Military Car Insurance

Individuals eligible for USAA membership include active, retired, and honorably separated members of the U.S. military; cadets and midshipmen at U.S. service academies; and their eligible family members. Children (including step-children), spouses, widows/widowers, and former spouses who have not remarried are all considered eligible. For children to be eligible, the parent must join USAA while living.

Once someone becomes a USAA member, eligibility then extends to their family members (even if those family members aren't in the military). For instance, if the child of someone who was a USAA member also joins USAA, that person's spouse and kids are then eligible for membership as well. It can continue passing down that way. Eligibility does not extend to siblings or parents.

Yes. Anyone can join PenFed. PenFed membership is free for everyone now, but PenFed was originally created to serve U.S. military members and veterans of all branches, as well as federal employees and retirees. PenFed formerly required non-government and non-military applicants to donate to a military charity to be eligible for membership, but they no longer require this. As long as you're a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States, you can join Pentagon Federal Credit Union by simply funding a savings account with at least $5.

All you have to do to apply for PenFed membership is enter your personal information – including your name, address, Social Security number or ITIN, and other info – on the membership form. Before you submit your application for membership, you'll be asked to make a deposit of at least $5 to a new PenFed savings account using a debit card or a bank transfer.

PenFed Membership Eligibility Requirements:

• Must be able to fund a savings account with at least $5
• Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent U.S. resident
• Must have a government-issued photo I.D.
• Must be at least 18 years old

All in all, it's very easy to become a PenFed Credit Union member. To fill out a membership form, visit the PenFed Credit Union website. Alternately, you can apply for membership over the phone by calling 800-247-5626.

Navy Federal does not offer car insurance directly. Navy Federal is a credit union, not an insurance company, so they can't offer auto insurance themselves. Instead, Navy Federal Credit Union partners with Geico and can facilitate discounts on Geico car insurance for NFCU members.

Navy Federal members might be eligible for discounts with Geico due to their military service. New Geico customers who are also military personnel can save up to 15% on their policy, whether they're active or retired from service.

Additionally, Navy Federal members can save on Geico insurance for a stored car while deployed – up to 25% off their regular premium. Maintaining some form of insurance coverage, even if your car is in storage, saves you money in the long run, since insurance companies prefer that customers have a long record of uninterrupted coverage with no lapses.

Aside from members being eligible for Geico discounts, the closest thing to Navy Federal car insurance is the coverage for rental cars offered by Navy Federal Visa credit cards. Cardholders who pay for a rental with a Navy Federal Visa card and decline the rental company's waiver are covered for damage resulting from theft or a collision, up to the full value of the car. Coverage lasts for up to 15 consecutive days in the U.S. or up to 31 consecutive days in a foreign country. There are some exceptions, though – trucks, some vans, and exotic cars aren't covered by Navy Federal's rental car insurance policy.

USAA is cheap because the company is the largest insurer of the military community, and that volume allows USAA to offer more competitive rates. USAA captured 6% of the total private-passenger insurance market in 2019, despite only offering coverage to service members and their families. USAA ranked 2nd overall in WalletHub's cheap car insurance study of more than 40 major insurers, partly because it offers discounts for owning a new car, being a low-mileage driver, and more. Plus, USAA rewards customer loyalty with discounts for insuring more than one car or bundling multiple policies, such as home and auto. However, USAA only offers coverage to the U.S. military community.

USAA is especially cheap for responsible drivers in particular. That's because USAA has special savings opportunities for drivers in this category, such as discounts for safe drivers, good students, and people who take a driver training course. But even though USAA is among the cheapest car insurance companies, the only way to confirm you've found the lowest price is to compare quotes from multiple companies. Your final premium is based on a variety of factors, like your driving record, insurance history, the type of car you drive, and more, and all insurance companies can't offer the same rate.

To get a personalized quote from USAA, you can speak to a representative by calling 1 (800) 531-8722.

Progressive does not offer a military discount. But they do say 99% of their customers qualify for at least one of their other discounts. Drivers who switch to Progressive save $796 in the first year, on average, in part because of those discounts.

Examples of Progressive discounts that members of the military (and other drivers) may qualify for include:

• Multi-car discount
• Multi-policy discount
• Continuous-insurance discount
• Homeowner discount
• Online quote & sign discount
• Paperless discount
• Automatic-payments discount
• Pay-in-full discount

Not all Progressive discounts are available in every state. The best way to determine which discounts you can get is to get an online quote or speak to an agent at 1-800-776-4737.

