Best Military Car Insurance for Veterans and Families in 2024
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If you’re a veteran or active member of the military, you and your family might be eligible for some of the best car insurance rates around. USAA offers auto insurance exclusively for veterans, active-duty military and their families. Other insurers provide special discounts and services for military members.
Here are the top car insurance companies for military families:
USAA: Cheapest car insurance for veterans and military.
Geico: Best military car insurance discount.
Arbella: Best deployment discount from a small company.
Armed Forces Insurance: Best military car insurance agency.
You can also jump to the bottom of the page to find our advice on how to get the best car insurance for veterans and military families.
The best car insurance companies for veterans and military members
USAA
USAA
Discounts
Ease of use
NAIC complaints
USAA
Discounts
Ease of use
NAIC complaints
Why it's the best:
If you’re looking for the cheapest car insurance for veterans and military families, USAA is a great place to start. It has the cheapest rates, on average, in almost every state among the insurers we have rates for.
USAA is the only major insurance company that caters exclusively to former and current service members and their families, including:
Those currently enlisted in the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy, National Guard and Reserves.
Retired or honorably discharged military members.
Those in U.S. service academies, in advanced ROTC or on ROTC scholarship, plus officer candidates within 24 months of commissioning.
Family, including widows, widowers and unremarried former spouses who had USAA insurance while married; also children whose parents have or had USAA insurance.
Average rates: USAA car insurance costs $1,397 per year on average for full coverage and $370 for minimum coverage, based on our October 2024 analysis. (These average rates do not include possible military discounts.)
Military discount details: Members receive 15% off comprehensive coverage for a vehicle parked in a garage on a military base in most states. If you aren’t driving your car and store it in a secure location, you’ll receive up to a 60% discount on auto insurance. This benefit can help military members on deployment, but it’s not available in Hawaii, North Carolina or Virginia.
» MORE: USAA auto insurance review
Because it’s not available to all consumers, NerdWallet doesn’t rank USAA in its best car insurance companies. However, it has fewer consumer complaints than expected, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and high customer satisfaction ratings from J.D. Power and Consumer Reports. If USAA were eligible, the company would rank in the top five, and its car insurance is probably the closest you’ll come to having something called a "military car insurance policy."
Geico
Geico
Discounts
Ease of use
NAIC complaints
Geico
Discounts
Ease of use
NAIC complaints
Why it’s the best:
While Geico does not cater specifically to veterans and military families, it does hold one of the top spots on our list of the best car insurance companies in 2024. Geico offers a wide variety of discounts, including a discount specifically for military members. It also has a high ease-of-use score, which includes things like website accessibility and mobile app ratings.
Average rates: Geico car insurance costs $1,967 per year on average for full coverage and $485 for minimum coverage, based on our October 2024 analysis. (These average rates do not include possible military discounts.)
Military discount details: Geico offers up to a 15% auto insurance discount for retired or active duty military, National Guard members, those enlisted in the Reserves and members of certain military professional organizations. It also offers an additional emergency deployment discount, with some limitations, to military members who:
Are deployed to “imminent danger pay areas” defined by the Department of Defense.
Store their cars according to an approved storage protection plan.
You may get a cheaper price from Geico when the military discount is factored in because it applies all the time, compared to other insurers who only discount your rate when you’re deployed or living on a base. However, the only way to know for sure is to get car insurance quotes from multiple insurers to compare your rates.
» MORE: Geico auto insurance review
Arbella
NerdWallet rating: Not rated.
Why it's the best:
While Arbella is only available in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island, the company had fewer than the expected number of complaints to state regulators relative to its size, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
Average rates: Arbella car insurance costs $1,498 per year on average for full coverage and $549 for minimum coverage, based on our October 2024 analysis. (These average rates do not include possible military discounts.)
Discount details: Arbella offers a discount of up to 10% to Massachusetts customers deployed on active duty at least 100 miles from their car. However, it may not be available in all states.
Armed Forces Insurance
NerdWallet rating: Not rated.
Why it’s the best:
Like USAA, Armed Forces Insurance provides car insurance for veterans, active-duty personnel and their families. However, it expands coverage beyond the military and includes active or retired employees of certain government departments.
Discount details: While there are no specific discounts listed online, Armed Forces Insurance is an agency, so it can give you quotes from multiple insurers within its network.
