Last updated: October 20, 2026
National General SR22 insurance is sold by an Allstate company with a strong financial rating and weak consumer scores. Those two facts pull in opposite directions, so this review shows the sources behind each one. We didn’t buy a policy or file a claim, so nothing here is first-hand experience.
But the practical question is narrower than the ratings. Can you get an SR22 filing through National General in your state, from your agent, at a price that beats the alternatives? The public data answers only part of that.
National General SR22 Insurance: Ownership and Products
Wikipedia says National General was founded in 1920 and took its current name on July 1, 2013, after operating as GMAC Insurance. Allstate announced the acquisition in July 2020, and Business Wire reports the closing on January 4, 2021 at a price of $4 billion. The company site now reads National General, an Allstate company.
Besides auto, it sells home, RV, and motorcycle lines, plus commercial auto. Insurify describes it as a non-standard and high-risk auto option. We found no dated source reporting a rename of the brand.
Does National General File SR22?
Yes, according to outside sources. NerdWallet (January 6, 2026) says it can file an SR-22 certificate if your license is suspended after a DUI. Insurify (September 28, 2026) says it offers SR-22 filings. However, the company’s own auto insurance page doesn’t mention SR-22, so we found no company confirmation.
However, FR-44 and non-owner coverage are less certain. Only an agency site, without a date, says National General files SR-22 and FR-44 certificates in all 50 states. That isn’t a company statement, so treat it as low confidence. We also couldn’t verify a filing fee. Call an agent and confirm the filing, the fee, and the timing. Our SR22 vs FR-44 guide explains which form your state needs.
Where National General Sells: Agents and States
Insurify says National General sells in 50 states. NerdWallet rated it only in California, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. AutoInsurance.com says it sells through more than 55,000 independent agents. The company says all coverages, discounts, features, benefits, and pay plans vary by state and insurer.
So availability of SR22 depends on your state and your agent. Two agents in the same state may quote different prices and different pay plans. Get quotes from at least two agents if you go this route.
National General SR22 Insurance: Ratings and Complaints
AM Best affirmed National General Insurance Company at A+ (Superior) with a stable outlook on September 2, 2026, with Allstate as the ultimate parent. That rating speaks to the ability to pay claims.
Still, complaint data is high in every source. AutoInsurance.com lists an NAIC index of 5.16, and Insurify lists 5.93. NerdWallet says National General draws far more complaints than expected for its size. An index of 1.0 is average, so these figures mean roughly five times the expected complaints.
Also, consumer scores are the weakest we found in this group. When we checked Trustpilot directly on September 29, 2026, it showed 1.2 out of 5 from 199 reviews, with 136 in the last 12 months. Ninety percent were one-star and six percent were five-star. Reviewers describe slow claims handling, hard-to-reach customer service, cancellation and short-rate fees, billing errors, and rate increases. The company replies to 97% of negative reviews.
Meanwhile, Insurify shows 1.6 and CoverageCat shows 1.8 from 90 reviews, which look like earlier or different snapshots. The BBB profile for National General Insurance Company in Winston-Salem shows an A+ rating and isn’t BBB accredited. Its complaint themes include cancellation and refund problems and unresponsiveness.
But J.D. Power figures come only from secondary sources. Insurify says National General scored 605 out of 1,000, the lowest in the study. AutoInsurance.com says it ranked last among 20 insurers in a claims satisfaction study. J.D. Power’s own 2026 auto insurance study press release didn’t mention National General, so we couldn’t verify either claim. NerdWallet rates it 3.4 stars in its September 1, 2026 high-risk list.
What National General SR22 Insurance Costs
Insurify (September 28, 2026) lists $88 a month for liability-only and $176 for full coverage. For a driver with a DUI, its page shows $251 a month for full coverage, against $271 to $359 for competitors, without showing the assumptions. NerdWallet (January 6, 2026) lists $215 a month for full coverage and $59 for minimum coverage.
However, the DUI numbers conflict. NerdWallet lists $4,400 a year, or $367 a month, for one DUI, against a $4,433 national average. That’s barely below average. The Zebra (May 13, 2026) calls National General the cheapest for high-risk drivers with a DUI, but that’s a review claim, and it lists a six-month national average of $940. So don’t assume a cheap SR22 quote. Compare it with our cheapest SR22 insurance companies comparison.
How National General Compares With the Other Specialists
The contrast with its peers is sharp. NerdWallet’s September 1, 2026 ratings give National General 3.4 stars, against Dairyland at 4.3, The General at 4.2, and Bristol West at 3.8. AM Best rates National General A+, the same as Dairyland and The General, and above Bristol West’s A.
On Trustpilot, Dairyland showed 4.4 out of 5 when we checked, against 1.2 for National General. So National General pairs one of the strongest parents in the group with one of the weakest consumer scores. That combination suggests the risk sits in service and billing, not in ability to pay claims.
| Insurer | NerdWallet rating (September 1, 2026) | AM Best rating | Trustpilot (checked September 29, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dairyland | 4.3 stars | A+ | 4.4 out of 5 |
| The General | 4.2 stars | A+ | Not covered here |
| Bristol West | 3.8 stars | A | Not covered here |
| National General | 3.4 stars | A+ | 1.2 out of 5 from 199 reviews |
Ratings come from NerdWallet, AM Best and Trustpilot on the dates shown.
Read our Dairyland review, The General review, and Bristol West review to compare the same facts side by side.
National General SR22 Insurance: Strengths and Open Questions
What the public data supports
- An A+ (Superior) AM Best rating, affirmed September 2, 2026, under Allstate ownership.
- Outside sources that say it files SR-22 after a DUI suspension.
- A wide agent network, per AutoInsurance.com, which gives you several places to get a quote.
What remains open
- Complaint indexes that all sit far above average.
- A Trustpilot score of 1.2 out of 5, with reviewers citing cancellation fees, billing errors, and slow claims.
- No company statement about SR-22 on its auto page, and no verified filing fee.
- Conflicting price data, including a DUI price near the national average in one source.
Cancellation Terms to Read Before You Buy
Reviewers on Trustpilot and the BBB keep returning to cancellation. A short-rate charge is a penalty some insurers apply when you cancel before the term ends, and it returns less than a pro-rata refund. Ask whether National General applies one, and how it calculates the refund.
Cancellation also matters for your license. GEICO and Progressive both say they must notify the state if a policy cancels while an SR22 is required. So confirm the cancellation terms and the refund rules in writing before you pay the down payment.
Who Should Get a National General Quote
First, add National General to your quote group if an agent you trust recommends it, or if your state has few filing options. Don’t start with it, and don’t choose it on price alone. Our best high risk auto insurance companies guide shows how it compares with three other specialists.
Before you buy, ask the agent about cancellation and short-rate charges, the down payment, the SR22 fee, and how quickly the filing reaches the state. A cancellation while your SR22 is active triggers a notice to the state, so read the cancellation terms first. Also read our guide to SR22 lapse or cancellation.
What We Could Not Verify in This National General SR22 Insurance Review
Still, several items stayed open. The company gives no SR-22 confirmation on its auto page, no filing fee, and no full state list. The J.D. Power claims come only from secondary sources. And we have no first-hand data on claims handling.
If you have filed a claim with National General, your experience is better evidence than this review. Use it as a checklist for your call with an agent.
This article contains no affiliate or quote links. If we add any, we will disclose them here. Figures were checked on September 29, 2026 against the sources named above.
The team at High Risk Auto Guide isn’t a licensed insurance agency. The information in this article is educational and based on official, verified sources as of the date noted. Confirm the details that apply to your specific case with your state’s DMV/BMV or with your own insurance company.
