If a DUI, a string of speeding tickets, or a lapse in coverage has made every quote you get look painful, you’re probably wondering whether The General is actually different or just another name on a long list of non-standard carriers. This review breaks down what the company covers, what it tends to cost, and where it falls short for drivers dealing with a rough record.
The General built its entire business around drivers that standard insurers turn away. That’s worth understanding before you request a quote, because the pitch is different from what you’d get at a mainstream carrier.
Who The General is built for
The General markets itself directly to drivers with DUIs, at-fault accidents, multiple tickets, or a coverage gap on their record. Standard insurers usually price these drivers out or decline them outright, which is exactly the gap this company tries to fill.
What does that mean in practice? It means the underwriting is built around risk you already have, not risk you might avoid. See how GEICO handles high-risk records if you want a sense of how a mainstream insurer treats a similar file, since the approach and pricing logic can look very different.
The General also tends to work with drivers who need coverage started quickly, sometimes the same day, which matters if a court date or a lender is waiting on proof of insurance.
Coverage and SR-22 filing options
SR-22 filings are one of the main reasons drivers land on The General’s site in the first place. The company handles the filing directly with the state, which removes a step you’d otherwise have to chase down yourself.
Coverage options generally range from state-minimum liability to fuller packages that add collision and comprehensive, though availability can shift depending on your state and driving history. Here’s a general breakdown of what tends to be available.
If you’re weighing SR-22 specialists against each other, it’s worth taking a moment to look at Dairyland SR-22 coverage as a point of comparison, since filing speed and add-ons can differ between carriers.
✅ Compare Progressive’s high-risk rates →
See how The General handles SR-22 filings, DUIs, tickets, and lapsed coverage without the usual runaround.
SR-22 handled for you
The filing goes straight to the state as part of setting up your policy.
Fast online quote
Get a quote and start coverage in one sitting, even with a flagged record.
🔒 A straightforward look at requirements and pricing — no guesswork involved.
Real pros and cons for high-risk drivers
The clear upside is acceptance. Drivers who get flatly declined elsewhere can usually get a quote here, and the online process is fast enough to finish in one sitting.
The trade-off is price. Because the company is pricing in more risk from the start, premiums often run higher than what a standard carrier would charge a driver with a clean record, and sometimes higher than other non-standard options too.
Customer service reviews are mixed, which is common in this segment of the market. Some drivers report smooth claims, others describe slower response times than they’d like.
Before locking anything in, it’s reasonable to compare with Progressive for high-risk drivers, since Progressive also works with non-standard risk but structures its discounts differently.
“Drivers coming off a DUI or a lapse in coverage often save more by comparing two or three non-standard quotes side by side than by assuming the first offer is the only one available to them.”
How much you might pay and how to lower it
Pricing for high-risk policies varies a lot by state, the specific violation on your record, and how recent it is. A DUI from a few years back typically carries less weight than one from last month, and multiple tickets tend to stack up faster than a single incident.
There are still ways to bring the number down. Raising your deductible, bundling a second vehicle, paying in full instead of monthly, and taking a defensive driving course where your state allows it can all shave something off the total.
It also helps to shop this against a name you already trust. You can check State Farm for high-risk drivers to see whether a standard carrier with a high-risk program might actually beat a specialist on price, which happens more often than people expect.
Is The General the right fit for your record?
If you’ve been declined elsewhere, need an SR-22 filed quickly, or just want a policy active before a court deadline, The General is a reasonable option to have on your shortlist. It’s built for exactly this situation.
If your record is closer to borderline — one ticket, no accidents, coverage never lapsed — you may have better luck starting with a mainstream carrier’s high-risk program before settling for non-standard pricing.
Either way, the smart move is getting more than one quote before you commit to a full year of payments.
✅ Check GEICO’s take on your record →
Conclusion
The General fills a real gap for drivers that standard insurers won’t touch, and the SR-22 filing service alone saves a step most people don’t want to handle themselves. It’s not usually the cheapest option on the market, but it’s often one of the fastest to get you legally covered again.
Whether it’s the right pick for you depends on how your specific record compares to what other non-standard and standard carriers are quoting right now.