Auto insurance · Updated August 2026
The General vs Dairyland
The General and Dairyland both specialize in non-standard auto, and both file SR-22s as routine business. The General quotes direct online in minutes. Dairyland writes motorcycle as well as auto, and its underwriter drew 0.61 on the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, below the industry median. That is rare in this segment. Neither is reliably cheaper. For the same driver in the same state, either can return the lower number.
By Dylan Leggett, licensed insurance agent · NPN 17875887
The short answer
The General has written auto since 1963. The quote runs direct on its site in minutes, an is a routine part of the flow rather than an exception, and down payments run low. Its iOS app holds 4.69 stars across 227,464 ratings. The tradeoffs: it writes only auto, and its , Permanent General, drew 3.86 on the NAIC's 2025 complaint index, well above the median.
Dairyland has written non-standard auto since 1953 and is one of the few specialists that also writes motorcycle. Its underwriting company on the 2025 NAIC index, Peak Property & Casualty, drew 0.61: fewer complaints than an insurer its size is expected to generate, in a segment where the number usually runs high. AM Best rates the Sentry group companies behind it A+. The tradeoffs: it publishes no state list, so availability is a quote away rather than a lookup, and there is no discount.
differ by state, and non-standard prices swing further than standard ones. If you also insure a motorcycle, Dairyland writes both; The General does not. For the same driver in the same state, either can return the lower number.
About two minutes. No effect on your credit score.
Side by side
The General vs Dairyland: the data sheet
Sources are listed under the measured figures. How we compare
The General | Dairyland | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Drivers who need an SR-22, had a lapse, or are new to insurance | Drivers who need an SR-22 or motorcycle coverage |
| Who underwrites it | Permanent General Assurance Corp., part of American Family | Sentry group companies, including Peak Property & Casualty |
| Complaints per policyDairyland, by a wide margin | 3.86 151 complaints on $822M written | 0.61 14 complaints on $485M written |
NAIC complaint index, 2025, private passenger auto · Permanent General Assurance Corp. vs Peak Property & Casualty Ins. Corp. · 1.00 is the industry median | ||
| Financial strengthBoth strong; Dairyland a step higher | A Excellent | A+ Superior |
AM Best financial strength rating · A++ is the highest issued | ||
| Coverage you can buyDairyland, if you want to bundle | 1 line auto | 2 lines auto, motorcycle |
| PriceNot rated | Filed state by state, priced to the driver. The main factors are below. | |
| SR-22 filing | Yes | Yes |
| Telematics program | None | None |
| Availability | 46 states and Washington, D.C. | No published state list; varies by state |
| Known for | Low down payments, quotes in minutes, no prior insurance accepted | SR-22 filings, motorcycle coverage, flexible payments since 1953 |
In practice
Where they differ
Same segment, different complaint records
Both companies write non-standard auto, where policies involve more and cancellations and complaint counts run high at any insurer. The 2025 NAIC numbers still split them sharply: Dairyland's Peak Property & Casualty drew 0.61, below the industry median, while The General's Permanent General drew 3.86, roughly four times it.
How you buy them
The General quotes and sells direct on its site. Dairyland sells online and through independent agents. Both paths price from the same state rate filings.
Motorcycle changes the math
Dairyland writes motorcycle as well as auto, and non-standard riders have few carriers to choose from. The General concentrates on auto, its specialty. For car-only drivers, the difference doesn't apply.
Price
Which is cheaper: The General or Dairyland?
Neither company is reliably cheaper. What sets the price:
The driver, not the brand, sets the range. A DUI, an SR-22 requirement, or a lapse resets the price at both companies. Two non-standard quotes for the same record can still land far apart, and the direction changes by state.
Availability decides some matchups. The General sells in 46 states and Washington, D.C. Dairyland publishes no state list, so the quote itself answers whether it writes in yours.
A low down payment is not a low price. Both companies compete on money due at signing. The figure that decides the comparison is the term total, not the first payment.
One application. Real prices from the carriers writing in your state.