
Kemper Auto Insurance Review 2026
Kemper specializes in high-risk insurance across multiple states.
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Kemper Auto believes that “everyone deserves auto insurance they can count on”—and that includes high-risk drivers. Headquartered in Chicago for over 30 years, Kemper has slowly risen the ranks as a quiet challenger to the major and most popular American car insurance brands. For high risk drivers, Kemper may be a good choice. Its services come at a competitive price point for non-standard policies, with personalized state and discount options available for those who qualify.
I’m a writer and analyst for AutoInsurance.com, and based on the research conducted by our team, I’ll walk you through whether Kemper Auto is the right insurance for you. We use industry research, third-party data, and real-life customer experience to evaluate providers on cost, discounts, coverage option, quote process, customer satisfaction, and more.
For more on the best auto insurance companies and the best auto insurance for drivers with bad records, check out our other reviews.
Quick Look: Kemper Pros and Cons
Pros
Affordable rates for high risk drivers
Offers SR-22s even with a revoked, suspended, or canceled license
Offers 12-month policies
Bilingual agents
Cons
Poor mobile app ratings
Below average third-party ratings for customer satisfaction
Who is Kemper Best For?
Overall, Kemper is best for drivers who have a checkered or non-standard driving history and need specialized coverage.
Kemper is Best for Those Who:
- Have been in an at-fault accident in the past, have a speeding ticket on your record, or have been convicted of a DUI
- Need SR-22s
- Have a reconditioned vehicle
- Speak Spanish, as Kemper’s agents are bilingual
Kemper is Not Best for Those Who:
- Have a clean driving record and are looking for the cheapest auto insurance rates
- Rely heavily on mobile insurance apps for questions and customer service
- Are considering pay-per-mile insurance
NOTE:
As of August 2023, Kemper Personal Insurance—which sold auto and home policies to standard and preferred customers (i.e., customers with clean driving and claims histories)—is no longer available.1
Kemper now focuses exclusively on non-standard insurance for high-risk individuals who might have trouble getting affordable coverage elsewhere. You can get a quote through its website, app, or by phone. According to the most recent data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), Kemper ranks as the 17th largest company in the country for private passenger auto insurance based on 2024 market share.2 It’s also among the top when it comes to individuals with checkered driving records. However, Kemper receives a higher-than-average number of complaints relative to its size according to the NAIC Complaint Index.3
How Much Does Kemper Car Insurance Cost?
For full coverage, Kemper’s auto insurance premiums average around $2,637 annually, or about 12 percent above the national average. For minimum coverage, Kemper’s $1,198 annual average is significantly higher—over $400 more—than the national average of $635.
Note that high-risk drivers pay more than the national average for car insurance, so if you have a spotty driving record, you may find Kemper’s rates to be competitive.
Below is a breakdown of Kemper’s prices compared to other major car insurance companies.
| Company | Average annual premium for full coverage | Average annual premium for minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Kemper | $2,637 | $1,198 |
| Allstate | $2,915 | $823 |
| American Family | $2,181 | $686 |
| Farmers | $3,023 | $1,090 |
| The General | $2,385 | $1,231 |
| GEICO | $1,867 | $558 |
| Liberty Mutual | $2,861 | $1,375 |
| Nationwide | $1,987 | $722 |
| Progressive | $2,060 | $702 |
| State Farm | $2,030 | $650 |
| Travelers | $1,837 | $684 |
| USAA* | $1,533 | $436 |
| National Average | $2,356 | $722 |
Something worth noting is that while most auto insurance companies offer six-month policies—meaning they can raise your rates after just six months—Kemper offers annual policies, which lock your auto insurance rate for the year. As the cost of auto insurance rises, annual policies are becoming less common.
Kemper Rates by Driver Profile
As I mentioned above, Kemper now only offers nonstandard insurance, which is coverage for high-risk drivers. Here is a breakdown of rates for drivers with an at-fault accident or DUI.
| Driver profile | Kemper average annual rate for full coverage | National average annual rate for full coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Good driver with good credit | $2,279 | $2,399 |
| Driver with a DUI | $4,171 | $3,305 |
| Driver with an at-fault accident | $3,350 | $2,812 |
| Driver with speeding ticket | $2,780 | $2,511 |
| Driver with low credit | $4,102 | $3,377 |
Although the average for a full coverage policy for drivers with a DUI is higher than the national average, keep in mind that Kemper’s approval rate of DUI policies is also above the national average. This means that a driver with a DUI is more likely to be accepted by Kemper than its competitors, which might make the increased price worth it.
