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USAA is the cheapest option, Erie is the best regional provider, GEICO offers the best resources and perks, Armed Forces International excels in collector vehicle insurance, and Direct Auto insures high-risk drivers.
Active military members, military families, and veterans have unique auto insurance needs, including coverage for leaving vehicles in storage while stationed out of state. Our team narrowed down the top four car insurance providers with varied prices, military discounts, and flexible options for domestic and overseas coverage. Our scope not only focused on affordability but also featured other factors, including family-inclusive coverage, military perks and resources, customer service, and timely claims payouts.
USAA offers the cheapest rates, while Erie stands out as the best regional provider. GEICO provides the best resources and perks, Armed Forces International is the top choice for collector vehicle insurance, and Direct Auto caters to high-risk drivers.
For additional info, dive into our guides on the best auto insurance for drivers with a bad driving record and the best cheap car insurance carriers today.
USAA, Erie, and GEICO offer some of the cheapest auto insurance rates for military and veterans.
Company | Average Annual Rate | Average Monthly Rate |
---|---|---|
USAA | $1,407 | $117 |
Erie | $1,647 | $137 |
GEICO | $1,731 | $144 |
Nationwide | $1,808 | $151 |
American Family | $1,936 | $161 |
Progressive | $1,960 | $163 |
State Farm | $2,167 | $181 |
Most insurance providers will require you to list the address where you store your vehicle, which may be different from your permanent or mailing address. To get the most accurate information, reach out to an agent to confirm the local laws and policies.
Cheapest: USAA
Best Regional Provider: Erie
Best Resources and Perks: GEICO
Best Collector Vehicle Insurance: Armed Forces Insurance
Best for High-Risk: Direct Auto
Feature | USAA | Erie | GEICO | Armed Forces International | Direct Auto |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Average Annual Full Coverage Cost | $1,407 | $1,647 | $1,731 | N/A | N/A |
Vehicle Storage Discount | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A | No |
Overseas availability | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Military Discounts | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
J.D. Power Claims Satisfaction Score (avg. 697 out of 1,000)1 | 726 | 733 | 692 | N/A | N/A |
Review | USAA review | Erie review | GEICO review | Not available | Direct Auto review |
USAA has facilitated the financial security of its members since 1922. It offers the cheapest rates out of the top 10 largest insurance providers and has a wide range of discounts, perks, and bundling options for military members.
USAA is available only to military members, veterans, and the families (spouses and children) of military members and veterans. With a USAA membership, you can enjoy affordable rates, financial advice, specialized coverage, and a number of other exclusive benefits, like travel deals, shopping rewards, and car rental discounts.
USAA understands the challenges of deployment, leaving your family behind in the U.S., and acclimating to life abroad. Its insurance policies and features are designed to help make your time abroad as seamless as possible. With USAA, you won’t have to cancel your insurance policy if you’re deployed for a permanent change of station. Rather, USAA offers liability coverage, vehicle storage, and personal injury coverage even when you’re abroad.
Contact USAA’s advice center to learn about the ins and outs of deployment to these countries and territories:
Whether you’re stationed somewhere else in the U.S. or deployed in another country, it’s not uncommon to leave your car behind. USAA understands that military families need flexibility, which is why it has several saving opportunities for military members and their families.
Here are a few ways you can save with USAA:
Pro Tip:
Although you might be tempted to cancel your insurance policy while you’re overseas, we don’t recommend this. Insurance providers will increase your rates if you have a lapse in coverage (a 32 percent average increase for a 45-day lapse in coverage), which is why storage discounts are so beneficial if you want to maintain your rates while you’re away.
There’s a reason that USAA is our top choice for military members, veterans, and military families. Not only does your family get access to all USAA’s affordable rates and discounts, but they can also benefit from USAA’s military benefits. Here are some of the more notable USAA membership perks:
GOOD TO KNOW:
While USAA covers high-risk drivers in many cases, Direct Auto is worth considering if you’re having trouble getting coverage due to violations. It specializes in high-risk auto insurance and also offers a military discount.
Erie is our choice for the best regional provider for military members. It’s only available in 12 states and Washington, D.C., but it has consistently high customer satisfaction ratings, making it a great option for those in states where it’s available. In addition, it has some of the cheapest average auto insurance rates, so policyholders don’t need to sacrifice cost for stellar service.
Erie offers a unique option called Rate Lock, which allows policyholders to lock in their auto insurance rates to avoid unpredictable year-over-year increases. There are some caveats, including that Rate Lock is limited to three years in Virginia and is not available in all states where Erie operates. It also doesn’t protect against rate changes if you update your policy, such as adding a driver or more coverages, or if you move. However, your rate will be updated to reflect only the changes you’ve made and will not increase beyond that.
Erie offers a reduced usage discount to drivers who store their vehicles for 90 days or more. This may be especially useful to military drivers who are deployed and will need to store their car(s) for long periods of time. This discount is available in all states except Kentucky.
Erie ranked first for customer satisfaction in the Mid-Atlantic and North Central regions in J.D. Power’s 2024 Auto Insurance Study2 among many major insurers, indicating that customers are pleased with the level of service and claims management they receive from the company. It’s worth noting that while USAA is not officially ranked in the study because it doesn’t meet eligibility criteria, likely due to its membership restrictions, it received higher scores than Erie.
