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June 6, 2026
An honest, agent's-eye review of The General. We write The General and quote it against Progressive, Bristol West, Elephant, and National General every week. Real 2026 premiums, the ratings that matter, who it is built for, and why high-risk drivers overpay when they do not shop.
Roughly 49,000 people search for The General auto insurance every month. Almost none of them know that an independent agency can write a The General policy for them AND put it side by side against four or five other carriers in the same conversation. Most of the "The General review" articles on Google are written by sites that do not sell insurance at all. They collect a commission when you click out to a quote form. We do this differently. Dragon Insurance is a licensed independent agency in PA, TX, VA, MD, OH, TN, and KY that actually places non-standard auto policies, including The General, every week.
So this is not a theoretical review. This is what we see when we quote The General against Progressive, Bristol West, Elephant, and National General for real high-risk drivers. The short version: The General is a legitimate, financially strong company that will insure drivers most standard carriers reject. It is also expensive and its claims service scores below the industry average. Whether it is your best option depends entirely on the rest of the market on the day you quote, which is exactly what an independent agent is for.
Key Takeaways
Definition
What is The General insurance?
The General is a brand of non-standard (high-risk) auto insurance that has been operating since 1963. Policies are underwritten by its Permanent General group of companies, including Permanent General Assurance Corporation and The General Automobile Insurance Company. The General writes auto insurance in 47 states and Washington, D.C. It was owned by American Family Insurance from 2012 until September 2024, when Sentry Insurance acquired the business for about 1.7 billion dollars. "Non-standard" means the company specializes in drivers that standard carriers consider too risky to insure at standard rates: drivers with violations, accidents, SR-22 requirements, coverage gaps, or no prior insurance history.
The General costs significantly more than the national average, and that surprises people who know it from the "low down payment" advertising. The reason is simple: The General insures higher-risk drivers, and higher-risk drivers cost more to insure no matter which company writes the policy. The headline you remember is the low down payment, not the total premium. Here is how 2026 averages compare.
| Coverage Level | The General (Avg) | National Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum liability | ~$105/mo ($1,257/yr) | ~$52/mo ($624/yr) | About 2x higher |
| Full coverage | ~$360/mo ($4,324/yr) | ~$193/mo ($2,320/yr) | About 86% higher |
Averages reflect 2026 rate data published by Insurance.com and NerdWallet for The General compared to national averages. Your actual rate depends on your state, driving record, vehicle, coverage limits, and credit where permitted. The point of the table is not the exact dollar figure, it is the gap: a non-standard premium is high by definition, which is precisely why shopping it against other non-standard carriers matters so much.
An honest review separates two very different questions. First, will the company still be solvent and able to pay a large claim years from now? Second, will the day-to-day claims experience be smooth? The General scores very well on the first question and poorly on the second.
| Rating Source | Score | What It Measures |
|---|---|---|
| AM Best | A+ (Superior) | Financial strength and ability to pay claims. Among the strongest tiers. |
| NAIC complaint index | ~4.69 (3-yr avg ~2.91) | Complaints relative to company size. The baseline is 1.0, so this is several times the norm. |
| CRASH Network claims grade | D- | How fairly and promptly claims are paid, surveyed by auto body professionals. |
| WalletHub editor rating | 2.8 / 5 | Blended score across cost, coverage, and service. |
| BBB customer reviews | A+ accreditation, ~2.4 / 5 customer stars | Business practices grade is high; customer satisfaction is low. |
Read that table the right way. The A+ from AM Best is real and it matters: it means The General has the reserves to pay claims, including a serious at-fault liability claim, for the long haul. That is not nothing for a non-standard carrier. The problem is the second column. A NAIC complaint index near 4.69 means policyholders file complaints at roughly four to five times the rate you would expect for a company that size, and the D- claims grade backs that up. In plain terms: your money is safe, but the claims process can be frustrating.
