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Icon CheckLast updated: February 28, 2023

The Best Provincial Auto Insurance

Buy local from an auto insurance agent in your area.

Best Overall
American Family Logo

American Family’s low annual premium and high number of discounts make it our favorite on this list. You can find an auto insurance agent in your area on its website or mobile app. While American Family is only available in certain states, it is a great option for those in its coverage areas.

Best for Safe Drivers
State Farm Logo

State Farm’s agents can help you get a lower rate by taking advantage of its many safe driving discounts. Whether you’re a new driver or an experienced driver, State Farm has safe driving programs that track your trips and provide feedback.

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Local insurance agents know your neighborhood. Being more involved in the community means they have a deeper understanding of your unique situation. A local agent can help you find the right amount of insurance based on where you live. Another benefit is that local agents can typically get you lower car insurance rates, less-restrictive policies, better car insurance coverage and fair insurance claims settlements with your company.

Let your local insurance agent do the work for you. These auto insurance companies work with local agents across the United States.

The Best Auto Insurance for Provincial

  1. 1.

    Best overall: American Family

  2. 2.

    Best for safe drivers: State Farm

  3. 3.

    Best with independent agents: Farmers

Comparison of the Best Auto Insurance for Provincial

Provider Ranking What it’s best for Year founded Customer satisfaction rating (out of 1,000) (J.D. Power)1 Discounts available Average annual cost Review
American Family 1 Overall 1994 899 Accident-free, annual mileage, good student, multicar, safe driving, student away from home, and more $1,400 Coming soon
State Farm 2 Safe drivers 1922 848 (ranked first in the Southwest) Accident-free, defensive driver course, multicar, student away from home, and more $1,419 State Farm review
Farmers 3 Independent agents 1928 828 Bundle, multicar, military, paperless, safe driving, good payer, student, and more $1,878 Farmers review

FYI:

Local agents will have the most up-to-date information on discounts and savings programs. Your agent can ensure you get the savings for which you’re eligible.

Detailed List of the Best Auto Insurance for Provincial

1. Best overall - 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

American Family serves communities with exclusive agents in 19 states. With $11.1 billion in policyholder equity, American Family insurance group backs its policies with strong financial stability. The company ranks 232 on the Fortune 500 list and the ninth-largest private passenger insurer in the U.S.

ProsWho It's Best For
  • pro
    People living in American Family’s coverage area, which includes Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Montana, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, San Diego, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin
  • pro
    Teen drivers
  • pro
    People who drive less than 7,500 miles per year
ConsWho It's Not Best For
  • con
    Military members and federal employees (no discount)
  • con
    Hybrid/electric vehicle owners

Find a Local Agent Easily

American Family’s network of 14 companies, including Homesite and The General, works with 2,400 independent contractor agents providing local customer service. The company’s online tool lets you search by ZIP code to find a local auto insurance agent.2 You can also search for agents in your area or contact your current agent directly through the MyAmFam app, which has 4.8 out of five stars on the App Store and 4.2 stars on the Google Play store.

American Family established a program called Reimagining Agency to foster strong customer and community relationships through its network of agents.3 The main goal is to enable agents digitally so that customers can do business online quickly at any time of day and fall back on their agents to answer questions. The program boosted customer care with 24/7 support so agents can focus on more complex issues, such as one-on-one claims support with their clients.

Benefits for Teen Drivers and Students

American Family has several discounts to reduce the car insurance cost for teens and college-age students on your policy, including:

  • Good student: Save if your student maintains a B average, ranks among the top 20 percent of the class or is on the honor roll or a comparable list.
  • Multicar/family: This discount applies if you insure more than one vehicle.
  • Safe driving: You’ll qualify for a 10 percent discount when your child completes 3,000 miles or one year in American Family’s free safe driving program. The Teen Safe Driver smartphone app monitors scores of every ride based on distracted driving and other risky behaviors. The app records driving routes, distance and time driven, high speeds, hard braking and time of day. Higher scores translate to safer driving. Multiple violations and at-fault accidents result in disqualification from the program.
  • Student away from home: Save if you have a student on your policy who is under 25 and lives more than 100 miles away from home, where you store your car.
  • Young volunteer: This discount applies to people under 25 with 40 hours of volunteer work per year for a non-profit.
  • Generational discount: Young drivers save if their parents are American Family Insurance customers.

Talk to your American Family insurance agent to determine how to qualify for these savings.

