Best Car Insurance for Teachers: Discounts and More
Best Car Insurance for Teachers: Discounts and More
Find Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes in Your Area
Teachers can sometimes snag lower rates for auto insurance than other drivers. Some insurers factor a driver's occupation into their rates, while others offer specific discounts to teachers. Some insurers tailor coverages specifically to the needs of teachers, such as by waiving deductibles for damage that happens on school property.
Teachers pay 6% less on average for car insurance than service workers, according to our review of sample quotes from Geico and Progressive.
Auto insurance discounts for teachers
If you're a teacher looking for car insurance deals, check out the following companies, which offer discounts for teachers:
- Geico: Geico's list of affiliation groups eligible for insurance discounts includes many teacher organizations, such as the National Council of Teachers of English and the Association of American Educators.
- Farmers: K-12 teachers in Virginia can receive an affinity discount from a Farmers subsidiary.
- Horace Mann: Teachers and educators can get a discount at Horace Mann, as can members of certain education-related associations.
- Liberty Mutual: Depending on your state, Liberty Mutual offers teachers savings on auto insurance.
- Meemic: Meemic advertises savings of up to 35% and offers teachers career-specific discounts, such as a newly-certified-teacher discount that applies for the first seven years after certification.
- Educators Insurance Agency: A subsidiary of The Hanover Insurance Group, the Educators Insurance Agency offers exclusive discounts to members of the Massachusetts Teachers Association.
- Teachers Insurance Plan of New Jersey: A subsidiary of Plymouth Rock, Teachers Insurance Plan of New Jersey offers lower rates on car insurance to educators in the state.
Be aware that discount availability can vary by state. The best way to confirm availability is to call the insurer or speak with a local agent.
Cheap auto insurance for teachers
Many insurers take a driver's occupation into account when setting rates. Your education level can impact your rates as well, which benefits the many teachers with advanced and graduate degrees.
We looked at rates for Geico and Progressive and found that teachers pay 6% less for auto insurance than service workers do. Progressive charged teachers $63 less per year than service workers, while Geico charged $114 less.
Insurers usually consider drivers with more education and certain jobs less risky, which means these drivers often receive lower rates.
Bear in mind that not every insurer will ask for your profession when you search for quotes online. You might have to talk to an agent to clarify if you can receive discounts for being a teacher.
Find Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes in Your Area
Best car insurance coverage for teachers
In addition to offering discounts on car insurance, some insurers offer coverages specifically tailored to the needs of teachers. If you're a teacher concerned about protecting your car and other personal property while at school, we recommend the following auto insurance companies:
Liberty Mutual
Liberty Mutual is a major national insurer that offers auto insurance coverages for teachers. These coverages include:
- Waived deductible for a covered collision that occurs while you are driving your car on school business
- Waived deductible for damage to your vehicle caused by vandalism while on school grounds or at school events
- Coverage of $2,500 per occurrence, for school property or teaching materials in your vehicle that get stolen or damaged
Teachers can get an insurance quote from Liberty Mutual either by using its online form or by calling 800-290-6247.
Horace Mann
Educators who purchase a car insurance policy from Horace Mann automatically receive an Educator Advantage package with no extra cost. This package includes a number of helpful features for educators, including:
- New car replacement coverage, which covers the cost of a replacement car if yours is totaled
- Up to $35 in transportation if you feel you can't safely drive home
- A waived deductible for vandalism or a collision on school property or at a school event
- Additional emergency road service coverage
- Liability coverage while transporting students in a car insured by Horace Mann
- Up to $1,000 in coverage for any personal property that you use as a teacher that is stolen from your car
- Up to $1,000 in pet injury coverage
Teachers interested in these coverages can get a car insurance quote from Horace Mann. Quotes are available online or by phone at 800-999-1030.
