Seniors who operate a car in the United States are likely to receive government mandated benefits for their car insurance. Out of all 50 states, 34 of them (plus Washington D.C.) offer discounts to seniors aged 50 and up. If you are 50 years old or older, drive a car and live in one of these designated states then you are eligible to receive discounts for your auto insurance.

Why Seniors Should Take Advantage of These Auto Insurance Discounts

It’s not much of a secret that your auto insurance rates will increase as you become older. This is because senior drivers become a bit more likely to get into car accidents due to certain skills decreasing with age such as eyesight, hearing, concentration or health issues. While this is not necessarily true for all senior drivers, it is a noticeable trend which auto insurance companies take serious notice of.

Auto insurance premiums start to increase slightly around the age of 50 but they take more of a sharp increase around the age of 65.

Even if you are still an excellent driver in your senior years with a clean record, your auto insurance company will almost certainly increase your insurance rates. This is because your insurance rates are determined by multiple factors. Your driving record is one of these factors but so is the city you live in, your neighborhood, your gender and the age demographic you are in. That’s why you should seriously consider looking into the government mandated auto insurance discounts that most states in America offer.

How to Acquire Government Mandated Auto Insurance Discounts for Seniors

If you live in Washington D.C. or in one of the 34 eligible states then you can acquire government mandated auto insurance discounts for seniors. These 34 states will offer driving safety classrooms and courses that will help sharpen the skills of senior drivers. Additionally, 23 of these states plus D.C. also require auto insurance companies to give senior drivers a discount for completing an online driving course.

Regardless of whether you do one or both of these driving safety classes, each one has to be state approved. Before you sign up for these driving safety courses, make sure that they are compatible with the government mandated auto insurance discounts for seniors that you are going after.

You also have to be of a certain age to acquire the government mandated auto insurance discount. This age depends on which state you live in. For some states, the required age is as young as 50 and for others it is as old as 65. We recommend taking advantage of these auto insurance discounts as soon as possible. The quicker you acquire these discounts the more you will save in the long run.

Which States offer Government Mandated Auto Insurance Discounts for Seniors?

Here is a complete list of the 34 states and one district that offer government mandated auto insurance discounts for senior drivers:

1.Alabama
2.Alaska
3.Arkansas
4.California
5.Colorado
6.Connecticut
7.Delaware
8.Florida
9.Georgia
10.Idaho
11.Illinois
12.Kansas
13.Kentucky
14.Louisiana
15.Maine
16.Minnesota
17.Mississippi
18.Montana
19.Nevada
20.New Jersey
21.New Mexico
22.New York
23.North Dakota
24.Oklahoma
25.Oregon
26.Pennsylvania
27.Rhode Island
28.South Carolina
29.Tennessee
30.Utah
31.Virginia
32.Washington
33.West Virginia
34.Wyoming
35.Washington, DC

How Much Is the Government Mandated Auto Insurance Discount for Senior Drivers?

The actual discount that you will receive will depend on which state you reside in and who your auto insurance company is. You can expect the discount to be anywhere from 5% to 20% off your current auto insurance premium.

Keep in mind that the discount will only be effective for three years. After that, you will have to register for the driving class again every three years to keep the auto insurance discount active.

If you want to know exactly how much you expect to save off of your car insurance, feel free to contact your auto insurance provider and inquire about the government mandated discount. You can also use this opportunity to ask your insurance company more details about the insurance discount such as which exact classes are eligible for the discount and if any of them can be completed online.