Defensive Driving Discounts: Can They Lower Your Car Insurance?

Defensive driving courses offer the dual benefit of improving your driving skills and potentially lowering your auto insurance premiums. Many insurance companies offer auto insurance discounts if you complete a defensive driving course.

A defensive driving discount is a reduction in your car insurance premium if you complete a defensive driving course either online or in person. Defensive driving courses can benefit every driver, but teen drivers may especially want to consider signing up due to their lack of experience behind the wheel. A safe driving course can help instill good driving habits early on and may even be mandatory for any driver after a serious traffic violation.

Defensive driving courses typically cover topics such as road safety, traffic laws, defensive driving techniques, and more. These courses can teach you important tips about how to be a safer driver and avoid getting into a serious motor vehicle accident.

Taking defensive driving lowers insurance when your carrier offers a discount for it and the course is one they accept. Not every carrier offers the discount, and some limit it to certain ages or to drivers with a clean record. That is why the order matters: ask first, take the course second, send the certificate third.

Does taking a driving course reduce insurance even if it was ordered by a court after a ticket? Sometimes. A course you take to keep a ticket off your record can still help your rate, because fewer violations on your record usually means a lower price at renewal. Whether the carrier also adds a separate discount for it depends on the carrier. See car insurance with tickets for how violations affect your rate.

There is no single number. How much a defensive driving course saves on insurance depends on your carrier, your state, your age, and the rest of your record, and some carriers do not offer the discount at all. The only reliable figure is the one your own carrier gives you, so ask for it before you pay for a course.

Can defensive driving lower your insurance rate in Texas? It can, if your carrier offers a defensive driving discount and accepts your course. An A-MAX agent can check which of the carriers we compare in Texas offer it, and include it in your quote.

A few things usually matter more to your price than the course itself: a clean driving record, continuous coverage, and comparing carriers. See ways to save on auto insurance for the full list.

There are multiple ways to earn a defensive driving discount, including completing an approved course offered by your insurance company. Before signing up, ensure that your course of choice is approved by your state's motor vehicle agency. You can take a defensive driving course online or in person, as long as it’s certified by your state's motor vehicle agency and accepted by your insurance company.

Course length and price vary by provider and by state. Before taking a defensive driving course that is not offered directly by your car insurance company, check with your carrier to make sure that the course you are considering is one that they will accept and provide a discount for on your policy.

Drivers under 25 and older drivers are the groups most often eligible for defensive driver training discounts.

Teen drivers can see a meaningful effect on their car insurance premiums after completing a safe driving course, which can help offset the high overall cost of insuring a teen driver. These courses set up new drivers with good driving habits before they get onto the road, to minimize the risk of getting into an accident or getting a costly ticket for a moving violation.

Older drivers can ask about the same discount; see auto insurance for seniors.

Some states require insurers to offer discounts to drivers of certain ages for taking approved safe-driving courses. For information on specific state requirements for defensive driving courses and discounts, check with your state's motor vehicle agency and your insurance agent to see what discount you are eligible for.

If a driver has gotten a serious violation such as a DUI, they may be required to take a driving course by the court or by their state.

Defensive driving courses vary between states and providers, but most of them address the following:

When selecting a defensive driving course, you will have the option of completing the course in person with an instructor or online.

In-person courses allow you to ask questions and give you the support of your instructor and classmates, and you may retain more because there are fewer distractions than at home. Online courses offer the convenience of fitting your schedule and often cost less than in-person courses.

Either way, what earns the discount is completing a course your carrier accepts.

Whether you complete your defensive driving course online or in person, you will receive a completion certificate once you have finished the course. You will need to provide a copy of the completion certificate to your independent insurance agent or directly to your car insurance company to make sure that your defensive driving course discount is added to your car insurance policy.

Shopping for a policy at the same time? Get a quote online or call 1-800-921-AMAX, and tell us about your course so we can look for carriers that reward it.