Dairyland vs The General Car Insurance
Two Sentry-owned non-standard specialists serving the same core shopper (SR-22, post-DUI, post-lapse, high-risk drivers), using different distribution. Dairyland runs through independent agents; The General runs direct-to-consumer with a 2-minute online bind-today flow. Sentry acquired The General from American Family on December 31, 2024; AM Best upgraded The General to A+ (Superior) on February 20, 2025 — the same FSR letter Dairyland has carried via Sentry since 1992. The decision is channel-first, not counterparty-first.
Dairyland reviewed 2026-10-02; The General reviewed 2026-10-02; this comparison reviewed 2026-10-02.
Inherited freshness: The General's AM Best affirmation is 20 months old. The referenced provider reviews should be reconfirmed before publish; this comparison inherits that staleness context.
At a glance
| Dimension | Dairyland | The General |
|---|---|---|
| Parent / entity | Sentry Insurance Group (mutual holding structure). Sentry acquired Dairyland in 1966. HQ Stevens Point, Wisconsin. | Sentry Insurance Group (acquired The General from American Family Insurance; sale closed December 31, 2024; announced September 12, 2024; ~$1.0-1.1B cash, ~$1.7B total transaction value). Sentry's sibling non-standard brand is Dairyland (independent-agent). |
| Category | Non-standard specialist | Non-standard specialist |
| Distribution | Independent agent | Direct-to-consumer |
| Footprint | National except AK, HI, LA, MA, MI, MT, NH, NJ, NY, ND, OK, RI | National except AK, HI, MI |
| AM Best FSR | A+ (Superior); outlook StableTIER 1 | A+ (Superior); outlook StableTIER 1 |
| AM Best affirmation | 2025-07-02 | 2025-02-20 |
| Market share (NAIC) | 0.83% (rank 16, 2024) | 0.3% (rank 25, 2024) |
| Telematics program | None | None |
Where these two actually differ
IA channel vs DTC bind-today
Dairyland is an independent-agent carrier — your shopping path is through a bail-bond-adjacent or DMV-adjacent agent who places you with Dairyland's filed rates. The General is pure direct-to-consumer: 2-minute online quote-and-bind flow, SR-22 delivered in minutes without an agent. If you need SR-22 bound today for a court date or reinstatement and you do not have an agent relationship, The General's DTC posture is the operational fit. If you are already in an agency conversation after a reinstatement event, Dairyland is the quote that agency reaches for.
SR-22 and FR-44 mechanics
Both carriers file SR-22 with no filing fee (Dairyland and The General both publish $0 SR-22 fee postures). Dairyland files FR-44 with same-day electronic filing in Florida and Virginia — the two states where FR-44 applies — and FL filing is free. The General's FR-44 posture varies by state and is typically handled through the DTC flow. For time-pressured FL or VA FR-44 shoppers, Dairyland's documented same-day electronic FR-44 is a specific operational advantage. For general SR-22 bind-today speed, The General's 2-minute direct flow is purpose-built.
Same FSR letter, different rating history
Both brands carry AM Best A+ (Superior) under Sentry Insurance Group. Dairyland's A+ history traces back to 1992 — Sentry Group has been A+ Superior every year since then. The General was upgraded to A+ (Superior) on February 20, 2025 following Sentry's December 31, 2024 acquisition from American Family (the pre-acquisition rating was lower). Counterparty strength is a tie post-acquisition; both brands are now backed by the same Sentry balance-sheet. For a 2026 shopper, FSR is not a differentiator between these two brands.
State footprint and availability
Dairyland writes in a broad national footprint; publisher secondary trackers in 2026 report Dairyland does not currently write in Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, or Rhode Island — this exclusion list is directional, not primary-source verified; confirm with your agent before signing. The General writes in a 47-state footprint (not Alaska, Hawaii, Michigan). Shoppers in the states where Dairyland excludes but The General writes (NJ, LA, MA, MT, NH, NY, ND, OK, RI) have only The General from this pair; shoppers in AK or HI have neither.
Neither offers a telematics program
Neither Dairyland nor The General publishes a usage-based insurance / telematics program. For a non-standard shopper hoping to earn rate forgiveness over time through monitored safe driving after a DUI or at-fault accident, neither carrier provides that lever. The honest trade in the non-standard tier is willingness-to-write at acceptance speed; neither Sentry brand has adopted the Progressive Snapshot / State Farm Drive Safe & Save mechanic. For a telematics-curious SR-22 shopper, the parallel path is Progressive's standard-book SR-22 posture (see Progressive vs The General).
