Rideshare insurance 2017

Rideshare Insurance

Rideshare Insurance Guide For Uber And Lyft Drivers

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If you Drive With Lyft or Uber in most states, you probably have a number of affordable rideshare insurance options. Most of the major insurance companies now offer rideshare insurance coverage, including Farmers, State Farm, USAA, Geico, Metlife, Progressive, and Allstate.

More recently, a few companies have even started to offer Amazon Flex insurance, Doordash insurance, and Instacart insurance.

A couple of years ago, it was next to impossible to find coverage. Now, rideshare insurance is available in all 50 states. Coverage has been available for a while in states like California, Texas, and Illinois. But now you can also find rideshare insurance in states where it wasn’t previously available, like Florida, Hawaii, and even North Carolina (the last holdout).

If you’d like to see which companies offer rideshare insurance near you, select your state from the dropdown menu below.

50 State Rideshare Insurance Database

Or, if you’d like the answers to all of your Lyft and Uber insurance questions, read on. We go over what Uber insurance covers, what Lyft insurance covers, what rideshare insurance is and the different types of coverage available. If you have rideshare insurance questions, all the answers are further down the page.

What is Rideshare Insurance?

Rideshare insurance provides coverage while you are driving for Uber, Lyft, or another rideshare service. These policies fill in the gaps in Uber and Lyft coverage so that you’re always fully protected while driving.

Many drivers may not know this, but your personal auto insurance likely does not provide coverage for you while you are driving for Lyft or Uber. In most states, Uber and Lyft only provides full coverage (collision and liability) from the point you accept a ride to the point you drop the rider off. If you are between rides, and online, your regular personal auto insurance policy will not cover you. Additionally, except in a few states, you do not have full insurance coverage from Uber or Lyft between rides. So, if you want to be fully covered, consider purchasing a rideshare friendly policy. Currently, rideshare insurance is available in most states.

Uber insurance and Lyft insurance coverage explained

Uber, Lyft, and the insurance industry, divide ridesharing into three periods.

  • Period 1: Vehicle is being used, and the rideshare app is online.
  • Period 2: Vehicle is being used, the rideshare app is online, and a passenger has been accepted but has not yet been picked up.
  • Period 3: Vehicle is being used, and the passenger(s) is either being transported or has arrived at the destination and is exiting the vehicle.
Lyft driver insurance policy summary

Source: Lyft.com

Uber and Lyft only provide full coverage during periods 2 and 3. Your personal auto insurance policy only covers you if you’re using the car as you regularly would, commuting to work, running errands and other personal uses. So, if you’re driving around with the Uber app on, but you haven’t gotten a ping (Period 1), you’re likely driving around without full coverage. Rideshare insurance provides full coverage during period 1, and often provides additional coverage during periods 2 and 3 also.

Uber Rideshare Driver Insurance Summary

Source: Uber.com

There are now a number of insurance options available to Lyft and Uber drivers. In fact, coverage is currently available in all states except North Carolina. Most rideshare insurance policies are $6 to $25 per month more than a traditional auto insurance policy.

Rideshare Insurance:Gap Coverage or Extended Coverage?

Insurers are currently offering two main types of rideshare coverage. The first type is what’s called “gap coverage”. Gap coverage extends your personal auto insurance policy into Period 1, when you’re waiting for a rider request. Gap coverage usually ends when you accept a ride request. At that point, the Uber or Lyft insurance takes over. The companies offering some form of gap coverage are Safeco, Farmers, Allstate, Mercury, American Family, USAA, and Travelers.

The second type of coverage (extended coverage) extends most or parts of your personal auto insurance policy into periods 2 and 3, after you’ve accepted a request or when you have a rider in the car. These policies tend to cost slightly more than gap coverage policies, because of the additional coverage they offer. The companies offering this form of coverage are State Farm, Geico, Progressive, Erie, and Metlife.

Final Word: Please consider purchasing a rideshare policy.

Whether you’re driving for Uber, Lyft, Amazon Flex, Instacart, Doordash, or Joe’s new startup rideshare company operating out of a garage in Seattle, consider getting a rideshare policy. If you don’t, and you have an accident, your personal policy will not cover you during period 1. If you have a rider in the car, or are on the way to a rider, and you have an accident, you’ll likely be responsible for the first $2500 (Lyft) or $1000 (Uber) in costs to repair your vehicle.

