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An independent agent's review of Root Insurance: how its ongoing driver-behavior pricing works, real cost-saving figures, and how it compares to Progressive, GEICO, and Liberty Mutual for auto insurance in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
Root is the newest carrier on Dragon Insurance's panel, and it works differently from every other company we quote. Instead of pricing your policy mostly on your ZIP code, credit, and demographics, Root prices around how you actually drive, tracked through its app, and keeps rewarding safe driving well beyond your first quote. We just got appointed with Root, and this review is written from that new independent-agent seat: what Root offers, how its driver-behavior pricing works, and how it compares to the rest of our panel.
One scope note up front, because it matters: Root is only available to Dragon clients in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. It is not an option in Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, or Maryland. Dragon's appointment with Root covers personal auto insurance. If you also need renters, home, or business coverage in Ohio, Kentucky, or Tennessee, Dragon has you covered there too, through the other carriers on our panel, in the same call.
Key Takeaways
Quick Answer
Is Root Insurance good in Ohio, Kentucky, or Tennessee?
For safe, lower-mileage drivers in Ohio, Kentucky, or Tennessee, Root is genuinely competitive, because it weighs real driving behavior more heavily than traditional underwriting, and keeps rewarding good habits over time rather than pricing you once and walking away. Dragon writes Root auto insurance in these three states and quotes it alongside the rest of our panel, so you can see exactly how it stacks up for your profile.
Root Insurance is a publicly traded auto insurer (Nasdaq: ROOT) founded in 2015 and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Its core idea is simple: most insurers price your policy heavily on demographics, credit-based insurance scores, and where you live. Root leans instead on telematics, actual measured driving behavior collected through its mobile app, as the primary factor in your rate.
Root starts with an initial driving-behavior period, tracked through its app, that measures things like hard braking, sharp turning, phone distraction, and what time of day you are on the road. You can check your running score in the app throughout the period. This is not just a one-time snapshot: Root keeps using the same app-based tracking afterward, so safe driving can continue to work in your favor over the long term rather than only at your first quote. Ask your Dragon agent for the specifics of how ongoing participation affects your rate over time.
Root advertises that its best drivers can save up to $1,300 a year compared to what they were paying before, plus a Tesla-specific rate tier tied to the vehicle's built-in safety data. Because the driver-behavior tracking continues long term, participating consistently can keep adding to your savings, not just at signup. Those are Root's own marketing figures, not a guarantee, your actual savings depend on your driving and your specific profile. The only way to know your real number is to get a quote, which is exactly what Dragon can set up for you alongside quotes from the rest of our panel.
Root's auto policies include the standard coverages you would expect from any major carrier, on equal limits to what Dragon quotes elsewhere on our panel.
Auto insurance through Dragon, everything else through our panel
Root also offers other products directly, but Dragon's current appointment with Root covers personal auto insurance in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. If you need renters, home, or business coverage alongside your auto policy, Dragon places those through other carriers on our panel, such as Safeco, Liberty Mutual, or biBerk, and can quote them for you in the same call as your Root auto quote.
Whichever carrier you choose, your policy has to meet your state's minimum coverage law. Here is what each of the three states where Root operates actually requires.
Ohio: 25/50/25, at-fault. Ohio requires minimum liability coverage of 25/50/25, $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 property damage liability, under Ohio Revised Code Section 4509.01. Ohio is an at-fault state and does not require Personal Injury Protection or Uninsured Motorist coverage by law, though both are worth considering given that roughly 13 percent of Ohio drivers are estimated to carry no insurance at all. See our full Ohio auto insurance requirements guide.
Kentucky: 25/50/25 plus $10,000 PIP. Kentucky requires the same 25/50/25 liability minimums, plus $10,000 in basic Personal Injury Protection unless you reject it in writing. Kentucky is a choice no-fault state, meaning you elect at the time you buy your policy whether to keep the no-fault PIP option or waive it in writing to retain full tort rights to sue an at-fault driver. Ask your Dragon agent to confirm exactly how Root's Kentucky policy handles the PIP election before you bind. See our full Kentucky auto insurance requirements guide.
Tennessee: 25/50/25, at-fault. Tennessee also requires 25/50/25 minimum liability and is an at-fault state, meaning drivers can sue the at-fault party for damages rather than relying on a no-fault system. Adequate liability limits matter here in particular, since approximately 20 percent of Tennessee drivers are uninsured, one of the highest rates in the country. See our full Tennessee auto insurance requirements guide.
State minimums are the legal floor, not a coverage recommendation. Given how many drivers in all three states carry no insurance or the bare minimum, Dragon generally recommends higher liability limits and uninsured motorist coverage regardless of which carrier you choose. Call us to talk through the right limits for your situation.
Rewards actual safe driving, long term. If you drive carefully, keep your mileage down, and are not glued to your phone behind the wheel, Root's driver-behavior pricing can price you more fairly than a carrier that leans mostly on your credit-based insurance score or your ZIP code, and it keeps rewarding that good driving well past your first quote.
Fully digital, fast claims. Root is built app-first, from quoting through filing and tracking a claim, and reviewers consistently rate the app itself highly. If you want to manage your entire policy from your phone, this is one of Root's clearest strengths.
