Does State Farm Car Insurance Cover Rental Cars?
Your regular State Farm policy might cover a rental car if you have full coverage, but you should check before you sign.
Written by R.E. Fulton
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
If you have car insurance through State Farm, your regular insurance policy should
cover your rental car
. However, if you don’t have collision or comprehensive coverage on your personal policy, you’ll be responsible for the cost of physical damage to the rental.You’ve probably heard someone say that buying insurance for a rental car is a “waste of money”—but don’t just turn down the coverage without first checking that your regular
car insurance
will cover you. Here’s what State Farm policyholders should know about getting car insurance coverage for a rental car.Does State Farm offer rental car insurance?
Yes—but depending on your coverage limits, you may need to purchase additional coverage through the rental car company.
If you have a standard
full-coverage insurance
policy through State Farm, your coverage should extend to any car you rent. You should call a State Farm agent at 1-800-782-8332 to check that your coverage applies to your rental, but in most cases, it will. If that’s the case, you should be safe declining any coverage options that the rental car company offers.But if you don’t have comprehensive and collision coverage, things get a little trickier. The
liability insurance
on your State Farm auto insurance policy should cover you in a rental car. If you get in an at-fault accident, State Farm will still cover bodily injury costs
and property damage
for other drivers—but you won’t have any coverage for physical damage to the rental car. In this case, you’d be better off purchasing additional coverage before you get into any rental vehicle.RECOMMENDED
Compare auto insurance policies
No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms
State Farm rental reimbursement
State Farm customers can also get something called
rental reimbursement coverage
, which shouldn’t be confused with the rental car insurance you need to have if you’re renting a vehicle.Rental reimbursement helps to cover the cost of a rental car while your regular vehicle is in the shop following a valid insurance claim. State Farm partners with Enterprise and Hertz for rental reimbursement, which is only available to customers with collision and comprehensive coverage on their car insurance policy.
State Farm may not cover the full cost of a rental car for the duration of your use. Your rental coverage comes with a per day and per claim limitation and the option you selected is specified on your
insurance declarations page
. Check to see what your policy covers before renting a car.Is it worth it to get insurance on a rental car?
Sometimes.
In most cases, if you have full auto insurance coverage through your regular car insurance company, you don’t need to buy any additional
rental car coverage
. Additionally, if you paid for the rental car with a credit card, you may have insurance through the credit card company.But you may need to purchase the additional protection if:
- You don’t have any car insurance
- You only have liability coverage
- Your comprehensive and collision coverage come with a high deductible
- Your insurance agent tells you your policy won’t extend to rental cars
- You are renting a commercial vehicle or a vehicle used in the course of business
- You want add-ons that you don’t have through your regular policy, such as roadside assistance, medical payments coverage (MedPay) or personal injury protection (PIP), or travel expenses coverage
The rental car company may offer you a collision damage waiver (CDW), which covers any losses caused by a collision, or a loss damage waiver (LDW), which limits your financial responsibility for a stolen or damaged rental vehicle. We’ll keep it real: both of these products will be overpriced. But if you don’t have the necessary coverage through an insurance company or a credit card company, it might be worth it to accept the steep cost rather than get into a rental car
uninsured
.“Jerrylet me customize my preferred auto and renters insurance so that I saved $100. I never even considered looking into Travelers but now they’re my policyholders! This app rocks.” —Jamie A.
RECOMMENDED
Thousands of customers saved on average $887/year on their car insurance with Jerry
This app is great, but the customer service is even better! Not to mention convenient! My husband and I got the lowest rate (much lower than the rates I was finding online through my own searches), quickly, and pretty much all through text message! Thank you so much for a hassle free experience👍
Gabriella R.
Find insurance savings
4.7/5 Rating on App Store
4.7
