Because car insurance is required by law, you’ll want to shop around for the best discounts on auto insurance, rates and coverage.

Discounts on auto insurance run the gamut. There are car insurance discounts for teachers and auto insurance discounts for students. Some places offer discounts based on good driving records and other offer discounts for carrying the insurance for a length of time.

When looking to find the cheapest car insurance company and assessing their discounts, the top aspect to keep in mind is how that discount applies to you and your situation. For instance, if you have a perfect driving record, good driving discounts could be the best option for you. Read on to learn about the different types of discounts and how to find the best car insurance discounts.

Types of car insurance discounts

Depending on a number of factors, insurance companies probably have a discount for you. Here’s an overview of how to get discounts on car insurance.

Driver discounts

Many insurance companies offer special car insurance discounts for particular professions. Other discounts may apply to you depending on your age or your service in the military.

Best car insurance discounts for teachers:

• Farmers (also offers discounts to doctors, RNs, police and firefighters)
• Geico
• Liberty Mutual

Best car insurance discounts for students or young drivers:

• Allstate
• Farmers
• Geico
• Liberty Mutual
• Nationwide
• Progressive
• State Farm
• USAA

Best car insurance for military personnel (active, retired and deployed):

• Geico
• Liberty Mutual
• USAA

Best car insurance for federal employees:

• Geico

Driver history and safety

Increasingly, companies are using devices or apps to monitor your driving habits in real time. A clean driving record can earn significant double-digit discounts. Even if you don’t have a spotless record, though, you may benefit from accident forgiveness programs, low-mileage discounts or defensive driving discounts.

If you have bad credit, insurers often heighten your rates. According to the Insurance Information Institute, “Actuarial studies show that how a person manages his or her financial affairs is a good predictor of insurance claims.” The worse your credit, the more of a risk an insurer sees in insuring you.

There are many ways to increase your credit score. However, it pays to shop around. Some insurers may be more forgiving of high-risk carriers than others and have lower rates as a result.

Best car insurance discounts for safe drivers:

• Geico
• Liberty Mutual
• Nationwide
• Progressive
• State Farm
• USAA

Best car insurance for drivers with accidents and claims on record:

• Allstate
• Geico
• Liberty Mutual
• Nationwide
• Progressive
• USAA

Best car insurance for low-mileage driver discounts:

• Allstate
• Nationwide
• Progressive
• USAA

Best car insurance discounts for defensive driving courses:

• Allstate
• Farmers
• Geico
• Nationwide
• State Farm
• USAA

Vehicle equipment

Your choice of car options may earn you some discounts. Anti-lock brakes, adaptive cruise control, daytime running lights and other safety features earn you a discount at many insurers, and anti-theft protection is also a valued benefit.

Best car insurance companies with discounts for safety equipment:

• Allstate
• Geico
• Liberty Mutual
• State Farm

Best car insurance discounts for anti-theft discounts:

• Allstate
• Geico
• Liberty Mutual
• Nationwide
• State Farm

Customer loyalty

Once you’ve found a company that works for you, you may earn additional discounts—especially if you bundle your car insurance with home, life, boat or other insurance. Adding multiple cars to your policy can also save you money.

Best car insurance discounts if you have multiple cars:

• Geico
• Farmers
• State Farm
• Liberty Mutual
• Progressive

Best car insurance discount for someone with multiple policies:

• Allstate
• Farmers
• Geico
• Liberty Mutual
• Nationwide
• Progressive
• State Farm

Best discounts offered by top car insurance companies

One of the most well-known safety discounts is Progressive’s Snapshot, which gives you a discount based on how you drive while a device monitors you for safe habits. The State Farm Drive Safe & Save discount is a cell phone-based safety feature which gives the company real-time info on your driving habits.

Progressive offers several easy discounts based on how you sign up and pay for your policy. You’ll save an average of 4% just for getting an online quote, 8.5% if you sign up online and a variable discount if you go paperless.

It’s worth checking out the Geico discounts list for their extensive listing of more than 500 organizations that can earn you a discount. From the American Guild of Organists to the School Nutrition Association, your professional membership could save you money.

Got a new set of wheels? If you’re the first owner of a new car, you can save up to 15% on your policy at Allstate.

If you are current or retired military, you’d be wise to check out USAA. Although its list of discounts isn’t as extensive as some of the other top insurance companies, it offers unique options for deployed individuals, such as a discount of up to 60% when you store an insured car and 15% if you garage your vehicle on base.

Friends of the environment are friends of Liberty Mutual. You can get a significant discount if you have a hybrid or electric car, and you’ll also be saving money on fuel costs. Farmers also gives discounts for alternative fuel vehicles in some states.

How to decide which discount is best for me

When you’re deciding how to get discounts on car insurance, do some research. Check out the sites of the top car insurance companies, and don’t stop at getting a free estimate. Most insurance companies list their discounts on their sites. Check these out and determine which you’re able to take advantage of and decide which will be most useful to you.

Have some dings on your driving record? Focus on discounts for car safety features. Driving an older car? Piggyback your home insurance policy with your car’s insurance to save money. The key is to personalize the discounts to match your circumstances.

No two policies are exactly alike, so don’t assume that the company your best friend swears by will have the best discounts for you. Fortunately, you can do a lot of your research sitting at your computer; you may find that your best car insurance discounts are only an email or phone call away. Once you’ve determined which discounts you are eligible for, you can do the math to decide which company will help you get the cheapest car insurance with the applied discounts.

Frequently asked questions

In addition to looking for discounts, how can I save money on car insurance?

Your first stop should be our overview on saving on your car insurance rates. You’ll find some great tips there on maximizing your insurance dollars and getting the best coverage at the lowest cost for your needs.

How do I find out what discounts my insurance carrier offers?

Start by comparing quotes on websites that give you insurance quotes side-by-side and explain their discount offerings, such as Geico’s discounts list. However, these are not the final word on  finding the best car insurance discounts. Talk to local insurance agents to get the best discounts.

What if I have a bad driving record?

Having a troubled driving record can make shopping for car insurance more tricky. In cases like these, it’s more important than ever to shop around and compare rates. Look into providers that offer other discounts to lower your rates, like bundling home and auto insurance or defensive driving course discounts.