Low Mileage Discount

If you like to keep it local and only drive short distances, then this program is for you. American Family offers a low mileage discount to customers who drive less than 7,500 per year. American Family does not disclose the amount of its low mileage discount; that’s information an agent will provide.

American Family has a pay-per-mile insurance program called KnowYourDrive, which helps low-mileage drivers save up to 20 percent by tracking mileage and safe driving habits. This program tracks your driving habits on a smartphone app. Enrolling gets you a 10 percent discount off the bat, then the app will monitor your driving behavior, including braking, speeding, mileage and trip duration. It also notes risky behaviors like using a GPS or sending a text while driving, which is tracked on your phone when the app is in use.

2. Best for safe drivers - State Farm

What We Like Most:

  • Multiple discounts for safe driving, including one specifically for young drivers
  • Local agents
  • Discounts for multiple cars

State Farm is one of the largest insurance providers in the U.S., providing a wide range of insurance products, online support options and mobile capabilities. Your local State Farm agent can assist you with your specific insurance needs ― the company has a sizable number of discounts and savings programs to get you the best rates on auto insurance. One differentiator between State Farm and the competitors on this list is State Farm’s numerous discounts for safe drivers, which your agent can help you qualify for.

ProsWho It's Best For
ConsWho It's Not Best For
  • con
    Drivers looking for a low mileage discount
  • con
    Military and federal employees
  • con

Benefits of Exclusive Agents

State Farm relies on exclusive agents, which means only State Farm agents can sell its insurance products and the agents only sell State Farm products. The benefit of using an exclusive State Farm agent versus an auto insurance broker is that the State Farm agent’s depth of knowledge on State Farm products will outweigh an insurance broker’s understanding, since brokers work with multiple companies, policies, and more. Insurance brokers may also charge additional fees on top of their commissions, which can be as high as $250.

State Farm has a network of 19,000 exclusive agents to help you with your insurance and banking needs, so a qualified and experienced agent works near you. You can use State Farm’s agent search function to find a local agent by address, city, state and ZIP code.4 Advanced search options include first name, last name, products offered, language and distance.

Safe Driving Discounts

Your State Farm agent can help you access multiple discounts for safe driving practices. These include:

  • Drive Safe & Save: This app tracks your driving information to save up to 30 percent on your insurance for good driving habits.
  • Steer Clear: This safe driving discount applies to new drivers or drivers under 25 years old. The Steer Clear app will record your trips and provide safe driving videos and quizzes. Talk to your agent to find out if you’re eligible for the savings.
  • Accident-free: This discount applies if you maintain an accident-free driving record.
  • Defensive driving: Take a driver safety course to help you get car insurance discounts. The discount depends on where you live, so ask your local State Farm agent for a list of qualifying courses and requirements.
  • Good driver: New State Farm customers receive this discount after three years or more without moving violations and at-fault accidents.

TIP:

Insurance agents and brokers help you obtain insurance policies. The difference is that the agent works for the insurance carrier while the broker works for the customer. Some agents are exclusive, meaning they only handle a certain company’s insurance policies. Others are independent, meaning they can handle policies from multiple companies.

3. Best with independent agents - 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

Farmers Insurance serves 10 million households with more than 19 million individual policies. While its average annual rate of $1,878 is the highest on this list, it’s still lower than the national average of $2,070. The company employs over 48,000 exclusive and independent agents. You can browse by city, state, ZIP code or name to find an agent or enter a ZIP code for a free, no-obligation auto insurance quote.5

ProsWho It's Best For
  • pro
    Active duty military and veterans
  • pro
  • pro
    Families sharing a car
  • pro
    Hybrid/electric car owners
ConsWho It's Not Best For
  • con
    People who live in Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont and West Virginia, where Farmers does not offer auto insurance
  • con
    Drivers looking for a low mileage discount
  • con
    People looking for the most affordable option

Assistance With Claims Processing

Agents cut down on your research time and bring you to the right policy more quickly. Even better, your Farmers agent will answer questions about policies or claims, delivering personalized service and support even after you sign your policy.

Your Farmers auto insurance agent can explain complicated policies and rate changes and can even help you process claims. You’ll begin the claims process online or by calling (888) 327-6335. If you’re having issues contacting Farmers to file a claim, speak to your agent so they can advocate for you.

