# Full coverage

> What full coverage means in car insurance, why it is not an actual policy type, what it usually includes and what it can still leave out.

Canonical page: https://statecover-guide.com/glossary/full-coverage/  
Last reviewed: October 28, 2026 by the StateCover Guide editorial team  
General information, not legal or insurance advice.

## Quick answer

"Full coverage" is not an official type of car insurance policy. It is shorthand, often used by lenders and shoppers, for a policy that adds collision and comprehensive, which pay for damage to your own car, to the liability and other coverages your state requires.

## How it works

Insurance regulators stress that there is no such thing as a full coverage policy. Even with collision and comprehensive, a policy can leave out things you might assume are included, such as a rental car while yours is repaired, roadside help, or the gap between your loan balance and the car's value, unless you add those coverages.

When a lender or leasing company asks for full coverage, it usually means collision and comprehensive, which it can require until the loan is paid off or the lease ends. State law does not require either one.

To know what you actually have, ignore the label and look at the coverages, limits and deductibles listed on your declarations page. When comparing car insurance quotes described as full coverage, check that each one has the same limits and deductibles. Whether full coverage is worth keeping on an older car depends on the car's value compared with what collision and comprehensive cost each year.

## Related terms

- [Collision coverage](https://statecover-guide.com/glossary/collision-coverage/)
- [Comprehensive coverage](https://statecover-guide.com/glossary/comprehensive-coverage/)
- [Liability insurance](https://statecover-guide.com/glossary/liability-insurance/)
- [Gap insurance](https://statecover-guide.com/glossary/gap-insurance/)
- Guide: [Is full coverage worth it?](https://statecover-guide.com/coverage/full-coverage/)

## Sources

- [NAIC, A Shopping Tool for Auto Insurance](https://doi.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/ShoppingGuideAuto.pdf) — no such thing as a full coverage policy; lenders require comprehensive and collision until the loan is paid
- [Connecticut Insurance Department, Auto Insurance](https://portal.ct.gov/cid/consumer-information-center/auto-insurance) — collision and comprehensive not required by law but may be required by a lender or leasing company