How Long Does It Take To Get Car Insurance? Here Are All The Answers You Need
You may be wondering ‘how long does it take to get car insurance?’. If you want the process of getting car insurance to be as quick as possible, then it’s essential to be prepared.
Once you are prepared, getting car insurance coverage can take as little as 15 to 20 minutes.
In this article, we provide a step-by-step guide on how to get the cheapest car insurance in place for your needs and budget.
We will also show you how to get car insurance in a way that ensures you have exactly the coverage you need—quickly and seamlessly.
Step 1: Decide on What Type of Car Insurance You Need for Your Vehicle
If you already have an auto insurance policy in place and are shopping around for more insurance, or a cheaper insurance rate, car insurance companies will allow you to sign up for auto insurance on the same day.
If you are new to buying insurance, or you are looking to buy insurance for a new car, there are a few coverage options that you can consider. Let’s look at what these are:
Minimum liability coverage
Most states require you to have minimum liability insurance. This is the least amount of insurance coverage you must have to pay for any damages you cause in an accident.
New Hampshire is the only state in which you don’t need auto insurance. However, in this state, you do need to have the financial means to cover your liability following an accident.
Minimum liability insurance includes:
Bodily injury liability coverage: Bodily injury liability coverage covers other people’s physical damages in an accident.
Property damage liability coverage: Property damage liability coverage covers damages to the other driver’s property.
You will see that minimum liability insurance is represented by three numbers:
- The first number relates to the bodily injury limit per person.
- The second number refers to the bodily injury limit per accident.
- The third number is your total property damage limit.
These limits are the maximum that your insurance company will pay out in the event of an accident.
For example, in Washington, minimum liability insurance is 25/50/10.
This includes: $25,000 bodily injury coverage per person, up to $50,000 per accident, and a maximum of $10,000 property damage per accident.
Comprehensive cover
Comprehensive insurance coverage is optional and is not required by law.
This insurance helps cover damages to your vehicle that are caused by non-collision events that are outside of your control.
These events include:
- Theft.
- Vandalism.
- Glass and windshield damage.
- Fire.
- Accidents with animals.
- Weather.
Collision coverage
Collision insurance covers the expenses of repairing or replacing your vehicle if it is damaged in an accident, regardless of who is at fault.
This includes collisions with another vehicle or an object.
Personal injury protection (PIP)
Personal injury protection, also known as PIP coverage, helps with medical expenses and lost wages regardless of who’s at fault in an accident.
Depending on the state where you live, PIP may be required, or it may be available but not required.
Knowing these facts will help you decide how much coverage you need when selecting options for insurance coverage.
Step 2: Check and Compare Quotes
To make sure you are getting the cheapest insurance possible, it’s important to compare quotes from various auto insurance companies.
To find an insurance company that is prepared to offer you the cheapest auto insurance that suits your particular needs, you can use our free quote generator.
Simply head to the top of this page and enter your zip code. You’ll get several insurance premium quotes that you can choose from.
Once you’ve decided on a quote, or a few insurance providers that offer the best premiums and coverage options, it will be time to take step 3.
Step 3: Decide on an Insurance Company
Most insurance companies will need you to first call them if you want to buy car insurance. Very few give you the option to buy car insurance online.
This is because each client is different, with a specific driving history and insurance needs.
Based on the results our online quote generator has generated for you, you can decide on an insurance provider that suits your needs.
It’s always a good idea to compare at least five quotes to find out what each insurer covers and who offers the best rate.
This ensures that once you select an insurer, that you have all the information you need to make the right decision.
Comparing insurance quotes using online quote tools can take around one to two hours.
Once you have a specific insurer in mind and you call them for your quote, you can get a formal insurance quote and purchase coverage within 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 4: Get All Your Personal and Car Details Ready
The good news is that most car insurers make the process of applying for coverage simple and efficient.
From the time that you get your formal quote, you could be done with the process in 10 to 15 minutes and your car will be covered immediately.
To get car insurance quickly, it’s best to have all your personal details ready before you speak to an insurance agent.
