It is essential that you regularly check your vehicle insurance status. It is essential to know if your car is insured before hitting the road because it is illegal in almost every state to drive without car insurance, and penalties can accompany this act. Beyond being penalized when caught driving without car insurance, you may get into an accident driving an uninsured vehicle.
Suppose you are in an accident while driving an uninsured vehicle. In that case, you will have no financial protection from insurance companies, meaning you will be financially responsible for every damage you cause.
It may seem odd, but there are some situations where you may not know if a car has insurance, for example, if you are going through a divorce, got the car as a gift, or inherited a vehicle from a family member.
There are several ways to find out if your vehicle has car insurance, and with the internet, you can conveniently check your vehicle insurance at will. Keep reading to find out how.
Information Needed to Find Out Your Car Insurance Status
Finding out if your car is insured is easy to do, however, some information is necessary tools for the search because the more information you have about the vehicle the easier it is to get your information.
Below is some of the information you need:
- Vehicle identification number
- License Plate
- Registration number
If the car was inherited, given to you as a gift, or belongs to an older relative, and you do not have access to the above, you can try finding the owner’s financial records to determine if the car is insured.
Places to Check if a Vehicle is Insured
If you have a car you are trying to find out if it’s insured, you can check the following places to find out its insurance status:
- You can check emails
- You can check with the Secretary of State or Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to track the information for a charged fee.
- You can check with major car insurance companies
- You can check with the local police
How to Check if Your Vehicle is Insured
You may forget that your car is insured if you have several accounts or several insurance policies for your car, home, and others. the following ways will help you find out if your car is insured:
- Contact your insurance company for up-to-date information
- Check your insurance company’s website
- Contact your state DMV
- Contact the NICB and check their website (National Insurance Crime Bureau)
- Request a new insurance quote, and you will get information on your current status
- Check your bank statements
- Check your emails
Ways to Check Your Vehicle Insurance Status Online
With the ease of digitization and the online space, just one tab can help you quickly check your insurance details online.
You can get updated with your insurance information online, such as your car insurance expiration date and renewal dates.
However, you can check your vehicle insurance online in any of the situations below:
- You can check your insurance status if you are involved in an unfortunate accident and no longer remember your policy details.
- You can check your insurance status online if you have lost your car insurance policy document
You can check your car policy details online via the following platforms:
Insurer’s website
You can visit your insurance provider’s website or check their mobile app to quickly get your insurance details.
You will be asked for the registration number of your vehicle, whether it’s the insurance provider’s website or the mobile app you use.
This is the most convenient method of accessing your insurance details online.
Insurance Information Bureau (llB)
You can visit the web portal of the Insurance Information Bureau to check for your vehicle details online because they maintain crucial data related to the various insurance policies.
llB facilitates the online tracking policies of registered insurance information, which you can access to find the information you need.
To begin, visit the official llB portal and submit all required information, which includes your vehicle registration number and others.
Submit the required details, and your insurance policy details will be shown to you.
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (VAHAN)
You can check your vehicle insurance details online by using the VAHAN website, managed under the e-governance application of the National Transport Project.
It is a comprehensive system that contains all information related to insurance policy details. Visit the Vahan e-services portal and click on “know your vehicle details”, then follow the on-screen information.
FAQs
Why Is It Important to Check Your Insurance Status?
It is essential to check and be updated on your vehicle’s insurance policy status. This is because when you are aware of your insurance policy, you can renew it on time.
If you are unaware of your insurance status, you may not be able to renew your policy on time, leading to lapses, high renewal costs, and rejection claims.
Whenever you find yourself unsure of your car insurance status, ensure you check before driving an uninsured car that will cause more harm.
How do I find out if a car is insured after an accident?
If you get into an accident with a driver who caused damages and injuries to you. You will need the driver’s insurance company to foot the bills. You can find out if a car is insured by following the steps below:
- Get a police report so they can help you gather the information you need
- Gather information by writing down license plate numbers, addresses, phone numbers and take photos
- Ask the driver if he is conscious
What do I do in an Accident with an Uninsured Driver?
Most importantly, you must have uninsured driver coverage so your insurance company can foot the bills; if you do not, you will foot every medical and damage bill yourself.
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