Financial strength
Dairyland
AM Best FSR A+ (Superior)
Long-Term ICR aa- (Superior)
Outlook Stable
Affirmed 2025-07-02
Sentry Insurance Group has carried A+ (Superior) every year since 1992 per Dairyland's marketing. Most recent affirmation reported effective July 2, 2025 with Stable outlook. AM Best primary-page confirmation of the exact affirmation date for the Dairyland entity (AMB# 309) specifically was not retrieved in the research pass; Dairyland is a rated member of Sentry Insurance Group and shares the group FSR.TIER 1
The General
AM Best FSR A+ (Superior)
Long-Term ICR aa- (Superior)
Outlook Stable
Affirmed 2025-02-20
AM Best UPGRADED The General from FSR A (Excellent) / Long-Term ICR a+ to FSR A+ (Superior) / Long-Term ICR aa- on February 20, 2025 with Stable outlook, covering Permanent General Assurance Corporation, Permanent General Assurance Corporation of Ohio, and General Automobile Insurance Company. Rationale: balance-sheet strength assessed "strongest" post-Sentry integration, inter-company quota-share agreement, and operational/financial support from Sentry.TIER 1
Coverage differences
| Coverage | Dairyland | The General |
|---|---|---|
| Gap insurance | — | Offered |
| Motorcycle, off-road, and specialty vehicle | OfferedSeparate product lines. | — |
| Collision | Offered | Offered |
| Comprehensive | Offered | Offered |
| Bodily injury and property damage liability | Offered | Offered |
| Medical payments | OfferedWhere offered. | Offered |
| Personal injury protection | OfferedWhere state requires. | OfferedWhere state requires. |
| Rental reimbursement | OfferedIn select states; confirm per state. | Offered |
| Roadside assistance (24/7) | Offered | Offered |
| Uninsured and underinsured motorist | Offered | Offered |
Dated events that specifically move this matchup
Affects bothSentry acquired The General from American Family (closed December 31, 2024)2024-12-31
Sentry now owns both Dairyland (IA non-standard) and The General (DTC non-standard). Dairyland remains the IA-channel brand; The General remains DTC. Both marketed as 60+ years of non-standard experience.TIER 1
Affects The GeneralAM Best upgraded The General to A+ (Superior) post-Sentry acquisition2025-02-20
Rating action followed Sentry's December 31, 2024 acquisition. Moves The General to the same FSR letter Dairyland has carried via Sentry since 1992. Removes counterparty-strength as a differentiator between the two Sentry non-standard brands.TIER 1
Who should quote each
Dairyland — Agent-channel SR-22 and FR-44 shoppers
- You are already in an agency conversation after a reinstatement event — Dairyland is the quote that agency reaches for first.
- You need FR-44 in Florida or Virginia — Dairyland publishes same-day electronic FR-44 filing in both states, with Florida filing free.
- You want motorcycle, off-road, or specialty-vehicle coverage alongside non-standard auto — Dairyland writes those specialty lines; The General does not.
- You live in one of Dairyland's covered states (not the publisher-flagged exclusion list) and prefer a named independent agent to walk you through the SR-22 process.
The General — Direct-to-consumer bind-today SR-22 shoppers
- You need SR-22 bound TODAY — The General's 2-minute online quote-and-bind flow is purpose-built for the time-pressured reinstatement scenario.
- You do not have an existing agent relationship and want to self-service the SR-22 purchase without finding one.
- You live in a state where Dairyland excludes but The General writes (NJ, LA, MA, MT, NH, NY, ND, OK, RI) — only The General from this pair writes for you.
- You want American Family's post-acquisition SR-22 operational posture backed by Sentry's A+ (Superior) rating; The General's AM Best upgrade to A+ (Feb 2025) is recent.
Quote both — SR-22 shoppers in overlapping footprint
- SR-22 shoppers who want to compare the IA channel against DTC speed at the same Sentry counterparty — the shopping-flow difference is more decisive than the price gap on identical coverage.
- Shoppers who want motorcycle coverage AND auto — Dairyland writes motorcycle; parallel-quote The General for the auto portion if the Dairyland motorcycle quote exceeds standard-market thresholds.
