Direct Auto
- Can file an SR22 form for drivers who need it.
- Has a better complaint rating than many other high-risk insurance companies.
- Flexible payment options and a wide range of discounts.
- Offers only a couple of optional types of car insurance.
NerdWallet's take on Direct Auto auto insurance
Direct Auto earned 4.6 out of 5 stars in our analysis for its long list of discounts, info-filled website and track record of not receiving more complaints than expected for its size.
Best for: Drivers whose records make it hard for them to get coverage from other insurance companies.
Not ideal for: Drivers looking for a wide range of ways to customize a basic policy.
Where Direct Auto car insurance stands out
Coverage for high-risk drivers. Direct Auto provides car insurance, including SR22 filing, to drivers who may have had trouble getting coverage from another company because of their record or credit history. In some states, drivers must file an SR22 to prove that they have insurance after a serious violation.
Insurance companies use terms like “nonstandard” or "high-risk" to refer to drivers who usually pay more for insurance. You might be in this category if you have had multiple car accidents or speeding tickets, a lapse in coverage or a serious offense like a DUI.
Relatively good complaint ratio. Direct Auto receives close to the expected number of complaints for its size. This is impressive because it’s not uncommon for high-risk insurance companies to receive far more complaints than other companies similar in size.
Discount opportunities. Direct Auto offers drivers a number of potential discounts, including discounts for having past insurance coverage and owning the home where you keep your car.
Where Direct Auto car insurance falls short
Coverage options. Direct Auto doesn’t offer as many optional types of car insurance as many other companies. While you can add rental car reimbursement and roadside assistance to a regular policy, you may find more options elsewhere.
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How much does Direct Auto car insurance cost?
The cost of a full coverage car insurance policy from Direct Auto depends in part on where you live. Direct Auto is available in 15 states, but our analysis is based only on rates in Florida and Mississippi.
In Florida, Direct Auto costs an average of $488 per month, or $5,861 per year, for full coverage. The statewide average in Florida is $3,691 per year.
In Mississippi, Direct Auto costs an average of $207 per month, or $2,483 per year, for full coverage. The statewide average in Mississippi is $2,550 per year.
Costs are different for everyone, however. What you pay depends on the vehicle you drive, your driving record, the city you live in and the coverage you have. For this reason, it’s a good idea to compare car insurance rates from multiple companies before buying a policy.
Direct Auto auto insurance rates by age
Your age affects car insurance rates, as well. Generally, younger people pay more for car insurance than older people because they are less experienced drivers, and may be more prone to accidents and claims.
As you age, your rates will get closer to average — as long as you avoid accidents and driving violations. For young drivers, it’s often cheaper to join an existing policy (like a parent’s or guardian’s) than it is to buy a standalone policy.
Here are Direct Auto's average car insurance rates for drivers of different ages, based on the two states where we have data:
Young drivers. The average cost of Direct Auto car insurance for 20-year-old drivers is $8,433 per year, or $703 per month.
Adult drivers. The average cost of Direct Auto car insurance for 40-year-old drivers is $4,922 per year, or $410 per month.
Senior drivers. The average cost of Direct Auto car insurance for 60-year-old drivers is $4,670 per year, or $389 per month.
- More Direct Auto auto rates by age
Age Company median rate National median rate 20 $8,433 $4,684 30 $5,503 $2,375 35 $5,205 $2,300 40 $4,922 $2,232 50 $4,770 $2,074 60 $4,670 $1,988 70 $4,965 $2,125
Direct Auto auto insurance rates by driver profile
You’ll likely pay more for car insurance after an accident or driving violation, though not forever. Rates may remain higher than average for a few years, depending on the insurer, violation and your driving history.
Another factor that can affect your rates is your credit history. Insurance companies may set your rates in part by using your credit-based insurance score. This isn’t the same as your credit score — it’s a measure of how likely insurers think you are to make a claim.
Below are Direct Auto's average full coverage rates for 35-year-old drivers, based on the two states where we have data.
Poor credit. The average cost of Direct Auto car insurance for drivers with poor credit is $5,208 per year, or $434 per month.
