Many people need to purchase car insurance for cars that they do not own. If you are going to be driving a particular vehicle, you legally must insure it. This may not be the case if the owner is maintaining a policy on the car. However, it is common for those who loan a vehicle to you to expect you to get the car insured. This is also true of a leased vehicle.
Start the process of looking for insurance by gathering up all of the needed information about the car.
You will need several pieces of information to be able to insure an automobile. Begin with making sure that you know the make, model, and year of the car. One of the first questions you must answer is regarding what kind and age of car will you be insuring. If you are not a car buff, you will want to consult the owner’s manual that is hopefully in the glove box. If not, ask the owner to provide you with these details.
Find the Vehicle Identification Number for the car.
This number is not usually too tough to discover. On most cars, today, it is found on a plate on the dash that can be read through the windshield. Most often, it is on the driver’s side of the vehicle. The door on the driver’s side should also have the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) printed on a plate on the panel that holds the lock that keeps the door shut. The VIN will be series of letters and numbers that reveal the age and options of the car. Insurance companies can use this to track the accident history of the car.
You need to know the mileage and condition of the car.
More than likely, you will be expected to buy the legally required liability insurance and also the owner required collision insurance. The insurer will want to know about the condition of the glass, paint, and body of the car. Also, if the car is high mileage, this lowers the value and can affect the premiums. Remember, the insurance company has the option to simply declare the car a total wreck if the repair bill exceeds the value of the car.
Be prepared to describe how you will use the vehicle.
Car insurers want to know if you will be using the car for work purposes or simple transportation and pleasure. The number of miles that you anticipate driving annually will be requested. They may ask how the car will be parked. That is, will it be in a garage or carport, in a driveway, or on the street?
Another type of non-owned auto insurance relates to businesses who must insure employees’ cars that are used for company purposes.
If a driver has a wreck in their personal automobile while on company business, the company can be required to absorb some of the liability for the accident. Businesses and churches purchase non-owned auto insurance as a part of their casualty insurance on their property and business. This insurance is secondary to the car owner’s policy and generally increases the liability coverage to a level that protects the assets and interests of the company. The easiest way to get this type of coverage is to ask your agent at the time when other insurance needs are being purchased.