The General is not trying to be everyone's insurer, and it should not be. It earns its place for drivers that standard carriers decline or surcharge heavily. If you are in one of these situations, The General belongs on your shortlist.
| Driver Situation | Why The General Fits |
|---|---|
| Need an SR-22 or FR-44 | The General files SR-22 certificates in most states, including non-owner SR-22 for drivers without a car. |
| DUI or major violation | Continues to quote drivers that standard carriers non-renew after a DUI or reckless driving conviction. |
| Coverage lapse or no prior insurance | Does not require continuous prior coverage, which standard carriers often use to surcharge or decline. |
| New or young driver | Writes thin-file and teen drivers that standard carriers price out of reach. |
| Multiple tickets or at-fault claims | Built for the surcharged tier where standard pricing no longer applies. |
High-risk does not have to mean overpaying
We quote The General and 4 alternatives in one call.
SR-22, DUI, lapse, or new driver. Tell us your situation and we pull the real numbers from The General, Progressive, Bristol West, Elephant, and National General side by side.
Here is the trap that costs high-risk drivers hundreds of dollars a year. When you have a DUI, an SR-22, or a coverage lapse, you assume your options are limited, so you take the first company that says yes. Often that is The General, because its advertising is everywhere and its application is quick. You bind the policy, relieved to be insured at all, and you never find out whether another non-standard carrier would have taken the same risk for less.
The reality is that the non-standard market is competitive. Progressive, Bristol West, Elephant, and National General all compete for the exact same surcharged drivers The General targets, and they do not price risk identically. One carrier may weight a three-year-old DUI heavily while another has already moved on from it. One may surcharge a lapse for a year while another ignores a lapse under 30 days. The result is that two non-standard carriers can quote the same driver and come back hundreds of dollars apart. The only way to know which one wins for your exact profile is to quote them together.
There is a second cost to not shopping. High-risk status is temporary for most drivers. An SR-22 requirement typically ends after three years. Violations age off your record. A driver who binds The General and forgets about it can stay in expensive non-standard pricing for years after they qualify for standard rates again. A good agent re-shops you the moment your profile improves and moves you back into the standard market, where the savings are dramatic.
These are the carriers we put head to head with The General for non-standard drivers. All of them are on our panel, which means we can quote and bind any of them for you. None of them is universally cheapest. The winner depends on your specific record, vehicle, and state.
| Carrier | Strongest For | SR-22 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The General | DUI, lapse, no prior, non-owner SR-22 | Yes | A+ financial strength, fast issue, weaker claims service. |
| Progressive | Broad non-standard appetite, multi-vehicle | Yes | Strong digital tools and Snapshot; often competitive after a single violation. |
| Bristol West | Tickets, DUI, prior lapses | Yes | Non-standard arm of Farmers; flexible payment plans for surcharged drivers. |
| Elephant | Value seekers, multi-car households | Limited | Competitive base rates; appetite varies by state and profile. |
| National General | Lapses, prior non-standard, low mileage | Yes | Files SR-22 readily; strong for drivers rebuilding after a gap. |
Notice that four of the five file SR-22s. The General is not your only path to a filing, and it is frequently not the cheapest. We have moved drivers off The General and saved them real money simply by quoting Bristol West or National General for the same SR-22 the same day. We have also kept drivers on The General when it genuinely won. The point is that you find out, instead of guessing.
New to the U.S.? You may be classified "high-risk" through no fault of your own.
This is one of the most common and most expensive surprises we see in the Nepali and Bhutanese community. A driver arrives in the U.S. with a clean, decades-long driving record from back home, but U.S. insurers cannot read foreign driving histories and most have no U.S. credit file to score. With no domestic record and thin credit, the system defaults you into the high-risk tier and steers you toward expensive non-standard carriers like The General, even though you have never had an accident in your life.
That default is not your only option. Some carriers weight thin credit far less harshly than others, and in Pennsylvania, CURE Auto Insurance does not use credit scores at all, which can be a major advantage for recent immigrants. We know which carriers treat new arrivals fairly, and we re-shop your policy after 6 to 12 months of U.S. driving history to move you into standard rates as soon as you qualify. For the full breakdown on building cheap coverage as a new driver in PA, see our guide on cheap auto insurance in Pennsylvania.
हामी नेपाली बोल्छौं. We speak Nepali.
You can quote The General directly on its website in a few minutes. What you cannot do on its website is see how its number stacks up against four other carriers that want your business. That is the part we add, at no cost to you. Here is how it works.
Have your driver's license number, vehicle VIN, and any SR-22 or court paperwork ready, and a quote typically takes one short phone call. You can also start online and we will follow up with the full comparison.
Is The General a good insurance company?