(California, Hawaii and Massachusetts don't allow insurers to use credit when determining car insurance rates.)
Speeding ticket. The average cost of Direct Auto car insurance after one speeding ticket is $7,525 per year, or $627 per month.
At-fault crash. The average cost of Direct Auto car insurance after an at-fault crash is $8,283 per year, or $690 per month.
DUI. The average cost of Direct Auto car insurance after a DUI or DWI is $6,844 per year, or $570 per month.
Direct Auto auto insurance discounts
Depending on your state, you may be able to save on auto insurance by:
Being a member of the military.
Not having any accidents or driving violations in the last three years.
Having a “B” or better grade point average as a current full-time student.
Completing an accident prevention course if you’re 55 or older.
Completing a safe driving course if you’re younger than 21.
Insuring more than one vehicle with Direct Auto.
Driving a new car or one with anti-theft tech and other safety features.
Being previously insured for at least six months and not having more than a 90-day gap in coverage.
Owning a home.
Buying term life, an emergency protection plan or roadside assistance from Direct Auto.
Returning to Direct Auto after more than six months with another insurer.
Being an active member of an organization that partners with Direct Auto.
Paying for your policy all at once, setting up automatic payments or going paperless.
If you’re looking for the cheapest possible car insurance rates, you may have to buy the minimum amount of insurance your state requires to drive. We recommend getting more coverage, though. Otherwise, a serious car accident could leave you without enough insurance to cover the damage.
Direct Auto car insurance coverage
Direct Auto's full coverage car insurance includes the standard types of coverage offered by most insurers:
- Liability insurance
Liability car insurance pays for others’ injuries or property damage you cause in a car accident, up to your auto policy limits. There are two types:
Bodily injury liability covers others’ medical expenses after an accident where you are at fault.
Property damage liability covers the repair costs to other vehicles, fences, mailboxes or buildings from an accident.
Is it required? Yes. Every state, except for Virginia and remote parts of Alaska, requires drivers to have a minimum amount of liability car insurance in order to drive legally.
- Personal injury protection
Also known as "no-fault insurance," PIP covers your own injuries and medical expenses after a crash, regardless of who's at fault, up to your policy limits. Depending on your state, PIP could also help pay for:
Lost wages if you're unable to work due to your injuries from a car accident.
Services you can't perform because of an accident, such as house cleaning or child care.
Funeral costs if an injury from an accident leads to death.
A small death benefit as a cash payout.
Is it required? Personal injury protection is required in the following states: Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon and Utah.
- Medical payments coverage
Medical payments coverage, or MedPay, helps pay for your medical expenses or funeral costs after a car accident, no matter who's at fault, up to your policy limits. It also pays for medical bills if you or one of your family members is hit by a car while on foot, riding a bike or traveling as a passenger in someone else’s car.
Is it required? MedPay is required in Maine and New Hampshire, and can be purchased as an optional add-on in most other states. In a few states, MedPay can't be purchased because personal injury protection is required.
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage pays out if you're in an accident where the at-fault driver has no liability car insurance, or not enough to cover your injuries or property damage. It can also be used to pay for your passengers’ and household family members’ injuries.
Is it required? Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is required in Washington, D.C., and the following states: Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
- Collision insurance
Collision insurance reimburses you to fix or replace your car if you crash into another car or object. It can also pay for hit-and-runs, rollovers and damage caused by uninsured or underinsured drivers.
Collision insurance becomes less useful the older your car is. That's because it reimburses you for repairs only up to the actual cash value of your car, minus your deductible.
Is it required? Collision insurance isn't mandatory in any state, but most lenders require it if you finance or lease your car. And when you buy collision insurance, you'll likely have to also get comprehensive insurance, which pays for damage to your car from non-traffic-related causes.
- Comprehensive insurance
Comprehensive insurance reimburses you to fix or replace your car after non-traffic-related causes, such as:
Weather events, like hail, floods or tornadoes.
Falling objects, such as tree limbs.
Fire or explosions.
Hitting an animal.
