Best veterans and military car insurance

Best military car insurance companies

Not all companies offer military discounts, while others offer multiple. Below, you’ll find some of the best car insurance companies for military families regarding military-focused savings opportunities. We’ve also included our proprietary Bankrate Scores, which range from 0.0 to 5.0. The higher the score, the better the company fared in metrics like third-party customer satisfaction scores, coverage options and discount availability.

Please note that the rates below do not include any military discounts applied. However, you could be paying more or less than the rates presented below (even if you qualify for a military discount) since rates depend on your personal rating factors. 

Military auto insurance rates

Cost of car insurance for veterans and military

For veteran or active-duty military drivers shopping for car insurance, it’s important to know that car insurance rating factors are not greatly influenced by specific military status. With everything else equal, active-duty, retired and reserve military members all pay about the same for auto insurance. Your status could, however, determine if you qualify for a company’s military discount or for coverage from a company that specializes in military coverage. Many companies will not extend a discount to those with a dishonorable discharge, for example.

Additionally, military families have unique stressors and life impacts that non-military families likely don’t face. That means these shoppers may want to seek out military-specific benefits for their car insurance. Military discounts and storage plans, for example, can be a great way for military families to save on their premiums.

Car insurance discounts for military drivers

Military car insurance discounts are one of the easiest ways to save on your premium. Those who have served are often eligible for one or more discounts that could reduce your premium by as much as 15 percent. Here are some common discounts that eligible policyholders may be able to take advantage of:

Canceling your car insurance for an upcoming deployment

If you are preparing for deployment, it may be important to make some changes to your car insurance policy. The best option may be to pause your coverage (sometimes called a storage plan) rather than cancel your policy. Canceling your auto insurance causes a lapse in coverage, which can have consequences, like higher rates and even driver’s license suspension.

If you have car insurance through USAA, you may save up to 60 percent on your insurance if you store your vehicle while deployed. However, you should only consider putting your vehicle in storage during deployment if it’s not being used and is not accessible to others. For example, if other drivers use the car while you are deployed, you cannot put the vehicle into a storage status.

You could also qualify for a car insurance discount based on the number of miles you drive in a year. If you are a Geico customer, you can suspend or reduce your insurance coverage if you are deployed and store your car for more than 30 days.

How to reinstate your car insurance after deployment

After you return home from deployment, you should reinstate your car insurance policy before you drive again. Otherwise, you could put yourself at risk for driving uninsured. Most times, you simply need to contact your car insurance company to take your policy off pause.

If you reduced your coverage to save money during deployment, you may want to consider increasing certain coverage types before you start driving. Keep in mind that you must reinstate your insurance before you hit the road if insurance is required in your state. Driving without insurance or proof of financial responsibility is illegal (in most states), and it can come with heavy consequences if you get caught.

Frequently asked questions

Methodology

Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze  November 2024 rates for all ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Rates are weighted based on the population density in each geographic region. Quoted rates are based on a single, 40-year-old male and female driver with a clean driving record, good credit and the following full coverage limits:

• $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
• $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
• $50,000 property damage liability per accident
• $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
• $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
• $500 collision deductible
• $500 comprehensive deductible

To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements. Our base profile drivers own a 2022 Toyota Camry, commute five days a week and drive 12,000 miles annually.

These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes.

Bankrate Score

Our 2024 Bankrate Score considers variables our insurance editorial team determined impacts policyholders’ experiences with an insurance company. These rating factors include a robust assessment of each company’s product availability, financial strength ratings, online capabilities and customer and claims support accessibility. Each factor was added to a category, and these categories were weighted in a tiered approach to analyze how companies perform in key customer-impacting categories.

Each category was assigned a metric to determine performance, and the weighted sum adds up to a company’s total Bankrate Score — out of 5 points. Our scoring model provides a comprehensive view, indicating when companies excel across several key areas and highlighting where they fall short.

• Tier 1 (Cost & ratings): To determine how well auto and home insurance companies satisfy these priorities, average quoted premiums from Quadrant Information Services (if available), as well as any of the latest third-party agency ratings from J.D. Power, AM Best, Demotech and the NAIC, were analyzed.
• Tier 2 (Coverage & savings): We assessed companies’ coverage options and availability to help policyholders find a provider that balances cost with coverage. Additionally, we evaluated each company’s discount options listed on its website.
• Tier 3 (Support): To encompass the many ways an auto insurance company can support policyholders, we analyzed avenues of customer accessibility along with community support. This analysis incorporated additional financial strength ratings from S&P and Moody’s and factored a company’s corporate sustainability efforts.

Tier scores are unweighted to show the company's true score in each category out of a possible five points.