DID YOU KNOW:
What’s the difference between a DUI and a DWI? Typically, DWIs indicate a driver is more impaired, though some states don’t differentiate between the two.
How You Can Save On Your Policy with Kemper
Kemper offers a range of case-specific discounts that you might want to consider when applying:
- Advance Quote Discount: If you receive a quote and choose to accept it before the effective date of the policy, you may be eligible for this discount.
- Good Student Discount: Full-time students with a 3.0 GPA or higher can qualify for this discount.
- Homeowner Discount: Kemper gives a discount if you provide proof that you or someone on your policy owns a home.
- Proof of Prior Insurance: If you present proof of previously having auto insurance, Kemper offers a discount on your new policy with them.
- Paid-in-Full Discount: When you pay for the full premium up front, rather than making monthly payments, Kemper offers a discounted rate.
- Multi-Car Discount: Insuring more than one car on a policy qualifies you for a discount.
Kemper also offers discounts to individuals who have a defensive driver qualification and military members.
In March 2024, Kemper introduced a telematics discount program called Kemper Co-Pilot for tracking your driving habits. The discount is available in Arizona, Georgia, Florida, and Texas, with Kemper promising more states coming soon. The program rewards customers for sharing their driving data via the Kemper Co-Pilot mobile app, and enrolled drivers receive a 10 percent premium discount simply for participating in the program.
Getting a Quote From Kemper
My experience getting a quote from Kemper Auto was a little more time-consuming than the other major brands. Although the website has an option for an online quote, after I entered my zip code I was prompted to call an agent. In the end, my experience with getting a quote from Kemper was less than ideal compared to past instances with other companies.


What Types of Auto Insurance Coverage Does Kemper Offer?
Kemper offers standard coverages including comprehensive, collision, liability, medical payments, and uninsured/underinsured motorist protection. It also offers roadside assistance, which includes 24/7 towing, jump starts, fuel delivery, lockout services, and tire change assistance in the event of a breakdown. For additional coverages such as gap insurance (GAP), accident forgiveness, trip interruption, and more, you’ll need to speak with an agent to determine availability.
Beyond auto insurance, Kemper also sells motorcycle insurance, business insurance, and life insurance. Since Kemper exited the “preferred” auto and home market in 2023, it no longer offers home insurance (including nonrenewals for existing customers). Customers looking to bundle home and auto may have better luck elsewhere.
Kemper: Customer Satisfaction Data
When it comes to customer satisfaction, Kemper’s ratings are mixed to low. It received a ranking of 76 out of 97 in the CRASH Network 2025 Insurer Report Card, a survey of body shops asking how well auto insurance companies respond to claims.
Kemper also received a below-average rating in the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Auto Insurance Study in California, and a higher number of complaints on the NAIC index, indicating Kemper customers are less satisfied with their insurance than customers of other insurance brands.
That said, on a positive note, A.M. Best has given Kemper an excellent financial strength rating of A- (Excellent), indicating strong ability to meet payout demands due to a solid balance sheet, good credit ratings, and appropriate enterprise risk management.
| Category | Kemper Rating |
|---|---|
| CRASH Network 2025 Insurer Report Card | C-, 76th out of 97 insurers |
| J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction5 | 523 out of 1,000 in California region, compared to the industry average of 631 out of 1,000 |
| NAIC Complaint Index | Above average number of complaints |
| A.M. Financial Strength6 | A-, Excellent |
Kemper Website and Mobile App
I was able to access both Kemper’s website and mobile app. For the most part, the website is easy to navigate and has mostly clear instructions for browsing different pages. Unlike my attempts to get an online quote, I was able to explore the process of filing a claim pretty seamlessly on the mobile site. There are “quick links” for things like making claims, payments, and finding a repair shop, as well as help and support links that put you in touch with an agent.