The General is a legitimate, financially strong company with an A+ (Superior) rating from AM Best, which means it has the reserves to pay claims reliably. It is a good fit for high-risk drivers who need coverage standard carriers will not offer. Its weakness is service: its NAIC complaint index runs several times the industry baseline and independent claims surveys grade it near the bottom. It is good at saying yes and weaker at the claims experience, so it is best used as one option among several rather than a default.
Why is The General auto insurance so expensive?
The General is expensive because it specializes in high-risk drivers, and high-risk drivers cost more to insure no matter which company writes the policy. Its average full-coverage premium runs roughly 86 percent above the national average and its minimum-coverage premium is about double, because its customer base is concentrated in surcharged tiers: DUIs, SR-22s, lapses, and prior accidents. The "low down payment" you see advertised lowers the upfront cost, not the total premium. Shopping The General against other non-standard carriers is the only reliable way to lower the number.
Who owns The General insurance?
The General is owned by Sentry Insurance, which acquired the business in September 2024 for about 1.7 billion dollars. Before that, The General was owned by American Family Insurance from 2012. Policies are underwritten by The General's Permanent General group of companies, including Permanent General Assurance Corporation and The General Automobile Insurance Company. The brand has operated since 1963.
Does The General do SR-22 filings?
Yes. The General files SR-22 certificates of financial responsibility in most states where it operates, and it also offers non-owner SR-22 policies for drivers who need a filing but do not own a vehicle. An SR-22 is not a separate policy; it is a form your insurer files with the state DMV to certify you carry at least the minimum required liability coverage. Several other carriers we work with, including Progressive, Bristol West, and National General, also file SR-22s, so The General is not your only option for a filing.
Does The General check your credit?
In most states, The General uses a credit-based insurance score as one rating factor, like the majority of auto insurers. A few states prohibit credit-based insurance scoring entirely, including California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Michigan. If thin or no U.S. credit is hurting your rate, ask about carriers that weight credit less heavily. In Pennsylvania, CURE Auto Insurance does not use credit scores at all, which can help recent immigrants and young drivers.
Is The General good for high-risk drivers?
Yes, that is exactly what The General is built for. It writes drivers with DUIs, multiple tickets, at-fault accidents, coverage lapses, no prior insurance, and SR-22 requirements that standard carriers decline. It is a real solution when you have been turned down elsewhere. Just remember that being approved is not the same as getting the best price. Other non-standard carriers compete for the same drivers, so compare a few before you bind.
Can I get The General through an independent agent?
Yes. Dragon Insurance is an independent agency that can quote and bind The General for you, and we do it at the same price you would pay going direct, because agents are paid by the carrier, not by you. The advantage is that we quote The General alongside Progressive, Bristol West, Elephant, and National General in the same conversation, so you see whether The General actually wins for your profile or whether another carrier beats it.
What are the best alternatives to The General?
For non-standard and SR-22 drivers, the strongest alternatives we quote are Progressive (broad appetite and good digital tools), Bristol West (flexible on tickets and lapses), National General (strong for drivers rebuilding after a gap), and Elephant (competitive base rates in select states). The best alternative depends on your record, vehicle, and state, which is why we quote all of them together rather than recommending one blindly.
You do not have to settle for the first company that approves you. Tell us your situation and we will quote The General, Progressive, Bristol West, Elephant, and National General together, file your SR-22 if you need one, and re-shop you into standard rates the moment you qualify. The comparison is free and most quotes take one phone call.
Visit us: 1525 Cedar Cliff Dr STE 202, Camp Hill, PA 17011
Serving high-risk and standard drivers across PA, TX, VA, MD, OH, TN, and KY. English, Nepali, and Hindi spoken.
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Dragon Insurance Services LLC is a licensed independent insurance agency and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The General or Sentry Insurance. Carrier names are referenced for comparison and educational purposes. Premium figures reflect 2026 third-party rate data and our agency's quoting experience across PA, TX, VA, MD, OH, TN, and KY; they are estimates, not guaranteed rates. Ratings cited are as published by AM Best, the NAIC, CRASH Network, WalletHub, and the BBB at the time of writing and are subject to change. Coverage, availability, and pricing vary by carrier, state, and applicant profile and are subject to underwriting approval. Contact us for a personalized quote.
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