Do You Need Rental Car Insurance If You Have Car Insurance

You do need auto insurance to rent a car.

Do you need rental car insurance if you have car insurance. Every credit card rental insurance benefit works slightly differently but you shouldn t assume your american express or other credit card will protect you while you re driving a turo car. It may be tempting to opt out of the rental car insurance offered at the rental counter but make sure you have some car rental insurance coverage first. So if you do have coverage the first step to answer your question rests within the auto insurance policy itself. Unless you have full auto insurance coverage including liability comprehensive and collision you may need to get some kind of insurance coverage from the rental organization.

Rental car companies may offer different types of auto insurance coverage including collision personal property and liability coverage. If you ve ever rented a car you ve probably been warned by salespeople at the counter about the possible consequences of walking away without buying their company s rental car insurance. If you do not own a car of your own you can purchase what is called a non owners policy this type of policy will cover you in any car that you are driving. If you have your own car insurance you likely don t need to purchase additional car insurance for your rental car.

Renting a car when you have your own car insurance. To compare auto insurance quotes start with your zip code in the box above. If you own a car it s your duty as the legal owner of the vehicle to comply with state auto insurance laws. Most credit card rental car benefits only apply when you rent from a rental car company like budget or enterprise and some specifically exclude peer to peer car rental companies like turo.

If you re not already covered by your existing car insurance policy or even through your credit card rental car insurance may be your best option. Rental car insurance is necessary if your personal policy or company does not cover the use of a rental car or if you do not have auto insurance. Some rental car companies or specific locations will allow you to use a debit card but if you do this is one of the cases where you may be required to show proof of insurance. In most states you re responsible for paying third party damages when you re in an automobile accident when you rent a car you have the option to buy liability insurance or other forms of supplemental coverage that will erase the burden of having to pay for repairs.

If you are frequently renting cars the policy may be cheaper than purchasing the rental car company s insurance. Should you ever need to file an insurance claim on a rental car the coverage can be the difference between talking to your insurance company or paying for costly repairs.