The General car insurance, as The General describes it
A nonstandard specialist that says so openly. Two things are commonly reported wrong: it is not the insurer, and American Family no longer owns it.
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The basics, as The General publishes them
- Owned by
- Sentry Insurance, since December 2024
- Founded
- 1963
- How you buy
- Online, phone, app, or independent agent
- Writes
- Nonstandard and high-risk drivers
What The General publishes about itself
The General is unusually direct about who it is for. Its own pages say it writes drivers with a history of violations or accidents, drivers who did not keep insurance in force, and drivers with less-than-perfect credit — and that it files SR-22s in most states. The structural fact its advertising does not cover is that The General Automobile Insurance Services is a licensed insurance agency, a subsidiary of Sentry Insurance Company, and the policy is underwritten by a Sentry Insurance Group member — or, in Texas and California, by specifically named companies. Sentry acquired the business from American Family on December 31, 2024.
What is settled, and what is not
Everything on the left is stated by The General. 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 says which drivers it is for
The General states it offers auto insurance for drivers who have had a history of driving violations or accidents, have not kept their insurance in force, or have less-than-perfect credit. Its own pages use the industry term for this: nonstandard.
It files SR-22s
The General states it provides SR-22 filings in most states, and that the filing fee is included in the quote. It also states that in most states it can only file an SR-22 in the state where the policy was issued — which matters if you have moved.
Prior coverage is not required
The General states that some companies will not accept you without at least six months of prior coverage and that this is not the case with them. In some states it says prior coverage can still earn you a better price.
Low down payments and monthly plans
The General states it passes savings on in the form of low down payments and low premiums, offers monthly payment plans in most states, and lets you choose the payment date. It does not publish a minimum down payment.
The owner changed at the end of 2024
Its own timeline records the 2013 acquisition by American Family and then, on December 31, 2024, the acquisition by Sentry Insurance. Any article naming American Family as the current parent is out of date.
They do not
The brand is an agency, not your insurer
The General states that The General Automobile Insurance Services is a licensed insurance agency and a subsidiary of Sentry Insurance Company, and that coverages are underwritten by a member of the Sentry Insurance Group. In Texas it names Dairyland County Mutual or Old American County Mutual Fire; in California, Viking Insurance Company of Wisconsin or Permanent General Assurance Corporation. Elsewhere it does not name which member.
How many states, exactly
Its about page says it offers coverage across 47 states. Its own state directory has pages for all 50 plus the District of Columbia, and its legal disclosures say coverages are not available in all states. The specific 47 are not published. Ask before assuming.
Most non-auto products are someone else entirely
The General’s legal disclosures list renters, homeowners, health, life and pet as referrals to named third-party companies, and state that Progressive underwrites its motorhome, travel trailer, boat and commercial auto policies. Auto is the product it actually stands behind.
Discounts The General names
These are the credits The General 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-car
- Homeowner
- Prior insurance coverage
- Safe driver
- Good student
- Academic achievement
- Defensive driving course
- Good credit
- Paid in full
- Military (Louisiana)
The General questions
Who actually underwrites a policy from The General?
Not The General. Its own legal disclosures state that The General Automobile Insurance Services is a licensed insurance agency and a subsidiary of Sentry Insurance Company, and that its property and casualty coverages are underwritten by a member of the Sentry Insurance Group. In Texas and California it names specific companies; elsewhere it does not say which member. Ask for the company name before you buy.
Is The General still owned by American Family?
No. Its own timeline records American Family acquiring it in 2013 and Sentry Insurance acquiring it on December 31, 2024. A lot of published material still names American Family, and it is out of date.
Will The General insure me after a lapse or an SR-22?
That is the market it describes itself as serving. It states it writes drivers with violations, accidents, a lapse in prior coverage, or less-than-perfect credit, and that it provides SR-22 filings in most states. Whether it writes you specifically, and at what price, is underwriting — no website can answer that.
Is nonstandard insurance more expensive?
Usually, because it is priced for a higher expected loss — that is what the classification means. It is also not permanent: violations and at-fault accidents age off, and a period of continuous coverage is itself a rating factor. Worth re-shopping once the record improves rather than staying put.
Can this site get me a The General quote?
No. InsuranceXR is not an insurance agency and does not quote any company. The General sells through more than one channel, so whether a given agent can quote it depends on their own appointments. The agent who answers can tell you which companies they represent; we cannot promise The General is one of them.
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 The General — 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 The General or with Sentry Insurance, and neither has reviewed this page. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Everything stated here about The General is drawn from thegeneral.com and sentry.com — its about, legal disclosures, car insurance, high-risk, SR-22 and shop-insurance pages, and Sentry’s own announcement of the acquisition — read on September 15, 2026.
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