Nationwide car insurance, as Nationwide describes it
A mutual that spent 94 years selling through its own exclusive agents, then stopped. Since 2020 the agent quoting you is independent.
Calling connects you with a licensed independent agent — not with Nationwide.
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The basics, as Nationwide publishes them
- Structure
- Mutual, owned by policyholders
- Founded
- 1926
- How you buy
- Independent agents, phone, or online
- Auto coverage
- 46 states and DC, per their directory
What Nationwide publishes about itself
Nationwide describes itself as a mutual insurance company, which means it has policyholders rather than shareholders — it calls them members, and says the structure lets it weigh long-term policyholder needs over short-term financial incentives. The more practical fact is newer: in July 2020 it completed an 18-month transition to operate as a fully independent agency carrier, moving more than 99% of its formerly captive agents into that channel. An agent quoting you Nationwide today can also quote you the other companies they represent, which was not true before.
What is settled, and what is not
Everything on the left is stated by Nationwide. Everything on the right is a question their published material does not answer — which makes it a question worth asking on the phone.
They state this
It is a mutual
Nationwide states that as a mutual insurance company its structure aligns with what is most beneficial to its members, and its own history notes that in 2008 it bought back all publicly traded shares of Nationwide Financial to bring the enterprise back under policyholder ownership.
The captive agent force is gone
Nationwide announced in July 2020 that it had completed an 18-month transition to operate as a fully independent agency carrier, with more than 99% of formerly captive agents moving into that channel. It says it works with more than 11,000 independent agents.
An independent agent is not their employee
Nationwide's own agent locator explains that independent agents are not employed by any specific insurance agency and can sell policies from multiple companies. That is the point of the model: the person quoting you can compare.
You can also buy without an agent
Nationwide offers an online quote and a phone number alongside the agent locator, so the independent channel is the main route rather than the only one.
They publish what the telematics discount is worth
For SmartRide, Nationwide states an instant 10% on enrollment and says the safer you drive, the higher the discount could go, up to 40%. It also notes stated discounts are approximations and that program criteria differ in California and North Carolina.
They do not
Which states it will not write
Nationwide publishes no availability statement for auto. Its own car-insurance-by-state directory covers 46 states and the District of Columbia, with Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana and Massachusetts absent — which is evidence, not a statement. If you are in one of those four, ask before you assume.
Which Nationwide company writes the policy
Nationwide publishes a list of roughly thirty property and casualty underwriting entities, including the Allied, Harleysville, Scottsdale, Titan and Victoria names. The list is public; which one applies to you is not.
Whether the discounts you want exist where you live
Every discount page carries the same caveat: terms and availability vary by state and exclusions apply. The names are published. Whether each one is filed in your state is a question for whoever quotes it.
Discounts Nationwide names
These are the credits Nationwide lists on its own site. Which of them you qualify for, what each is worth, and whether it is already on a policy you hold are all questions for an agent — none of them is published, because none of them is the same for two people.
- Multi-policy
- SmartRide
- SmartMiles
- Safe driver
- Accident forgiveness
- Good student
- Defensive driving
- Anti-theft
- Automatic payments
- Paperless
Nationwide questions
Does Nationwide still have its own agents?
No. Nationwide announced in July 2020 that it had completed an 18-month transition to a fully independent agency model, with more than 99% of its formerly captive agents moving into that channel. The agent who quotes you Nationwide today also represents other companies.
What does it mean that Nationwide is a mutual?
A mutual insurer is owned by its policyholders rather than by shareholders, which is why Nationwide refers to members. In practical terms it changes who the company answers to, not what you are buying — rates are still filed with your state and the policy is still a contract.
Is Nationwide auto insurance sold in my state?
Nationwide does not publish an availability statement. Its own state directory for car insurance lists 46 states plus the District of Columbia; Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana and Massachusetts do not appear. Treat that as a reason to check rather than as a published answer.
Can this site get me a Nationwide quote?
No. InsuranceXR is not an insurance agency and does not quote any company. Calling reaches a licensed independent agent, who can tell you which companies they are appointed with — and because Nationwide now sells through independent agents, some of them are appointed with Nationwide. We cannot promise that yours is.
All 18 companies
Alphabetical, which is the only order here — we do not rank them. The one you are reading is marked.
Find out who will actually write you
Whether Nationwide — or anyone else — will write your profile, and at what price, is underwriting. No website can answer it. A licensed agent can, on a call that costs nothing.
Auto insurance line
(888) 883-0806Calling costs nothing and there is no obligation to buy.
Not an insurer. We connect you with licensed agents.
InsuranceXR is an independent referral service. We are not an insurance agency, we are not affiliated with Nationwide, and Nationwide has not reviewed this page. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Everything stated here about Nationwide is drawn from nationwide.com and news.nationwide.com — its about, history, affiliated companies, auto, state directory and discount pages, and its July 2020 announcement of the independent agency transition — read on September 15, 2026.
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