Completing a state-approved drivers education course can lower your car insurance premiums by anywhere from 5 to 15%.
It really does make a difference as to which insurance company you choose. Progressive, State Farm, Allstate and Geico all offer discounts for customers who have finished a drivers ed course.
The actual amount you can save and the rules about when you qualify differ with each company. This can be a real money saver especially for teen drivers, who are usually stuck paying between $2000 and $6,000 a year for car insurance.
What are Driving School Discounts?
Insurance companies break down their discounts for safe drivers into two broad categories: Discounts for new drivers under 25 who complete a drivers ed course, and discounts for drivers over 25 who take a defensive driving course.
State Farm offers up to 15% off your premiums if you complete an approved drivers ed course.
Geico on the other hand will give you a 10% discount if you're under 21 and finish a course that's been certified by the state. Progressive and Allstate offer similar discounts, ranging from 5 to 10% depending on your specific circumstances.
In Illinois, drivers under 21 must do at least 30 hours of driver's ed to get a drivers license.
Texas demands 32 hours of classroom time and 44 hours of supervised driving time if you're under 18. California makes driver's ed a requirement for anyone under 17 & a half . If you do end up taking one of those state required courses, it usually earns you an insurance discount right after completion.
How Do I Get A Driving Safety Course Insurance Discount?
Once you've finished that course, send in your drivers safety completion certificate to your insurance company to have them add the discount. Its usually a pretty straightforward process.
Most insurance companies let you submit the certificate online through their app or website. For State Farm and Allstate, they actually let you upload the certificate right into your online account. Progressive and GEICO need you to call and speak with an agent.
While the discount is active you can usually just sit back and enjoy the savings.
Most insurers give you the discount for 2-3 years after completing the course. Some insurance carriers, like State Farm & Farmers, require you to renew the course every 3 years to keep the discount on your policy. Allstate reviews your eligibility for the discount every time your policy comes up for renewal.
Does Drivers Ed Lower My Car Insurance Rates?
Adding a 16 year-old driver to your family policy is gonna increase your auto insurance premiums by an average of $1500 to $3500 annually.
A 10% discount from a driver's ed course can save you a good amount of money, anywhere from $150 to $350 a year. The discount typically lasts until the driver turns 21 or 25 depending on the insurance company you're working with
State Farm actually gives you the driver's ed discount for three years before requiring you to take another defensive driving course to continue receiving the discount.
Progressive stretches the discount out until age 21. Nationwide wants proof of course completion within 12 months of getting your license to get the discount.
Some insurances will also let you stack driver's ed with other discounts like a good student discount.
In some cases that can save you a whopping 25% off your auto insurance premiums. GEICO lets you stack the drivers ed discount with their DriveEasy telematics program.
How to Get a Defensive Driving Discount
If you're 55 or older, you typically qualify for a senior driver discount by finishing an approved defensive driving course.
In the US, most insurers will let you take the course to save on your auto insurance premiums . In Illinois the state approved course is 8 hours and you've got to retake it every 3 years. Texas will accept the AARP Smart Driver course, which is only 6 hours long.
Discounts for senior drivers by insurance carrier are listed below.
The Hartford offers 5% to 10% through their AARP membership programs.
State Farm will give you up to 10% for finishing their Drive Safe & Save course .
Farmers offers 5% for the National Safety Council defensive driving course
There are also some state mandates to offer at least a 5% discount to drivers 55+ who finish a DMV-approved course. California, Florida, New York and Pennsylvania all have these laws in place for senior drivers.
Do All Insurance Companies Offer Driving School Discounts?
Major car insurance companies that currently offer driver's ed discounts include: Progressive, State Farm, GEICO, Allstate, Farmers, Nationwide , Liberty Mutual and The Hartford .
There are also some regional carriers that offer these discounts too like Mercury, Illinois Casualty Company, and Bristol West
However not all insurance companies offer driver's ed discounts. Some non-standard carriers that deal with high-risk drivers usually won’t . It's always a good idea to check with your insurance carrier to see if they'll give you a discount.
To get the discount most insurers require three things: a completion certificate from a state-licensed school, course completion within 12 months of application, and the driver is actually listed on the policy.
Most of the time online courses from providers like Aceable, DriversEd.com and iDriveSafely will qualify when they're state-approved.
Where Can You Find Driving Schools?
Online Driving Schools
Most of the time online driver's ed is accepted in Illinois, Texas, California, Georgia, Nevada and Indiana. It usually costs anywhere from $30 to $150 depending on the provider and what the state requires.
Some state-approved online providers include Aceable (which is accepted in 13 states), DriversEd.com (accepted in 15 states) and iDriveSafely (accepted in 10 states).
If you're in Texas you can verify the providers on the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation's website. Illinois drivers can check with the Secretary of State's office to verify approved courses.
You can also take a defensive driving course to get a traffic ticket dismissed or supervision. The course from the National Safety Council or AARP will also qualify for an insurance discount in most states if it was done online .
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