In the end, it all comes down to a really simple question. Would you rather pay an extra $5-$20 per month to have full insurance coverage while driving for Lyft or Uber, or would you rather risk having to pay thousands of dollars in the event of accident while driving rideshare?

Companies Offering Rideshare Insurance

Allstate Rideshare Insurance

Allstate’s rideshare coverage can provide additional coverage during Period 1 of the drive cycle, when the ride-hailing app is turned on and the driver has not accepted a fare. During Period 1, Uber and Lyft offer contingent liability coverage for injury ($100k) and property damage ($25k). Allstate ridehailing coverage can provide collision coverage, uninsured driver coverage, as well as higher limit liability coverage during period 1.

During Periods 2 and 3, Allstate can provide coverage to reduce your out of pockets expenses after an accident. An example would be covering the deductible, ($2,500 on Lyft, $1,000 on Uber) or your rental car expenses.

Allstate Rideshare Insurance ChartAllstate Insurance Rideshare Coverage Periods. Source: Allstate.com

Allstate offers rideshare insurance coverage in the following states.

AZ, CA, CO, DC, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, ME, MN, MO, NE, NM, NV, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX, UT, WA, WI and WV.


Geico Rideshare Insurance

Geico offers a hybrid insurance policy that replaces your personal auto policy. The policy provides full coverage (as long as you purchase collision coverage) whether you are driving for Lyft or Uber, or just driving to the movies. Even better, the policy is in effect during all three periods, when you’re waiting for request, when you’re on your way to pick up, and when the rider is in the vehicle.

From the Geico site:

This policy replaces the driver’s current personal auto insurance policy and provides coverage for both personal and rideshare use at the same time. The coverage is in effect when the rideshare app is off, when it is on with no passengers in the vehicle, and when it is on with passengers, bridging the gap that the rideshare companies won’t typically cover. Since GEICO Rideshare Insurance will cover a rideshare driver whether he or she is “on the clock” or just driving for personal reasons, there is no need to worry about which policy will be primary in the event of an accident.

The big catch with Geico’s rideshare policy is that there are limits on how many miles you can drive. The limits vary from state to state. If you plan on driving full time, Geico may not be the way to go. For full time drivers, they only offer standard commercial auto policies. These policies generally run several hundred dollars per month. If you’re part time, a Geico rideshare policy costs 15-20% more than a standard policy.

Currently, Geico offers coverage in the following states.

AL, AZ, AR, CT, CO, DE, DC, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MN, MS, MO, NE, NM, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, and WY.

Erie Rideshare Insurance

Erie offers a rideshare insurance policy that offers coverage during personal and rideshare use. Coverage applies before, after, and during a trip.

From Erie’s site:

The new coverage is available to people who put a “business use” designation on their personal car insurance policy.
“‘Business use’” traditionally has covered people who use their personal cars for things like delivering pizza or flowers, but has historically excluded—meaning not covered— people who use their cars as taxis,” said Cook. “We are removing that exclusion, so now if you use your car for a ridesharing service, there’s no confusion over what’s covered and when. You’re covered during every part of the trip—before, during and after the hired ride. We know of no other insurance company that is offering something like this.”

Erie has also created a nice video that explains their coverage and rideshare insurance in general. Many drivers and would be drivers have found the video helpful.

 

Currently, Erie offers rideshare insurance in the following states.

DC, IL, IN, KY, MD, OH, PA, TN, VA, WI, and WV.

American Family Rideshare Insurance

American Family Insurance offers gap coverage, which extends your personal auto insurance policy into period 1, when you’re driving for Lyft or Uber. From the American Family site:

Fortunately for you, we’ve got a smart solution: American Family’s Rideshare Endorsement. It’s a simple, affordable add-on to your existing personal auto policy, and gives you peace of mind while driving wherever your entrepreneurial spirit takes you.

Currently, American Family offers rideshare insurance in the following states.

AZ, CO, GA, ID, IN, KS, MO, ND, OH, SD, UT, and WI

Safeco Rideshare Insurance

Safeco is Liberty Mutual’s auto insurance subsidiary. Safeco offers coverage for Period 1 (app on, no passenger). From the Safeco site:

Extend your personal auto policy: With Safeco RideSharing Coverage, you get nearly the same coverage during applicable ridesharing activities as you do any other time you drive. Most of the coverage and options you selected for your Safeco auto policy extend to your RideSharing Coverage. Cover your ridesharing gap for mere cents a day: You’ll likely pay less than $10 a month for Safeco RideSharing Coverage.

Safeco offers coverage in the following states.

