How to Get Car Insurance Discounts
The discounts you qualify for depend on your record, your insurer, and whether you ask for them by name.
Discounts exist, but your insurer won't always apply them automatically
Most insurers offer some combination of discounts for things like a clean driving record, bundling your home and auto policies, paying in full, low mileage, or completing an approved driver course. Some apply automatically when you sign up. Others only apply if you ask.
Which discounts you qualify for, and how much each one is worth, depends entirely on the insurer. A discount that's significant at one company might not exist at another. That's why the real work isn't finding out what discounts exist in general. It's finding out which ones your insurer offers and confirming you're getting every one you've earned.
Your driving record decides which discounts are even possible
A clean record over several years is the single biggest factor behind most discount offers. Insurers reward drivers who haven't filed claims or gotten tickets because they're a better bet to keep insuring. If your record has a recent claim or violation, some discounts simply won't be available to you until that falls off your record.
If you haven't checked your own driving record recently, that's worth doing before you shop for discounts. Errors happen, and a ticket that should have aged off can quietly keep a discount out of reach.
Some insurers also offer a discount for going a certain stretch of time without a claim, separate from any discount tied to your original policy terms. Ask whether that applies to your account and how it's tracked.
If your record has a mark on it now, ask your insurer when it's expected to no longer count against you. That date matters more than anything else for knowing when your options will open up.
Most discounts require you to ask, not just qualify
A lot of discounts aren't applied by default. You can meet every requirement for a course completion discount, a low-mileage discount, or a multi-policy discount and still not get it credited to your premium until you submit the paperwork or make the request yourself.
This is especially true for anything involving a certificate or proof, like a defensive driving course. Finishing the course doesn't change your rate. Sending the certificate to your insurer does.
The same goes for bundling. If you have a homeowners or renters policy with a different company than your car insurance, moving both to one insurer can unlock a discount that neither policy gets on its own. But that only happens if you ask your insurer to combine them and they confirm the discount applies.
When you call or go online to ask about discounts, ask for a full list of what your specific insurer offers, not just the ones advertised on their homepage. Many insurers have smaller discounts they don't lead with.
Questions people ask about this
Do I lose discounts if I switch insurers?
You might lose some and gain others, since each insurer has its own list. A loyalty-based discount tied to years with one company won't transfer, but a new insurer may offer different discounts you didn't have before. Ask any insurer you're considering for their full discount list before you switch, so you can compare what you'd actually keep.
Does a defensive driving course always lower my premium?
Not always. Whether a course counts for a discount depends on the insurer and sometimes the state, since some states require insurers to offer this discount and others leave it optional. Check with your insurer before you pay for a course, so you know the certificate will actually do something.
Can I get a discount for not driving much?
Many insurers offer a low-mileage discount, but how they verify your mileage varies. Some ask you to report your odometer reading, others use a tracking device or app. Ask your insurer how they confirm mileage before assuming you qualify.
Will my insurer tell me about discounts I qualify for?
Not necessarily. Some insurers apply what they can see automatically, but many discounts require you to report something, like a completed course or a change in how much you drive. It's worth asking directly rather than assuming you're already getting everything available.
Does having a home insurance policy help lower my car insurance rate?
It can, if you hold both policies with the same company and that company offers a multi-policy discount. The discount doesn't apply just because you own a home and a car. It applies because the insurer is covering both and chooses to reward that. Ask your insurer directly whether bundling would help in your case.
See which insurers offer the discounts that actually apply to you.
Pull up your current policy and your driving record before you do anything else. Make a list of anything that might qualify you for a discount, a completed driving course, a low-mileage habit, a home policy with another company, and call your insurer to ask which of these they offer and whether you're already getting credit for them. If you find gaps, ask what paperwork or proof they need and send it in that week. Then compare what your current insurer offers against a couple of others, since the same facts about you can be worth different amounts depending on who's doing the pricing.
