state, 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 time away, 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 do the work yourself. Below is our list of the best auto insurance providers for military members.
Our Top Options for Military and Veterans
- USAA – Best for Veterans and Military Members With Families
USAA offers some of the most affordable rates, specialized military coverage, and military-catered discounts in the industry. USAA’s exceptional policies are exclusive to military members, veterans, and military families. - Clearcover – Cheapest Auto Insurance for Military Members
With an average annual premium of just over $1,100, Clearcover is our cheapest provider for military members. If you’re on a budget, we highly recommend giving Clearcover a look. - GEICO – Best Resources and Perks for Military Members and Veterans
GEICO understands that transitioning back to civilian life isn’t always easy, which is why it has a dedicated auto insurance support team composed of military members and veterans. Get info on storage coverage, auto insurance overseas, and military pay plans from support teams with firsthand experience.
Cheapest Auto Insurance Rates for Military and Veterans
Clearcover, USAA, and GEICO offer some of the cheapest auto insurance rates for military and veterans.
| Company | Average Monthly Rate | Average Annual Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Clearcover | $1,119 | $93 |
| USAA | $1,151 | $96 |
| GEICO | $1,194 | $96 |
| American Family | $1,400 | $117 |
| State Farm | $1,419 | $118 |
| Progressive | $1,508 | $126 |
| Nationwide | $1,614 | $135 |
What address to 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.
Summary of the Best Auto Insurance Companies for the Military
- 1.
Best for Veterans and Military Members With Families: USAA
- 2.
Cheapest Auto Insurance for Military Members: Clearcover
- 3.
Best Resources and Perks for Military Members and Veterans: Geico
- 4.
Best Collector Vehicle Insurance for Military Members: Armed Forces Insurance
- 5.
Best Auto Insurance Discounts for Military Members: Farmers
Comparison of the Best Auto Insurance Companies for the Military
| Feature | USAA | Clearcover | GEICO | Armed Forces International | Farmers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average Annual Cost | $1,151 | $1,119 | $1,194 | N/A | $1,878 |
| Vehicle Storage Discount | Yes | No | Yes | N/A | No |
| Overseas availability | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Military Discounts | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| J.D. Power satisfaction ranking (out of 1,000)1 | 874 | N/A | 857 | N/A | 846 |
| Review | USAA review | Clearcover review | GEICO review | Review Coming Soon | Farmers review |
Detailed List of the Best Auto Insurance Companies for the Military
1. Best for Veterans and Military Members With Families - USAA
What We Like Most:
- Cheapest rates for teens on a family policy or on their own
- Special discount for teens transitioning off their parents’ policy
- Strong customer service and claims process
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.2
USAA is available only to military members, veterans, and the families (spouses and children) of military members and veterans. With a USAA membership, you can enjoy affordable rates, financial advice, specialized coverage, and a number of other exclusive benefits, like travel deals, shopping rewards, and car rental discounts.
Who It's Best For- Active military members, veterans, and military families
- Deployed military members who need vehicle storage in the U.S.
- Military families who need insurance when they move overseas
- People who can take advantage of USAA perks, like financial advice and retirement planning
Who It's Not Best For
Non-USAA members
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. 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
Military Storage Discounts
Whether you’re stationed somewhere else in the U.S. or deployed in another country, it’s not uncommon to leave your car behind. USAA understands that military families need flexibility, which is why it has several saving opportunities for military members and their families.
Here are a few ways you can save with USAA:
- If you’re out of state on military duty, you can keep your car in storage and earn up to 60 percent off your car insurance policy.
- If you visit home often and need your vehicle on occasion, you can sign up for USAA’s pay-per-mile coverage. The less you drive, the more you’ll save.
- USAA offers a 15 percent discount when you garage your vehicle on a military installation. (Discount applies to comprehensive coverage only.)
Pro Tip:
Although you might be tempted to cancel your insurance policy while you’re overseas, we don’t recommend this. Insurance providers will increase your rates if you have a lapse in coverage (a 32 percent average increase for a 45-day lapse in coverage), which is why storage discounts are so beneficial if you want to maintain your rates while you’re away.
USAA Military Perks
There’s a reason that USAA is our top choice for military members, veterans, and military families. Not only does your family get access to all USAA’s affordable rates and discounts, but they can also benefit from USAA’s military benefits. 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 to the U.S.
- Multiple vehicle bundling
- Banking advice to help with your auto insurance, loans, and other financial 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
2. Cheapest Auto Insurance for Military Members - Clearcover
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. Clearcover has lightning-fast claim payouts (its record is seven minutes), convenient technology tools that make it easy to manage your insurance, and some of the most generous discounts for military personnel and their families.
