How to Get Car Insurance

Having car insurance is no longer a luxury, but is the law. In the US each state has different requirements on the minimum amount of coverage that you need, but all states require that you have some form of auto insurance. Getting car insurance is not difficult, but you need to shop around to make sure you are getting the best deal for the coverage that you need. Learn how to receive insurance quotes and choose the right one to get car insurance.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Have your personal and auto info (make, model, year, etc) handy for the insurance preparer.
• Telephone or Internet access

1. First find auto insurance providers in your area. You can do this by using the phone book or googling "auto insurance providers". If you already have some form of insurance, such as homeowners or renters, check with your current provider to see if they offer auto insurance. You may get a discount for purchasing an additional insurance policy with your current provider.

2. 
   Get an auto insurance quote online

   Once you have your list of providers ready, either contact them over the phone or go to their website to get an auto insurance quote. One of the easiest and most efficient ways to get your quote, is to use a website that gives your information to multiple insurance providers so you only have to provide your information once. See the resources section for a link. Whether online or by phone, when you contact the auto insurance provider, you will need to give them your personal information as well as your car information. The location where you primarily drive is one factor that determines how much your insurance will cost. Other factors that affect your policy cost are your age, number of drivers and what kind of car you are insuring. You will need to provide them with all of this information and more in order for them to prepare a policy for you.

3. After you have provided your information to the insurance provider, they will begin preparing a custom auto insurance policy quote. If you signed up online, you will start receiving quotes from different providers, or you may receive an email or phone call for additional information.

4. 
   Sample online car insurance quote

   Once you have a few different insurance quotes you should start comparing coverage to see which is right for you. Depending on your situation and the age/condition of you car, you may need to request more or less coverage, like for an additional driver or emergency road service, etc. Find the quote that best suits your auto insurance needs for your money.

5. When you think you have found the insurance quote that will work best for you, you need to purchase the policy. If you signed up online, purchasing your policy may be as easy as clicking on a link provided in the quote and providing payment information. You may also choose to call the company directly with the quote they provided and let them know that you would like to purchase the car insurance policy and they will gladly help you.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have homeowners/renters/flood or other insurance, check with your current provider to see if you can purchase auto insurance through them as insurance providers often provide discounts for multiple policy holders.
• Make sure you take advantage of any discounts that may be offered to students or drivers with a clean driving record.
• Always keep proof of insurance with you while driving. You could get hit with a $500 fine for driving without proof of insurance even if you have it!

Resources

• Get auto insurance quotes online