There was once a time when rideshare drivers had insufficient insurance options. Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft offered limited coverage for drivers — coverage starting from when they accept a ride, when en route to the passenger, and when the passenger reaches his destination.
If you got into an accident while you had your rideshare app enabled but weren’t transporting a passenger, however, you were then out of luck unless you had expensive commercial insurance.
Nowadays, insurance companies have expanded the scope of their offerings and filled the coverage gaps, giving rideshare drivers more protection while they’re out on the road. Below are some companies that offer different insurance options and coverage depending on the driver’s location, age, vehicle, and driving history.
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RELATED: 3 Essential Things Every Rideshare Driver Should Know About Rideshare Insurance
Rideshare Insurance Options: Top Companies for Drivers
Looking into insurance options for rideshare drivers can get pretty overwhelming, so we’ve assembled a list of the most popular companies to consider when shopping around.
1. Farmers Insurance Group
Farmers Insurance Group is one of the established giants when it comes to auto insurance. The company offers rideshare insurance to Uber and Lyft drivers by extending their personal auto insurance coverage. The drivers are covered from the time they log into the app up to the time they choose to accept a rider.
This is great for those drivers who don’t often log in as full-time rideshare drivers or for those who treat ridesharing as a side job. Coverage is currently available in 29 states.
Some of the coverage options drivers can choose from with Farmers include:
- Uninsured Motorist Coverage (in case the driver’s car is hit by an uninsured or underinsured driver)
- Comprehensive Coverage
- Collision Coverage (this will pay for the damages to the driver’s car)
- Medical payment and personal injury protection
Call Farmers Insurance Group at 1-800-493-4917, or contact an agent near you to learn more.
2. State Farm
State Farm also extends the coverage of the driver’s personal auto policy when the car is used for ridesharing. Although they cover most every ridesharing app from the time the driver accepts a rider until the passenger reaches the destination, State Farm does not cover drivers for any liabilities to others.
Here is State Farm’s rideshare driver coverage while on the road with a passenger:
- Damage to the driver’s car
- Medical coverage
- Rental reimbursement
- Uninsured/underinsured motorists
- Emergency road service
This type of insurance is pretty affordable, and it adds around 15 to 20 percent to a current premium with State Farm, depending on various rating factors include coverage options chosen and discounts that may apply.
Give State Farm a call at 1-800-782-8332, or contact an agent near you to learn more.
3. Allstate
Allstate’s “Ride for Hire” rideshare insurance plan can fill some of the gaps that can arise between a TNC company and the driver’s personal auto policy. It means whether the driver is waiting for a passenger or commuting to a destination, Allstate can protect the driver from risky coverage gaps for as little as $15-20 per year.
This coverage can also give drivers protection against high deductibles from their ridesharing companies.
Something to keep in mind with this policy is that while Allstate covers most ridesharing apps, they don’t guarantee continuous coverage when signed into the app. A driver may have to get a separate policy with different terms just to acquire a full coverage, so make sure to run this by an agent when inquiring about an insurance quote.
For more information on an Allstate rideshare insurance policy, get in touch with an agent near you.
4. Geico
Geico is another one of the best insurance companies for rideshare drivers. They offer a uniform policy, which means this policy replaces the driver’s personal auto policy, providing coverage whether they are using the car for business or personal reasons. In addition, regardless of if the driver has a passenger or not, Geico’s Hybrid Coverage policy has them covered.
Choosing a Geico ridesharing insurance policy eliminates many coverage gaps, so drivers don’t have to worry about what policy they have to use when an accident occurs. They can rest easy knowing that they’re covered.
Geico’s rideshare insurance covers the following:
- Property damage
- Bodily injury
- Collision coverage*
- Comprehensive physical damage coverage*
- Medical payments*
- Uninsured motorist coverage *
*These coverages are included in the First Part Coverage, which is optional.
Drivers can get Geico’s ridesharing coverage for much lower than commercial rates, which can cost around $150 per year, and they are also available in most states.
Get more information about a Geico Hybrid Coverage policy by calling (866) 509-9444, or reaching out to a local Geico agent near you.
Full List of Rideshare Insurance Companies
We understand that drivers looking for rideshare insurance options can get overwhelmed pretty easily, so for your convenience, we created a simple and easy-to-read table that outlines this information.
