How to Find Out if Someone Has Auto Insurance Coverage

If you’re wondering, “How can I find out if a vehicle is insured?”, you definitely are not alone. Not everyone is trustworthy after an accident. Drivers may either provide false information or simply drive off after hitting a vehicle. If you need to know how to check if the car has auto insurance coverage, this quick guide is for you. 

Keep reading to learn about the main steps you should take in order to find out if there is insurance on a car, as well as what type of coverage, such as collision coverage, you should have in the event that you are unable to find information after a hit-and-run. If you have forgotten your own insurance information, it will also help to find out who your car insurance is with, as well as policy details and the proper identification.

If you would like to compare affordable auto insurance quotes for full coverage, use our free tool above by entering your ZIP code.

What are some ways of checking the car insurance of another driver?

If you need to find out if a driver has auto insurance coverage, you can request information on a person’s auto insurance if you have a valid reason. 

The request of how to find out who your car insurance is with be made to a police officer simply by providing the license plate number and an incident report as you would with a hit-and-run.

You can also approach your local DMV for the information, but you will need to give your personal details and reasons for the request. Your request can be denied if you provide false information.

If you need to know how to find an insurance company by license plate number without having to go through the police, you can take the other car’s license plate number to the DMV and find out the driver’s insurance company that way.

Another way would be to approach the insurance company after the driver at fault disappears and cannot be contacted after admitting to being at fault.

Be ready with the police report and other documents to prove you have justifiable reasons for wanting the policy details, as being prepared on how to find auto insurance is important. 

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What should you do if the other person doesn’t have auto insurance?

If the other person doesn’t have auto insurance, the first thing you should do is call the police. They can serve as a reliable witness in a claim that the other driver didn’t have insurance. (For more information, read our “Car Insurance 101 – Commons Questions“).

A common time this occurs is in a hit-and-run, and the police will be a useful tool in helping you find the perpetrator. Police also know how to check if a car is insured by the license plate by checking the motor insurance database. 

Because parking lot accidents are common, most people want to know if police investigate parked hit and runs. For accidents with severe enough damage, the police will investigate to try and find out who hit your car.

Make sure you know how long before the police stop investigating a hit-and-run, as the sooner you get your police report the sooner you can file a claim. 

Because the other driver doesn’t have auto insurance, you will need to file a claim with your own insurer. Filing an auto insurance claim against another driver is simple. However, you will need to make sure you have as much information as possible about the accident.

Pictures, police reports, witnesses, and more will help make the claim process go faster. You can usually file a claim in-person, online, or over the phone. 

We want to stress that if you weren’t in a hit-and-run, make sure that you do not accept money from the other driver — your accident costs could amount to much more than the few hundred dollars they gave.

Which auto insurance coverage covers a hit-and-run?

What coverage covers a hit-and-run accident depends on what state you live in, as coverage laws vary. Because of this, people can be confused about subjects like “does liability cover hit and runs?”

However, the following coverage will typically cover a hit-and-run accident in the U.S., although uninsured motorist coveragewill always cover hit and runs.

Hit and Run Coverages

Except for collision coverage, none of the coverages on the list are the main auto insurance coverages. This means it will be less expensive to add them to your pre-existing policy.

We highly recommend carrying some of these coverages, as the cost of an accident can be astronomical, especially if there is a death involved.

According to theCenter for Disease Control, car crash deaths cause an annual loss of $44 billion. Even if no one is killed, less serious accidents will still cost drivers thousands of dollars.

For accidents in which the engine of your car is damaged, your standard auto insurance policy will cover the engine repair. However, damage from normal wear and tear is not included.

What will happen if I or my uninsured vehicle is in a traffic crash?

Your license and registration will be suspended, and you will need to pay fines and penalties. 

If you’re uncertain about coverage for your vehicle and are wondering how to check if your car is insured, it is a good idea to check with the DMV for the registered details. If your vehicle does not have insurance and you or someone else driving your uninsured vehicle is involved in a traffic crash, the DMV will revoke your driver’s license and vehicle registration for at least one year. 

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What if I don’t have uninsured motorist coverage?

If you don’t have uninsured motorist coverage, you could take the at-fault driver to court to sue for these incurred expenses. But this could take time and money with no guarantee you’ll win a settlement, so you very well could be stuck paying out of pocket for any injuries.

 The Bottom Line

We’ve laid out how to handle accidents with uninsured drivers and the best practices for filing an insurance claim giving you the confidence and know-how to take the right steps in the event of the unexpected. 

Having the correct auto insurance information is essential for you and for everyone involved if you are in a collision. 

We hope that our quick guide on how to find out if someone has auto insurance coverage after an accident was helpful. 

If you are looking to buy auto insurance or just want lower car insurance rates after paying accident bills, use our free tool below for affordable auto insurance rates from auto insurance companies in your area. 

References 

1. https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/statecosts/index.html