GEICO’s Emergency Roadside Service (ERS) covers six kinds of help: towing, battery jump starts, tire changes, lockouts, fuel delivery and winching. ERS is an optional coverage you add to a GEICO auto policy, not something every driver automatically has, and it doesn’t pay for the repair, part, tire or fuel that caused the breakdown in the first place.
The cost of this coverage is priced per car and starts low, so it’s worth checking how much GEICO roadside assistance costs for your specific vehicles rather than assuming every car on your policy already has it.
Key Takeaways
- ERS covers towing, battery jump starts, tire changes with a working spare, lockouts, fuel delivery and winching, but it’s optional coverage, not automatic on every policy.
- Towing goes to the nearest qualified repair facility, up to 15 miles in most states, and you pay the mileage beyond that.
- ERS doesn’t pay for repair costs, replacement parts, the fuel itself, a new tire, or on-scene labor beyond what the emergency requires.
- Request help through the GEICO Mobile app or online for the fastest service, or call. In North Carolina, the same coverage is called Towing and Labor Coverage.
Every Service ERS Covers
GEICO’s Emergency Roadside Service page lists six covered situations. Here’s what each one includes and where the coverage stops.
| Service | What’s Included | Where It Stops |
|---|---|---|
| Towing | Tows your disabled vehicle to the nearest qualified repair facility | Up to 15 miles in most states; you pay extra mileage beyond that |
| Battery jump start | Jump-starts a dead battery, including on electric vehicles | If the car still won’t start, towing rules apply instead |
| Tire change | Installs your working spare | No spare, or need a new tire? The tire itself isn’t covered |
| Lockout | Gets you back into a locked vehicle | Covered up to $100 for certain covered causes; a replacement key or fob isn’t included |
| Fuel delivery | Brings enough fuel to reach a gas station | You pay for the fuel itself |
| Winching | Frees a vehicle stuck near a publicly maintained road | Roughly 30 feet from the roadway; recovery farther out may not be covered |
A flat tire is the most common of these calls. If you have a flat tire and a usable spare, GEICO sends someone to put it on. Without one, towing to a repair shop is the fallback, subject to the same mileage rule.
What ERS Doesn’t Pay For
ERS pays for the visit, not the fix. For example, GEICO’s page lists repair costs, replacement parts, fuel purchases, towing beyond the mileage limit, and “extensive on-scene labor beyond what is required to address the emergency” as excluded. RateFrog’s roadside assistance guide compares what other insurers and motor clubs leave out.
- The part that failed: A dead battery, a flat tire or an empty tank gets you roadside help, not a free battery, tire or tank of gas.
- Extra mileage: Towing past the covered distance is billed to you.
- Costs above the lockout cap: Locksmith work beyond $100, or a replacement key or fob, isn’t included. If you’re locked out of your vehicle, ask what’s covered before work starts.
- Vehicles without the coverage: ERS may not apply to every car on a policy, so check your declarations page.
How to Request Roadside Help
Request ERS online or in the GEICO Mobile app, which GEICO says can use GPS to help find you. Text ROADSIDE to 43426 for a link to download the app. You can also call, though GEICO’s phone directory notes that app or online requests get faster service during high call volume.
Save GEICO’s roadside assistance phone number in your phone before you need it. On some busy highways, a state-run safety patrol may also help, and GEICO says those services are free to any driver, not just GEICO customers.
Is Every Car on Your Policy Covered?
ERS is priced and applied per vehicle, and GEICO says coverage “may not apply to all vehicles on your policy.” Your declarations page shows which cars carry it, while the full policy sets the exact terms.
Towing itself isn’t a separate charge each time you use it. It’s bundled into ERS up to the mileage limit described in our guide to GEICO’s towing mileage limit.
Without ERS, GEICO says it can still try to help you find a local provider, but you’d pay for that yourself. See our breakdown of whether GEICO towing is actually free for the full difference between the two situations.