Some companies have popularized the online chatbot, but I did not see this as an option on Kemper’s website. If you’re like me, you may actually prefer this, because it is a bit more personal and forces you to interact with a human. Most of the time, in my experience, those online chatbots are not much help anyway. Overall, I found no faults with Kemper’s website.
The mobile app, however, is a different story. On the iPhone app store, it had a 1.4 rating out of 5 stars across 329 total reviews as of January 2026. General complaints from customers ranged from small bugs and crashes while filling out a claim, to the app not opening at all and causing them to be late for their monthly payments. One user even noted “I have yet to access my policy for 8 months.” So, if I were you, I would stick closer to the website and the phone service.
| Operating System | Kemper App Rating (out of 5) | Number of reviews |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone | 1.4 stars | 329 |
| Android | 1.9 stars | 402 |
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on your situation. Kemper can be an ideal insurance option for high-risk drivers looking for competitive rates, and it has strong financial strength ratings. However, drivers with a clean record will find better rates from other providers.
No, Kemper is not the same as Infinity. Kemper bought Infinity in 2018, but Infinity operates as a separate brand from Kemper.
Yes, Kemper’s enhanced auto insurance coverage includes accident forgiveness for your first accident or minor violation.
No, you don’t necessarily need a traditional driver’s license to be insured by Kemper. You can get a policy even if you only have a state ID, Matricula Consular, or international license. Kemper Auto also offers SR-22 coverage for drivers with suspended, revoked, or canceled licenses.
Methodology – How We Review Insurance Companies
At AutoInsurance.com, we assess auto insurance companies on four factors:
- Price (40%): We evaluate average premiums for both full and minimum coverage, considering a variety of driver profiles, including those with low credit, DUIs, or at-fault accidents. Discounts offered by insurers are also taken into account. Full coverage averages are calculated using these limits:
- Bodily injury liability: $100,000 per person / $300,000 per accident
- Property damage liability: $50,000 per accident
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist bodily injury: $50,000 per person / $100,000 per accident
- Comprehensive and collision: $500 deductible
- Claims Handling (25%): A reliable claims process is efficient, transparent, and ensures timely resolutions with fair damage assessments. To evaluate claims performance, we rely on sources like the CRASH Network Insurer Report Card, J.D. Power Claims Satisfaction Report, and financial strength ratings from AM Best and S&P. When available, we include real-life customer experiences.
- Customer Experience (25%): We consider how straightforward it is for customers to navigate their insurance experience, from obtaining quotes and purchasing policies to making adjustments or retrieving documents. This includes analyzing the quality of online and agent-based interactions, as well as the usability of the insurer’s website and mobile app. Data from J.D. Power studies, the NAIC complaint index, BBB ratings, and app store reviews inform our analysis.
- Coverage Options (10%): Insurers offering additional coverage options beyond the state minimums score higher in this category. Examples include accident forgiveness, gap insurance, rideshare coverage, and similar features.
For a detailed look at our rating criteria, visit our methodology & ratings page.
Sources
Kemper Announces Exit from Preferred Home and Auto Business. Business Wire. (2023, Aug 7).
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230807812471/en/Kemper-Announces-Exit-from-Preferred-Home-and-Auto-Business2024 Market Share Report for Property/Casualty Insurance. National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). (2024, Mar).
https://content.naic.org/sites/default/files/research-actuarial-property-casualty-market-share.pdfTop Rated U.S. Car Insurance Companies for 2025. Crash Network. (2025).
https://www.crashnetwork.com/irc/Kemper Independence Ins Co National Complaint Index Report. National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). (2024).
https://content.naic.org/cis_refined_results.htm?TABLEAU=CIS_COMPLAINTS&COCODE=10914&:refreshIt’s Now a Buyer’s Market for Auto Insurance, J.D. Power Finds. J.D. Power. (2025, Jun 10).
https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2025-us-auto-insurance-studyAM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Kemper Corporation, Its Affiliates and Subsidiaries. AM Best. (2025, Aug 15).
https://news.ambest.com/PR/PressContent.aspx?altsrc=149&refnum=36353