Erie also ranked sixth in the CRASH Network’s 2025 Report Card,3 which evaluates auto shops’ experience working with insurance companies. In this case, it significantly outperformed USAA, which ranked 85th.
There are a lot of good reasons to choose GEICO if you’re a military member or veteran. It offers affordable rates, availability overseas, and military resources you won’t find from most other providers. If you’re on a budget and are looking to get additional support as a military member or veteran, GEICO is a great option.
Aside from a long list of regular discounts to benefit from, you might be eligible for some of GEICO’s military perks and resources. GEICO’s Military Center is staffed with U.S. veterans from all services and has been providing military auto insurance for over 85 years. Its program has a dedicated support team that caters to military members and veterans, custom military insurance and ID cards, a fast and convenient military pay plan, and more.
On top of that, you can get info on deployment, overseas insurance, and military pay charts through GEICO’s brochures and online military resources.
It’s important to know that you have the option to extend your insurance if you’re deployed/stationed overseas, especially if you’re bringing your family with you.
With GEICO, rest assured that you’ll have the option to keep your insurance even if you’re being sent on emergency deployment. Military members have access to GEICO GmbH, a GEICO affiliate that can assist you with finding a car, motorcycle, and personal property when you’re deployed or stationed in Europe.
On top of providing some of the cheapest rates in the country, GEICO has a long list of discounts for military members with varying needs. Here are some of its most appealing discounts for military members:
Armed Forces Insurance (AFI) was founded in 1887 to support and protect United States military members and veterans. It has since expanded that mission by offering home, auto, and renters insurance to its members. AFI also offers specialized collector’s vehicle insurance for military members and veterans who collect vintage and classic cars. If you’re looking for a provider that caters to military members and offers insurance for collector vehicles, Armed Forces Insurance is our top pick.
AFI is one of the few providers that specialize in military insurance and offer insurance for collector vehicles. Because collector vehicles have a different appraisal process from normal cars, not all providers insure them.
Unlike most cars, collector vehicles tend to gain value over time rather than depreciate. With AFI, you can rest assured that your rates won’t be set unless you and your agent agree on a price. Here’s what you get with AFI:
If you’re not sure whether your vehicle is a collector car or not, here’s how AFI defines collector vehicles:
NOTE:
AFI is a reciprocal insurance exchange, which means that funds for claims are fully pooled and paid by the members and customers of the company. That means that the financial risk of the company is spread among the members and customers themselves.
Armed Forces International has partnerships with some of the largest auto insurance providers in the country. Depending on where you live and what type of policy you have, your claims might be processed by one of the following providers:
Direct Auto specializes in high-risk auto insurance, making it a potential option for drivers who may have trouble getting coverage from standard insurers. With flexible payment options and discounts like its military discount of up to 25 percent, Direct Auto caters to those who need coverage despite past driving violations, low credit, or other risk factors.
Direct Auto offers a military discount of up to 25 percent for active-duty service members. However, as of February 2025, the discount is only available in Alabama, Florida, and Louisiana. To qualify, service members must provide proof of active-duty status, such as current orders.
Compared to other insurers, Direct Auto’s military discount is relatively high, as many companies offer 5 to 15 percent savings. However, its availability is limited to just three states, which may be a drawback for military personnel who relocate frequently.
In addition to the discount, Direct Auto allows customers to customize their payment schedule to better fit their budget, which could be helpful for service members managing deployments or unpredictable expenses. While these features may appeal to military families, it’s worth comparing rates and policy options with other insurers, as Direct Auto primarily serves high-risk drivers and may not always offer the lowest overall premiums.
USAA, Erie, and GEICO are the best providers for retired military members and veterans. Many of their incentives, benefits, and support systems are available to active military as well as retired military members. Both GEICO and USAA have support teams that are designed to work directly with military members, veterans, and military families.
USAA, Erie, and GEICO are affordable and offer attractive incentives, perks, and discounts for military members and their families. Depending on where you live, your kids under the age of 25 can get a 25 percent discount from GEICO, and USAA has several military family discounts. Meanwhile, Erie also has discounts and perks that may be appealing for military families, such as a vehicle storage discount.
USAA offers the best car insurance for military drivers under the age of 21. Its rates are around $3,591 annually for teens, which is about 33 percent cheaper than the average for drivers aged 16 to 21. With a number of benefits and incentives, you can expect to get some of the most competitive rates with USAA.
At AutoInsurance.com, we evaluated the best auto insurance providers for military members and their families based on four key factors:
Read more about our ratings and methodology.
Auto Insurance Repair Cycle Times Improve but Price Increases Take a Toll, J.D. Power Finds. J.D. Power. (2024, Oct 29).
https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2024-us-auto-claims-satisfaction-study
Trust Emerges as Top Driver of Customer Satisfaction with Auto Insurance as Prices Continue to Surge, J.D. Power Finds. J.D. Power. (2024, Jun 11).
https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2024-us-auto-insurance-study
Top Rated U.S. Car Insurance Companies for 2025. Crash Network. (2025).
https://www.crashnetwork.com/irc/