Car Insurance Archives

Inside This Article

Whether you are active duty, Guard, Reserve, a dependent, military spouse, or a veteran, you must secure the right car insurance. Military auto insurance offers purpose-built benefits to meet the distinct needs of our military community.

Today’s policies include exclusive perks, specialized coverages, and substantial discounts that recognize the unique challenges you face in service and beyond. Here’s what you need to know.

Key Points

Active duty service members, military spouses, and veterans can access auto insurance policies specifically designed to meet their unique needs.
Comprehensive coverage options protect you whether you’re driving stateside or navigating PCS, TDY, and international assignments.
Smart shopping strategies like comparing quotes, bundling policies, and leveraging military-specific discounts can help you secure substantial savings.

Who Qualifies for Military Auto Insurance

Insurance providers understand that military service members, their families, and veterans have specific auto insurance needs. USAA, for example, stands as the benchmark, offering policies to active duty personnel, military retirees, honorably discharged members, officer candidates, qualifying adult children, and the surviving spouses of service members. This broad eligibility is designed to acknowledge your sacrifice and service.

Similarly, other major insurers—such as Allstate, GEICO, and Nationwide—have developed military-specific programs, ensuring that whether you are actively serving or have proudly completed your service, you receive the protection you deserve.

Essential Coverage Options for Military Members

Evaluate your coverage options carefully. You need liability coverage to comply with state laws and protect you when faults occur.

Collision and comprehensive policies cover the unpredictable—accidents, theft, natural disasters—and provide peace of mind in uncertain situations. Policies with uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage ensure that you are not left exposed when others fail to carry adequate insurance.

For those in the field—facing deployments, PCS orders, or serving overseas—some policies extend to cover international driving or vehicle purchases abroad.

Know your operational environment and choose coverage that meets both domestic and overseas requirements.

How to Shop for the Best Military Auto Insurance

Use this guide to quickly identify what you need, research military-friendly providers, and secure the right coverage and discounts.

Evaluate Your Coverage Needs: Start by assessing your current auto insurance requirements based on whether you’re driving stateside or preparing for a PCS, TDY, or overseas assignment. Understand your state’s or host country’s minimum requirements and consider additional coverage (such as collision, comprehensive, or uninsured motorist protection) that might benefit your situation.
Research Eligible Providers: Create a list of military-friendly insurers—USAA, AAA, GEICO, Nationwide, and others that offer specific military programs. Research each provider’s reputation, customer reviews, and unique benefits they offer to the military community, ensuring the options remain relevant whether you are currently serving or a veteran.
Gather Multiple Quotes: Use online comparison tools and the insurers’ quote generators to collect estimates. Compare similar coverage levels and note any additional discounts, including safe driver or deployment-related savings.
Understand Special Discounts and Bundling Options: Inquire about discounts for being in uniform, price breaks during deployments or vehicle storage, and bundling discounts if you have additional policies like home or renters insurance. Direct communication with an agent often uncovers hidden discounts that online tools may not display.
Review and Compare Policy Details: Examine policy details such as liability limits, deductibles, and specific provisions for overseas coverage if applicable. Ensure that the policies align with your needs—whether you are in active service, approaching retirement, or already a veteran.
Ask the Right Questions: Contact the insurers if you have any doubts. Ask about fee waivers, the process for adjusting coverage during deployments, and the documentation required for verifying military service. Clear, direct communication can help prevent surprises later.
Make an Informed Decision: With all the information gathered, compare your options not just on price but on overall value. Consider how well each policy meets your coverage needs, its flexibility during transitions, and the quality of customer service. Choose the option that best aligns with your budget and security requirements.

Insuring Overseas: Navigating PCS, TDY, and Foreign Assignments

The question of auto insurance coverage is particularly pressing for military personnel receiving Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders or Temporary Duty (TDY) assignments abroad.

The first step is to communicate with your current provider to confirm if your policy extends to overseas driving or if any modifications are needed. Some policies may offer protection during the shipping process of your vehicle, while others require separate arrangements if you purchase a vehicle abroad.

