Joanna Johnson
Car Insurance Expert
Updated: 7/2019
Joanna is an expert on understanding how the different laws and regulations in the car insurance industry shape the way that policies work.
There are a ton of different scenarios that can involve a car. Therefore, it’s no surprise that there are a ton of different car insurance scenarios. These different situations can be confusing to people. That’s too bad, as insurance is already confusing enough as it is!
That’s why we put together this article and FAQ. It will help you understand your options for car insurance in difference scenarios. We’ll help you understand how car insurance works and explain the different types of coverage. Then we’ll go through some of the more common scenarios you might find yourself in. Finally, we have an FAQ to answer your questions about different car insurance scenarios. Use this article to get a better understanding of your car insurance options and stay protected.
Understanding Car Insurance
Before we can talk about different scenarios that you’ll need car insurance, it’s essential to understand the different types of insurance that companies offer. Broadly speaking, there are two major types of car insurance, liability coverage and comprehensive coverage.
Liability Coverage
The first major type of car insurance is liability coverage. Liability coverage is the minimum coverage you need to have to legally drive. Each state has their own limits of minimum liability coverage to legally drive. Your insurance company will help you make sure your coverage meets the legal minimum.
Liability coverage covers the damage to other people’s persons and property if you get into an accident and you’re at fault. It doesn’t coverage damage to your own vehicle. Therefore, it’s only a good option for when you own your car outright. However, if you owe money on your car, then you probably can’t get just liability coverage. Your auto lender will probably demand that you get comprehensive coverage as part of your loan.
Comprehensive Coverage
Comprehensive coverage covers damage to other’s persons and property and also covers the cost of repairs or replacement for your own vehicle. You’ll need comprehensive coverage if you’re financing your car, as your auto lender will want to make sure you’re covered should the worst happen.
Comprehensive coverage usually comes with extras, like paying for a rental car while your car is in the shop, more coverage than the legal minimum, and other features. This type of coverage is usually more expensive than just getting liability coverage.
Different Car Insurance Scenarios
There are several different car insurance scenarios you might encounter. We’ll cover those in this section.
Insuring A Car You Don’t Own
Lots of people want to know about insuring a car that you don’t own. You can do this. It’s called a non-owner policy. However, some car companies won’t offer this type of policy. Your best option in this situation is to just pay for someone else’s insurance. That’s because you’ll have to tell the insurance company who the primary driver of the car will be. That makes any possible benefit of insuring someone else’s car moot, as you can’t get your rate for their driving.
Insuring a Rental Car
Another common insurance situation is getting insurance for rental cars. However, your primary insurance should cover your car rental. Additionally, you can usually get coverage from your credit card and from the company that you’re renting the car from.
Insurance for Non-Standard Titles
There are also insurance options for people with salvage titles or that don’t have the title to their car yet. These policies will get you covered, but they may not offer the same benefits as you’d get on a standard title.
Specifically, cars that have a salvage title may only be able to get cheap liability car insurance coverage. Even if you get comprehensive coverage, you should expect that you’ll only get 80% of the market value of your car because you have a salvage title.
Insurance for Mobile Individuals
Another common insurance scenario is people that keep their car at a place that is different from where your insurance is registered. This includes people that are transient as well as students. You’ll need to explain your situation to your insurance company. They’ll be able to work out a fair rate given your particular circumstances.
Car Insurance for People that Don’t Own A Car
Another situation that comes up is people that want car insurance but don’t actually own a car. A non-owner policy is a great solution here. It covers your liability for anything over the damages that the car owner’s insurance covers. This is a good option if you’re between cars or have a driver’s license but live in an area where owning a car doesn’t make financial sense.
Choosing the Right Car Insurance for You
Now that you’ve got a good idea of the different kinds of car insurance and some of the scenarios where you might need insurance, you need to pick the right car insurance option for you. Check your financial situation and evaluate how much you drive. Consider what kind of damages you can afford to cover and then review your different insurance options. Pick the option that best matches your particular situation. You’ll be driving safe and protected in no time.
General Car Insurance Questions
This section answers general questions about car insurance. Use this information to get a better idea of how insurance works so you can better understand the answers to more specific questions.
How to Insure a Car?
You can insure a car by signing up with a car insurance company. You’ll need to select the right kind of policy for your car and keep an eye on how much that policy will cost. The article above goes over the different types of coverage.
How Much Does It Cost to Insure a Car?
That depends on a lot of factors. Your age, car, state, driving record, gender, past insurance payment history, type of coverage, and more can all influence how much it costs to insure a car.
Do You have to Insure Your Car?
Yes. Every state requires that your car have a minimum amount of insurance. The minimum required insurance can change from state to state. However, you are always required to have, at the very least, liability insurance. This ensures that damage to people or property will be covered if you’re in an accident.
How to Insure a Car in Another State?
In most cases, you can’t. Most states and insurance companies require a car to be insured in the state where it’s registered. However, insurance companies will have special programs for rare situations, like a student taking a car to school in another state or drivers that are in the military.