policy that contains essential information about you, your vehicle, and your policy. Policy details from your declarations page can help you file a claim, evaluate your coverage needs, or lower your insurance premiums.

Everything included on a car insurance declaration page

A car insurance declaration page (or ‘dec page’) is the first page of your insurance policy and contains basic information about your policy, including all the drivers on your car insurance, which vehicles are insured, and how much coverage you purchased.

Jerry’s experts have put together a detailed explanation of what you’ll see on your auto insurance declaration page, how to read it, and more.

For an auto insurance policy, your declarations page should cover at least the following:

Information about your policy: Your declarations page will outline your

policy number

, the effective dates of coverage, your auto insurance company, and your agent’s name and contact information, if applicable.

Who it covers: It should also list the name of the policyholder (or named insured) and other drivers covered under the policy.

What it covers: You’ll find information for all vehicles covered by the policy on your declarations page, including vehicle identification number (VIN), make, and model.

How much it covers: All the

types of coverage

and coverage limits will be listed on your declarations page.

What you have to pay: You’ll also see information about your expected financial contributions, like any

deductibles

and premiums for your policy.

Since all of this information is available on a single sheet, it’s a great point of reference for any policy information that you might need, such as your agent’s contact information, your deductible, your agreed-upon premiums, or your coverage limits.1

How to read a car insurance declaration page

To help you better understand the information on your auto insurance declarations page, the expert insurance team at

Jerry

created this mock page example.

Infographic explaining what you’ll find on an insurance declarations page. Your declarations page is a summary of your car insurance policy and includes the following information: Insurance company name, policy number, policyholder name and address, policy period and effective dates, driver or drivers listed, drivers excluded (if applicable), insurance agent name and contact information, coverage, coverage limits, deductible, and premium, vehicle or vehicles listed (including make, model, VIN, annual mileage), discounts, endorsements, lienholder info (if applicable).

At the top of the page, you’ll see your policy number and the effective dates of your policy—that is, the start and expiration date of your policy period. As you move down the page, you’ll also see information about the policyholder, other covered or excluded drivers, your insurance agent, your coverage limits, your premiums, and any

deductibles

Following that, you may also see additional information, such as:

Discounts: If you have a discount on your policy—such as for

bundling your auto and home insurance

or renters insurance policy—it will show up on your declarations page.

Lienholder information: If your car is financed or leased, the lender’s information will be included on your declarations page as a loss payee.

Endorsements and exclusions: In addition to your policy’s limits and types of coverage, the policy declarations page will list any excluded perils or coverage add-ons that apply.

Not all auto insurance declarations pages are formatted the same, but they should include all applicable information.

How to get a copy of your declaration page

When you

purchase car insurance

, you should receive a copy of your policy. The insurance declarations page will usually be the cover sheet for your policy, meaning it’s the first page you’ll see.

If you need a new declarations page, you can request one from your auto insurance provider by calling, visiting their website, or using their mobile app. Another solution is to use the

Jerry

app. If you purchase a policy with Jerry, you can find your declarations page and any other important policy information in the app’s virtual glovebox.

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A declaration page can count as proof of insurance

While a car insurance declarations page can be an acceptable

proof of insurance

when you’re purchasing a vehicle, you shouldn’t rely on this document as your sole proof of insurance—especially if you’re pulled over by law enforcement.

Your car insurance ID card, which comes along with your declarations page when you purchase a new policy, is the best form of proof of insurance. Other acceptable types of proof of car insurance include:

A digital insurance ID card

A proof-of-coverage letter or certificate of insurance from your insurance company

SR-22

or FR-44 filing, which proves that a high-risk driver has the required amount of car insurance coverage in their state

Without one of these official documents, you risk getting into legal trouble during a traffic stop. You should always keep a copy of your digital ID in your car’s glove compartment. Or, if you use Jerry, it can be found directly in the app.

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FAQ

Do bundled insurance policies have two declarations pages?

While your bundled insurance may share some policy documents, you’ll receive separate declaration pages for your auto insurance policy and homeowners insurance policy.

These two pages will contain similar information about your policy, insurance costs, deductibles, insurance agent, and more. However, your homeowners insurance declaration page will include data that isn’t necessary on your auto insurance declaration page, such as the type of home you own, your mortgage lender, and your responsibilities as a homeowner.

How can I obtain a copy of my auto insurance declaration page?

To obtain a copy of your car insurance declaration page, request one from your insurance company online or through their mobile app. Drivers who use

Jerry

can also access their declarations page in the app’s dashboard.

What are the parts of a declaration page?

The five basic parts of a car insurance declarations page are 1) policy information, 2) names of the named insured and additional insureds, 3) vehicle information, 4)

coverage types

, limits, endorsements, and exclusions, and 5) premiums,

discounts

, and

deductibles

Is an insurance declaration page the same as a binder?

An insurance declarations page isn’t the same thing as

a binder

. While both documents contain basic policy information, a binder is a

temporary insurance policy

that drops out of effect within 30 to 90 days, while a declarations page remains valid throughout your policy term.

What is a car insurance premium?

A car insurance premium is the monthly, semi-annual, or annual payment you make to a car insurance company in exchange for coverage. Your premium is part of the car insurance contract you sign to activate your coverage, and it’s listed on your declarations page.

Meet our experts:

Liz Jenson

Liz Jenson is an insurance writer who specializes in general automotive and insurance topics. Liz’s mission is to produce informative and useful content to help car owners make smart choices when buying cars and car insurance. Since joining Jerry in 2021, Liz has written nearly 4,000 long- and short-form articles on topics including state-specific insurance recommendations, common car insurance questions, and deep dives into vehicle model details.

Before they came to Jerry, Liz was a full-time student at Indiana University, Bloomington working on a double major in English and French.

Kianna Walpole

Expert Insurance Writer & Editor

Kianna Walpole is an insurance writer and editor with a comprehensive background in consumer behavior and online publishing. With experience in car insurance, maintenance, and repair, she is dedicated to building informative content that helps customers reduce costs while achieving the best service. Prior to joining the Jerry editorial team, Kianna worked as a junior editor in the content marketing industry, using consumer data and key insights to create and edit content for an array of large-scale clients in the real estate, cybersecurity, and healthcare industries.

SOURCES

https://www.usnews.com/insurance/glossary/insurance-declarations-page