Does Progressive forgive your first accident?

Progressive offers a tiered [3-tier accident forgiveness program] to help drivers avoid rate increases after a crash.

How Progressive Accident Forgiveness Works

• Small Accident Forgiveness: Progressive automatically waives rate increases for any qualifying claim under $500. This is free and available immediately to new and existing customers in most states.
• Large Accident Forgiveness: Progressive will forgive a larger claim (regardless of the dollar amount) if you have been a Progressive customer for at least five consecutive years and have remained completely accident- and violation-free during that time.
• Purchased Accident Forgiveness: If you do not qualify for the loyalty tier yet, you can choose to buy an optional add-on when setting up your policy. This add-on forgives one qualifying accident per policy period.

Key Rules to Keep in Mind

• State Availability: Rules, pricing, and availability vary by state and individual driving history.
• Other Factors: While accident forgiveness prevents your rate from climbing due to the specific forgiven crash, other external factors (like moving violations, vehicle code updates, or general rate adjustments in your ZIP code) can still influence your total premium.

Progressive rarely drops a driver after just one standard car accident, though your rates may increase unless you qualify for Progressive Accident Forgiveness.

What Happens After One Accident

• Rate Increases: A single at-fault accident usually results in a premium increase at renewal time rather than a cancellation.
• Accident Forgiveness: Progressive offers Small Accident Forgiveness for claims of $500 or less, and Large Accident Forgiveness for loyal customers with clean records.
• Record Duration: The accident stays on your internal record and affects your rates for 3 to 5 years.

When One Accident Might Lead to a Drop

• Severe Violations: If the crash involves a DUI, DWI, or results in the revocation of your driver's license, cancellation is much more likely.
• Prior History: If you already had minor infractions, tickets, or recent claims before this single accident, the cumulative risk may trigger a non-renewal notice.
• State Regulations: Rules vary depending on local insurance laws regarding how many claims an insurer can act upon.

Progressive may or may not raise your rates after a first accident depending on the claim amount, your customer tenure, and whether you qualify for Progressive Accident Forgiveness.

How Progressive Handles First Accidents

• Small Accident Forgiveness: In most states, Progressive automatically forgives claims that total $500 or less for all customers, meaning your rate will not increase.
• Large Accident Forgiveness (Loyalty Reward): If you have been a Progressive customer for at least 5 consecutive years and have been accident- and violation-free for 3 of those years, your first larger accident can be forgiven regardless of the cost.
• Purchased Accident Forgiveness: In some states, you can pay an extra fee to add an accident forgiveness option to your policy right away.

When Rates Will Go Up

If your claim is over $500 and you do not qualify for large accident forgiveness through the loyalty rewards program or an add-on, your rate will likely increase at your next policy renewal. At-fault accidents can raise car insurance rates nationally by an average of 45% to over 60%, depending on your state and risk profile.

An accident typically stays on your Progressive internal insurance record for 3 to 5 years, though it usually impacts your premium for only the first 3 years.

How Progressive Handles Accidents

• Rate Impact: Progressive generally uses a three-year lookback period to factor an at-fault accident into your insurance rates. Once three years pass from the date of the incident, the surcharge normally drops off your premium.
• Record Retention: While it stops affecting your price after three years, the accident may remain visible in your internal claims history with Progressive for up to five years, which can sometimes influence your eligibility for certain company-specific discounts.
• State and Severity Variations: State laws dictate how long accidents stay on your official Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) driving record (often 3 to 5 years or longer for severe infractions), which insurers also review.

Progressive's basic accident forgiveness is entirely free, as it is integrated directly into their tiered loyalty program. However, they also offer a paid version if you want to buy immediate, extra protection.

The exact breakdown depends on which tier you use:

1. Small Accident Forgiveness (Free)

• Cost: $0.
• How it works: It is automatically applied to your policy in most states as soon as you become a customer. Progressive will not raise your rate for your first at-fault claim if the total damage is $500 or less.

2. Large Accident Forgiveness (Free Loyalty Reward)

• Cost: $0.
• How it works: This is an earned loyalty benefit. To qualify, you must be a Progressive customer for at least 5 continuous years and remain entirely accident- and violation-free for a specified lookback period (usually 3 to 5 years depending on the state). Once earned, Progressive will forgive one large at-fault accident of any dollar amount.

3. Progressive® Accident Forgiveness (Paid Add-On)

• Cost: Typically 5% of your total premium (averaging roughly $10 to $15 per month).
• How it works: If you do not want to wait 5 years to earn the free loyalty version, you can choose to buy this upgrade upfront. It allows you to have one qualifying accident forgiven per policy period, regardless of the claim amount. If you have already earned the loyalty rewards, the purchased version acts as a secondary buffer to forgive a second eligible claim in the same period.

Note: Pricing and availability for all accident forgiveness options vary heavily by your driving history, ZIP code, and state regulations. For example, California state law strictly prohibits insurers from offering accident forgiveness policies entirely. You can check exact pricing for your policy layout on the Progressive Car Insurance FAQ.