Who It's Best For- Active-duty military members
- People looking for cheap insurance
Who It's Not Best For- Anyone not in the 20 states mentioned above
- 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. Unfortunately, Clearcover doesn’t file SR-22s or offer SR-22 non-owners insurance.
Cheapest Average Rates
Clearcover offers some of the cheapest auto insurance in the country and is our cheapest provider for military members. Here’s how its rates compare to some of the top auto insurance companies.
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 their auto insurance. If you live 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 on car insurance from Clearcover.
Excellent Mobile Management
Clearcover is all about its award-winning technology, and it’s not hard to see why. The app has a sleek design that makes it easy and enjoyable to navigate. We were able to track our claims, find different coverage options, ask about military discounts, and get customer support — all from our phones.
Clearcover also offers lightning-fast resolutions for auto insurance claims. Clearcover pays most claims in under a week, and its record is less than seven minutes. 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.
3. Best Resources and Perks for Military Members and Veterans - Geico
What We Like Most:
- Save money with defensive driving courses
- Cheapest rates after a speeding ticket
- Save by installing safety equipment
There are a lot of good reasons to choose GEICO if you’re a military member or veteran. It offers affordable rates, availability overseas, and military resources you won’t find from most other providers. If you’re on a budget and are looking to get additional support as a military member or veteran, GEICO is a great option.
Who It's Best For- Drivers who want lower car insurance costs
- Military members who want coverage overseas
- Military members who can take advantage of GEICO’s discounts
- Affinity military group members
Who It's Not Best For- Military members who want gap insurance
- Military members or veterans who need rideshare insurance
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 that caters 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, and military pay charts through GEICO’s brochures and online military resources.
Availability in Europe
It’s important to know that you have the option to extend your insurance if you’re deployed/stationed overseas, especially if you’re bringing your family with you.
With GEICO, rest assured that you’ll have the option to keep your insurance even if you’re being sent on emergency deployment. Military members have access to GEICO GmbH, a GEICO affiliate that can assist you with finding a car, motorcycle, and personal property when you’re deployed or stationed in Europe.
Long List of Discounts
On top of providing some of the cheapest rates in the country, GEICO has a long list of discounts for military members with varying needs. 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 off 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 airbag discount
- 15 percent new-vehicle discount
4. Best Collector Vehicle Insurance for Military Members - Armed Forces Insurance
What We Like Most:
- No deductible for collector vehicles in most states
- Sells policies through Progressive and other national carriers
- Available to active-duty military members, veterans, military families, and other military-adjacent groups, like the Department of Defense
Armed Forces Insurance (AFI) was founded in 1887 to support and protect United States military members and veterans. It has since expanded that mission by offering home, auto, and renters insurance to its members. AFI also offers specialized collector’s vehicle insurance for military members and veterans who collect vintage and classic cars. If you’re looking for a provider that caters to military members and offers insurance for collector vehicles, Armed Forces Insurance is our top pick.
Who It's Best For- Military members, veterans, military families, and members of a qualifying AFI group
- Non-military members who work for the military
- Owners of collector vehicles
- People who want to work directly with a military agent
Who It's Not Best For- People who want a quick quote
Collectors Insurance for Military
AFI is one of the few providers that specialize in military insurance and offer insurance for collector vehicles. Because collector vehicles have a different appraisal process from normal cars, not all providers insure them.
Unlike most cars, collector vehicles tend to gain value over time rather than depreciate. With AFI, you can rest assured that your rates won’t be set unless you and your agent agree on a price. Here’s what you get with AFI:
- No deductible on your collector vehicle in most states, meaning you pay nothing out of pocket for a claim
- Agreed value coverage, which means that if your vehicle is totaled, you’ll get the full value agreed upon by you and your agent
- Extra coverage if you want some extra support while you actively restore your vehicle and its parts
FYI: If you’re not sure whether your vehicle is a collector car or not, here’s how AFI defines collector vehicles:
- Antique and classic cars
- Muscle cars
- Modern classics
- Street rods
- Vehicles under active restoration
- Classic trucks
Strong Financial Strength Ratings
It’s important to note that the AFI is a reciprocal insurance exchange, which means that funds for claims are fully pooled and paid by the members and customers of the company. That means that the financial risk of the company is spread among the members and customers themselves.
With that said, you can rest assured knowing Armed Forces Insurance has B+ (Good) financial strength rating from AM Best, which is the third-highest rating.3 A B+ rating basically means that the AFI has the financial backing and assets to pay off its claims.