AZ, CO, IL, IN, KS, MN, MS, OK, OR, TN, UT, WA, and WI.

Farmers Rideshare Insurance

Farmers offers a gap coverage rideshare insurance policy that offers coverage during period 1 (see graphic below), when you have the app on, but no passenger. During that time, your Farmers personal auto insurance policy is in effect, including any additional coverages you select, including:

  • Comprehensive and collision coverages that pay for damages to your car
  • Uninsured motorist coverage, in case you are hit by a driver who isn’t insured or is underinsured
  • Medical payment and personal injury protection (if required)

Farmers coverage ends when you accept a ride (period 2). During periods 2 and 3, you will be covered by Uber or Lyft’s policy.  When the passenger gets out of your car, Farmers coverage once again applies until you accept your next ride.

Farmers Insurance rideshare coverage explained.

Farmers Insurance Rideshare Coverage Periods. Source: Farmers.com

Farmers offers coverage in the following states.

AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, MD, MI, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OK, OR, TN, TX, UT, and WI

Metlife Rideshare Insurance

Metlife offers coverage for Lyft drivers in certain states. Metlife offers an addendum to their regular auto insurance policies that allow drivers to Drive With Lyft, but only for Lyft. They do not provide coverage while driving for Uber or other systems. However, the Metlife rideshare policy does provide coverage during all three periods, when waiting for a ride request, on the way to the rider, and when the rider’s in the car.

From the Metlife site:

The policy, offered by MetLife Auto & Home, contains an endorsement unique to the auto insurance marketplace in that it offers coverage for rideshare drivers at every stage of the trip: while the driver is logged into the app and waiting for a passenger request, is en route to pick up a passenger, and during the trip with the passenger. Premiums applicable to the policy endorsement will vary based on the mileage driven in the Lyft program.

Currently, Metlife offers coverage in the following states.

CA, CO, IL, TX, and WA.

Mercury Rideshare Insurance

Mercury’s rideshare coverage provides coverage during Period 1 of the drive cycle, when the ride-hailing app is turned on and the driver has not accepted a fare. From the Mercury Insurance site:

Mercury’s ride-hailing coverage will fill the gaps and provide you with high quality insurance that will cover you in Period 1 of the drive cycle, when the ride-hailing app is turned on and the driver has not accepted a fare. When this is combined with the TNC’s commercial insurance coverage, it provides drivers with protection through all stages.

Mercury offers coverage in the following states.

AZ, CA, GA, IL, NV, OK, and TX.

Progressive Rideshare Insurance

Progressive offers a rideshare insurance policy that provides coverage during personal and rideshare use. From their site:

The offering will allow customers to extend roadside assistance, comprehensive and collision through all phases of TNC activity. Drivers will also receive an additional benefit: if the collision coverage provided by the TNC includes a deductible that’s higher than the customer’s deductible under their Progressive policy, Progressive will pay the difference.

Adding rideshare insurance coverage to a Progressive policy typically increases the cost around 5-20%.

Progressive offers the coverage in the following states.

MI, PA and TX.

USAA Rideshare Insurance

USAA Rideshare Insurance is available to members of the military and their families.

You can add rideshare coverage to your existing USAA policy for as little as $6 per month. USAA’s rideshare coverage provides coverage during Period 1 of the drive cycle, when the ride-hailing app is turned on and the driver has not accepted a fare. Get a quote today!

USAA Rideshare Insurance Explained

Source: USAA.com

With USAA coverage, you also get access to 2900 USAA approved auto repair centers across the country.

Get a USAA rideshare insurance quote!

USAA offers coverage in the following states.

AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MO, ND, NE, NH, NV, OH, OK, OR, TN, TX, WA, WY.

State Farm Rideshare Insurance

State Farm rideshare coverage provides coverage during Period 1 (app on, no passenger) of the drive cycle, when the ride-hailing app is turned on and the driver has not accepted a fare. They also offer additional collision coverage during periods 2 and 3. Rideshare coverage typically adds 15-20% to the cost of a State Farm policy. However, unlike most rideshare policies, State Farm offers additional collision coverage even when you have a rider in the car. From their site:

How Does State Farm Rideshare Driver Coverage Work?

