Finding the Best Military Discounts for Your Auto Insurance

Everyone wants the cheapest insurance they can get while also having the most coverage. Whether it’s insurance discounts for military veterans or cheaper premiums when deployed, there are several ways that military veterans and active-duty members can save money on their auto insurance. 

If you are an active-duty member or retired military, there are a few ways that you can receive discounts that we will highlight.

What do I take into consideration?

A number of healthcare workers join the military to pay for medical school, but there are other benefits that being in the military can offer — things like discounts on car or life insurance.

When talking about what the best car insurance is for military members and veterans, there are a few things you should keep in mind. 

How much is it? What sort of discounts do they provide? How good is their customer service? What sort of things do they cover and offer? How does their coverage fit your needs? And how often are claims listed as satisfied?

Let’s run down the questions starting with price.

How to Find the Cheapest Car Insurance for Your Military Family

Make sure to take advantage of the discounts and benefits offered specifically to military families and veterans. There are some differences between what kind of discount and benefits for veterans vs. active-duty members. 

Chances are, though, that if an insurance company offers something for one they options for the other, so be sure to capitalize on that. So with that said, what are the benefits?

What benefits are offered to military personnel?

There’s the obvious one which is discounts. Car insurance doesn’t just offer discounts for healthcare workers. Quite a few also give military discounts.

There are also the less obvious ones like coverage when deployed, discount rates for family members, and suspending of canceling insurance benefits. You may not need liability coverage, so find out what your options are.

Check what insurance companies offer storage coverage. This is a benefit that typically strips a vehicle of all coverage except for protection from vandalism, your vehicle being stolen, or damage from weather. The premiums for this coverage are usually cheaper, and this allows you to maintain continuous coverage on your vehicle when deployed.

You also want to look for companies that not only give a variety of benefits and options but are also known for having good customer service and are willing to work with members on their specific needs. 

If you search “military discount on car insurance” or “best car insurance for military members” you will want to look out for the companies whose names appear at the beginning of searches with articles and pages specifically addressing what they can offer you.

 

Who offers veteran car insurance discounts?

This list of insurance companies offers discounts to military members and veterans. They are in no particular order.

• State Farm
• Geico
• Farmers
• Allstate
• Esurance
• Nationwide
• Progress

While military discounts are very helpful, there are a few other kinds of discounts you will want to keep in mind.

What will you do with your car insurance during deployment?

This is a tricky one to answer. Most car insurance companies want you to maintain constant coverage on your vehicle. But for some, especially the insurance tailored for military members, they do recognize that when members deploy they won’t likely be using their vehicle for several weeks or even months. Look for companies that offer discounts to deployed military personnel, and be sure to check out companies like Esurance that allow you to cancel your insurance when you deploy and then reinstate it with no penalty. 

The Best Car Insurance for Military Veterans and Active Members

USAA

This insurance is strictly for active and retired military. For this reason, using USAA as your insurance company has several pros. They are generally considered the cheapest insurance for active military and veterans. They provide storage for your vehicle, safe driving discounts, family discounts, military membership, and loyalty discounts. 

Specifically, USAA has a 60 percent discount for active-duty members when they deploy overseas. There are exceptions to this in some states, though. They are also available nationwide and offer flexible payment options without extra costs.

Geico

Geico offers a 15 percent discount on all active-duty members and retired military. They have a dedicated phone line (1-800-MILITARY) that members can call if they have questions or specific needs for their car. There is also an emergency deployment discount for members. One con with this company is they don’t offer these same discounts to military members or veterans’ children. They are also available nationwide.

Esurance

A unique benefit that Esurance provides is that active-duty members can cancel their insurance with no penalty while deployed. They can then reinstate their insurance once they return home. 

To qualify for this program there are some steps you have to go through to cancel without penalty. These usually need DD214 release paperwork or a letter from the active-duty member’s commanding officer stating they were stationed overseas.

When a member returns home they have 30 days to get coverage and they must have been insured before being stationed overseas. They did not have to be ensured previously by Esurance to qualify.

On the downside, this insurance is not provided nationwide, so be sure to check which states offer it. There are also no overall discounts for military service, though you can get a 5 percent discount when obtaining a quote online.

Armed Forces Insurance

This coverage specifically covers military personnel and civilians who work for the military. There aren’t any specific discounts offered to veterans or military members. It is available nationwide, though, and they have fairly cheap and competitive prices.

Does car insurance work differently for active-duty members?

One question you might be asking yourself is: Are there any differences in the law for military car insurance? In some ways, yes. 

Depending on the state, many members can maintain vehicle registration and insurance coverage from their home state even when stationed elsewhere for an extended period. 

There are also specific car insurance companies out there like USAA and Armed Forces Insurance that can only be offered to military members, active duty or retired. You need to find a qualified insurance agent to help you find the best coverage.

Quick Tips to Follow

When looking for car insurance just be sure to follow these few tips:

• Look out for both specific discounts for military members and veterans, and look out for more discounts that you may qualify for.
• Combine your auto insurance policy with other kinds of policies like life and insurance and homeowners insurance. This can save you a lot of money.
• Do your research. Don’t just look for auto insurance discounts for veterans. Also compare what kind of benefits they offer to military members and how good their customer service is.