Insurance Agencies in Memphis

June 14, 2026

Memphis is the seat of Shelby County and Tennessee’s second-largest city, home to roughly 618,980 residents per the 2024 American Community Survey (U.S. Census Bureau). Its position on the Mississippi River has made it a national freight and distribution center, anchored by the Port of Memphis and the worldwide air hub FedEx built here, with interstates I-40, I-55, I-69, and I-240 all converging in the county. That concentration of warehouses, fleets, and small businesses, layered on top of an ordinary base of homeowners and drivers, produces steady demand for auto, home, life, and commercial coverage. In a market this commercially dense, a local agency offers something a direct-to-consumer website or single-company call center cannot: a person who can line policies up against one another, explain the fine print, and stay on the file when a claim has to be pressed.

Much of that value comes down to whether an agency is independent or captive. A captive agent is tied to one insurer’s products, whereas an independent agency carries appointments with many carriers and can shift a client among them as pricing and underwriting appetites move. For a Memphis homeowner, driver, or business owner, the independent model means a single request can be shopped across several companies rather than answered with one quote, and a policy can usually be re-marketed at renewal without starting over. Both kinds of office operate throughout the city, and a captive agent’s trade-off is narrower carrier access in exchange for deep fluency in one company’s discounts and products.

Whichever structure a buyer chooses, the people behind the desk are licensed and supervised by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) through its Insurance Division. Each producer must carry the line-of-authority license that matches what they sell, property and casualty for auto, home, and business policies, or life and health for life, disability, and health products. The credential is obtained through the National Association of Insurance Commissioners system with a filing fee to TDCI, and major-lines licensees renew every two years after completing 24 hours of continuing education that includes three hours of ethics. Any consumer can check a producer’s or agency’s license standing with the TDCI Insurance Division before committing to a policy.

It also helps to know that insurance is taxed and policed differently from an everyday retail transaction. Tennessee leaves the standard 7% retail sales tax off insurance premiums and instead collects a state premium tax from insurers that is built into the rates TDCI reviews. Should a problem surface over a policy, a claim, or an agent’s behavior, the TDCI Insurance Division accepts and investigates complaints against insurance companies, agents, and agencies. Wider unfair or deceptive business-practice issues fall instead to the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104), which the Division of Consumer Affairs enforces. Keeping the policy, the declarations page, and every written communication with the agency makes any complaint considerably easier to substantiate.

Top Insurance Agency Providers in Memphis

1. Clay & Land Insurance

Address: 866 Ridgeway Loop Road, Memphis, TN 38120
Phone: (901) 767-3600
Website: https://www.clayandland.com
Services: auto, homeowners, motorcycle, commercial property, general liability, workers’ compensation, commercial trucking, individual life, individual and family health, disability, long-term care, group benefits, Medicare Part D and Medigap
Description: Clay & Land Insurance is an independent agency headquartered in East Memphis on Ridgeway Loop Road, serving Memphis and clients throughout Tennessee. As an independent agency it partners with more than forty carriers, among them Auto-Owners, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, The Hanover, Liberty Mutual, Progressive, The Hartford, Travelers, Cigna, Humana, and UnitedHealthcare, which gives it broad reach across personal, commercial, and health lines. Its product range spans auto, homeowners, and motorcycle coverage on the personal side; commercial property, general liability, workers’ compensation, and commercial trucking on the business side; and a deep set of life and health products including individual and family health, disability, long-term care, group dental and health, and Medicare supplements. The breadth of its health and benefits practice distinguishes it from agencies that focus only on property and casualty.