Be sure to have this information on hand:
- Names of all drivers covered by the policy.
- Dates of birth of all covered drivers.
- Driver’s license numbers of all covered drivers.
- Social Security number for all covered drivers.
- VIN (vehicle identification number) of the vehicle, or all covered vehicles.
- An address where you live and where the car is parked during the day and at night.
When finalizing your auto insurance quote, insurance companies will look at your:
- Insurance history.
- Driving record.
- Location.
This information helps them to finalize your insurance quote and set your monthly premium.
Step 5: Confirm Your Vehicle Insurance Policy Rate with Your Insurance Company
Once you have provided your insurance agent with all your personal details, they will provide you with a premium for your policy.
At this point, you can refer back to your online insurance search done through our site, and make sure that your quoted vehicle insurance isn’t cheaper with another insurer.
If you are not happy with your insurance quote, you can call another insurer to get a formal comparison.
If you are happy to proceed with the quote that your insurer has provided, they will activate your policy and it will come into effect immediately.
Step 6: Review Your Vehicle Insurance Policy
Once your insurer has sent you your policy document, be sure to go through all the details of your insurance policy carefully.
This will ensure that you have the coverage that they’ve advised you to get, and check that the coverage limits are correct.
Frequently Asked Questions
What could cause a delay in your vehicle insurance cover?
Even if you get a quote online, the most common cause of delays in finalizing your car insurance policy is due to inaccurate information.
From the spelling of your name to your driver’s license number, Social Security number, and postal address—double-check that the information you have provided is accurate.
The VIN is also easy to get wrong as it’s a long number. Be sure that you have each number correct to avoid any delays.
How soon after buying a car do you need vehicle insurance?
If you are buying a new car with a loan, you will need to have vehicle insurance in place before you can drive off the lot with your new ride.
To secure financing for your car, lenders need an insurance policy in place to protect their investment and they will require your proof of insurance.
If you are buying a car from a private seller, you can add the vehicle to your existing insurance.
However, if it’s a new policy that you need, you may have a few days to arrange insurance on your new car.
Remember that in most states, driving without minimum liability insurance is illegal, so you will need to have your coverage in place in order to drive your car.
Can you add a vehicle to an existing policy?
To add a vehicle to an existing policy, you will need to visit the website of your insurance company to access your car insurance policy, or call your insurance agent directly.
Most often, it will be necessary to provide the VIN and other details of your new car. You’ll also need to select what types of coverage you want.
Can you backdate an insurance policy?
Backdating a policy means attempting to change the actual date you took out the policy to an earlier one.
Unfortunately, backdating an insurance policy is not possible.
Car insurance companies will not issue backdated policies because you can’t use new coverage to cover a past incident.
If you are unsure about when your coverage will start, be sure to ask the insurance company when your insurance coverage is due to commence.
Can you get same-day car insurance?
It usually takes just 10 to 15 minutes to finalize a car insurance policy and your insurance agent will activate your policy immediately during your call, so it is possible to get same-day car insurance.
Generally speaking, one of the fastest ways to get insurance coverage is by:
- Getting a quote estimate online, such as our free quote generator which you can access by heading to the top of our website page.
- Confirming insurance premiums online via your insurer’s online portal.
- Finalizing your car insurance through a phone call to an insurance agent.
Get Cheaper Car Insurance Today with CheapInsurance.com
Getting an insurance quote doesn’t need to take you long, you just need a little know-how.
By using the steps we have outlined in this article, a formal insurance quote will take you anywhere between 10 and 15 minutes.
We recommend that you start the process by using our free quote generator to get an immediate idea of how much you could be spending on your car insurance.
Simply head to the top of this page and enter your zip code. You will find a wide selection of insurance quotes to choose from.
Once you have an idea of the auto insurance premiums that you could be paying, it will be time for you to contact the insurers that are offering you the cheapest rates to get a formal quote.
Getting car insurance should be quick, simple, and stress-free, and you deserve to get the best insurance rates possible.
At CheapInsurance.com, we’ve got you covered!