- Post-DUI shoppers weighing a telematics-forward alternative (Progressive) against the Sentry non-standard specialists — see Dairyland vs Progressive and Progressive vs The General for those cross-tier comparisons.
- Multi-driver households where one driver needs SR-22 — compare both Sentry brands' quotes against the household's standard carrier at the same coverage.
Get real quotes from Dairyland and The General on your own profile.
Compare car insurance quotesCommon questions
Are Dairyland and The General really the same company?
Both are owned by Sentry Insurance Group — Sentry acquired The General from American Family on December 31, 2024, joining Dairyland (acquired by Sentry in 1966). They operate as separate consumer-facing brands with different distribution: Dairyland is independent-agent, The General is direct-to-consumer. The balance-sheet backing both is Sentry's A+ (Superior) AM Best rating.
Which is faster for SR-22 bind-today?
The General's 2-minute online quote-and-bind flow is purpose-built for time-pressured bind-today SR-22 shoppers. Dairyland files SR-22 with no filing fee and typically electronic 'by the following day' in states that allow it, routed through an independent agent. If you need bound TODAY and do not have an existing agent, The General is the operational fit.
Which handles FR-44 better?
Dairyland publishes same-day electronic FR-44 filing in both Florida and Virginia — the only two states where FR-44 applies. Florida FR-44 filing is free. If you are a FL or VA shopper needing FR-44 (typically after a DUI), Dairyland's documented same-day electronic FR-44 is the operational differentiator. The General handles FR-44 through its direct flow with state-variable timing.
Does either carrier offer telematics?
Neither Dairyland nor The General publishes a usage-based insurance / telematics program. For a non-standard shopper hoping to earn rate forgiveness over time through monitored safe driving, neither Sentry brand provides that lever. Consider Progressive's standard-book SR-22 posture with Snapshot as a cross-tier parallel if telematics matters.
How is The General different now that Sentry owns it?
The acquisition closed December 31, 2024. AM Best upgraded The General to A+ (Superior) on February 20, 2025 — matching Dairyland's long-held Sentry Group FSR. Operationally The General continues to run its DTC bind-today flow; the Sentry balance-sheet backing is now identical to Dairyland's.
Sources & methodology
- TIER 1DairylandDairyland: About (history, parent, AM Best record) (Dairyland Insurance)
- TIER 1DairylandDairyland: Auto Insurance product page (discounts, online quote) (Dairyland Insurance)
- TIER 1DairylandDairyland: Auto Coverages (Dairyland Insurance)
- TIER 1DairylandDairyland: SR-22 filing (no-fee statement; next-day electronic filing) (Dairyland Insurance)
- TIER 1DairylandDairyland: FR-44 (same-day Florida and Virginia; FL fee-free) (Dairyland Insurance)
- TIER 1DairylandDairyland: Independent-agent partners (Dairyland Insurance)
- TIER 1DairylandSentry Insurance: Acquisition of The General closed December 31, 2024 (Sentry Insurance)
- TIER 3DairylandNerdWallet: Dairyland Auto Insurance Review (April 2026 analysis) (NerdWallet)
- TIER 3DairylandValuePenguin: Dairyland Motorcycle and Auto Insurance Review (ValuePenguin)
- TIER 2SharedJ.D. Power 2025 U.S. Auto Insurance Study (J.D. Power)
- TIER 1SharedNAIC Consumer Information Source (per-entity complaint and financial lookup; Dairyland COCODE 21164) (National Association of Insurance Commissioners)
- TIER 1The GeneralAM Best upgrades The General to A+ (Superior) / aa- (February 20, 2025) (Insurance Journal (AM Best reporting))
- TIER 1The GeneralSentry Insurance: AM Best rates The General A+ post-acquisition (December 31, 2024 close) (Sentry Insurance)
- TIER 1The GeneralThe General: Homepage (2-minute online quote; app) (The General)
- TIER 1The GeneralThe General: SR-22 filing page (The General)
- TIER 1The GeneralThe General: High-risk auto insurance ("Yes when others say No") (The General)
- TIER 3The GeneralWalletHub: The General discounts summary (WalletHub)
Every pivot and matrix cell on this page traces to a source listed above, with the provider tag identifying which ProviderReviewFacts record authored the claim. Shared sources (e.g. NAIC Consumer Information Source, J.D. Power press-release landing pages) are attributed to both providers and anchor against the alphabetically-first provider's slug.