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Car Insurance for Military and Veterans: Deployment and PCS

Tell your insurer before you deploy or move, keep coverage active, check your lender’s rules before reducing coverage on a stored car, and compare military-focused insurers with everyone else.

By Kevin McCarroll, founder · 18 years in P&C insurance marketing · Last reviewed October 2026 · How we write our guides

Short answer: service members, veterans and military families buy the same car insurance as everyone else, but deployments and PCS moves raise a few extra questions. Tell your insurer before you deploy or move, avoid letting coverage lapse, check your lender’s or leasing company’s rules before reducing coverage on a stored car, and ask about military and other discounts. Compare military-focused insurers with other companies, since prices vary.

Before a deployment

  • Call your insurer before you leave. Ask what options it offers for a car that won’t be driven, and what it needs from you, such as a copy of your orders.
  • Think twice before canceling. A gap in coverage can raise your price when you buy again, and your state may require insurance on any registered car. Ask whether you can reduce coverage instead.
  • Reducing coverage on a stored car. Some people keep only comprehensive coverage, which covers theft, fire, weather and vandalism, while the car is parked. If the car is financed or leased, check your contract first: lenders often require collision and comprehensive for the life of the loan or lease. Check your state’s rules for registered cars, too.
  • Remove drivers who won’t be driving if no one will use the car, and ask whether that changes the price.
  • Arrange for someone to handle issues while you’re gone, such as a spouse or family member who can talk to your insurer. Your installation’s legal assistance office can usually help with a power of attorney.

PCS moves

  • Tell your insurer about the move and the date your car will be kept at the new address. Prices and required coverage differ by state; see the minimum car insurance by state.
  • Moving overseas with a financed car. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says the SCRA doesn’t require a lender to let you take a financed car overseas, so get the lender’s permission in writing, and confirm in writing whether your warranty applies outside the continental U.S.
  • Compare quotes for the new location. The company that was cheapest at your last duty station may not be at the next one.

Your SCRA rights on an auto lease

According to the CFPB, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) lets you end an auto lease without early termination charges if:

  • you signed the lease before active duty and were then called to active duty for 180 days or longer; or
  • you signed the lease during active duty and then received PCS orders from the continental U.S. to outside it, or from outside the continental U.S. to any new location, or deployment orders for 180 days or longer.

A move between two locations within the continental U.S. doesn’t qualify. You must give the leasing company written notice with a copy of your orders and return the vehicle within 15 days after the notice is delivered. The leasing company can’t charge an early termination fee (other charges, such as taxes and excess wear, can still apply) and must refund advance payments within 30 days. If a leasing company refuses, the CFPB suggests contacting your legal assistance (JAG) office or your state attorney general. Military OneSource also explains your SCRA protections.

Discounts to ask about

  • Military or affiliation discounts. Some insurers offer discounts or programs for active-duty members, veterans or their families; eligibility and amounts vary.
  • Garaging or storage. Ask whether keeping the car on base or in storage changes the price.
  • The usual discounts also apply: bundling, multi-car, good driver, paid in full, low mileage and more. See car insurance discounts.

Compare quotes

Some insurers focus on military members and their families, and they can be a good place to start, but compare them with other companies for the same coverage. You can compare car insurance quotes with one form.

Frequently asked questions

Should I cancel my car insurance when I deploy?

Usually it’s better to talk to your insurer about reducing coverage than to cancel. A gap in coverage can raise your price later, and your state may require insurance on a registered car. If the car is financed or leased, check what coverage your lender requires.

Can I break my car lease if I deploy?

Under the SCRA, often yes: according to the CFPB, deployment orders for 180 days or longer, or qualifying PCS orders to or from outside the continental U.S., can let you end an auto lease without early termination charges. Moves within the continental U.S. don’t qualify.

Do veterans get a car insurance discount?

Some insurers offer discounts or programs for veterans and military families; eligibility and amounts vary. Ask each company you get a quote from.

What should I tell my insurer before a PCS move?

The move date, your new address and where the car will be kept. Prices and required coverage differ by state, so your policy may need to change.

Is a military-focused insurer always cheapest?

Not always. Prices depend on your record, car, location and coverage, so compare military-focused insurers with other companies for the same coverage.

Sources

This guide is general information, not insurance or legal advice. Coverage and requirements vary by insurer and state.