How to insure a car in New York?
As in most US states, in New York it is mandatory to have car insurance to drive legally.
Therefore, if you live in the Big Apple or plan to move there, you are probably wondering: How to insure a car in New York?
Continue reading, in this article we will explain what are the requirements that you must take into account before looking for a policy for your car;
whether or not you can obtain insurance without a driver’s license , how to find the best coverage for your car and what are the Cheapest car insurance in New York.
Read also: Southampton: Easy Guide to Living and Working in Southampton
How to insure a car in New York?
The first thing you should know is that to register your vehicle in the state of New York, under no circumstances will a civil liability policy from another state be accepted.
On the other hand, we remind you that the New York DMV makes it very clear that if you do not have your vehicle properly insured, your driver’s license and vehicle registration can be suspended.
Also, keep in mind that, like other states, New York has its own parameters and minimum requirements for the type of coverage you must have.
For more information, we recommend you read our article on the minimum auto insurance in the United States.
Requirements to insure a car in New York
This state requires that your Liability Insurance coverage include property damage and personal injury, in addition to PIP personal injury coverage.
On the other hand, regardless of the insurer you choose, the policy you purchase must meet the following coverage parameters required by the state of New York.
Minimum coverage amounts:
- $10,000 property damage for a single accident
- $25,000 for bodily injury and $50,000 for the death of a person involved in an accident
- $50,000 for bodily injury and $100,000 for the death of two or more people in one accident
Additionally, your liability insurance coverage must:
Be current as long as the license plate is valid, even if you don’t use the vehicle (there are exceptions for motorcycles).
Be a New York coverage, issued by a company authorized by the New York State Department of Financial Services and certified by the New York State DMV.
Be issued in the name of the owner of the vehicle and remain in the name of the owner at all times. Information and documents needed to obtain auto insurance in New York
Although the documents you must present may vary slightly from one insurer to another, in general, to obtain a policy for your car in New York, they will ask you for:
Information about your vehicle: make, model and year of the car, the vehicle identification number (VIN);
the security features and anti-theft systems it has installed and an estimate of how many annual kilometers it will travel.
Driver’s license: By researching your license number, insurance companies can look at your driving history and use that record to determine how risky it is to insure.
The cleaner your history is, the lower your rates will be.
Social Security Number: Although it may seem risky to provide this information, insurers need it to see your credit history, any criminal charges you may have faced, and your insurance claim history.
This information will help them measure the risk you may represent as a customer and calculate your insurance premiums.
Bank information: the insurer will ask you for your checking account number and the associated bank routing number to set up automatic payments of your premium.
Remember that in some cases, automatic payment plans may qualify you for a discount on your auto insurance.
Read also: How long does an accident claim last?
Can I insure my car without a license in New York?
There are various reasons why a person can own a vehicle and not have a driver’s license, perhaps this is your case and therefore you are wondering, can I insure my car without a license in New York?
Well, the quick answer is: yes. However, this is not as simple as it seems.
The first thing you should know is that it can be difficult to get insurance for your vehicle if you do not have a driver’s license.
Although it’s not required by law when buying car insurance, most national insurers — like Geico , State Farm Insurance , Progressive Insurance, and Allstate — will likely turn you down if you’re not licensed.
What you should do is focus on small and regional companies.
It is also advisable to contact a local independent agent who may be familiar with the insurers that offer policies to unlicensed drivers, their advice could be very useful.
How to insure a car in New York without a license?
If you don’t have a valid driver’s license and for some reason need to insure a car, consider the following options:
Excluded driver policy
In many states, the key to getting car insurance without a license is to purchase a policy in which you appear as an excluded driver.
This reduces the risk from the car insurance company because you and your vehicle will not be covered if you are the one driving and have an accident.
However, you should know that in the state of New York there are some cases of exclusion that are subject to the approval of the Department of Financial Services of this state, for example;
when you want to exclude drivers 65 years of age or older from liability policies auto civil, which are used primarily for business purposes.
Read also: How long do I have to report a car accident?
IMPORTANT: If you are an excluded driver and the police stop you while driving, they will treat the case as if you were driving without insurance. This could lead to fines and the vehicle being impounded.
Main driver other than the owner of the vehicle
A good option to obtain car insurance in New York without a license is to use the figure of the main driver.
Although it may seem strange, it is quite common for the policyholder and owner of the vehicle to be different from the main driver on a car insurance policy.
For example, there are elderly owners or people with health problems who need their caregiver to be listed as the main driver on their car insurance policy.
So, if the owner of a car does not have a driver’s license, another person can be listed as the main driver on the policy.
That person should be the one using the car, such as a spouse, family member, or roommate.
Reasons to take out car insurance without a license in New York
It might seem strange that someone who is not going to drive a vehicle needs car insurance. However, if a car is going to be driven it must have, at a minimum, liability insurance.
So if you find yourself in any of the following situations, you should consider purchasing an unlicensed auto insurance policy.
Health reasons
The fact that some health condition prevents you from driving does not mean that your car should not be insured .
For example, you might have to store your car for a while while you recover and your driver’s license might expire.
But you probably want insurance to cover you in case something happens to your vehicle while it’s in storage.
It’s also possible that your recovery process is longer than anticipated and you still want to keep an auto insurance policy to avoid a period without insurance that could affect your rates when you buy a policy again.
You have a driver
If you are an older person who no longer has a driver’s license or are not comfortable driving, a younger relative or caregiver may replace you as the driver.
But regardless of who’s driving, your car must be insured.
One important thing to keep in mind is that car insurance premiums tend to be higher once drivers are past retirement age, so it may be cheaper to let someone else be the main driver of your car. your vehicle.
Read also: Understanding Unlicensed Car Insurance
You only have a provisional permit or you are a student
Teens who have a provisional driver’s license or provisional learner’s permit need to have car insurance, even if they don’t technically have a license.
Student drivers often learn to drive in their parents’ vehicle, which is usually insured. However, parents might consider adding their child to their auto insurance policy as a temporary driver.
Your child is too young to get a car policy
Let’s say you buy a car for your teenager’s 16th birthday, when he just got his driver’s license. Even if you won’t be driving the vehicle, you must have auto insurance.
In most states, including New York, you will not be able to register your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles unless you can first prove that you have insurance.
And if your teen isn’t old enough to have their own policy, they’ll need to be listed as the primary driver on the policy of someone who is 18 or older.
You have an old vehicle that you don’t drive
If you buy a vintage car, you should have insurance to cover possible losses, such as a tree falling in the garage, a broken windshield, or a fire.
Even if you don’t intend to regularly drive this car, you can purchase a policy that includes optional comprehensive insurance to cover non-collision related situations such as theft and vandalism.