| Description | States Available | Cost (above personal policy) | Info |
| Ride for hire endorsement | Arizona California Colorado Georgia Illinois Indiana Kentucky Minnesota Oklahoma South Carolina Tennessee Texas Utah Washington Washington, DC |
Adds extra $15 to $20 to annual personal auto policy premium. | Policy helps with deductible for collision/comp if TNC’s deductible is higher than your personal deductible. |
| Description | States Available | Cost (above personal policy) | Info |
| Extends ridesharing coverage if you carry business use coverage | Illinois Indiana Kentucky Maryland Ohio Pennsylvania Tennessee Virginia West Virginia Wisconsin Washington, DC |
Estimated to be $9 to $15 extra per month. | Business use coverage typically has an exclusion for carrying people for money but Erie lifted that exclusion for rideshare drivers. |
| Description | States Available | Cost (above personal policy) | Info |
| Ridesharing policy – hybrid policy that replaces existing personal auto policy | Alabama Arizona Arkansas Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Louisiana Maine Maryland Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska New Mexico North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Vermont Virginia Washington Washington, DC West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming |
Less than traditional commercial policy (estimated to be $25 extra per month). | Restriction on annual mileage. If full time driver may need Geico commercial auto policy instead. |
| Description | States Available | Cost (above personal policy) | Info |
| Rideshare endorsement – not available online must call Farmers to add coverage | Alabama Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Florida Georgia Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Maryland Michigan Minnesota Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Jersey New Mexico North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Tennessee Texas Utah Wisconsin |
Estimated 8 percent increase in rates in California estimated $15 per month in other states. | Policy covers between rides and ride requests until driver logs off app but it does not cover the time once a passenger is picked up until the drop-off. |
| Description | States Available | Cost (above personal policy) | Info |
| Rideshare/Ride-hailing endorsement | Arizona California Illinois Nevada Oklahoma |
Mercury is advertising that the coverage “can cost as little as 20 cents a day” in addition to your usual personal auto policy premium. | If also include collision and medical payments on Mercury policy those coverages will go up by 5 percent each. |
| Description | States Available | Cost (above personal policy) | Info |
| Rideshare insurance Lyft endorsement | California Colorado Illinois Texas Washington |
Premiums will vary based on mileage driven for Lyft (estimated to raise rates by 10%). | If currently with Metlife you need to call and have policy re-written with Lyft endorsement. |
| Description | States Available | Cost (above personal policy) | Info |
| Metromile + Uber | California Illinois Washington |
No extra cost | Monthly bill is pay-per-mile, integrated databases allows drivers to not be charged for miles driven for Uber once matched with a rider. |
| Description | States Available | Cost (above personal policy) | Info |
| In PA: Commercial policy for Lyft drivers (replaces personal policy)
In TX: Personal policy endorsement for TNC drivers |
Pennsylvania Texas | Available with quote | Lyft drivers in forums say quoted rates in PA are on the high side. According to Progressive rates are to be adjusted on mileage driven as a TNC operator. |
| Description | States Available | Cost (above personal policy) | Info |
| Ridesharing coverage | Arizona Colorado Illinois Indiana Kansas Minnesota Missouri Oklahoma Oregon Tennessee Utah Washington Wisconsin |
Estimated to be less than $10 a month. | Safeco says you get nearly the same coverage during applicable ridesharing periods as you do when using car for personal use. |
| Description | States Available | Cost (above personal policy) | Info |
| TNC Driver Coverage endorsement | Alabama Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Idaho Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania South Carolina Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington, DC West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming |
Available with quote | Liability extends during Period 1 only all other coverages apply during all periods of TNC driving. |
| Description | States Available | Cost (above personal policy) | Info |
| Limited ride sharing coverage endorsement | Colorado Illinois |
Available with quote | Endorsement provides coverage when the ridesharing app is on but before accepting a passenger (period 1). |
| Description | States Available | Cost (above personal policy) | Info |
| Rideshare endorsement – extends your personal policy to ridesharing | Alabama Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Georgia Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Maryland Massachusetts Missouri Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire North Dakota Ohio Oregon Tennessee Texas Washington Wyoming |
An extra $6 to $8 per month or approximately $40 to $50 per six-month policy term. | Must be a military member or a spouse or child of military member who is a USAA member to buy a policy from USAA. |
We’re constantly adding to our rideshare driver information pages, so let us know what you think about our table by leaving a comment below. We’ll update the table based on driver feedback, so definitely let us know what you think!
Sources:
- https://newsroom.statefarm.com/tnc-driver-coverage-ar-md-nv-vt-wy/#KAcPmHaVO7fWY4cs.97
- https://www.geico.com/information/aboutinsurance/ridesharing/faq/
- https://www.farmers.com/rideshare/
Looking for even more rideshare insurance options? Harry Campbell from The Rideshare Guy put together a quick video to help drivers find out which companies offer the widest coverage for rideshare drivers. Check it out:
Rideshare Insurance Options: Our Take
Rideshare services are continually gaining popularity, which is why insurance companies are constantly improving their policies to match the demands of rideshare drivers. These policies stretch drivers’ personal auto insurance into the territory of rideshare driving, thus putting their mind at ease whenever they’re out on the road and earning extra cash.
Most importantly, this type of insurance is important because you are not legally allowed to drive for Uber or Lyft without it. If you are caught by your insurance company while you are driving for Uber and Lyft without the proper coverage, they can cancel your policy!
I’m pretty excited to see how companies beyond just Uber and Lyft are expanding their coverage as well. For rideshare drivers, though, there are several insurance companies that offer different insurance options a driver can choose from.
However, always check to make sure that a company is offered in your state. After that, all you have to do is look for the one that offers the best coverage for your needs and then get a quote. Happy driving!
Have you tried one of these rideshare insurance options? Share your experiences with us in the comments below!
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