In countries with unique legal requirements—for instance, Japan’s Compulsory Insurance (JCI)—it is vital to consult local legal experts or your base’s command support to ensure that your coverage meets local mandates and provides sufficient protection in case of an accident.

Maximizing Discounts and Savings

Military families benefit from a range of discounts that can significantly reduce auto insurance premiums.

Many insurers automatically apply savings for military personnel. Moreover, if you are required to store your vehicle during deployments or PCS moves, ask about additional discounts for that situation.

Beyond these, safe driver discounts, anti-theft incentives, and regional discounts are available. It is your duty to compare quotes and leverage competitive offers to extract every possible advantage.

Bundling and Comprehensive Solutions

Combining auto insurance with other types of coverage, such as homeowners or renters insurance, is another strategy to achieve cost savings.

Bundling policies with the same provider may result in additional discounts, though it’s important to ensure that you aren’t overpaying for unnecessary coverage.

Comparing bundled versus standalone options will help reveal which approach best suits your individual circumstances, emphasizing the value of being an informed consumer—a quality that serves the entire military community, whether you are active or retired.

Military-Friendly Providers and Programs

Several insurers are widely recognized for their military-friendly policies. USAA stands out for its exclusive focus on military members, veterans, and their families, while companies like AAA, Direct General, Esurance, GEICO, Nationwide, Progressive, and The General have also demonstrated commitment through specialized affinity programs and discounts.

When reviewing your options, remember that these offerings are continually updated. It’s a good practice to verify current details with the provider and read recent reviews to ensure you’re receiving the best possible deal.

Auto Insurance for Veterans and Military Retirees

Once you transition from active duty, your insurance needs will evolve. Veterans typically benefit from favorable safe-driving ratings and additional discounts through veteran service organizations such as the VFW, DAV, or USO.

Reach out to your insurance provider to select policies tailored for veterans. The right coverage will balance comprehensive protection with cost-efficiency, ensuring that even in retirement, you remain secure.

Special Considerations for Disabled Veterans

Disabled veterans who drive specially adapted vehicles may encounter unique insurance requirements. In these cases, it is crucial to discuss your specific needs with potential insurers to determine if they offer customized policies that cover adaptive equipment.

Some plans are designed to meet the needs of drivers who rely on modifications for safety and accessibility. Additionally, participation in VA Automobile Allowance programs can influence your options, making proactive communication with your provider essential.

Tips for Comparing Rates and Policies

After gathering quotes, follow these simple steps to compare the details side by side and choose the best overall policy for your needs.

Prepare a Comparison Spreadsheet: Organize a spreadsheet to compare key aspects of each policy, such as premium costs, coverage details, discounts, deductibles, and any special military considerations (e.g., overseas coverage).
Input Data from Multiple Providers: Fill in the spreadsheet with quotes and detailed benefits from each provider. This method helps you visualize differences side by side rather than sifting through various web pages and notes.
Evaluate Total Savings and Benefits: Factor in applicable discounts and bundling opportunities to determine which provider offers the best overall value and comprehensive coverage.
Assess Flexibility and Customer Support: Consider a provider’s ability to adjust coverage if you’re deployed or relocated. Read customer reviews and check the insurer’s reputation for handling military-specific needs; reliability and responsiveness are key for both active service members and veterans.
Make Your Final Choice: Use your completed comparison to select the policy that offers the optimal balance between cost, coverage, and customer service. This informed decision-making process ensures you are well-protected without compromising on essential benefits.

Whether you are facing a PCS order, planning for long-term deployment, or transitioning into retirement, the right auto insurance policy can provide you with protection, savings, and peace of mind.

By taking the time to compare quotes, ask the right questions, and leverage available military-specific discounts, you can confidently manage your auto insurance needs in a way that supports your service and safeguards your financial future.

