How does Root's test drive work?

You download the Root app and drive normally for roughly two to three weeks, covering around 200 miles across a minimum number of trips. The app scores smooth braking, gentle cornering, phone handling while driving, and how much you drive during high-risk hours. At the end Root either offers you a rate based on that score or declines to cover you. That second outcome is deliberate — declining high-risk drivers is how Root keeps pricing low for the drivers it does insure — so you should not cancel existing coverage until you have a bindable Root offer in hand.

Is Root Insurance financially stable?

Root is not rated by AM Best, and Demotech lists it as FSR-NR (not rated), so there is no third-party grade on its claims-paying ability — a real difference from carriers like State Farm (A++) or GEICO (A++). Its own results have improved sharply: Root reported 2025 revenue of $1.52 billion, up 29% year over year, and net income of $40.3 million, up 30%, its strongest position since founding. It is a licensed, regulated insurer in every state where it writes, but if a rated balance sheet matters to you, that gap is the main reason to look elsewhere.

What states does Root Insurance cover?

Root writes in 37 states as of July 2026, when New Jersey became its newest. It has said it is pursuing Wyoming, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Michigan, Idaho, and Maine pending regulatory approval, with a stated goal of covering the contiguous U.S. by 2027. Availability changes as filings clear, so confirm your state before planning around it.

How do I compare Root against other carriers?

Because Root will not price you until the test drive is finished, the practical approach is to line up conventional quotes in parallel rather than waiting. Enter your ZIP above and we'll connect you with licensed agents in your area, so you have rated-carrier pricing to measure Root's offer against when it arrives — and coverage in place if the test drive does not end in an offer.

How does Root compare to GEICO and State Farm?

GEICO and State Farm both hold A++ from AM Best, write in all 50 states, and can quote you in minutes; Root has no financial strength rating, writes in 37 states, and needs two to three weeks first. Where Root wins is the pricing basis. State Farm and GEICO price you largely on age, record, vehicle, and credit, so a careful 22-year-old still pays young-driver rates; Root prices mostly on measured behavior, which is why its biggest savings show up for safe drivers in exactly that bracket. For a clean-record driver in their 40s the gap narrows considerably and the rated carriers are usually the better overall deal.

Rates as low as $38/month

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Root Insurance

Is Root Insurance Worth It? An Independent Review (2026)

By ReliablePolicy Editorial Team

Root is an app-based car insurer that sets your rate mostly from how you actually drive, measured over a two-to-three week test drive, rather than from age and demographics. Safe drivers can land well below national pricing. The catches are real, though: no rating agency currently rates Root's financial strength, it writes in 37 states rather than all 50, and a poor test drive means no offer at all. Here is an honest look at Root auto insurance in 2026.

Avg. annual premium

~$1,720

Full coverage; varies sharply by driving score

AM Best rating

Not rated

No AM Best or Demotech FSR

JD Power score

Not ranked

Too small for the national studies

Availability

37 states

New Jersey added July 2026

Test drive

2-3 weeks

Required before a bindable quote

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Root Insurance overview

Root was founded in 2015 in Columbus, Ohio by Alex Timm and Dan Manges, and has traded on Nasdaq under ROOT since 2020. Its model is smartphone telematics taken to its conclusion: instead of weighting age, marital status, and vehicle type the way traditional carriers do, Root asks you to drive with its app for roughly two to three weeks and around 200 miles, scores braking, cornering, phone handling, and time of day, and prices the policy off that score. Drivers who score poorly are declined rather than surcharged, which is how Root keeps rates low for the book it does write. After years of losses the company reached sustained profitability, reporting 2025 revenue of $1.52 billion, up 29%, and net income of $40.3 million, up 30%. It reached its 37th state with New Jersey in July 2026 and has stated a goal of the contiguous U.S. by 2027. One thing that has not changed: neither AM Best nor Demotech assigns Root a financial strength rating, so its claims-paying capacity is not independently graded.

Root Insurance estimated rates by driver profile (2026)

Independent market estimates for drivers researching Root Insurance — not provided by or endorsed by the carrier. All figures are approximate national averages from public industry data.

Driver profile	Est. annual premium	vs. market avg.	Notes
Strong driving score	~$1,450/yr	Well below avg.	Best case after the test drive
Average driving score	~$2,120/yr	Near avg.	~$177/mo at average credit
Single accident (3 yrs)	~$2,560/yr	Near avg.	~$213/mo
DUI on record	~$3,080/yr	Above avg.	~$257/mo where offered at all
Young driver (18-24)	Score-driven	Often below avg.	Behavior counts more than age
Low credit score	~$2,600/yr	Above avg.	Credit unused in CA, HI, MA, MI

Estimates based on NAIC rate filings and state insurance department data. Not quotes from Root Insurance. Actual premiums are determined solely by the carrier based on your individual underwriting profile.

Root Insurance pros and cons

Where Root Insurance excels

✓Rate is set mostly by measured driving behavior rather than age or demographics
✓A strong test drive can undercut national carriers by a wide margin
✓Genuinely app-first — quoting, policy changes, and claims all run in the app
✓Often the best option for young safe drivers penalized by age-based pricing elsewhere
✓Reached sustained profitability in 2025 on $1.52B revenue and $40.3M net income

Where Root Insurance falls short

✗No AM Best or Demotech rating — financial strength is not independently graded
✗You must complete a 2-3 week test drive before Root will bind a policy
✗Poor test-drive scores are declined outright, so there may be no offer at the end
✗Writes in 37 states, not nationwide — no MA, MI, NC, ME, ID, or WY yet
✗Thin discount list and no phone support on weekends

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A closer look at Root Insurance

Root is the clearest example of what behavior-based pricing looks like when a carrier commits to it fully. For a genuinely safe driver — smooth braking, no phone handling, little late-night driving — it can beat national carriers by a margin that traditional rating factors would never produce, and that advantage is largest for drivers in their late teens and twenties who are otherwise priced on age. The structural costs are what most reviews understate. The test drive is not a formality: it takes two to three weeks before you have a bindable quote, which rules Root out if you need coverage today, and roughly the same mechanism that rewards good scores declines bad ones outright. More significant for a carrier of this size is the ratings gap. AM Best has not assigned Root a financial strength rating and Demotech lists it as FSR-NR, so unlike almost every carrier it competes with, there is no third-party grade on its ability to pay claims through a bad year. The 2025 results are genuinely reassuring on that front — first sustained profit, $1.5 billion in premium — but a good year is not the same as a rating. Root is a strong price play for confident safe drivers who are comfortable with that trade, and a poor fit for anyone who needs coverage immediately, lives outside its 37 states, or wants a graded balance sheet behind the policy.

Bottom line

Root can be the cheapest option available if you drive well and can wait two to three weeks for the test drive to finish — particularly if you are young and tired of paying for your age bracket. Weigh that against the missing financial strength rating, the 37-state footprint, and the risk of being declined at the end of the test period. Worth quoting alongside rated national carriers rather than instead of them.

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Frequently asked questions about Root Insurance

Disclaimer: ReliablePolicy is an independent lead generation and comparison service and is not affiliated with, authorized by, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected to Root Insurance. All carrier names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are used solely for informational and comparison purposes. Rate figures shown are independent market estimates based on publicly available data and are not quotes, representations, or guarantees of pricing by any carrier. By submitting your information, you may be connected with licensed insurance agents or carriers who will provide actual quotes based on your individual profile. Always verify coverage terms and pricing directly with the carrier or a licensed agent.

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