Best Auto Insurance for Veterans and Military [2025]: Saluting Your Service With Savings

Being in the military isn't easy. Heck, even just having a family member in the military is hard, as I found out when my husband was in the U.S. Army.

Military discounts and savings can only partially make up for the sacrifices that service members and their families make. It's something that you've earned, so you might as well take advantage of it. For an expense like car insurance — which can eat up to 3% of your annual income in some states, per the Insurance Research Council — any savings can make a big difference.

Luckily, you can find competitive rates through some of the best auto insurance companies for military members and veterans, such as USAA, GEICO, and Liberty Mutual. Keep in mind that rates depend on several factors, so obtain quotes from multiple companies to find the best deal.

How we evaluate products

We started by considering average premiums for major U.S. insurance companies based on data from the insurance comparison website Insurify. From here, we consulted reviews from J.D. Power and other customer-driven platforms like Yelp, TrustPilot, and the Better Business Bureau. We also took company quality metrics into account, as reported by AM Best and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Finally, we weeded out companies that didn't include any specific savings options for active-duty military members and veterans.

Best car insurance for veterans and military

Company name	Best/Excellent for	Average monthly full coverage cost	Average monthly liability-only cost
USAA	Deployed military members	$94	$47
GEICO	Low rates	$137	$107
Liberty Mutual	Good claims experience	$235	$170
State Farm	Financial stability	$110	$52
Direct Auto	High-risk drivers	$166	$93
Data provided from Insurify

USAA

USAA is a bit of an enigma. It gets great ratings from independent review companies like J.D. Power, yet it also has scores of bad reviews from customer-centric review platforms like Yelp.

While driver experiences may be mixed, what's undeniable is that USAA car insurance is generally pretty cheap for both liability and full coverage. The financial institution also offers exceptional discounts for military and veterans that you won't find anywhere else. For example, you can save up to 60% on your insurance while you're deployed or storing your car long term.

Learn more in our USAA review

GEICO

GEICO is one of the most well-known car insurance companies in the U.S., and it's massive. According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC),

GEICO's parent company, Berkshire Hathaway, was the third-largest insurer of private passenger cars in 2024 and covered about one in every nine drivers on the road.

It's one of the more generous companies with an across-the-board 15% military discount. GEICO will also offer extra military car insurance discounts in some cases, like if you store your vehicle while you're deployed to an area with hazard pay. Additionally, it offers specialized customer service to military members.

Learn more in our GEICO review

Liberty Mutual

Liberty Mutual doesn't receive the best scores in overall customer satisfaction. In fact, it came in dead last in two of the regions J.D. Power studied in 2024 and ranked below average everywhere else it was included. An exception is that the insurer's RightTrack usage-based program scored above average.

That said, it does offer a good number of discounts for big military families with teen drivers. And when they need to file a claim, Liberty Mutual is one of the better companies to work with; J.D. Power ranked it fifth for claims satisfaction in 2024.

Learn more in our Liberty Mutual review

State Farm

According to the NAIC, State Farm insures more vehicles than any other insurance company in the U.S., with nearly one out of every five drivers being covered by this mega company. With so many people under its umbrella, State Farm is a strong company that's unlikely to go under during natural disasters when many people might be filing claims at once (something that's becoming increasingly important to take into account).

It's also a relatively low-cost insurer that offers potential savings of up to 30% with its Drive Safe & Save telematics program. It only advertises a military discount in the state of Louisiana, but it's worth asking about if you live in another state.

Learn more in our State Farm review

Direct Auto

Being in the military doesn't make you a bad driver. However, dealing with the aftereffects of the job can sometimes cause people to take more risks, which can land them in trouble when it comes to finding affordable insurance. Direct Auto is one of the best insurance companies that underwrites drivers with a history of incidents such as tickets, accidents, and DUIs, which may trigger nonrenewals with other companies.

It also offers many discounts to lower the cost for drivers. For example, it offers a 25% military discount. Unfortunately, it's only available to active-duty military members in three states, but you may still save with the other discounts available.

Learn more in our Direct Auto review

Military-related car insurance discounts

It's not very common for insurance companies to offer military and veteran car insurance discounts. Of the ones that do, they generally take a few forms.

• General military and veteran discounts: Some companies offer a routine discount for all military members, current and former. This can save you up to 15% or 25%.
• Garaging discounts: If you live in base-provided housing, some insurance companies offer a discount because your car may be at lower risk for things like auto theft than if you live off base.
• Storage and deployment discounts: If you store your vehicle while you're away for an extended period of time, and/or if you're deployed to a combat zone, some insurers offer a big discount because you won't be using your car, so you can't get in an accident.

One thing to keep in mind is that each state regulates its own car insurance market, resulting in a patchwork pattern of discount availability. Some insurers offer military discounts in Louisiana, for example, but not in other states. Other insurers might cut you a discount on only one car insurance coverage type, such as comprehensive, rather than on your policy as a whole.

How to find the best car insurance for military and veterans

While the options discussed here are some of the best car insurance companies for military members and veterans, it's best to think of the list as a starting point in your mission for affordable coverage. There are countless insurance companies in the market, and it's impossible to cover them all.

Here are some tips for locating the best options for your needs.

• Figure out what auto coverage types you need first so you can weed out companies that don't sell what you need. Also, consider whether you prefer options like telematics or pay-per-mile insurance.
• Shop around for rates and policy options with as many insurance companies as you can; experts recommend at least three.
• Look for insurers that operate in all U.S. states so you can maintain continuous coverage if you get a permanent change of station (PCS) or leave the service and move to another state.
• Don't get too focused on military-specific discounts. A civilian-focused insurance company might still be able to offer a lower overall rate, even without a military discount.
• Look for insurers that offer other insurance products you need like renters or homeowners coverage. You can often bundle them together as an extra way to save money on car insurance.

FAQs

Bottom line

My husband and I were always trying to scrimp and save when he was in the U.S. Army and I was in school, and car insurance was definitely one of those things we overlooked at the time. If I knew then how easy it was to find ways to lower car insurance costs, we might be in a better financial position today.

It only takes a few minutes to get some rate quotes from insurance companies. At worst, you'll find out that you're already paying a fair price. At best, you could save hundreds of dollars each year on coverage.