All about Non-Owner Car Insurance in Ohio

An Ohio non-owner auto insurance policy gives you liability coverage and helps you avoid a lapse in coverage if you don’t own a vehicle.
Written by Jennifer Justice
Edited by Amy Bobinger
If you have a driver’s license but no car,
Ohio
non-owner car insurance gives you extra liability protection in the event of an accident when driving a rental or someone else's vehicle.
  • Minimum liability
    non-owner car insurance
    in Ohio costs an average of $2030 per year.
  • If you have to find non-owner coverage, contact an insurance company or broker to sign up for a policy. Comparison shop for quotes to get the best rate.
  • If you need SR-22 coverage and don’t own a vehicle, look at getting Ohio non-owner SR-22 insurance.

The average cost of non-owner car insurance in Ohio is $2030

Average cost of minimum liability insurance in Ohio
Average cost of non-owner insurance in Ohio
Average cost of non-owner SR-22 insurance in Ohio
$1488
$2030
$2574
Methodology: Jerry compared dozens of insurance companies to calculate the average cost of minimum insurance for an individual driver with one vehicle and a good driving record in Ohio, as well as the average price for non-owner insurance versus a non-owner SR-22 policy in Ohio.

Non-owner insurance rates are cheaper than regular insurance on average

Why it’s less: 
  • Since a non-owner car insurance policy only covers liability costs, it’s cheaper than the average policy for someone who owns a vehicle.
    Liability-only auto insurance coverage
    only pays for damage to the other driver’s car, so it costs less than a
    full coverage policy
    , which is meant to pay for damages to the policyholder’s vehicle.
  • Since a non-owner wouldn’t drive as often due to limited access to a vehicle, they are considered less of a risk than someone who has access to their own car 24/7. A lower risk means a lower cost!
As with any insurance policy, your premium is calculated based on factors like where you live, how much coverage you get, and your driving history.
Take time to compare rates from several insurers before you pick an insurance policy to get the best option for you. Working with a
trusted car insurance broker
like
Jerry
can make the process a lot easier.

8 of the top 10 biggest auto insurers in Ohio offer non-owners insurance

Even if some of the most well-known insurance providers are at the top of the list, that doesn't necessarily mean they are a good fit for your needs, particularly when it comes to non-owner insurance. If you want to
compare rates
for the top car insurance companies in Ohio, eight out of the ten biggest insurance companies offer this policy option:
  1. USAA
    (only available to veterans and current members of the military and their families)
  2. American Family Insurance
  3. Nationwide
Need to know: A non-owner car insurance policy is one time when you can’t skip a phone call–you’ll need to contact the company or an insurance broker directly since you normally can’t purchase the option through a website.
Note: You’ll only be eligible to work with USAA if you are a veteran, currently in the military, or a family member.
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Do you need non-owner car insurance?
You might need it if you:
You may not need it if you:
Sometimes borrow cars from people you don't live with
Rent cars frequently
Often use car-sharing services
Want to avoid a lapse in car insurance coverage
Need an SR-22 certificate but don't have a vehicle
Are getting your license in a state with an insurance requirement
Live with someone who owns a car
Rent cars infrequently
Have your own car
Don't plan to own a car any time soon
Learn More

Ohio non-owner insurance is a supplemental liability policy

Non-owner insurance is a liability-only policy, so it limits payments to the other driver’s damages and medical costs in case of an accident–it won’t cover your bills. 
Need to know: Non-owner insurance does not cover injuries to you or your passengers, let alone damage to the borrowed car you're driving. It is also only valid for the policyholder and cannot be transferred to another driver.

A supplemental policy pays out after the primary coverage limits are met

If you don’t own the vehicle you drive, whether it’s rented or borrowed, the car will be tied to the car owner’s insurance coverage, whether it’s a personal or
rental car insurance
policy. The vehicle owner’s policy is the primary insurance, so accident claims are initially filed with that policy, even if someone other than the owner is driving at the time of an accident.
One of the reasons you want non-owner insurance coverage is that you’ll be responsible for any remaining bills after the primary insurance reaches the limit of that policy’s coverage. You could be financially responsible for thousands of dollars in damages with just one accident.
Fortunately, you’ll have help with non-owner insurance since it gives you extra coverage based on the state minimum liability coverage requirements. After the primary insurance pays its portion of the bills, the non-owner policy acts as secondary coverage, chipping in to help with the remaining expenses. If you drive on a regular basis, non-owner insurance can help protect you financially.
Let’s check out an example:
Let’s say you borrow a friend’s car to get errands done and end up sliding through an intersection thanks to an icy patch, which results in an unfortunate chain reaction where multiple cars end up in the accident. 
If your friend has basic liability coverage, their policy will cover the first $25,000 per person for medical expenses, up to $50,000 total, and up to $25,000 in repair costs. That might sound like a lot, but that money would only go so far if multiple people were involved in the accident. 
This is when having a non-owner policy can help out. You would have access to additional coverage, which would cover up to $50,000 for medical costs and $25,000 towards repairs. But if you didn’t have insurance coverage, you’d be stuck paying for the rest of those bills.
If you’re worried about not ending up with surprise debt thanks to an accident, you can increase the coverage limits on a non-owner policy, usually for a pretty small increase in the monthly cost, and it could make a huge difference.
Note: Like most liability-only policies, non-owner auto insurance typically doesn’t require a deductible.

Non-owner SR-22 insurance in Ohio

In Ohio, the average cost of non-owner SR-22 insurance is $2574.
If you don’t own a car but need to file an
Ohio SR-22 certificate
with the state, you’ll want to get a non-owner policy and have your insurance agent file an SR-22 form in your name. However, you’ll need to check with an agent since not every insurance company carries both non-owner policies and SR-22s, so you’ll need to find a company that can help you.
Most of the time, an SR-22 is required after being ticketed or charged for serious traffic violations, and the form is part of getting a suspended license reinstated. The SR-22 is for high-risk drivers, which is why having insurance coverage is part of filing the form. Here are some common reasons for an SR-22 requirement in Ohio:
Part of an SR-22 requirement is proving you have insurance coverage, otherwise, you could be looking at more fines or restarting the SR-22 timeframe. However, the
non-owner SR-22
policy option is a good way to meet those requirements if you don't own a car.
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FAQs

In general, you must be listed on a vehicle’s title to take out an insurance policy on it. If you plan on driving another person’s car regularly, ask the owner about adding you as a co-owner on the title. However, if you live with the owner, you must be listed on their insurance policy.
This type of policy is used for small or medium-sized businesses. It’s not unusual that an employee uses their own car for business purposes instead of a company vehicle, such as to meet a client, which is where questions about insurance coverage come in.
If an employee is driving for work purposes, the company can be considered liable if the driver gets into an accident, so the business needs auto insurance to cover them. The employee’s own insurance wouldn’t cover something like driving for work, even if they own the car they were driving at the time of the accident.
You could need auto insurance even if you don’t own a car. If you use someone else’s car or rent one regularly, participate in a car-sharing service, or must file an SR-22, then you want to have your own policy. However, if you live with the person you share a car with, you should be listed under that person’s insurance policy.
It depends. The vehicle owner’s insurance will cover the vehicle if you get into an accident while borrowing their car since the insurance is tied to the vehicle, not the driver. Their insurance is considered the primary one and is billed first.
However, you would still be liable for any damages after the owner’s insurance pays for the initial costs based on the limits of their plan. Having non-owner insurance is a way to get a cheap safety net for when you drive, especially if you regularly borrow someone else’s car.
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