Written by Jon Rehagen

Jon Rehagan covers financial topics and military news, aimed at helping those who've served our country and everyday civilians

Inside This Article

Contingency planning is one area all branches of the United States military excel. There is an old phrase coined by Carl von Clausewitz “(the) fog of war,” used to explain the uncertainty of war.

You don’t know every single contingency that can arise on the battlefield, so flexibility and preparation is the key to overcoming the unexpected.

That is also true of military family planning, especially where insurance is concerned. You may not be sure what kinds of coverage might be needed when dealing with a permanent change of station, move, or a combat deployment. There are some bases to cover and some things to avoid when choosing the types of insurance your military family might need.

Managing Your Needs

There are several basic types of insurance that are available for military families, but you can start selecting your coverage by setting your priorities first. Are you PCSing or deploying within three months? Your concerns should include:

Dependent care
Protection for vehicles
Protection for property left behind temporarily while on TDY or deployment
Protection for property left behind for a PCS move
Pet care
Coverage for travel/transport

Not all troops have the same insurance needs, but it’s good to consider all your options to avoid overlooking an important detail or aspect of coverage you need. Remember, not all deployments last the same amount of time for all troops. Working on time-sensitive needs can help you set priorities.

What You Need to Know About Insurance

There is no such thing as implied coverage. If an insurance policy does not specifically mention a type of coverage or a type of property damage that is considered compensable, you do not have coverage for that issue.

That is especially true of water-related damage. Your insurance policy must specifically reference flooding, rising water, water damage, or similar verbiage, otherwise, you do not have coverage.

It is best to ask your insurance agent whether water damage is covered. Additionally, how the damage can be covered if not by the standard plan?

Water damage is one of the leading causes of problems for those with insurance. Some consumers assume floods or other contingencies are covered even though their policies do not mention these issues. Avoid learning the hard way, and make sure your policy explicitly covers property damage and similar situations.

What’s more, consumers sometimes fail to ask under what conditions the coverages they do have are null and void. Do not fail to ask this question before you pay for any insurance coverage.

Five Kinds of Insurance Coverage for a Military Family

Car Insurance (Not What You Might Think!)

If a military family is sent overseas on PCS orders, they may or may not be permitted to bring a privately-owned vehicle depending on the assignment, the major command, the rules of the host nation, and other concerns.

If you must place a vehicle into storage, you can save money and protect your vehicle. Allstate.com reminds consumers of their company’s specific insurance programs and advises that canceling your car insurance is not ideal. Reducing your insurance from carrying liability and collision, in addition to comprehensive coverage or comprehensive alone, is the best solution for stored vehicles.

There is an important caveat for vehicles stored 30 days or longer: once you return from your assignment, you cannot drive the vehicle legally until you restore your other coverages.

You are not legally permitted to drive the car out of the storage facility until you have reinstated the minimum state-required coverages.

Carrying comprehensive-only coverage will lower your monthly bill for the vehicle. It could be an advantage over asking a friend to store the vehicle in a private garage, depending on circumstances.

Car Insurance For Transport Overseas

If you are permitted to ship a privately-owned vehicle (POV) to or from an overseas military base, you may need to carry insurance to protect your car and its contents while en route to your next duty station.

There are no standardized rules for this, as much will depend on the host nation’s laws and your gaining command’s policies.

The best thing to do when trying to decide coverage for a POV is to ask your gaining base sponsor. You should also call your current auto insurance provider to see what options you have.

Your insurance will cover a limited number of incidents and may expire the moment you drive the vehicle away from the port of entry.

Renters Insurance or Homeowners Insurance

Renters insurance and homeowner’s insurance policies are not all created equal; your coverage options may vary based on state law, company policies, and other variables. Renters or homeowner’s insurance is strongly recommended if you must leave your home for any period.

It’s not just fires and theft you have to worry about. Natural disasters, electrical storms, wildfires, and many other problems could affect your living space while you are gone. Insurance coverage won’t keep these things from happening to you, but they do offer peace of mind during your military duty.