Meemic
Meemic sells car insurance to educators in Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Georgia. In addition to getting up to 35% off their insurance through discounts, teachers can get the following benefits from Meemic:
- Waived comprehensive deductible if your loss occurs on school property
- Liability coverage when driving students to and from school events
- Repairs completed with original equipment manufacturer parts
- Accident forgiveness for policyholders who have stayed accident-free and held a Meemic policy for five years
To get a car insurance quote from Meemic, you can use the company's online tool or contact a local agent.
California Casualty
California Casualty specializes in insurance products for select affinity groups, such as teachers, police officers, nurses, firefighters or paramedics.
Like Liberty Mutual, California Casualty offers a number of features to teachers at no additional cost:
- Waived comprehensive deductible if vandalization occurs on school property
- Waived collision deductible if your car is hit on school property
- Waived collision deductible if another California Casualty policyholder or an uninsured driver hits you
- Waived deductible if you're driving a rental car
- Identity theft protection
- Waived deductible for windshield repairs
- Up to $2,000 to replace custom parts
- $500 in personal property coverage for any nonelectronic items taken from your car
- Up to $1,000 in pet injury coverage, with no deductible
- Towing and roadside assistance
- Coverage for school supplies taken from your car
- Payment plans that allow teachers to skip payments during the summer months
California Casualty also partners with the California Teachers Association and the National Education Association (NEA) to offer an Auto and Home Insurance program. The car insurance benefits for NEA members are similar to those described above, while the home/renters benefits include $3,000 of coverage for personal property that you use for teaching, with no deductible.
To request a quote from California Casualty, teachers can either use the online form or call 866-680-5143.
Teachers Insurance Plan of New Jersey
In addition to offering low rates, Plymouth Rock offers teachers a number of helpful coverages through Teachers Insurance Plan of New Jersey. These include:
- Free roadside assistance (other policyholders must purchase this coverage)
- Waived comprehensive deductible for damage that happens on school property
- Waived collision deductible for damage that happens on school property
- Door-to-door valet claim service or Crashbuster appraisal service that comes to you
Quotes from Teachers Insurance Plan of New Jersey can be obtained either online or via phone at 855-993-4470.
How to get cheaper car insurance rates as a teacher
There are other ways for teachers to get affordable auto insurance besides occupation-specific discounts. Insurers reward drivers with discounts for a number of different behaviors and features:
- Multipolicy. Getting more than one policy from the same insurer can often score you a discount.
- Safe driving. Drivers who have maintained a clean record will often score discounts.
- Good student. Teachers who have a child with good grades listed on their policy can get discounts on auto insurance.
- Defensive driving discount. Take a defensive driving class to earn a discount off your premium.
- Safety features. If your car has features that enhance its safety — like air bags or anti-lock brakes — insurance companies will reduce your premiums.
- Pay-in-full. Policyholders who buy their entire annual policy up front, rather than opting for monthly installments, can net a discount.
- Telematics. Share your driving data with your insurer, and the more safely you drive, the larger your discount will be.
Above all, teachers should be sure to compare quotes from multiple insurers to be sure they're getting the best rates.
Frequently asked questions
Do teachers get discounts on auto insurance?
Teachers can get discounts on auto insurance, but it depends on the insurer. Many companies factor a driver's profession into their rate calculation, and teachers often benefit from this approach. Some companies also offer discounts specifically for teachers. The best way to get affordable rates is to shop around and ask for a discount.
Does Horace Mann insurance cover rental cars?
Horace Mann insurance does cover rental cars. Policyholders can add rental reimbursement coverage to their policy, which will pay for a rental car while their own car receives repairs.
What is the best insurance for teachers?
Certain insurance companies offer car insurance specifically tailored to the needs of teachers. These companies include Liberty Mutual, Horace Mann, California Casualty, Meemic and Plymouth Rock.
However, different teachers have different coverage needs, and some may find their best rates with companies not included in this article. We recommend comparing rates from multiple insurers to get your best deal.
Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the author’s opinions and recommendations alone. It has not been previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any of our network partners.