Best Car Insurance for the Coast Guard
- Coast Guard members can find competitive car insurance rates and military discounts from Nationwide, GEICO, and USAA.
- Nationwide tends to offer lower premiums ($103 per month), but many service members favor USAA for its military-first approach.
Which company offers the cheapest auto insurance for the Coast Guard?
Your dedication to the Coast Guard is commendable, but you don’t owe the same loyalty to your insurance company. You’re not under contract, so you can change insurers whenever it makes sense for you. We created a user profile for US Coast Guard personnel and surveyed some top insurance companies. Let’s see which car insurance company is the cheapest.
| Company | Average Annual Premium for Coast Guard | Average Annual Premium for Other Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Allstate | $1,532 | $1,574 |
| GEICO | $1,362 | $1,420 |
| Farmers | $1,334 | $1,358 |
| Nationwide | $1,246 | $1,286 |
| Progressive | $1,402 | $1,456 |
| State Farm | $1,414 | $1,496 |
| USAA | $1,426 | $1,480 |
Being in the Coast Guard can save you approximately $25 per 6-month policy, the greatest discount available based solely on occupation. Although a discount is always nice to have, it’s important to focus on the big picture. While Nationwide's Coast Guard car insurance discount is smaller than that of other companies, its overall premium is the least expensive. While discounts are nice, they may not justify the overall premium.
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Handling your auto insurance during deployment
Deployment can create some unique circumstances for your car insurance coverage. While it may make sense to cancel your car insurance if you’re living away from your vehicle and no one is using it, this can actually have some unanticipated consequences. Let’s break down your auto insurance and vehicle options.
Most states have two requirements for your vehicle: that it is registered with your DMV and insured for liability insurance (at a minimum). Although it may make financial sense to cancel your insurance, you risk having your registration suspended, which could result in a fine. We have some solutions for this.
If you’re going to be deployed for a long period of time and want to cancel your car insurance, you either need to cancel your registration or, if your state allows, “pause” it. Pausing insurance involves filling out an Affidavit of Non-Use or a Planned Non-Operation (PNO) to your state’s department of motor vehicles (if allowed under state law). If you agree to an Affidavit of Non-Use, you’re basically agreeing that the vehicle won’t be driven on public roadways and its insurance has been canceled. A PNO means you will not be using your vehicle during the next renewal year. For more information on this, contact your state's DMV.
If you don’t want to totally void your insurance coverage, another option is storage coverage. Let’s explore.
If your insurance company allows it, you could change your insurance coverage to "storage." With this option, all your insurance coverage is dropped, minus your comprehensive coverage. Your comprehensive coverage protects your vehicle against theft, vandalism, and weather-related events — damages that can happen if a vehicle is parked in a driveway.
You’ll want to be cautious of any registration-related deadlines. If your registration is up for renewal soon, you should wait until it passes to insure your vehicle under a storage coverage. However, if your state actively monitors registration (looking at you, Texas), you might not be able to do this. In which case, refer back to the non-use clause or the PNO.
Homeowners Insurance for Veterans and Active-Duty Military
Explore homeowners insurance options for veterans and active-duty military, including discounts, coverage benefits, and ways to save.
Where to buy cheap car insurance for Coast Guard
Many car insurance companies offer special accommodations for those in the Coast Guard and their family members. Some have programs built entirely around past and present service members, and others reward your Coast Guard service with a discounted rate. Here are some big companies you should consider.[2]
Probably the most notable provider of car insurance for military members is USAA. The company's clientele is comprised of active or retired military members, along with adult children or surviving spouses of USAA members. USAA is ranked high in customer satisfaction, placing second in overall satisfaction rate in the 2017 JP Power Insurance Shopping Rating Survey. Available nationwide, USAA offers several additional discounts. If you garage your vehicle on a secured military base, USAA offers 15% off your premium. If you’re currently deployed and you store your vehicle in a secured location, you can save 90% on your rate.
While GEICO was originally created as an insurer for government employees, it offers discounts for military service members through its Military Center. It groups active, retired, and National Guard or Reserve members into a general umbrella of military personnel as well as the accompanying discount of up to 15%. Geico also offers options through its Emergency Deployment Discount when members are deployed.
Additional resources and ways to save
No matter what your job is, you’re probably paying more for auto insurance than you’d prefer. So, here are some additional ways to save on auto insurance, regardless of military status.
Keeping all your insurance policies under one insurance company can help reduce the number of companies you have to deal with while providing a favorable multi-policy discount. Consider this if you have a renters/homeowners/life policy.
Some auto insurers offer life insurance either directly or through a subsidiary. These insurers typically support multi-policy.
The very best way to make sure you're getting the cheapest rate is to double-check for discounts and to shop around every six months. Use The Zebra to shop a variety of companies at once to find the best rate and coverage for you.
Make an informed decision: compare insurance rates today.
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About The Zebra
The Zebra is not an insurance company. We publish data-backed, expert-reviewed resources to help consumers make more informed insurance decisions.
- The Zebra’s insurance content is written and reviewed for accuracy by licensed insurance agents.
- The Zebra’s insurance editorial content is not subject to review or alteration by insurance companies or partners.
- The Zebra’s editorial team operates independently of the company’s partnerships and commercialization interests, publishing unbiased information for consumer benefit.
- The auto insurance rates published on The Zebra’s pages are based on a comprehensive analysis of car insurance pricing data, evaluating more than 83 million insurance rates from across the United States.