Alternative Fuel Vehicle Discount

Hybrid and electric car owners can save 5 percent on all major coverages by driving an alternative fuel vehicle. Vehicles eligible for an insurance discount are dedicated fuel vehicles as defined in the Federal Energy Policy Act of 19926 or electric and gasoline hybrid vehicles. This includes hybrid, electric, natural gas, methane and propane. Your auto insurance agent will be able to assist you with the documentation of your vehicle needed to qualify for the alternative fuel vehicle discount.

Classic Car Insurance

Your Farmers agent can provide personalized service and support to protect your specialty auto. Some of the benefits of Farmers classic car insurance include:

  • “No attendance” clause to help if damage occurs when you’re not with your car
  • Special coverage arrangements for international touring
  • Coverage for original replacement parts
  • Agreed value insurance policies to give you the full insured amount for a collector car (less the deductible) in the event of a total loss
  • Towing and roadside assistance
  • Spare parts coverage up to $750 at no additional cost
  • Full windshield and safety glass coverage
  • Multivehicle discount

Methodology

We chose the auto insurance providers with the most robust networks of local agents using the following methodology:

  • Company information: We researched each company to determine how it utilizes independent and exclusive agents. This research includes information about coverages and discounts your local agent will offer you. We also consider third-party customer and satisfaction ratings from AM Best, the Better Business Bureau, J.D. Power, Moody’s, The National Association of Insurance Commissioners and Standard and Poor’s.
  • Proprietary data: We collect millions of data points surrounding transactions and policy sign-ups, including information about local agents. We analyze our data to determine which customers had the most success with which companies. This allows us to break down which networks of local agents fit specific customer needs. Note that because AutoInsurance.com caters to customers in the U.S., our information does not concern British Columbia, Prince Edward Island and other Canadian provinces. To find companies and coverage options, check out the Insurance Bureau of Canada, which offers insurance for Canadians. Compare multiple car insurance quotes before choosing a company.
  • Institutional knowledge: We’ve covered the auto industry for over two decades, amassing institutional knowledge about each insurance provider ― its strengths, weaknesses and information about its agent. We consult with Paul Ford, the President of Insurance at Centerfield, AutoInsurance.com’s parent company. Paul has nearly three decades of experience working in the insurance industry, with tenures at Canadian Access, Inslogic, Capital One Insurance Services, NetQuote, Bankrate and Datalot. We leverage Paul’s extensive knowledge of car insurance to help customers find their perfect policies with assistance from local agents.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the ratings for American Family Insurance?

American Family has an A rating from AM Best, meaning it is unlikely to default on its obligations. Its J.D. Power satisfaction rating is 899, the highest among midsize auto insurers.

What does State Farm full coverage auto insurance cover?

State Farm’s “full coverage” auto insurance coverage includes the following coverages:

  • Liability coverage: This includes bodily injury liability and property damage liability to pay for losses you cause in an accident.
  • Collision coverage: This coverage helps pay for or replace your vehicle if it collides with another vehicle or object.
  • Comprehensive coverage: Comprehensive coverage helps pay to repair or replace your vehicle if it sustains damage from theft, fire, vandalism or animals.
  • Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage: If you get into an accident that’s the fault of someone with no or insufficient insurance, you’ll need uninsured motorist coverage to pay for your injuries and property damage.
  • Medical payments coverage/personal injury protection (PIP): This covers the medical payments of you and your passengers if they are injured in a crash. PIP includes medical payments coverage and also covers losses like lost wages and child care costs.

What discounts does Farmers auto insurance have?

Farmers has many discounts, including a shared family car discount, young driver discount, vehicle equipment, student away from home, safe driving, paperless billing, good payer, new car, multipolicy, multicar, military, electric vehicle, homeownership, good student, defensive driver course and accident-free discounts.

Citations

  1. Usage-Based Auto Insurance Takes Center Stage as Satisfaction Flatlines, J.D. Power Finds. J.D. Power. (2022, Jun 13).
    https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2022-us-auto-insurance-study

  2. Find an Agent. American Family Insurance. (2023).
    https://www.amfam.com/agent-locator

  3. How American Family Insurance is investing in the agency channel. McKinesy & Company. (2022, Mar 17).
    https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/financial-services/our-insights/how-american-family-insurance-is-investing-in-the-agency-channel

  4. Find a State Farm Agent Near You. State Farm. (2023).
    https://www.statefarm.com/agent/

  5. Find a Farmers Agent. Farmers. (2023).
    https://agents.farmers.com/

  6. Key Federal Legislation. Alternative Fuels Data Center, U.S. Department of Energy. (2023).
    https://afdc.energy.gov/laws/key_legislation