CarInsurance.com Insights
- USAA auto insurance is only available to active, retired and honorably discharged U.S. military personnel and their family members, including spouses and children.
- Spouses of USAA members can keep their coverage even after divorce or the member’s death. Children of USAA members may also qualify.
- Family members such as siblings, cousins or parents of USAA members are not eligible unless they served in the military and meet USAA’s eligibility criteria.
USAA auto insurance is highly coveted due to its competitive pricing, often making it one of the most affordable options.
However, qualifying for USAA membership and its insurance benefits can be challenging, as these are primarily offered to active, retired and honorably discharged U.S. military personnel and their families.
If you are a wife, widow of a former spouse of a military veteran or current USAA member, the good news is that you should be eligible for USAA membership and qualify for USAA car insurance. You should be able to keep your USAA membership after a divorce as long as you’re not remarried — make sure to get your own membership to maintain program eligibility.
USAA eligibility: Who qualifies and who doesn’t
| Relationship type | Eligibility |
|---|---|
| Active duty/veteran | Yes |
| Current spouse | Yes |
| Widows/widowers | Yes |
| Un‑remarried ex‑spouse | Yes |
| Children/stepchildren | Yes |
| Grandchildren | Only if your parent is also a member |
| Siblings, cousins, grandparents, parents | No |
Are wives divorced from disabled veterans eligible for USAA insurance?
If you are a former spouse of a USAA member, including a disabled veteran, you should qualify for USAA membership and your own USAA auto insurance policy. Put another way, if you become a USAA member through marriage, you can still keep your USAA membership after your divorce. But you can’t join after marriage unless you meet the eligibility requirements.
“Wives divorced from disabled veterans may lose their eligibility for USAA car insurance provided by their former husband unless they maintain a separate USAA membership,” says personal finance Dennis Shirshikov, a professor of finance at City University of New York/Queens College. “Eligibility usually depends on the terms set during the period of your marriage and continued adherence to USAA’s membership criteria.”
Check out this guide to USAA eligibility.
How do I find out if my husband was a member of USAA?
Not sure if your husband, deceased spouse, or former husband was a USAA member?
Try contacting USAA at 210-531-USAA (8722) or 800-531-USAA (8722), or chat online with USAA at usaa.com/help/contact.
Speak with a friendly agent and get your quote in minutes!
Popular questions from our readers, answered by experts
My wife recently died. Her family was in the military, which gave us access to USAA benefits. Would I still be able to access benefits?
If your wife recently passed away and had USAA benefits, you may be able to retain those benefits depending on certain factors. For example, according to USAA, you may be eligible for your surviving spouse membership if your parent-in-law is a USAA member and your deceased wife was a USAA member.
Your parent-in-law must first pass on membership eligibility to your spouse. If your spouse was already a member, you can use their USAA number to apply for products and benefits exclusive to USAA members. However, if your wife was not a USAA member herself, you will likely not qualify for your own USAA membership after her passing.
I am a widow of an honorably discharged veteran. My husband was not a USAA member. Am I or my adult children eligible to get auto insurance with USAA?
Again, if your late spouse was a veteran but not a USAA member, you and your children probably won’t qualify for USAA membership.
Am I eligible for coverage as a widow of a husband who served four years in the Korean War? And if so, what information is needed?
Widows, widowers and former spouses who have not remarried and were covered by USAA auto or property insurance while married to a USAA member should qualify for membership in USAA and a USAA car insurance plan.
Widowed spouses yearning to initiate or continue membership may need to provide a marriage certificate and the USAA member’s death certificate.
However, if your late spouse was a veteran but not a USAA member, you might be turned down for membership.
I am the widow of an Air Force veteran. He was not a member of USAA. Is it possible for me to become a member?
Unfortunately, if your deceased spouse was not a USAA member but an Air Force veteran, you won’t be eligible for USAA membership.
I am a widower of a retired master chief in the Navy. Am I still eligible to sign up if he passes away?
If your deceased spouse was a USAA member, you should continue to be eligible for USAA insurance.
“But if he was not a member, you would not qualify based on his service alone,” Shirshikov says.
The bottom line
If you’re a former or surviving spouse, widow or widower, you should be able to retain your former spouse’s USAA membership. But things get more complicated if that person was not already a member. For more details and confirmation if you qualify for USAA insurance benefits, reach out to USAA.
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