Dairyland Auto Insurance Review

Dairyland is ideal for high-risk drivers who may not be able to find standard coverage from other providers:

Dairyland Is Best for Those Who:

• High-risk drivers, such as those with prior violations or a gap in insurance coverage
• Prefer to get a quote or purchase insurance online
• Need to insure a motorcycle or other vehicle, such as RVs or ATVs

Dairyland Is Not Best for Those Who:

• Have clean driving records, as they can likely find cheaper coverage elsewhere
• Own a home and are looking to bundle policies as Dairyland does not provide homeowners insurance
• Live in one of the 12 states where Dairyland doesn’t provide coverage or Washington, D.C.

Our aggregated data shows that a full coverage policy from Dairyland costs $4,411 per year, significantly more than the national average of $1,924. A minimum coverage policy costs $1,995 annually on average.

The rate you’re quoted may be higher or lower than these amounts, but if you’re getting high-risk auto insurance, you should expect to pay more than the national average.

The table below shows how Dairyland’s average premium compares to major national insurers:

While Dairyland insurance is more expensive on average than most other insurers, it offers several discounts to help policyholders save. However, it does not have a telematics discount, which is popular with other insurers.

Highlighted Discount: Transfer Discount

Dairyland offers a transfer discount, which is a relatively unique discount. You can take advantage of this savings opportunity if you purchase a Dairyland policy and you’ve had a policy with another insurer for at least six months. You may even be able to get this discount if you’ve had a small gap in your coverage, depending on your state. You’ll need to provide a copy of your most recent policy declarations page to be eligible for the transfer discount.

Other Discounts

In addition to the transfer discount, Dairyland also offers:

• Advanced quote discount: You can get a discount on your Dairyland policy if you get a quote at least a week before you need your new coverage to start.
• Homeowner discount: Dairyland does not offer homeowners insurance and therefore has no bundling options, but if you own a home and have it insured with another provider, you can get a discount on your Dairyland auto policy. In certain states, you may also get a discount if you have renters insurance. Dairyland sells renters insurance through its partner MyLifeProtected.
• Anti-theft discount: You’ll save some money on your auto policy if you have an anti-theft device installed in your car.
• Multicar discount: Dairyland will discount your premium if you insure more than one vehicle with them. Learn how to add a vehicle to your policy.
• Payment frequency discount: You’ll save money if you pay your policy quarterly, every six months or annually.
• Defensive driver discount: Dairyland offers a discount if you provide proof that you passed a defensive driving course.

Dairyland provides various options when it comes to obtaining a quote and purchasing a policy: you can do both online, over the phone or through an independent agent.

My colleague went through the online quote process, and it was quick and seamless. As with any company, you’ll need to fill out your personal details and vehicle information. The form also asks about any accidents and claims and whether you need SR-22 insurance. Once you’ve filled out every page, you’ll receive an initial quote, including your down payment and total six-month premium.

The quote is customizable, so you can select your preferences for liability limits, deductibles and add-on coverages. You can also call an agent any time to ask questions or get more help. If you’re ready to move forward, you can move on to buy the policy online or call the number to purchase it over the phone if you prefer.

For reference, my colleague has a clean driving record, and this quote came out to over three times more than their comparable current auto policy. If you’re not considered a high-risk driver, this is likely not the insurer for you.

Dairyland has the standard types of insurance coverage that you’d expect from an auto insurer, including bodily injury liability, property damage liability, collision and comprehensive (referred to as full coverage), personal injury protection, medical payments and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.

I have more than just the state minimum liability limits on my policy, as well as collision and comprehensive, which I highly recommend if you can afford it. These coverages will provide more financial protection and pay for damages to your own car if you’re involved in an accident.

In addition to these coverage options, Dairyland also offers the following optional coverages:

Dairyland’s parent company, Sentry Insurance, has earned a Superior A+ rating from AM Best every year since 1992. This can give you peace of mind that Sentry’s subsidiaries, including Dairyland, can be trusted to meet their financial obligations, including paying out claims. Of course, getting your claim approved is a different story, but assuming it’s approved, you can rest easy that you’ll be paid.

Based on data from the NAIC Customer Complaint Index, Dairyland receives a relatively high number of customer complaints. It has a score of 2.77, meaning that it receives 2.77 times more complaints than the average company.

Meanwhile, the 2024 CRASH Network Insurer Report Card gave Sentry Insurance a rating of C. This report rates how easy or difficult insurance companies are to work with from the perspective of repair shops — which can directly impact your claims experience — so Sentry’s rating indicates that the claims experience may not be particularly seamless. Its C rating placed it at number 62 out of 88 companies rated. That said, it received a similar score on this report to major insurers like Nationwide and Travelers, and actually scored higher than State Farm, Allstate, and USAA.

To file a claim as a Dairyland customer, you can log into your account online or via the app and follow the relevant instructions. You can also call the company to speak to an agent. Make sure you have all the information you’ll need, including the date of the incident and photos of the damage.

You can then expect an agent to reach out to you to discuss your policy and what coverages may apply. The company will then conduct an investigation of the claim, which can take weeks or months depending on the complexity of the case. Once you’ve filed a claim, you can track its status on your online account. You’ll simply need the claim number and date of loss to access and review the claim. You can also track any payments related to the claim.

Dairyland’s website is helpful and user-friendly. Right from the homepage, you can start the process to get an online quote, log into your account or make a payment without logging in. From your account, you can view all of your policy details, access your ID cards and manage your payments.

Dairyland also has an iOS and Android app that has the same features as the online account. I downloaded it to get a sense for the user experience, and from what I could access, it was clear and user-friendly. Upon downloading the app, you’ll need to accept the End User License Agreement, and then you’ll be redirected to the homepage.

From there, you can log into your account or view your ID cards, access quick pay or view contact information for the company without logging in.  It does not have a dedicated shortcut to contact roadside assistance, which is a feature several insurance apps have. Contact Info will give you the general customer service number, which isn’t as useful as a direct roadside assistance number. To pay a bill without logging in, you’ll need your policy number, date of birth and ZIP code.

The app has particularly low ratings on the App Store, with users reporting that it doesn’t save login credentials and won’t let them log in. It has a higher average rating on the Google Play store, but recent reviews report that the app crashes when users try to open it, seemingly due to a compatibility issue with newer phones. If and when Dairyland updates its app, these issues will hopefully be resolved.

Dairyland’s parent company, Sentry Insurance, started as a small insurance business that wrote its first auto insurance policies over 100 years ago in 1916. Dairyland was established in 1953 as a nonstandard auto insurer and was acquired by Sentry Insurance 13 years later.

We assess companies on the following:

1. Pricing (40%): We look at average premiums for full and minimum coverage for various driver profiles including drivers with clean records, DUIs, at-fault accidents, speeding tickets, teens, and low credit. We also consider available discounts that can help lower costs from the average.
2. Customer Experience (25%): We use third-party data and our firsthand experience as auto insurance customers ourselves to provide insights into the shopping process and ease of engagement with a provider. We also access digital tools ourselves and consult customer reviews to assess the ease of use of websites, mobile apps and online account management features.
3. Claims Handling (25%): Claim fulfillment is the key role of an insurance company, so our evaluation involves analyzing claims processes using third-party data from sources like AM Best, CRASH Network, and J.D. Power; customer feedback; and our own experience.
4. Coverage (10%): Companies that offer additional protections like gap coverage, rideshare, roadside assistance, deductible reimbursement, accident forgiveness, and others are prioritized.