Car theft and broken windows.
Earthquakes.
Vandalism or civil disobedience, such as a riot.
Comprehensive insurance becomes less useful the older your car is. That's because it reimburses you for repairs only up to the actual cash value of your car, minus your deductible.
Is it required? Comprehensive insurance isn't mandatory in any state, but most lenders require it if you finance or lease your car. And when you buy comprehensive insurance, you'll likely have to also get collision insurance, which pays for damage to your car from traffic-related causes.
Optional coverage
Direct Auto also offers a few types of optional car insurance coverage, such as:
Rental reimbursement. This add-on helps pay for the cost of a rental vehicle while your regular car is being repaired after a covered claim. You need to have comprehensive and collision insurance before you can add rental reimbursement to a policy.
Who might need it? You may need rental reimbursement if you depend on your car to get to work or school every day and don’t have another reliable way to get around.
Roadside assistance. This coverage helps provide services like a tire change, tow, fuel delivery, a jump-start and more if you’re stranded during a trip.
Who might need it? You may want to have roadside assistance for peace of mind if you don’t get similar benefits from an auto club membership, like AAA, or a credit card.
SR22 insurance forms. Direct Auto can provide an SR22 form for drivers if their state requires it. An SR22 is not a type of insurance; it proves that you meet your state’s insurance requirements.
Who might need it? An SR22 is essential for some drivers after a DUI, driving without insurance or another serious driving violation. You may need to have one on record before you can drive again, though it depends on your state's laws.
Notably, Direct Auto gives you a few ways to customize your payments. You have some freedom to choose when you pay, how often you’ll make payments and what your regular payments will be. This could be useful if your budget makes it hard to keep up with a typical payment schedule.
It's important to understand what coverage you want and what you’re required to buy. A car loan may mean that you have to carry more than the minimum amount of insurance required in your state, whether you want to or not. Comparing quotes could help you find cheap car insurance rates for the coverage you need.
Direct Auto usage-based program
DynamicDrive is Direct Auto’s usage-based car insurance program. By signing up, you could lower your car insurance rates in exchange for sharing some details about your driving with Direct Auto.
When you sign up, you get a 10% discount on your premium. You receive a driving score based on your speed and braking, phone use, and the times that you start and end your trips. You could receive a discount if DynamicDrive determines you’re a safe driver.
Is Direct Auto a good insurance company?
We rated Direct Auto highly compared to other insurance companies in our study. Direct Auto is a top high-risk car insurance company for drivers whose records have made it difficult to find insurance.
Direct Auto receives close to the expected number of complaints for a company of its size, according to three years of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
See what you could save on car insurance
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More information about Direct Auto car insurance
Customer service: Direct Auto’s customer service line is 1-877-463-4732. You can use this line to start a quote. Contact 1-800-403-1077 to start a claim.
Website: Direct Auto’s site includes detailed explanations of its discounts, coverage, payment options and claim procedures. You can log in to MyAccount, Direct Auto’s online self-service center, to pay bills or view ID cards and policy information. You can also file and track a claim online.
Mobile app: Users can make payments, access insurance information, file a claim, get roadside assistance and find agents using Direct Auto’s mobile app. It’s available on iOS and Android devices.
How we review auto insurance companies
Our editorial team considers these factors when reviewing auto insurance companies:
- Financial strength
We use AM Best ratings to confirm an insurer’s long-term financial stability and ability to pay claims. NerdWallet does not recommend companies with a rating lower than a B.
- Complaints
These ratings are based on complaints to state regulators relative to a company’s size, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The best auto insurance companies have fewer than the expected number of complaints.
- Ease of use
This category looks at how easily consumers can interact with an insurer through its mobile app and website. This includes how much coverage information is offered online, whether a user can start and track a claim online and get a quote and mobile app scores based on the Apple and Google Play store ratings.
- Discounts
We look at the kind of discounts a company offers and the total number of discounts available.
Read our full auto insurance methodology.
We nerd out on car insurance
Our goal is to give you what you need to make smart decisions about your car insurance.
