Does State Farm Have Accident Forgiveness?

Last Updated on March 21, 2024

State Farm, like many insurance companies, offers accident forgiveness to some drivers.

If you have 9 years or more of accident-free driving history, then State Farm will forgive your first accident. Without accident forgiveness, your rates could rise 40% to 60% after a single at-fault accident.

Keep reading to discover everything you need to know about State Farm’s accident forgiveness and how it works.

Table of Contents:

• Yes, State Farm Offers Accident Forgiveness in Most States
• How Much Does State Farm Increase Rates After an Accident?
• How State Farm’s Accident Forgiveness Works
• How to Add Accident Forgiveness to Your State Farm Policy
• State Farm Accident Forgiveness Qualification Requirements
• Benefits of State Farm Accident Forgiveness

Yes, State Farm Offers Accident Forgiveness in Most States

State Farm offers accident forgiveness in most states.

Unless you live in a state that has effectively banned accident forgiveness (like California), you should be able to qualify for State Farm’s accident forgiveness, assuming you meet the requirements.

State Farm’s accident forgiveness has stricter requirements than other accident forgiveness programs.

• First, you can only qualify for State Farm’s accident forgiveness after 9 years of clean driving history. You must have zero speeding tickets, traffic citations, and at-fault accidents on your record over the last 9 years to qualify.
• Second, you cannot purchase State Farm’s accident forgiveness as a policy add-on. You can’t pay a few extra dollars per month for added peace of mind, for example; instead, you can only qualify for accident forgiveness through your driving record.

State Farm may be phasing out its accident forgiveness program. The company does not mention accident forgiveness anywhere on its website, nor does the company disclose accident forgiveness requirements on any of its policy documentation. Although some drivers report qualifying for State Farm’s accident forgiveness after 9 years of safe driving, this may not be available in all states.

How Much Does State Farm Increase Rates After an Accident?

State Farm increases rates by an average of 51% after a single at-fault accident. Typically, you can expect to pay 40% to 60% higher insurance premiums after a loss.

The more serious the accident is, the higher your premiums will be. State Farm raises rates higher after a multi-vehicle accident with serious injuries, for example, than after a single non-injury fender bender at an intersection.

State Farm continues to charge higher rates for 3 to 5 years after an accident. As long as you remain accident-free, however, your premiums should drop each year you maintain a safe driving record.

How State Farm’s Accident Forgiveness Works

If you qualify for State Farm’s accident forgiveness program, then the company forgives a single at-fault accident from your driving record.

Here are the basics of how State Farm’s accident forgiveness works:

1. You automatically qualify for State Farm’s accident forgiveness after 9 years of a claim-free, accident-free driving record
2. While the accident forgiveness program is active on your account, you cause an accident; you are found to be partially or wholly at-fault for the accident
3. State Farm forgives this one accident from your driving record, which means you won’t pay higher premiums as a result of the accident
4. You continue to have a clean driving record after the accident, and you maintain your safe driving discount and other related perks

State Farm only forgives one at-fault accident. If you cause another accident, then State Farm will treat that accident as they normally would. You’ll pay higher premiums for 3 to 5 years.

State Farm does not allow you to re-qualify for accident forgiveness. Once you have qualified and used your accident forgiveness, you cannot qualify for accident forgiveness again – even if you maintain 9 years of clean driving after your at-fault accident.

How to Add Accident Forgiveness to Your State Farm Policy

State Farm does not let you purchase additional accident forgiveness coverage.

Most auto insurance companies let you add accident forgiveness to your policy for added protection. You can pay a few extra dollars per month, for example, for accident forgiveness. Some drivers find it’s worth paying for peace of mind. You pay higher premiums today, but you can relax knowing a single accident won’t cause premiums to rise by 50%.

However, State Farm does not appear to allow customers to purchase accident forgiveness coverage.

Instead, the only way to get accident forgiveness with State Farm is to qualify automatically through your driving record.

State Farm Accident Forgiveness Qualification Requirements

State Farm requires drivers to meet the following qualifications to access accident forgiveness:

9 Years of Loyalty with State Farm: Most insurance companies let you qualify for accident forgiveness after 5 to 10 years of safe driving history with any company. However, State Farm appears to require 9 years of continuous insurance coverage with State Farm to qualify. Otherwise, you’re not covered.

9 Years of Claim-Free, Accident-Free Driving History: If you have 9 years without speeding tickets, accidents, citations, or other violations, then you may qualify for State Farm’s accident forgiveness.

No Previous Accident Forgiveness on Your Policy: As a State Farm customer, you get one accident forgiveness claim per policy. After you qualify for accident forgiveness and use the coverage once, you cannot qualify for accident forgiveness again.

If you meet the qualifications above, then State Farm may automatically add accident forgiveness to your policy, depending on your state.

Contact your State Farm agent to verify whether or not you have accident forgiveness with State Farm.

Benefits of State Farm Accident Forgiveness

State Farm’s accident forgiveness is more restrictive than it is with other insurers. However, there are multiple benefits to State Farm’s accident forgiveness, including:

Qualify Automatically: If you have been a State Farm customer for 9 years and have 9 years of safe driving history, then you should qualify for State Farm’s accident forgiveness automatically. You don’t need to purchase extra coverage. In fact, many State Farm customers may already have accident forgiveness and not know it.

No Added Cost: It does not cost anything to add accident forgiveness to your State Farm policy. In fact, there does not appear to be a way to purchase State Farm’s accident forgiveness coverage on its own.

Peace of Mind: When you have accident forgiveness with State Farm, you have the peace of mind that a single at-fault accident will not raise your premiums. Typically, an at-fault accident raises premiums 40% to 60%, which could cost you thousands over the next few years.

Maintain Your Safe Driving Discount: If you have accident forgiveness, you do not lose your safe driving discount because of a single at-fault accident. That means you can continue enjoying your discount – and the savings – even after an accident.

Final Word on State Farm Accident Forgiveness

State Farm offers accident forgiveness to policyholders. However, this coverage tends to be more restrictive than it is with other insurers.

You cannot buy accident forgiveness from State Farm; instead, you only qualify for accident forgiveness after you have 9 years of accident-free driving history and 9 years of loyalty to the company.

To learn more about State Farm’s accident forgiveness or to check if you already have accident forgiveness, contact your State Farm insurance agent today.