When arranging coverage for a house or apartment, remember the rule above – if your policy does not explicitly mention fire, flood, theft, or other issues, your policy does not cover it.

You also need to consider obtaining a limited power of attorney if you need someone to manage the policy, make a claim, or take other actions on your behalf if required. A limited power of attorney must accurately describe what permissions you give, so be sure to talk this matter over with an insurance rep first.

Pet Insurance

Some many reasons and situations can justify pet insurance. While you may not be familiar with this type of coverage or know who the providers are, there are reputable companies such as USAA offering pet coverage, especially for troops.

Pet insurance could even be, as USAA advertises, available overseas. Depending on the type of coverage you need, you could find a policy that handles both emergency care, diagnostic and testing and help with chronic pet conditions.

Pet insurance has the disadvantage of not being as widely adopted as other kinds, which is why searching for a reputable company is crucial. It’s not enough to search the Better Business Bureau ratings or to read customer reviews—you may need to go the extra mile and ask your fellow military members if they have had good experiences with one insurer or another.

Why choose pet insurance? If you are assigned overseas, your pet will need to visit the vet several times for vaccinations and health screening. Pet insurance can help offset these costs.

Natural Disaster Insurance

You may not be in an area that is prone to disasters, but what if you receive orders to military bases that are known for their natural disasters like tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes?

When you PCS to a disaster-prone area, insurance coverage typically won’t offer the same kind of broad protections you might enjoy now without unique policy additions or modifications.

You may be required to carry disaster-specific coverage (similar to carrying separate flood insurance) in these regions, and it will be necessary to talk to a sponsor and an insurance rep from that area to learn what specific coverages may or may not apply.

Don’t get burned because you assumed a certain kind of situation would be handled by your insurance policy only to learn that that specific kind of insurance requires a modification to a “standard” plan.

Ask about deductibles, ask what renders your coverage null and void, what specific types of issues are NOT covered and why, etc. You will be happy you asked, because you may go years without needing to make a claim, only to have a sudden need later on.

Life Insurance

Military members have a life insurance plan known as SGLI, which stands for Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance. SGLI automatically covers servicemembers for up to a maximum of $400,000 unless the service member opts for lower coverage.

Premiums vary with circumstances, but this is an important decision to make. The relative safety of certain military career fields makes some less inclined to consider taking out more coverage from a private provider.

Here are some questions to consider that might help you decide on a good life insurance policy: does the amount of your SGLI coverage adequately provide for your family if you die on duty? If you die as the result of military duty, en route, or returning from military duty? Is this enough life insurance for you and your family in case something should happen?

There is no one-size-fits-all advice about life insurance coverage. Whatever you choose, your life insurance policy provides you and your family with the reassurance needed that financial aid is there if anything should ever happen.

What You Need to Know About Signing Up for Insurance

Buying insurance is tricky, and there is often a fear of being denied coverage for any number of reasons. Some feel the need to be less than forthcoming on their insurance sign-up forms, but this is never a good thing to do. Why?

Lying, deliberate omission, or misrepresenting facts about your circumstances to sign up for insurance can lead to policy cancellation, loss of benefits payments, even criminal prosecution depending on circumstances.
Insurance fraud investigation is a multi-million dollar a year industry, and many people fail to take into account the level of refinement used to develop insurance fraud cases or an insurer’s motivation to keep insurance fraud to a minimum.
Honesty is the best policy when signing up for any insurance.
If your insurance policy does not specifically mention a specific type of coverage, you do not have it.

It is best to aggressively shop around for an insurer and research the money-saving options available to you. The terms, conditions, coverages, and payouts will all vary by insurer and circumstances of your situation.

Don’t take the first good-looking policy you find. Read the fine print very carefully and make the most informed insurance choices you can.

Written by Veteran.com Team

The editorial team here at Veteran.com works to help the U.S. military community discover the many military benefits available to them. Our team is supported by our Veteran Review Board and its Standard of Care, which all content on Veteran.com is reviewed to meet.

Military Car Insurance