Insurance Without a Car

Every quote form asks for a vehicle, which makes this look impossible. It isn't. There is a form of policy written for a driver rather than a car, and the quoting process for it is different enough to be worth explaining.

Who actually needs this

• Someone required to maintain a filing who does not currently own a vehicle.
• A frequent renter or borrower who wants their own liability protection following them.
• Someone between cars who wants to avoid a gap in their coverage history.
• A city resident who has sold the car but still drives occasionally.

Who should not bother

If you own a car, this is not for you — your own policy is. If you only drive a household member's vehicle, the honest answer is usually that you belong on their policy as a listed driver instead. And if you never drive at all, you do not need it. We would rather say that than sell it.

How the quote runs differently

1. No VIN, no vehicle questions. The quote is built around you: license, record, experience, address.
2. Fewer carriers. Not every company offers this, so placement takes longer than an ordinary quote.
3. Different questions. Expect to be asked whether any vehicle is registered to you, whether anyone in your household owns one, and how often you drive.
4. Coverage looks different. A policy without a car does not cover a car. What it can and cannot do is specific to the form, so ask for the coverages listed out rather than assuming it behaves like an ordinary policy.

The question that decides eligibility

Whether a vehicle is regularly available to you in your household. If there is one, carriers generally want it insured properly and you named on that policy. This is the point where people are told no, and the reason is usually that the right answer is a different policy rather than none.

When you buy a car later

Tell your agent before you take delivery. The policy will need to be replaced or rewritten around the vehicle, and the coverage that suits a driver without a car is not the coverage that suits a car with a loan on it.

Tell us the situation in one sentence — no car, needs a filing; between cars; borrows a friend's — and we'll tell you honestly whether this is the right instrument.