Who Qualifies For Usaa Auto Insurance? Family Members Explained

USAA offers auto insurance to active and retired members of the U.S. military, as well as their spouses, children, step-children, and widows. The company was founded in 1922 by a group of 25 officers from the U.S. Army who were unable to secure affordable car insurance due to being perceived as a high-risk group. USAA now has more than 13 million members and is highly regarded for its customer service.

Spouses of current or former service members

Spouses of current or former US military service members are eligible for USAA auto insurance. This includes spouses of active duty, retired, and separated veterans with an honourable discharge.

Spouses of USAA members are eligible for membership, and can pass this membership down to their own children. However, if a spouse was not a member during their marriage, their widow or widower will not be eligible for membership after their death.

To sign up for USAA, spouses will need to provide a marriage certificate, a copy of their spouse's military documents, and a government-issued ID.

Children of current or former service members

USAA was founded to address the challenges faced by military officers in obtaining adequate car insurance due to their perception as a high-risk group. Over the years, USAA has expanded its eligibility criteria to include not only military officers but also all active and retired military personnel and their immediate families.

It's worth noting that USAA membership eligibility cannot be passed on posthumously. Therefore, if a deceased parent was not a USAA member during their lifetime, their children would not be eligible for USAA auto insurance.

Adult children of USAA members

If you are the adult child of a USAA member and interested in obtaining auto insurance through USAA, you will need to provide certain documentation to prove your eligibility. This may include a birth certificate that lists the name of the parent who is a USAA member, as well as their USAA membership number.

It's also worth noting that while siblings of USAA members are not eligible for membership, if your sibling is a USAA member, their children (your nieces or nephews) can become members if you are their legal guardian.

Widows, widowers and unmarried former spouses of USAA members

Widows, widowers, and unmarried former spouses of USAA members are eligible for USAA auto insurance. This is provided that the USAA member had USAA auto or property insurance while they were married.

If the USAA member is deceased, their spouse is eligible for USAA membership as long as they were a member before they passed away. If the USAA member is still alive, their spouse can become a member, but they must first sign up for USAA themselves.

In addition to spouses, USAA members' children and stepchildren are also eligible for USAA auto insurance. However, children of deceased military parents will only be eligible if their parents join USAA while they are still alive.

Grandchildren of USAA members

In other words, for grandchildren to be eligible for USAA membership, there must be an unbroken chain of USAA membership between generations, with no skipped generations.

It is important to note that USAA membership cannot be passed on posthumously. In other words, if a USAA member passes away, their eligibility cannot be passed on to their descendants if they were not already members. Therefore, if a grandchild's parent was eligible for USAA membership but never joined, the grandchild would not be able to become a USAA member.

Additionally, it is worth mentioning that USAA membership is not exclusively limited to military families. While USAA primarily serves military service members, veterans, and their families, non-military individuals can also become USAA members if they are spouses or children of USAA members.

Frequently asked questions