Is insurance required when renting a car in the USA?
At Avis specifically. I heard that rental insurance isn’t required but does this apply even if you don’t have any  auto insurance ?

not required, but your responsible for any damages to it or if stoled, all sell insurance aor lenght of rental, and worth bying if you had auto innsurance of your own, that would cover a rental
good luck

No, it isn’t required. You can reject the coverage. But please be aware, if you are involved in a collision, you will have to pay for all the damages if you don’t have your own insurance. Even if you do have your own insurance, it may not transfer to a rental, you would have to check with your carrier first.

I suggest being well covered when renting a vehicle. Chances are, you are going to be renting a newer vehicle, and if an accident happens without the proper protection, you are stuck paying for the repairs of a fairly expensive vehicle.

If you have full coverage auto insurance, i.e. State Farm which allows you to rent car, then specific rental insurance isn’t required. Specific rental insurance is pretty expensive and can cost about $20 a day.

DONT DO IT/its easy to be in 30k 50k accident/the other insurance companys are relentless and will hound you forever/also ticket and fines for driving w/out insurance

Avis isn’t going to rent you a car, unless you have your own auto insurance, or buy their coverage.

That’s because EVERY car is required to have insurance, to be on the road.

Check with your credit card company before renting to see what kind of coverage they offer for rental cars. Many card companies offer automatic rental car coverage when you rent the car using their card.

Paul Colligan: Kamlesh, thanks for providing useful tips to me to compare auto insurance quotes and due dilgiency for renting a car. I will be going with my kids and family. Any tips on safety for children would be appreciated since my wife is very worried. Of course, me too.

Response: I am glad you liked my tips on how too compare rental auto insurance quotes It’s great that you are thinking of the vacation and are happy with the tips given for rental auto insurance quotes. It will be a pleasure to share with you the risk management and insurance tips for safety of the child, since obviously to all the safety of the child matters more than anything else. You will be suprised, but the reality is that almost 50% people do not use car seats for children but just rely on seat belts.

The changes in technology, the tariff advisory and steps taken by the auto insurance companies especially the NHTA are really helpful. The LATCH system know as Lower anchors and tethers for children has been developed with the sole objective of making it easier for parents to correctly install child safety seats in vehicles and for children to be safer. Please do not rely on the seat belt for the safety and security of your child.

Here are some things you have to keep in mind for the safety of your child when traveling in an auto:
A certified child passenger safety technician can check your installation and answer questions. To find a technician or an inspection station near you.

When children outgrow their rear-facing seats (at a minimum age 1 and at least 20 pounds) they should ride in forward-facing child safety seats, in the back seat, until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the particular seat (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds

When children outgrow their booster seats, (usually at age 8 or when they are 4’9” tall) they can use the adult seat belt in the back seat, if it fits properly (lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest)

For information on the LATCH system you can either go to NHTA. www. nhtsa.gov

Any safety measure you take ensures you low car insurance premium. You must compare auto insurance quote but not at the cost of safety.

Happy journey and safe motoring.

Paul Colligan: On the Thanks giving weekend, I am planning to go from New York to Oklahama in a rented car. Will my auto insurance policy suffice this and how do I compare auto insurance so that I can get the maximum benefits.

Response: You will have to take into consideration for comparing rental car insurance quote :

To know exactly what type of auto insurance coverage you have, call the toll-free number on the back of the card you will be using to rent the car. Also remember that credit card benefits are secondary to either your personal insurance protection or the insurance offered by the rental car company.

Happy Thanks giving.

Joe Jackson [Los Angles]: I am planning to go to Colorado in a rented car. Do I need seperate rental car insurance?

Response: Joe, it is always important to review auto insurance coverage before you go for any trip out of your own province mainly because the requirement of each province for third party liablity is different and so you need to compare car insurance coverage and make sure you have the correct coverage for this.

Insuring a rental car can be confusing, frustrating and downright daunting. Unfortunately, many consumers do not even think about car rental insurance until they get to the counter, which can result in costly mistakes—either wasting money by purchasing unnecessary coverage or having dangerous gaps in coverage.

Before renting a car, the I.I.I. suggests that you make two phone calls—one to your insurance agent or company representative and another to the credit card company you will be using to pay for the rental car.

1. Insurance Company
   Find out how much coverage you currently have on your own car. In most cases, whatever coverage and deductibles you have on your own car would apply when you rent a car, providing you are using the car for recreation and not for business.If you have dropped either comprehensive or collision on your own car as a way to reduce costs, you will not be covered if your rental car is stolen or damaged in an accident.

   Check to see whether your insurance company pays for administrative fees, loss of use or towing charges. Some companies may provide an insurance rider to cover some of these costs, which would make it less expensive than purchasing coverage through the rental car company. Keep in mind, however, that in most states diminished value is not covered by insurers.