Armed Forces Insurance Partnerships
Armed Forces International has partnerships with some of the largest auto insurance providers in the country. Depending on where you live and what type of policy you have, your claims might be processed by one of the following providers:
- Progressive
- Nationwide
- Hagerty Auto
- Travelers
- Safeco
- The Hartford
- Mercury
- And more
5. Best Auto Insurance Discounts for Military Members - Farmers
What We Like Most:
- Keeps rates low after one accident
- Rental coverage available if your car is out of commission
- More coverage options for damaged parts
Founded in 1928, Farmers is one of the largest and oldest providers in the country. It has the longest list of discounts on our list, including affinity and military discounts. It also offers some excellent discounts and coverage options for military members and veterans who become business owners.
Who It's Best For- Affinity military members
- Military members who own their own business
- Military members who drive an alternative-fuel vehicle
- Military members who have a teen or student driver
Who It's Not Best For- Auto Insurance is unavailable for those living in the following states:
- Alaska
- Delaware
- Hawaii
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
- Drivers who need gap insurance
Long List of Discounts
Farmers has the most discounts of any provider on our list, providing solid savings for all military members. Whether you’re a young driver, homeowner, affinity member, parent of a teen, or safe driver, Farmers will likely have a saving opportunity for you.
Here are a few notable Farmers discounts:
- Affinity military discount: This discount is available to active duty members, retired military, active reserves, and honorably discharged military veterans.
- ePolicy: You can earn a discount for opting for paperless billing.
- Bundling: Bundle auto with other Farmers policies, like home or life insurance, and you can earn a discount.
- Mature defensive driver discount: If you’re over age 55 and complete a state-approved safe driver program within three years, you could earn a discount.
- Homeowner discount: You can earn this discount just by being a homeowner, regardless of which provider insures your home.
- Signal discount: Farmers’ usage-based insurance program, Signal, will track your driving and calculate your premium by how well you drive.
- Good student discount: Students who have a 3.0 GPA, who are on the dean’s list or honor roll, who have test scores in the 80th percentile, or who have grades in the top 20 percent of their class may be eligible for this discount.
We recommend you speak to your Farmers agent about other discounts you might qualify for.
Great for Business Owners With Military Backgrounds
For whatever reason, veterans have a tendency to become entrepreneurs when they return to civilian life. A study by JPMorgan found that 25 percent of veterans in the U.S. want to be business owners, and in 2018, veterans owned nearly 2 million businesses and employed over 5 million Americans.45
If you have the entrepreneurial itch, we recommend looking at Farmers for your business needs. Farmers offers the following coverage and incentives for business owners:
- Auto and small business insurance bundling discount
- Specialized auto insurance for contractors
- Auto insurance for food truck drivers
- Several commercial auto insurance policy types
- Non-owners insurance if you need your employees to drive your vehicle
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 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.
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 age 16 to 21. With a number of benefits and incentives, you can expect to get some of the most competitive rates with USAA.
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.
Methodology
Our focus in this guide is to find the best rates, perks, and incentives for military members, veterans, and military families. While our data-driven numbers show what your prices and incentives might look like on average, the most accurate pricing can be obtained by talking to an agent.
Your age, location, driving history, gender, and other factors play a role in determining your premium. 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 how we ranked and evaluated each provider.
- Proprietary data: AutoInsurance.com has been aggregating millions of data points based on car insurance policies for over 20 years. We use that data to determine what demographics have the most success with specific insurance providers and policies. Our data-driven approach allows us to find accurate ranges for which policies, providers, and incentives will yield the best prices.
- Public studies: There is a lot of misinformation about car insurance out there. From auto insurance myths to convoluted laws to tedious policymaking processes, it’s hard to get clear answers on how your insurance works. That’s why we use only 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 based on their unique needs, driving history, and life circumstances, including military tenures.
Citations
Auto Insurance Shopping and Switch Rates Reach New Highs as Premiums Surge, J.D. Power Finds. J.D. Power. (2023, Apr 23).
https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2023-us-insurance-shopping-studyFacts + Statistics: Insurance company rankings. Insurance Information Institute. (2023).
https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-insurance-company-rankingsArmed Forces Insurance Exchange. AM Best. (2023).
https://ratings.ambest.com/CompanyProfile.aspx?amb=3240&AltNum=3183240Facts About Small Business: Veteran Ownership Statistics. Office of Advocacy. (2022, Nov 11).
https://advocacy.sba.gov/2022/11/11/facts-about-small-business-veteran-ownership-statistics/Twenty-Five Percent of Veterans Want to Start a Business. Here’s What They Need to Succeed. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (2023).
https://www.jpmorganchase.com/news-stories/twenty-five-percent-veterans-want-to-start-a-business
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