  1. It extends coverage from your personal auto policy to cover you when driving for a Transportation Network Company (TNC), like Uber or Lyft.
  2. Other coverage on your personal auto policy, such as medical, emergency roadside assistance and rental car reimbursement, is in effect when you’re driving for Uber or Lyft (requirements may vary by state.) Your TNC may not provide protection if you’re injured.
  3. It’s a smart add-on that puts your personal policy deductible into effect, even if you’re driving for a TNC. If your personal policy deductible is less than your TNC’s deductible, you pay the lower amount.
  4. If you have a claim, you deal directly with State Farm.

So, if you have a State Farm rideshare policy, your personal policy is in effect during period 1. During periods 2 (on way to passenger) and 3 (on trip), your personal policy can also fill gaps that may exist in Uber and Lyft’s coverage. For example, if you have collision coverage on your personal policy, that coverage is also in effect during periods 2 and 3.

State Farm offers rideshare insurance coverage in the following states.

AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, MS, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, and WV.

Travelers Rideshare Insurance

Travelers Insurance offers gap coverage for Period 1, when a driver is waiting for a ride request to come in. Adding a rideshare endorsement to a Travelers auto policy generally costs $6-$20 per month.

Travelers offers rideshare insurance coverage in the following states.

CO and IL.

Pemco Rideshare Insurance

Pemco has recently begun offering gap rideshare coverage to Uber and Lyft drivers. From the Pemco site:

PEMCO’s new rideshare endorsement gives drivers the green light to use their personal auto policy to fill coverage gaps and enhance their insurance coverage beyond the limits of their TNC policy. Until now, personal policies traditionally haven’t covered commercial uses of a personal vehicle, which can put rideshare drivers in a precarious position with their insurer.

Additionally, PEMCO’s endorsement aims to offer important protection where TNC coverage traditionally leaves drivers the most exposed – particularly against underinsured and uninsured motorists and within personal injury claims.

Pemco offers rideshare insurance in the following states.

OR and WA.

Metromile Per Mile Rideshare Insurance

As of January, 2017, Metromile is no longer offering rideshare coverage.

 

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Rideshare Insurance Companies By State

Alabama

Farmers, State Farm, USAA, and Geico currently offer rideshare insurance coverage in Alabama.

Alaska

Geico currently offers rideshare insurance coverage in Alaska.

Arizona

Allstate, Geico, Farmers, Mercury, State Farm, and USAA currently offer rideshare insurance coverage in Arizona.

Arkansas

Farmers currently offers rideshare insurance coverage in Arkansas.

California

Esurance, Farmers, Mercury, Met Life, State Farm, Allstate, and USAA currently offer rideshare insurance coverage in California.

California Rideshare Insurance Agents

Allstate – Doug Eisold – San Diego, CA – (858) 271-7900

We provide rideshare insurance that covers you during your personal time, during period 1, and the one of a kind Deductible GAP Coverage in periods 2 and 3. We also provide insurance for all levels of needed protection, and we pride ourselves on the best customer service available.  Call us for a complimentary quote!

Colorado

Geico, Liberty Mutual, Farmers, Travelers, Met Life, USAA, Allstate, and State Farm currently offer rideshare insurance coverage in Colorado.

Connecticut

Geico, USAA and State Farm currently offers rideshare insurance coverage in Connecticut.

Delaware

Geico and State Farm currently offers rideshare insurance coverage in Delaware.

Florida

It used to be pretty difficult to get rideshare insurance in Florida. If you needed rideshare coverage to augment your Lyft or Uber insurance in Florida, you were pretty much out of luck until 2017. That’s when Farmers began offering Florida rideshare insurance through their Foremost subsidiary. These days it’s even easier to obtain excellent rideshare insurance coverage in Florida. Geico, Infiinity, Mercury, Prime Insurance, Progressive, and State Farm all now offer some form of Florida rideshare insurance for Uber and Lyft drivers.

Florida Rideshare Insurance Agents

Quoteasy Insurance – Florida Rideshare Specialists – (800) 568-2209

Florida Rideshare Insurance Quoteasy logo

We provide rideshare insurance that covers you during personal use as well as during PERIOD 1. We also provide Commercial Auto insurance for Uber Eats/Amazon Deliveries, Etc! We pride ourselves on offering personalized customer service. Call us for a consultation or quote!

Georgia

Geico, Farmers, USAA, Allstate, Mercury, and State Farm currently offer rideshare insurance coverage in Georgia.

Hawaii

Allstate and Metlife currently offers coverage in Hawaii.

Idaho

Allstate, Farmers, Geico, and State Farm currently offer rideshare friendly coverage in Idaho.

Illinois

Farmers, Liberty Mutual, Geico, Erie, Metlife, Mercury, optOn, Allstate, and USAA currently offer rideshare insurance coverage in Illinois.

