Best Car Insurance for Navy Personnel
What is the best car insurance for U.S. Navy personnel?
You’ve prepared yourself for life on the sea — not in a vehicle. However, there are times when you’ll be on base and be in need of cheap car insurance, especially if it's temporary. Your career in the Navy allows you some auto insurance benefits, as well as some policy specifications worth considering when searching for the best quote.
Which company has the cheapest auto insurance for drivers in the Navy?
Although you’re contractually obligated to the Navy, you’re free to move from insurance company to insurance company as you please. In order to identify the cheapest car insurance for drivers in the Navy, we created two user profiles — one for a driver in the Navy and the other for a non-enlisted citizen.
| Company | Annual Auto Insurance Rate — Navy | Annual Insurance Rate — Other Occupations |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
The Zebra’s auto insurance data methodology
The Zebra’s Dynamic Insurance Rating Tool for home and auto insurance rates utilizes the latest ZIP code-level rate filings from across the U.S., sourced from Quadrant Information Services and S&P Global. These filings, typically updated annually or biennially by insurers, are verified through Quadrant’s QA process and then integrated into The Zebra’s estimator.
The displayed rates are based on a dynamic home and auto profile designed to reflect the content of the page. This profile is tailored to match specific factors such as age, location, and coverage level, which are adjusted based on the page content to show how these variables can impact premiums.
For a comprehensive understanding, see our detailed methodology.
A position in the Navy could save you as much as $25 per six-month policy (the most substantial occupational discount available, for the record). While Nationwide offers the smallest discount for a Navy professional, the company's overall premium is the cheapest among the insurance providers we surveyed. That’s the important lesson to consider if you’re looking for cheap insurance while in the Navy. You shouldn’t only consider an insurance company based on its Navy discount alone.
Get auto insurance for Navy personnel today!
How to handle auto insurance while you’re deployed in the Navy
Deployment with the Navy can create some unique situations for your auto insurance coverage. If you’re deployed or living on a Naval base with no one regularly driving your vehicle, you probably don't want to pay for auto insurance coverage. But it’s a little more complicated than that. Let’s break down your auto insurance options during a Naval deployment.
Auto registration and U.S. Naval deployment
Consider two things as they relate to your vehicle: your vehicle registration and your auto insurance. While it makes sense to cancel your auto insurance because you won’t be using your vehicle, you actually run the risk of having your registration suspended — which, unfortunately, could result in a fine.
If you’re going to be deployed for a long period of time and want to cancel your auto insurance, you either need to cancel your registration or, if your state allows, you can “suspend” it. By suspending it, we are referring to submitting an Affidavit of Non-Use or a Planned Non-Operation (PNO) to your state’s DMV. An Affidavit of Non-Use basically states that the vehicle won’t be driven on public roadways and its insurance has been canceled. The latter means you will not be using your vehicle during the next renewal year. For more information on this, see your state's DMV.
If you don’t want to totally cancel your insurance coverage and registration, we have another option. It’s called storage coverage. Let’s explore.
Storage coverage during deployment with the Navy
If your insurance company allows it, you could change your insurance coverage to "storage." With this coverage, your insurance is dropped to comprehensive only. Comprehensive coverage protects your vehicle again things like vandalism, theft, and weather-related incidents (flooding or hail damage). This kind of insurance coverage, however, doesn’t offer any protection against collision claims. Meaning, you would want to make sure your vehicle is secured in a place where it can’t be damaged by another vehicle, such as a garage.
Additionally, you’ll want to pay close attention to your state’s vehicle registration protocol. Because most states require any vehicle to be covered by at least liability insurance, you’re not technically registration compliant. Again, you can mitigate this fear by filing an Affidavit of Non-Use, PNO, or just being *careful with when your vehicle’s registration will expire.
Some states, like Texas, actively monitor your vehicle’s registration status, running regular reports to confirm every registered vehicle is insured.
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Where to find cheap car insurance while in the U.S. Navy
There are a lot of insurance companies that offer special accommodations for those in the Navy and their families. Some have programs built entirely around past and present military members, and others recognize your Navy status and reward these customers with a discounted rate.
One of the most notable providers of car insurance for military members is USAA. The company's clientele consists of active or retired military members, as well as the adult children or spouses of USAA members. USAA ranks well for customer satisfaction. The provider came in second in the 2017 J.D. Power Insurance Shopping Rating Survey for overall satisfaction. Available nationwide, USAA offers a few additional discounts. If you garage your vehicle on a secured military base, USAA offers 15% off your premium. Moreover, if you’re currently deployed and you store your vehicle in a secured location, you can receive up to 90% off 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 and offers this group a discount of up to 15%. GEICO also offers more options through the Emergency Deployment Discount, which is activated when a member is deployed.
Ways to save on car insurance
Whether you're in the Navy or not, auto insurance can be expensive. Here are some additional ways to save as well as some additional resources to consider when looking for cheap auto insurance.
- Double-check for multi-policy: Keep all your insurance policies within one company! By bundling homeowners insurance or renters insurance and your auto insurance, you could save hundreds on both policies.
- Get life insurance: Some auto insurers offer life insurance either through them or a subsidiary. If they do, this will usually furnish multi-policy savings as well.
- Shop around: The best way to make sure you're getting the cheapest rate is to double-check for these types of discounts, but also to shop around every six months. The Zebra allows you to compare hundreds of companies at once to find the best rate and coverage.
Weigh your options and get the best value from your next insurance policy.
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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.