Savings that are not a one-time deal. Because Root's app-based tracking continues after your initial pricing period, drivers who keep driving safely have an ongoing way to keep earning additional savings, rather than a single discount that is locked in and forgotten.
| Driver Profile | Is Root a strong fit? |
|---|---|
| Safe, low-mileage driver in OH, KY, or TN | Strong fit, worth comparing |
| Comfortable managing a policy entirely by app | Strong fit |
| Wants ongoing rewards for safe driving, not just a signup discount | Strong fit |
| Needs renters, home, or business coverage too | Ask Dragon, we place that with another panel carrier |
| Lives in PA, TX, VA, or MD | Not available there, compare our other 30+ carriers |
All four of these are on Dragon's panel in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Here is how Root's approach compares to three carriers we have quoted for years.
| Category | Root | Progressive | GEICO | Liberty Mutual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary rating factor | Real driving behavior, ongoing | Traditional, plus optional Snapshot telematics | Traditional, plus optional telematics | Traditional, plus optional RightTrack telematics |
| AM Best rating | Not Published | A+ (Superior) | A++ (Superior) | A (Excellent) |
| Available in Dragon's states | OH, KY, TN only | Every state Dragon serves | Every state Dragon serves | Every state Dragon serves |
| Best for | Safe drivers wanting ongoing, behavior-based savings | High-risk, SR-22, non-standard drivers | Clean-record drivers wanting strong nationwide backing | Bundle seekers, clean records |
AM Best ratings per AM Best. Progressive and GEICO ratings apply to their primary auto underwriting companies and can vary by state and subsidiary.
The premium is the same whether you buy Root directly or through Dragon, because carriers pay independent agents at bind, not the other way around. The advantage of going through Dragon is that we run your Root auto quote alongside Progressive, GEICO, Liberty Mutual, and the rest of our panel in Ohio, Kentucky, or Tennessee, and tell you plainly which one actually wins for your situation. And if you also need renters, home, or business insurance, which are not part of Dragon's Root appointment, we place those with a different carrier on the same call instead of sending you somewhere else. To see every carrier we compare, see our full carrier lineup.
Is Root Insurance legit?
Yes. Root is a publicly traded insurer (Nasdaq: ROOT) that has been operating since 2015 and is licensed to sell insurance in 36 states, including Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. It is a real, regulated carrier now appointed with Dragon Insurance for auto coverage in those three states.
Is Root Insurance available in Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, or Maryland?
No. Root is only available to Dragon clients in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. If you live in Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, or Maryland, Dragon can still shop your auto insurance across the other 30-plus carriers on our panel, just not Root.
Does Dragon write Root's renters, home, or business insurance too?
Root also offers other products directly, but Dragon's current appointment with Root covers personal auto insurance only, in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. If you need renters, home, or business coverage, Dragon places that through other carriers on our panel, in the same call as your Root auto quote.
What is the Root driver-behavior program?
Root prices your policy primarily on real driving data collected through its app, including braking, turning, phone distraction, and time of day, rather than relying mainly on your credit or demographics. It starts with an initial driving period and continues afterward, so safe driving keeps working in your favor over the long term, not just at your first quote.
How does Root's driver-behavior program help me save over time?
Because Root keeps tracking driving behavior through its app after your initial pricing period, consistent safe driving can continue to earn additional savings rather than a single discount you get once and lose track of. Ask your Dragon agent for the specifics of how ongoing participation applies to your policy.
How much can I save with Root's safe driver discount?
Root advertises that its best drivers can save up to $1,300 a year compared to their prior carrier. That is Root's own marketing figure, not a guaranteed quote, since your actual savings depend on your driving and your specific profile. Dragon can run your real Root quote alongside our other carriers so you see an actual number, not an estimate.
Is it cheaper to buy Root Insurance through an independent agent?
The premium is the same whether you buy Root directly or through Dragon, since carriers pay independent agents at bind, not out of your premium. The benefit of going through Dragon is a real side-by-side comparison against Progressive, GEICO, Liberty Mutual, and the rest of our panel in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, on the same coverage limits.
Who should compare Root against Dragon's other carriers first?
Drivers outside Ohio, Kentucky, or Tennessee cannot get Root through Dragon. If you need renters, home, and auto coverage bundled with a single carrier, ask your Dragon agent to compare Root against Progressive, GEICO, or Liberty Mutual so you land on the best overall fit.
Want to see if Root is your best rate in Ohio, Kentucky, or Tennessee?
Dragon Insurance now quotes Root alongside 30+ other carriers, and if you need renters, home, or business coverage too, we handle that in the same call. Get your quote online or call us at 717-229-5115.
Ratings and figures referenced (AM Best, Root's own published savings claims) are independent assessments or carrier marketing figures and can change over time. Coverage availability, discounts, and pricing vary by driver profile. This review reflects Dragon Insurance's independent quoting experience and is not endorsed by Root.
Related reading: Ohio Auto Insurance Requirements, Kentucky Auto Insurance Requirements, Tennessee Auto Insurance Requirements, Progressive Auto Insurance Review, and our best auto insurance companies of 2026 ranking.
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About the Author
Bimal GurungCEO, Agency Principal & Licensed Insurance Agent
Bimal Gurung is CEO and Agency Principal of Dragon Insurance Services, an independent agency in Camp Hill, PA that compares 30+ carriers for clients across Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
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