Indiana

Geico, Liberty Mutual, Erie, Farmers, Allstate, and State Farm currently offer coverage in Indiana.

Iowa

Allstate, Geico, Farmers, USAA, and State Farm currently offer rideshare insurance coverage in Iowa.

Kansas

Allstate, Geico, State Farm, USAA, Safeco, and Farmers currently offer rideshare insurance coverage in Kansas.

Kentucky

Allstate, USAA, Erie and State Farm currently offer rideshare insurance coverage in Kentucky.

Louisiana

USAA, Geico and State Farm currently offer rideshare insurance coverage in Louisiana.

Maine

Allstate, Geico and State Farm currently offer rideshare insurance coverage in Maine.

Maryland

Allstate, USAA, Geico, Erie and Farmers currently offer rideshare insurance coverage in Maryland.

Massachusetts

USAA and Allstate currently offers rideshare insurance coverage in Massachusetts.

Michigan

Farmers, Progressive, and State Farm currently offer rideshare insurance coverage in Michigan.

Minnesota

Geico, Farmers, Allstate Safeco, and State Farm currently offer rideshare insurance coverage in Minnesota.

Mississippi

Geico, Safeco, and State Farm currently offer rideshare insurance coverage in Mississippi.

Missouri

Allstate, Farmers, USAA, Geico and State Farm currently offer rideshare insurance coverage in Missouri.

Montana

Farmers and State Farm currently offer rideshare insurance coverage in Montana.

Nebraska

Allstate, USAA, Geico, Farmers and State Farm currently offer rideshare insurance coverage in Nebraska.

Nevada

Farmers, Mercury, USAA, and Allstate currently offer rideshare insurance coverage in Nevada.

New Hampshire

State Farm and USAA currently offer rideshare insurance in New Hampshire.

New Jersey

Farmers and State Farm currently offer rideshare insurance coverage in New Jersey.

New Mexico

Allstate, Geico, State Farm, and Farmers currently offer rideshare insurance in New Mexico.

New York

New York City drivers are required to carry commercial insurance. The NY state rideshare law passed last year, but no companies are writing rideshare policies in the state yet. However, Allstate, Liberty Mutual, and State Farm will not cancel you for driving Uber or Lyft in New York state.

North Carolina

Liberty Mutual and State Farm will not cancel you if you drive rideshare in North Carolina. You may be able to obtain coverage through Safeco (Liberty Mutual subsidiary). Although some sites say Farmers writes rideshare insurance policies in North Carolina, this is inaccurate.

North Dakota

USAA, Geico, Farmers, and State Farm currently offer rideshare insurance coverage in North Dakota.

Ohio

Allstate, Geico, Erie, Farmers, USAA, and State Farm currently offer rideshare insurance coverage in Ohio.

Oklahoma

Geico, Farmers, Allstate, USAA, Mercury, Safeco, and State Farm currently offer rideshare insurance coverage in Oklahoma.

Oregon

Geico, USAA, Safeco, State Farm, Pemco, and Farmers currently offer rideshare insurance coverage in Oregon.

Pennsylvania

Allstate, Geico, State Farm, and Erie, currently offer rideshare insurance coverage in Pennsylvania.

Rhode Island

Geico currently offers coverage in Rhode Island.

South Carolina

Geico, State Farm, and Allstate currently offer coverage in South Carolina.

South Dakota

Geico currently offers coverage in South Dakota.

Tennessee

Allstate, Geico, Erie, Farmers, USAA, Safeco, and State Farm currently offer coverage in Tennessee.

Texas

Geico, Farmers, USAA, Metlife, State Farm, and Allstate currently offer coverage in Texas.

Utah

Farmers, State Farm, Safeco, and Allstate currently offer coverage in Utah.

Vermont

Geico currently offers coverage in Vermont.

Virginia

Geico, State Farm, and Erie currently offer coverage in Virginia.

Washington

Geico, Farmers, Metlife, USAA, Allstate, Safeco, Pemco, and State Farm currently offer coverage in Washington.

West Virginia

Allstate, Geico, Erie, and State Farm currently offer coverage in West Virginia.

Wisconsin

Allstate, Geico, Erie, Farmers, and State Farm currently offer coverage in Wisconsin.

Wyoming

Geico and USAA currently offers coverage in Wyoming.

Washington D.C.

Geico, State Farm, and Erie currently offer coverage in Washington D.C.

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