2. Credit Card Company
   Insurance benefits offered by credit card companies differ by both the company and/or the bank that issues the card, as well as by the level of credit card used. For instance, a platinum card may offer more insurance coverage than a gold card.Credit cards usually cover only damage to or loss of the rented vehicle, not for other cars, personal belongings or the property of others. There may be no personal liability coverage for bodily injury or death claims. Some credit card companies will provide coverage for towing, but many may not provide for diminished value or administrative fees. Some credit card companies have changed their policies, too, so you may not have as much coverage as you thought.

   To know exactly what type of insurance you have, call the toll-free number on the back of the card you will be using to rent the car. If you are depending on a credit card for insurance protection, ask the credit card company or bank to send you their coverage information in writing. In most cases, credit card benefits are secondary to either your personal insurance protection or the insurance offered by the rental car company.

   If you have more than one credit card, consider calling each one to see which offers the best insurance protection.

At the Rental Car Counter

Since insurance is state regulated, the cost and coverage will vary from state to state. Consumers, however, can generally choose from the following coverages:

• Loss Damage Waiver (LDW)
  Also referred to as a collision damage waiver outside the U.S., an LDW is not technically an insurance product. LDWs do, however, relieve or “waive” renters of financial responsibility if their rental car is damaged or stolen. In most cases, waivers also provide coverage for “loss of use,” in the event the rental car company charges the renter for the time a damaged car can not be used because it is being fixed. It may also cover towing and administrative fees.Waivers, however, may become void if the accident was caused by speeding, driving on unpaved roads or driving while intoxicated. If you already have comprehensive and collision coverage on your own car, check with your personal auto insurer to make sure you are not duplicating coverage you already have. Should you decide it is necessary, this coverage generally costs between $9 and $19 a day.
• Liability Insurance
  By law, rental companies must provide the state required amount of liability insurance. Generally, these amounts are low and do not provide much protection. If you have adequate amounts of liability protection on your own car, you may consider forgoing additional liability protection. If you want the supplemental insurance, it will cost between $7 and $14 a day.An umbrella liability policy, however, may be more cost-effective. Umbrella liability insurance is so named because it acts like an umbrella, sitting on top of your auto and homeowners (or renters) liability policies to provide extra protection including accidents while driving your own car or one that you rent. These policies, usually sold in increments of a million dollars, cost as little as $200 to $300 annually for a million dollars worth of coverage and another $50 to $100 for each additional million.

  Those who do not own their own car and are frequent car renters, can also consider purchasing a non-owner liability policy. This not only provides liability protection when you rent a car, but also when you borrow someone else’s car.

• Personal Accident Insurance
  Personal Accident Insurance offers coverage to you and your passengers for medical and ambulance bills for injuries caused in a car crash. If you have adequate health insurance or are covered by personal injury protection under your own car insurance, you may not need this additional insurance. It usually costs about $1 to $5 a day.
• Personal Effects Coverage
  Personal Effects Coverage provides insurance protection for the theft of items in your car. If you have a homeowners or renters insurance policy that includes off-premises theft coverage, you are generally covered for theft of your belongings away from home, minus the deductible. If you purchase this coverage through the rental car company, it generally costs between $1 and $4 a day.If you frequently travel with expensive items such as jewelry, cameras, musical equipment or sports equipment, it may be more cost-effective to purchase a personal articles floater under your homeowners or renters insurance policy. With such a floater, your valuable items are protected at home as well as while traveling anywhere in the world and the coverage is broader.

Larry : Will my car insurance cover renting a car after an accident?

Reveiw car insurance for rental coverage:

Response : It is best to compare auto insurance quotes and equally important to review car insurance quotes at the time of taking the insurance. Most people do not think that it is important to review car insurance coverage when thy buy insurance. Most of them start to review auto insurance coverage until after they have an accident. After a vehicle accident they call their insurance company to file a claim to help pay for car repairs, a rental car and other expenses.

Sadly, many insured drivers are surprised to find out that their auto insurance does not automatically cover the cost of a replacement rental car after an accident. It takes about 2 -3 weeks on an average for a car to be repaired in the repair shoe. It can cost as much as $500 to rent a replacement car. But, some insured drivers pay little or nothing to rent a car because of an inexpensive but often overlooked option known as rental reimbursement.

Rental reimbursement coverage is available for only $1 or $2 a month with almost every auto insurance policy. It is frequently not taken by those who believe they will not have a car accident or those shopping only for the lowest cost premium. The cost of a rental replacement car adds up fast, so even if you don’t have an accident for eight or nine years, the coverage pays for itself when you need it most.

Sometimes working out the details of a claim with the auto insurance company can take time. Even if the accident is the other driver’s fault, you may have to wait several days or longer to get the other insurance company to agree to pay for a rental car. With your own coverage, there is no waiting.

Here is a tip compare auto insurance quotes and review car insurance coverage befor you buy insurance and make an informed decision.