Insurers that offer military discounts
Company | Military discount details |
|---|---|
USAA | Up to 60% when storing a vehicle you won’t be driving (except HI, NC and VA) and up to 15% off comprehensive when garaging on base in most states. |
Geico | Up to 15% nationwide. Eligibility varies by state. |
Arbella | 10% in Massachusetts only. |
Farmers | Varies depending on the state. Not all states are eligible. |
Liberty Mutual | Amount varies by state and policy. Not all states are eligible. |
Additionally, auto insurers in Louisiana are required to offer a 25% military car insurance discount to full-time active military. This discount applies to liability insurance, which pays for damage you cause in an at-fault accident. If you’re deployed outside the state, you must be single or your family must live in Louisiana to qualify. Rates vary by company.
How to get the best car insurance for veterans and military personnel
Even with a military discount, car insurance can get expensive. Here are a few ways veterans and active military members can lower their auto insurance bill:
Talk to your insurer about your options during deployment. Car insurance companies that market to service members should be aware of the special circumstances those customers might face, such as an overseas deployment, which might necessitate storing a vehicle and suspending or reducing coverage. Otherwise, you might be better off finding an insurer that will work with you in those situations.
If you’re facing a military deployment, consider factors such as your location, car insurance provider and the length of time you’ll be away. You may be tempted to cancel your policy, but having a lapse in car insurance coverage, even while on military deployment, can result in higher premiums and being labeled a high-risk driver. That’s why suspending or reducing car insurance is generally the better choice.
Check with your agent or insurance company to determine the best strategy. USAA and Geico, for example, provide financial guides and checklists for service members facing deployment.
Shop around. If you’re a veteran or active member of the military looking to find the cheapest price, it’s vital that you compare auto insurance rates. Shop for the best deals and get quotes before deciding on the military car insurance policy that’s best for you.
» MORE: Cheapest car insurance companies
Look for savings beyond a military discount. Don’t stop looking for savings just because you’re getting a military or veterans discount. You may qualify for other car insurance discounts simply for being a good driver or bundling home and auto insurance policies.
For example, USAA offers discounts if you’ve maintained a clean driving record for five years or if your vehicle is 3 years old or less. You might also qualify for more savings if you’re a good student, complete a defensive driving course or if you cover two or more vehicles with your policy.
Learn more about personal finance for veterans |
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Whether you're shopping for insurance, looking for a home loan or booking a trip, NerdWallet has veteran-specific guides to help answer your questions. |
Methodology
Insurer complaints methodology
NerdWallet examined complaints received by state insurance regulators and reported to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2021-2023. To assess how insurers compare to one another, the NAIC calculates a complaint index each year for each subsidiary, measuring its share of total complaints relative to its size, or share of total premiums in the industry. To evaluate a company’s complaint history, NerdWallet calculated a similar index for each insurer, weighted by market shares of each subsidiary, over the three-year period. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC. Ratios are determined separately for auto, home (including renters and condo) and life insurance.
Auto insurance ratings methodology
NerdWallet’s auto insurance ratings reward companies for customer-first features and practices. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including financial strength, consumer complaints and discounts. Our “ease of use” category looks at factors such as website transparency and how easy it is to file a claim. Using our editorial discretion, we also consider customer satisfaction surveys. These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines and full ratings methodology for auto insurance.
Average rates methodology
NerdWallet found median rates based on public filings obtained by pricing analytics company Quadrant Information Services. We examined rates for men and women for all ZIP codes in any of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Although it’s one of the largest insurers in the country, Liberty Mutual is not included in our rates analysis due to a lack of publicly available information.
In our analysis, “good drivers” had no moving violations on record; a “good driving” discount was included for this profile.
These are median rates, and your rate will vary based on your personal details, state and insurance provider.
Sample drivers had the following coverage limits: $100,000 bodily injury liability coverage per person. $300,000 bodily injury liability coverage per crash. $50,000 property damage liability coverage per crash. $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per person. $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per crash. Collision coverage with $1,000 deductible. Comprehensive coverage with $1,000 deductible.
In states where required, minimum additional coverages were added. We used the same assumptions for all other driver profiles, with the following exceptions: For drivers with minimum coverage, we adjusted the numbers above to reflect only the minimum coverage required by law in the state.
We used a 2021 Toyota Camry LE in all cases and assumed 12,000 annual miles driven. We analyzed rates for drivers of the following ages: 20, 30, 35, 40, 50, 60 and 70.
These are rates generated through Quadrant Information Services. Your rates will be different.
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