Is Your Car Insured? How to Check if You Have Car Insurance

On the surface, not knowing whether your car has insurance may seem a bit irresponsible. However, legitimate circumstances exist where the exact status of auto insurance coverage could come into question. Below are a few examples: 

• You recently divorced and weren’t privy to car insurance coverage details 
• You were recently involved in an accident and want to verify your coverage and the coverage of the other party involved 
• You’re borrowing someone else’s car and want to know the extent of their coverage 
• You’re worried your coverage has lapsed
• An elderly family member has passed on, and you’re taking over their estate

Knowing you need to verify coverage details is the first step. The next step, however, can look very different depending on your circumstances and reason(s) for looking into car insurance coverage. The good news is that you probably have more resources at hand than you first thought. 

Verifying that you have car insurance coverage and what coverage levels apply can require a certain level of sleuthing. If you’re stuck trying to determine if your car is insured, the steps below can help you narrow your options. When you’ve exhausted them all, it’s likely no car insurance coverage exists. 

Search for existing physical documentation 

Scouring through paperwork to find car insurance coverage details can sound like a wild goose chase, but it’s often the first step many take. In addition to looking through your files or those of a loved one, you can also look through the vehicle itself. Most drivers carry some form of proof of car insurance, whether it’s just an insurance carrier representative’s business card or an actual policy document. 

Log in to your existing account

Logging in to your account with a particular carrier can help determine whether you have car insurance coverage. Most insurance carriers have an online portal, a mobile app, or both. Your account dashboard enables you to navigate to information such as your auto insurance policy documents, proof of coverage, and information about who you should contact if you need more information. Your payment history should also be listed as evidence of documented coverage. 

Review bank statements and emails

Detective work can involve directly searching for proof or evidence, but the trail left behind often provides the most clues. In the case of car insurance, you can look for evidence of a car insurance premium to lead you to not only the carrier but also when coverage was last effective. Car insurance policies typically aren’t a small line item, especially if the car in question was leased. Reviewing bank and credit card statements for the last few months up to a year can yield promising results. 

The same goes for emails. Many insurance carriers send email communication about policy documents, renewal notices, and updates to coverage, if any. While electronic communication isn’t subject to the same degrading processes as physical documentation, you’re typically stuck with only what’s been filed away or saved from the trash bin. If those documents were permanently deleted, you’re back to square one. 

Contact your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)

Requesting car insurance information from your local DMV can help you track down coverage details. Fill out a form with the DMV, noting your contact information and reason for requesting the desired information. You may also need the vehicle's license plate number and Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). 

Check with the Secretary of State

Depending on your state of residence, you can also check with your Secretary of State for proof of car insurance coverage. For example, Illinois recently instituted a policy that verifies car insurance coverage twice per year. If you seek coverage details for a specific period, you might strike gold with Illinois’ Secretary of State. Depending on the time of year and the most recent verification of coverage, you could uncover critical details about insurance coverage. 

Ask your current auto insurance carrier for documentation

Did you know you can ask your current car insurance company for a letter of experience? This letter provides official documentation of your insurance coverage, from coverage dates and claims information to fault determination, payouts, and the reason your policy ended (if applicable). If, for some reason, you needed to prove car insurance coverage for a particular day or time, a letter of experience printed on letterhead and signed by your insurance agent would suffice. 

Request a CLUE report

A Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) report contains up to seven years of history concerning your car insurance claims (and homeowner insurance claims, if applicable). Your CLUE report also contains your car insurance policy number, details about any property covered under an insurance claim, and specifics about claim dates, type of loss, and the amount paid out. You must request the report directly from LexisNexis, but doing so doesn’t affect your credit score in any way. In fact, you can request a free report every 12 months, similar to your credit report from all three credit bureaus. 

Cross-reference with your lender

When lenders finance a car purchase, they typically require proof of insurance that aligns with their required coverage levels. After all, the lender owns the vehicle until you pay off your car loan in full, so they want to ensure their property has the appropriate coverage. You can use this knowledge to your advantage by cross-referencing what you know with the information the lender has. Note that you’ll likely need to prove your relationship to the borrower if you don’t have a direct relationship with them. 

Obtain a new insurance quote

Sometimes, the easiest way to determine auto insurance coverage is to request a new policy. Insurance carriers can’t double insure you, so they’ll likely uncover some information in preparing your quote if that’s the case. Depending on local laws and what information the system provides, your potential new insurance carrier might be able to shed light on who you’re currently insured under. 

Most resources that let you check car insurance coverage require similar information, including the following: 

• Vehicle information, such as VIN, license plate number, make, model, and model year
• Your driver’s license number
• Your personal information, such as name, date of birth, and address
• Insurance carrier portal login information

These same documents come in handy when adding a driver to insurance. Most car insurance carriers allow you to add a second driver, such as a spouse or relative, without increasing your premium. 

Finding out if a car is insured after an accident can be tricky, depending on which vehicle you’re checking up on. If the police were called to the scene, the responding officer would typically gather such information from all parties involved. You can request that information via the police report once it’s complete. In addition, you can check with the DMV or simply ask the other drivers involved for their car insurance information, provided the situation allows for it.

In the event of an accident, it’s often important to determine not only the insurance provider but also coverage details, such as liability insurance limits and collision coverage. The other driver’s insurance status can make a huge difference because an uninsured driver doesn’t have the liability coverage necessary to cover expenses if they’re determined to be at fault. You’d have to rely on your own insurance coverage in that case. 

Most car insurance policies last between six months and a year. However, your car insurance may lapse due to nonpayment. You can typically find the duration of coverage on your policy documents.