Here’s why you can trust NerdWallet:
We do our homework. We regularly evaluate and review many of the insurance companies we write about. And all of our content is fact-checked before publication. This means the star ratings you see on our reviews are accurate and up-to-date.
We analyze the data. We update our average car insurance rates every month. To do that, we analyze more than 500 million rates from across the country. These rates are provided by Quadrant Information Services.
We are unbiased. NerdWallet’s content is never influenced by our business partners and advertisers. Learn more about how we write in our editorial guidelines.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a quote from Direct Auto?
How do I get a quote from Direct Auto?
You can get an auto insurance quote online, over the phone or in person at one of Direct Auto’s local stores.
In what states does Direct Auto sell policies?
In what states does Direct Auto sell policies?
Direct Auto offers car insurance in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
How do you file a claim with Direct Auto?
How do you file a claim with Direct Auto?
You can file a claim with Direct Auto online, using the mobile app or over the phone.
Methodology
Insurer complaints methodology
NerdWallet examined complaints received by state insurance regulators and reported to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2022-2024. To assess how insurers compare to one another, the NAIC calculates a complaint index each year for each subsidiary, measuring its share of total complaints relative to its size, or share of total premiums in the industry. To evaluate a company’s complaint history, NerdWallet calculated a similar index for each insurer, weighted by market shares of each subsidiary, over the three-year period. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC. Ratios are determined separately for auto, home (including renters and condo) and life insurance.
Auto insurance ratings methodology
NerdWallet’s auto insurance ratings reward companies for customer-first features and practices. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including financial strength, consumer complaints and discounts. Our “ease of use” category looks at factors such as website transparency and how easy it is to file a claim. Using our editorial discretion, we also consider customer satisfaction surveys. These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines and full ratings methodology for auto insurance.
Average rates methodology
NerdWallet averaged rates based on public filings obtained by pricing analytics company Quadrant Information Services. We examined rates for men and women for all ZIP codes in any of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Although it’s one of the largest insurers in the country, Liberty Mutual is not included in our rates analysis due to a lack of publicly available information.
In our analysis, “good drivers” had no moving violations on record; a “good driving” discount was included for this profile. Our “good” and “poor” credit rates are based on credit score approximations and do not account for proprietary scoring criteria used by insurance providers.
These are average rates, and your rate will vary based on your personal details, state and insurance provider.
Sample drivers had the following coverage limits:
$100,000 bodily injury liability coverage per person.
$300,000 bodily injury liability coverage per crash.
$50,000 property damage liability coverage per crash.
$100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per person.
$300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per crash.
Collision coverage with $1,000 deductible.
Comprehensive coverage with $1,000 deductible.
We used the same assumptions for all other driver profiles, with the following exceptions:
We changed the credit tier from “good” to “poor” as reported to the insurer to see rates for drivers with poor credit. In states where credit isn’t taken into account, we only used rates for “good credit.”
For drivers with one at-fault crash, we added a single at-fault crash costing $10,000 in property damage.
For drivers with a DUI, we added a single drunken-driving violation.
We used a 2023 Toyota Camry LE in all cases and assumed 12,000 annual miles driven. We analyzed rates for drivers of the following ages: 20, 30, 35, 40, 50, 60 and 70.
Auto insurance survey methodology
The opt-in survey of 7,503 U.S. adults ages 18 and older was conducted online by Russell Research on behalf of NerdWallet in June and July 2024. Respondents were asked to rate one auto insurance brand they obtained or renewed a policy within the past 12 months, with at least some changes to the original policy. These brands were rated on overall satisfaction, overall value, online experience, trustworthiness, mobile app experience, claims experience and customer support on a scale of 1-100.
Only brands with 100 or more qualifying respondents are reported. Of those respondents: 300 were State Farm customers, 300 were Progressive customers, 300 were Allstate customers, 300 were GEICO customers, 100 were USAA customers, 157 were AAA customers, 100 were Liberty Mutual customers, 100 were American Family customers, 100 were Farmers customers, 100 were Travelers customers and 101 were Nationwide customers.
