If you are wondering if you can get car insurance with no title, the answer is yes. You do not need to have a title to get car insurance. However, you can’t just get car insurance for any auto. You will have to show your insurance company that you are in the process of buying the car or that you have a reason that you will be driving it frequently. In the second of these situations, you need to prove that you have an insurable interest. You also have to meet other standard requirements for auto insurance, such as having a driver’s license.
Our team reviewed all major auto insurance providers to find the best car insurance companies. You can get started with free auto insurance quotes from providers near you just by entering your zip code.
Can I Get Car Insurance With No Title?
There are two main situations when you could get auto insurance with no title. The first is if you are buying a car but the dealer currently owns the title. The other would be if you frequently drive a vehicle that belongs to someone else.
In the first situation, you will not have the title when you buy the policy, but will have it soon after if you pay in cash. If you are buying a car, all you have to do is call a major insurance provider. You should be able to easily get coverage within 30 minutes. Once you have the coverage, the dealership will let you buy the vehicle and drive it off the lot. Remember that dealerships won’t let you drive a car off the lot without proof of insurance.
If you buy a car with an auto loan, then you still won’t have the title after signing the paperwork. In this case, the lender still holds the title. The same is true if you lease a car instead of buying one. Your lender will have the car title, not you.
Because leasing a car and buying a car with an auto loan are both incredibly common situations, insurance companies are used to dealing with them. You will have no issues getting auto insurance in either of these situations. As mentioned, you can get that insurance coverage very quickly. This makes it possible to buy or lease a car on short notice without having to worry about insurance. That is crucial as all states require at least some auto insurance before you drive a car off the lot.
The other situation, when you frequently drive someone else’s car, can be a bit more complicated or time-consuming. In this case, you will need to prove insurable interest. This is a requirement because you do not own the car.
Insurable interest indicates that you have a valid reason you will want to keep the car in good shape, and you would suffer financially if it was damaged. This type of situation is most common with caregivers, nannies, and other similar situations.
When you own a car, that is enough to count as insurable interest in the eyes of insurers, so this is not a requirement.
Can You Get Insurance for a Car Someone Else Owns?
Yes, there are some situations when you can get a car that someone else owns. This is the second situation mentioned above and requires you to prove insurable interest. You will only be able to get your own auto insurance to drive someone else’s vehicle if you can prove that insurable interest.
One example of a situation where this would happen is an in-home caregiver. If part of your duties as a caregiver require driving your client’s vehicle to take them to appointments or run errands, this would count. That is because you would depend on the client’s vehicle to be able to do your job.
As mentioned, getting insurance this way will be more complicated and time-consuming than getting insurance for a vehicle you own. You will also have to work directly with an insurance agent at your chosen company. They will need to make sure they understand your situation correctly, which is a measure to prevent fraud. Because you have to work with an agent from the company, you cannot get this type of insurance solely online.
The extra steps and time involved with this type of fraud prevention policy are because of the potential for insurance fraud. Insuring someone else’s car is a common type of potential fraud, which is why the process is so rigorous. You should understand that concern going into the process and make sure to give your insurance agency any documentation that they ask you for.
While this type of auto insurance policy is available in most states, it is not an option in each one. In New York, for example, the insurance and registration for a vehicle must match. That means that if you live in New York, you could not insure a car that someone else owns. Some other states have similar restrictions.
Non-Owner Car Insurance
If you want to get insurance on someone else’s car, a good alternative is to consider a non-owner insurance policy. This is a particularly good option if you drive multiple cars that you don’t own frequently, but it’s also smart even if you just regularly drive a single vehicle you don’t own.
In most cases, non-owner insurance will only cover your state’s minimum requirements. This is usually liability insurance. That type of liability coverage pays for property damage or injuries that occur due to an accident you cause. That coverage will not cover damage to the car you are driving or your own injuries.
In states where they are required, non-owner insurance will also typically include uninsured/underinsured motorist protection or personal injury protection (PIP). Uninsured or underinsured motorist protection will provide coverage if you get injured due to an accident caused by a driver without insurance or without enough insurance. PIP covers your injuries after a car accident, regardless of who caused the accident.
Alternatives to Getting Insurance With No Title
If you plan on driving a car but don’t own it, then there are also some other ways that you can overcome the issue.
The simplest choice would be to just have the registered owner of the car add you to their car insurance policy. This is a very easy process and can be finished very quickly. It is a particularly popular option in the case of family members. Another option is to have the owner of the vehicle add your name to their vehicle registration via the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This will create dual registration and means that the names on the insurance and registration match.
Our Recommendations for Auto Insurance
The best way to compare free quotes from insurance companies is to use a comparison tool. Our quote box is a great choice, and it provides you with free auto insurance quotes from local providers once you enter your zip code.
Supplement the quote box by paying extra close attention to our recommended auto insurance companies: GEICO, Progressive and USAA.
GEICO: Best Overall
GEICO continues to be one of the providers, which has earned it an overall 9.1 out of 10 rating from our expert evaluators. It has also received a 9.0 for customer experience, a 9.4 for cost, an 8.5 for coverage and a 9.8 for industry reputation.
To help you stick to your budget, GEICO offers discounts for safety and security features, good drivers, defensive driving, and seat belt use. There are also discounts for military, federal employees or emergency deployment.
Progressive: Best for High-Risk Drivers
Progressive earned a 9.1 out of 10. This rating includes an 8.9 for customer experience, a 9.3 for cost, a 9.0 for coverage and a 9.1 for industry reputation.
Progressive also offers some useful discounts, including for having multiple policies, teen drivers, distant students and automatic payments.
USAA: Best Military Provider
USAA earned an overall rating of 9.6 out of 10. The insurance company earned a 9.3 for customer experience, a 10.0 for cost, a 9.5 for coverage and a 9.3 for industry reputation.
To help you get cheap auto insurance, USAA offers discounts for families, annual mileage, new cars, good students and military installations.
FAQ: Can I Get Car Insurance with No Title?
Can you insure a car that is not titled to you?
Yes, this is very common when you are leasing a car or buying a car with an auto loan. You may also be eligible to insure a car that someone else owns the title to if you can prove insurable interest.
Can you get car insurance if the car is in someone else’s name?
Yes, if you can prove insurable interest, you can insure a car in someone else’s name. In the case of a leased car or a car you purchase with an auto loan, the car will also technically be in someone else’s name. You can also get non-owner insurance.
Do you need proof of ownership to get a car?
No, you do not need proof of ownership to insure a car, but having it makes the process much easier. If you don’t have proof of ownership, you will need to prove an insurable interest.
Methodology
The Detroit Bureau collects data from every major car insurance provider to formulate rankings of the best insurers. Our in-depth rating system takes into account market share, coverage, auto insurance rate estimates generated by Quadrant Information Services, customer satisfaction and ratings from industry experts. Each insurer is given a weighted score in four categories, as well as an overall score out of 10.0.
We recommend auto insurance companies based on these rankings, but we also encourage you to perform your own research and compare quotes to find the best coverage.