Yes, Geico's military insurance discounts offer savings on coverage for members of the military community. Geico also has a dedicated military customer service team, staffed with veterans from all military branches who are available to answer questions 24/7 at 1-800-MILITARY (645-4827).

Active duty, reserve, retired military, and National Guard customers can get savings of 2% to 15% off Geico's regular car insurance premiums in all states except Georgia, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, Tennessee and Texas. In these states, military insurance discounts are limited or prohibited.

Geico also offers affiliation discounts of up to 25% off its regular premiums for members of the Association of the United States Army, the Fleet Reserve Association, and the Armed Forces Benefit Association.

If you are active duty military and deployed to an “imminent danger pay” zone, your policy can be up to 25% cheaper under Geico's emergency deployment discount program.

Wherever you are deployed, there are other ways to save if you leave your car in the U.S. in an approved, secure location, such as on base. You may be eligible for up to 70% off your full coverage premiums. For example, Geico may be able to suspend your liability and personal injury protection coverage and leave only property damage insurance — collision and comprehensive — on the car. Leasing and financing companies normally require at least property damage coverage, even if you aren't using the vehicle. However, without liability coverage, no one can legally drive the car during this period – neither your family nor you, if you come home on leave.

Finally, if you are deployed for 30 days or more, Geico may be able to suspend all of your car insurance. This does leave you open to losses if your car is damaged for any reason. However, it is better than cancelling your policy, because you will not have to turn in your tags and then re-register and re-insure the car when you return.

Geico Military Benefits:

• Military premium discount of 2% - 15% in most states
• Affiliation discounts for members of military organizations
• Special deployment perks, such as savings for safe vehicle storage
• Dedicated customer service line - 1-800-MILITARY (645-4827)

Geico military discounts give savings up to 15% off overall insurance premiums to eligible active duty customers, veterans, and their immediate family members. To apply for a Geico military discount, call 1-800-MILITARY (645-4827). You will be connected to Geico's dedicated military customer service team, who will help determine which discounts may be available to you.

Types of Geico Military Discounts

• Military Discount

Up to 15% in savings on insurance premiums for active duty members, veterans, the National Guard, Army Reserve, or immediate military family members.

• Emergency Deployment Discount

Up to 25% savings on premiums for military members who are deployed to certain “imminent danger pay” zones.

• Membership Discounts

Available to members of professional military organizations and associations, including the Association of the United States Army, the Fleet Reserve Association, and the Armed Forces Benefit Association.

• Auto Insurance Suspension

A pause or reduction of insurance coverage on vehicles stored on a military base while a customer is deployed.

In most states, Geico's overall military insurance premiums are comparable to those of USAA, an insurance company that caters to the U.S. military. However, Geico tends to be less expensive for veterans and those not deployed, while USAA offers better deals to active military, especially members on deployment.

For example, Geico's emergency deployment discount of 25% applies only on deployments to imminent danger zones. USAA's deployment rates apply anywhere overseas. It's a good idea to get a quote from each to determine which may be best for you.

Yes, veterans can get a discount on car insurance from several major car insurance companies, including Geico, Farmers, and USAA. Veteran car insurance discounts save eligible drivers up to 15% on their car insurance premium, depending on the company, and drivers in some states can save even more.

In Louisiana, car insurance companies are required to provide full-time active duty military personnel with a 25% discount. Many insurers also offer additional savings to members of affiliated military groups such as the American Military Retirees Association. 

Car Insurance Companies With Veteran Discounts

• Geico
• USAA
• Armed Forces Insurance
• Farmers
• Liberty Mutual

Rather than offering a military discount by name, USAA and Armed Forces Insurance exclusively serve the military community and are among the cheapest insurers for servicemembers. Additionally, USAA provides 15% off comprehensive insurance for policyholders who garage their vehicle on a military base during deployment.

In order to receive a military/veteran car insurance discount, you need to call the insurance company to verify your military status and receive a customized quote. To learn more, check out WalletHub's guide to military car insurance.

No, the military does not pay for car insurance. Military personnel are required to purchase their own car insurance coverage, though most major auto insurance companies offer discounts and special services for military service members, making it easy to find affordable and flexible coverage.

Members of the military are still required to purchase enough car insurance coverage to fulfill their state's car insurance requirements. If you will be storing your car during deployment, you can temporarily cancel your coverage as long as you turn in your license plates or file an affidavit of non-use. However, you will be financially responsible for anything that happens to the car while you're gone, and insurance companies might question the lapse in coverage in the future. Instead, many insurers allow you to purchase comprehensive-only coverage when your car is in storage during deployment.

For more details, check out WalletHub's guide to military car insurance.