2. Pete Mitchell and Associates, Inc.

Address: 4216 Millbranch Road, Memphis, TN 38116
Phone: (901) 345-6176
Website: https://petemitchellins.com
Services: auto, motorcycle, classic car, boat and watercraft, RV, homeowners, renters, condo, landlord, flood, earthquake, umbrella, business owners policy, commercial property, commercial auto, general liability, workers’ compensation, surety bonds, health, life
Description: Pete Mitchell and Associates, Inc. is an independent insurance agency founded in 1975 and located on Millbranch Road in Memphis, and it carries forward the legacy of the Fred L. Davis Insurance Agency, a longtime Memphis institution it acquired. As an independent agency, it positions itself to work for the client rather than a single carrier and offers comparison shopping across “the Nation’s most trusted carriers.” Its vehicle lines extend beyond standard auto to motorcycle, classic car, boat and watercraft, motorsport and ATV, and RV coverage, and its property lines include homeowners, renters, condo, landlord, flood, earthquake, and umbrella policies. On the business side it writes business owners policies, commercial property, commercial umbrella, general liability, commercial auto, workers’ compensation, and surety bonds, alongside health and life products. The agency serves Memphis and surrounding communities and is also licensed in Georgia, Arkansas, and Texas, reflecting the tri-state reach of the Memphis market.

3. Smith-Berclair Insurance

Address: 7200 Goodlett Farms Parkway, Suite 103, Cordova, TN 38016 (serves the Memphis area from suburban Cordova)
Phone: (901) 753-4323
Website: https://www.smithberclair.com
Services: auto, homeowners, boat and motorcycle, disability, flood, commercial auto, commercial property, general liability, workers’ compensation, construction, professional liability, errors and omissions, directors and officers, crime coverage, cyber liability, bonds
Description: Smith-Berclair Insurance is an independent agency founded in 1966 that serves the Memphis area from an office in suburban Cordova, just east of the city. It is a member of Correll Insurance Group, which has operated in the Southeast for more than 90 years, giving the local office national carrier support paired with independent, local representation. Holding the Trusted Choice designation, the agency represents what it describes as “almost all the nation’s leading carriers” and writes a wide spectrum of personal and commercial coverage. Its personal lines include auto, homeowners, boat and motorcycle, disability, and flood, while its commercial and professional lines cover commercial auto and property, general liability, workers’ compensation, construction, professional liability, errors and omissions, directors and officers, crime, cyber liability, and bonds. The agency emphasizes experience across its offices and specialization in home and auto, commercial, and flood coverage.

Frequently Asked Questions About Insurance Agencies in Memphis

Q: How do I verify that a Memphis insurance agent or agency is licensed?

In Tennessee, insurance producers (agents) and agencies are licensed by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI), Insurance Division. You can check a license through the TDCI Insurance Division before buying a policy. Confirm that the producer holds the correct line of authority for what they are selling, such as property and casualty for auto, home, and business coverage, or life and health for life and health products.

Q: What is the difference between an independent agency and a captive agency in Memphis?

An independent agency holds appointments with several insurance carriers and can compare and place coverage across multiple companies, which can help at renewal when rates or underwriting change. A captive agency office sells the products of a single insurer and may offer deep familiarity with that company’s discounts and policies. Both operate in Memphis, and the right choice depends on whether a buyer values multi-carrier comparison or single-company specialization.

Q: Do I pay sales tax on an insurance policy in Memphis?

Tennessee does not apply the standard 7% retail sales tax to insurance premiums. Instead, insurers pay a state premium tax that is built into rates, which TDCI reviews. As a result, the price a consumer sees is the premium rather than a premium plus retail sales tax, though fees and surcharges can vary by policy and carrier.

Q: What licenses does an insurance agent in Tennessee have to maintain?

A Tennessee producer must hold the proper line-of-authority license for the products they sell and keep it current. Major-lines licensees, covering property, casualty, personal lines, accident and health, life, or variable products, renew every two years and must complete 24 hours of approved continuing education, three of which must be in ethics. License status can be confirmed through the TDCI Insurance Division.

Q: How do I file a complaint against an insurance agency or agent in Memphis?

Complaints about an insurance company, agent, or agency can be filed with the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI), Insurance Division, which investigates consumer complaints. The division can be reached at (615) 741-2281 or (800) 342-4029, and its office is at 500 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville. Broader unfair or deceptive practice concerns also fall under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104), enforced by the Division of Consumer Affairs.

Q: Can one Memphis agency handle both my personal and business insurance?

Yes. Many Memphis agencies, particularly independent ones, write both personal lines such as auto, home, and life, and commercial lines such as general liability, commercial property, and workers’ compensation. Consolidating coverage with a single agency can simplify renewals and claims, though buyers should still confirm that the agency represents carriers competitive for each specific line rather than assuming one company is best for everything.