Direct Auto Insurance Review 2022

Direct Auto Insurance is part of the Direct General Group (not to be confused with The General), which caters primarily to high-risk drivers who can’t get car insurance elsewhere. It may suit your needs if you’ve been denied coverage due to at-fault crashes, poor credit or other issues, or if you simply want to satisfy your state’s minimum liability insurance requirements.

Direct Auto is separate and distinct from the lesser-known Direct Auto Insurance company based in Chicago. Part of the Nodak Insurance Group, the Chicago-based Direct Auto specializes in nonstandard car coverage primarily for the Latino community and is available in Illinois only.

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Direct Auto insurance coverage

Direct Auto Insurance has all the basic coverage choices, including roadside assistance and towing coverage. Direct Auto also offers optional coverages, including:

• Personal injury protection, or no-fault insurance, which covers your medical and funeral expenses that arise from a car accident, regardless of who is at fault.

• Accidental death coverage, which pays a $5,000 death benefit to your beneficiary if your death is the result of a covered accident.

• Customizable payments: The company lets you decide what day of the month your auto insurance bill is due and offers several ways to pay, including by phone with text-to-pay and in person.

• SR-22 insurance forms: Direct Auto Insurance can provide an SR-22 form for drivers if their state requires it. An SR-22 insurance form is a document that proves you meet your state’s minimum liability coverage. You might need an SR-22 form if you’ve been convicted of a DUI or another serious traffic offense.

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Auto insurance discounts

• Military discount.

• Safe driver discount.

• Good student discount.

• Senior citizen discount for drivers 55 or older who successfully complete an accident prevention course.

• Multivehicle discount.

• Multipolicy (bundling) discount.

• Discount for having insurance with your last company for at least six months with no more than 90 days’ lapse.

• Policy renewal discount.

• Homeowner discount.

• Discount for drivers who’ve previously purchased a policy with Direct, but haven’t had one within six months of the former policy.

• Affinity discount for being an active member of certain organizations.

Auto insurance buying guide

Before you compare car insurance companies, you’ll need to collect some basic information. This includes the driving history of everyone who will be on the policy, as well as facts about your car, such as safety features and annual mileage driven. You’ll also want to determine which types of coverage you need. For example, do you want only the bare minimum insurance that your state requires, or do you need more extensive coverage, such as gap insurance or rideshare coverage? Check that each company you’re considering has the options you want.

When comparing rates among insurers, make sure each is offering the same coverage limits and deductibles. You may not want to make your decision based on price alone. Look at how many consumer complaints each company has, as a high number of complaints could be a red flag about the quality of service you'll receive.