You don’t want to make mistakes when insuring an automobile and want to know exactly when it will be placed on cover. You may need it to start at a later date or as quickly as possible depending on circumstances and current policy. Knowing where you stand will reduce anxiety and allow you to efficiently switch vehicle insurance whenever you are ready.
You always need insurance to drive legally even for a few hundred yards. That is why you cannot take inception time lightly. It is a huge risk to be driving with lapsed coverage even for a day. Also, knowing all options can allow you to save money and reduce stress.
Is Car Insurance Effective Immediately?
If you have just bought an automobile you want to protect it with immediate effect. Also, you want to know if you can arrange it quickly when you are going to shop for a vehicle. Rest assured that your auto insurance can activate as soon as you make the premium payment.
You can quickly get online, find a comparison site or get a few quotes directly, choose a policy and pay for it to start. You can immediately download the proof to your phone if you like. The main thing is that you are protected if anything happens. It would be a shame to have an accident with a new car but it would be a tragedy if it happens before insuring it.
How Long Does It Take to Get Covered?
Usually, it doesn’t take long to compare quotes and buy and it can be done while you wait for the paperwork for the automobile to be prepared. However, you can check prices beforehand based on the type of vehicle you want to buy. If you know the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and basic details you can get quotes before buying that takes away guessing how much premium you need to pay.
Today policies can be activated with a push of a button and you can get immediate confirmation. Those days of sending a fax and waiting for a confirmation are over. So, the simple answer to when does automobile insurance coverage begin is as soon as you pay for it but you should have the confirmation of coverage before you start driving.
You can also call a broker and ask to find you a good deal. Most attentive brokers should be able to check prices from a few carriers and get back to you with a competitive price very quickly or do it while you wait. Then, it is just a case of making the payment and instructing them to bind the policy.
What Time Does Vehicle Insurance Start?
Usually, existing policies are renewed at 12:01 am (one minute after midnight) on the day of expiration. If you are switching, you can instruct the preferred company beforehand to initiate it at a certain date and ask the current carrier not to renew it. Then, at one minute past midnight the old one expires and the new one takes it over automatically. Typically you don’t need to set up your new policy to start earlier as it can be done simultaneously.
One important point to know is that typically auto insurance policies expire at 12:01 am on the day of policy expiry date. In other words, on the last day you don’t have coverage for the whole day but only one minute into it. As the day starts, your policy ends if it isn’t renewed already. So, you need to make sure you send the renewal premium before this date and don’t wait to settle on the last day, if you don’t have an automatic payment plan in place. And if you are switching your car insurance, you need to set your new policy to start on the day of your old policy’s expiration date and not the next day. Then, as you enter the last day of your current policy, your old policy expires and the new one starts simultaneously at 12:01 am.
Accordingly, you don’t need to wait until the last day. You can make arrangements well in advance. This gives you plenty of time to think over coverage, costs and companies? Then, you can get a few quotes and compare them to find the best deals. Once you decide on the carrier you can make the necessary arrangements for a smooth switch over. If you decide to stay, you can make sure it carries on without a glitch.
In the same way, you can let your current automobile insurer know that you will not be renewing, once you set up an alternative coverage to replace it. In the unlikely event that you realize your previous insurer charged you for renewal for whatever reason, they would normally agree to cancel it and offer you full refund once you prove that you bought a replacement policy from another source.
So, switching is easier than you think. Many drivers avoid checking for alternative vehicle insurance quotes at each renewal because they are worried that it is a complicated process to switch insurers even if they find a better deal. You may miss out on a better price and coverage if forgo shopping around.