Car insurance articles

What you will find here

Our guides to coverage, costs, saving money, claims and driver situations explain how car insurance works. The blog goes one step further, in two ways.

State data and law changes. These articles compare all states side by side, using the same sourced facts as our state guides. They track the states that raised their minimum coverage limits, rank the most expensive states for car insurance with NAIC data, show the share of uninsured drivers by state, explain no-fault vs at-fault states, and set out where insurers may use credit to price car insurance. For context, the NAIC puts the national average spent per insured vehicle at $1,281 a year in 2023, and the Insurance Research Council estimates that 15.4% of drivers were uninsured in 2023.

Everyday questions. Other articles answer the questions people ask when life gets in the way of a simple policy: whether car insurance follows the car or the driver, what happens after a lapse in coverage, how to insure a classic car or an electric car, what to do if your car is stolen, and how to read your declarations page.

Each article links back to the deeper guides and to the free tools, such as the state minimum lookup, so you can move from a general answer to your own situation.

All car insurance articles

Newest articles first. Each entry has a one-line summary to help you pick the right one.

• Classic car insuranceHow classic and antique car insurance works: agreed value, usage and storage rules, total losses and state historical plates.
• Mexico and Canada tripsWhy US auto insurance falls short in Mexico, how it extends to Canada, and what to sort out before you cross the border.
• Electric car insuranceWhy EV insurance can cost more, what claims data show, how the battery and home charger are covered, and what to do after damage.
• Canceled or nonrenewedCancellation vs nonrenewal, notice rules, allowed reasons and how to stay insured after an insurer drops you.
• Insurance lapseWhat happens when car insurance lapses: state penalties, plate surrender, higher rates and the steps to get covered again.
• No licenseHow to insure a car without a driver's license: listing a driver, excluded drivers, permits, suspensions and SR-22 filings.
• College studentsHow college students stay insured: a parent's policy, a car at school, out-of-state rules, student discounts and belongings in the car.
• Credit and car insurance by stateWhich states ban or limit credit-based insurance scores, what the FTC found, and how to check, dispute and work around your credit.
• Car or driver?Who pays when someone borrows your car: permissive use, primary vs secondary coverage, excluded drivers and rental cars.
• GDL by stateA state-by-state table of teen licensing rules and what each GDL stage means for adding a teen to your car insurance.
• Storm damageWhich coverage pays for hail, flood and hurricane damage to your car, flood titles, storm prep and how to claim.
• Hitting a deerWhich coverage pays after you hit a deer, what to do at the scene, when crashes peak and how a claim affects your premium.
• Reading your declarations pageA section-by-section guide to the car insurance declarations page, with an example and a checklist of mistakes to catch.
• Car not in your nameWhen you can insure a car you don't own: insurable interest, owners vs named insureds vs drivers, family cars and state rules.
• Stored carHow to insure a car in storage: comprehensive-only coverage, plate surrender or non-operation status, and lender rules.
• Items stolen from your carWhich policy pays when belongings are stolen from your car or the car is broken into, and how to document the claim.
• Leased vs financed carsWhat leasing companies and auto lenders require you to carry, how gap protection works and what happens if the car is totaled.
• Modified car insuranceHow mods affect car insurance, how to cover custom parts and what state rules say about aftermarket parts in repairs.
• Most expensive statesAll states ranked by NAIC average car insurance spending, the reasons behind the gaps and how to read the two averages.
• No-fault vs at-faultHow no-fault, choice, add-on and at-fault states pay for crash injuries, where lawsuits are limited and what changes when you move.
• Minimum coverage changesThe states that raised minimum liability limits, the increases still to come, and what each change means for your policy at renewal.
• Uninsured drivers by stateUninsured driver rates for every state, how the estimate works, state UM rules and steps to protect yourself from uninsured drivers.
• If your car is stolenStep by step: report the theft, file the claim, handle the loan and plates, and know what comprehensive coverage pays.
• Who must be listedHousehold members, regular drivers, teens with permits and excluded drivers: who belongs on your auto policy and why it matters.
• Winter drivingWhich car insurance pays for winter crashes and storm damage, chain and traction laws, winter prep and how to handle a claim.

How we research

Every article follows our editorial policy. We use state statutes, state insurance departments and motor vehicle agencies first, then national bodies such as the NAIC, NHTSA and the Federal Trade Commission, and research groups such as the Insurance Research Council and IIHS. We never use quote-comparison or lead-generation sites as sources. Numbers on the page are drawn from a facts database that records each figure's source and date, so the sources list on every article updates with the facts. When state law changes, we update the state facts and the articles that use them, and each page shows the date it was last reviewed. If you spot an error, our contact page is the fastest way to tell us.

The blog explains how car insurance works; it does not sell insurance or give quotes. For decisions about your own policy, a licensed agent or your state insurance department can help.