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How do I know if a car is insured?
A family friend is allowing me to borrow their car while they are overseas. I’m really excited to be able to drive again, but I’ve never borrowed someone’s car before. How do I know if the car is insured?
Chloe Jenkins · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Glad to hear you’re excited to get back out on the road! Generally, it is required for drivers to keep
proof of insurance
in the car—so to know if a car is insured, check the inside of the car! The proof of insurance will likely be in the glove compartment, center console, or trunk.If you can’t seem to find it there, it may be listed on the car’s registration, although that is less common in most states. Contacting the family friend that lent you the vehicle would be your best bet if all else fails.
If you cannot get in contact with the owner of the car, you might have some luck with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Usually, they keep a record of whether or not a vehicle is insured. You can call and request to know if the vehicle you are borrowing is insured, although you’ll need to provide your contact information, reason for the request, and some way for them to verify your story. Even with proof provided, the DMV can deny your request if they feel you’ve given false information, so make sure you have everything in order.
Once you get the proof of insurance that you need, you may also be covered as the
permissive driver
. Insurance follows the car, not the driver, meaning that if you were involved in an accident while driving this car, the owner of the car would be held financially responsible. Their insurance would also pay for the claim, so you should also verify your family friend’s coverage with their insurance provider.If your family friend does not have insurance, but you still want to drive, you can also look into getting a
non-owner car insurance policy
, which provides you liability
coverage in any car you drive, no matter who owns the vehicle. To get the best deal on a non-owner policy, check out the Jerry
app—we’ll get you customized quotes from top providers, so that all you need to do is pick the plan that works best for you. And once you pick one, we’ll even help you sign up!Best of luck, and enjoy hitting the open road again!
View full answer
- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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