How To Read My Car Insurance Declaration Page

A car insurance declaration page is a summary of your auto policy, which will include a list of the insured drivers and an explanation of the purchased coverages. Read our comprehensive guide to better understand your declaration page.

Key Takeaways Your car insurance declaration summarizes your auto policy. Your declaration page will include your term limits, costs and the vehicles being covered. Your insurance provider will mail a hard copy of your declaration page or they will email or fax you a copy.

What Is the Purpose of a Car Insurance Declaration Page?

A car insurance declaration page (dec page) provides an at-a-glance view of your policy details, including your vehicle information and your coverage types and limits, as well as premium and coverage period. Your carrier will usually send you a declarations page when you sign up for your policy.

Get Personalized Car Insurance Quotes Here

What Is Typically on a Car Insurance Declarations Page?

On your car insurance declaration page, you will usually find the following information about your policy:

• Insurance company
• Policy number
• Coverage period
• Coverage types, limits and deductible
• List of insured drivers and vehicles
• Premium
• Applicable discounts
• Coverage exclusions (e.g., no coverage in Mexico)

Car Insurance Declaration Page Example

How Do I Read My Car Insurance Declarations Page?

Your auto insurance declaration page will include your term limits, costs and the vehicles being covered. A comprehensive list below gives you a better glimpse of what your declaration page will have.

General Policy Information

Your insurance declaration page should contain the following content about your policy.

• Insurance company: Your carrier and their contact information.
• Policy term: When your policy period begins (the effective date) and when it ends so you can renew coverage.
• Account information: Your insurance policy number, the policy period, user ID and billing details.

Notify your insurance carrier of any errors you find on your declaration.

Relevant Parties on the Policy

Each declarations page has a list of insured drivers and may also include the insurance agent’s name and any lienholders on the insured vehicles.

• Names, ages and addresses of all insured drivers
• Insurance agent’s name and contact information
• Lienholder name and contact information (e.g., lender or your bank if you have a car loan)

Covered Vehicles

Any vehicle that is covered by your auto policy will be listed here. The VIN (vehicle identification number), year, make and model will be included. Your annual mileage will also be listed on your declaration page.

Coverages

Your declaration page will list the coverage you have, along with the premium rates. Your insurance will have to meet the required coverage for your areas. Each dec page contains an itemized list of exact coverage of each vehicle on your policy, along with the premium amount.

• Liability coverage: Covers damages that you cause to another driver in an accident. Includes bodily injury liability and property damage liability.
• Collision coverage: Pays to repair your car if it strikes another car or object.
• Comprehensive coverage: Provides for repair bills when your car is damaged or totaled in a non-collision incident, such as hail, vandalism and theft.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage: Coverage for your medical bills and damages when a driver with little or no coverage damages it.
• Medical payments coverage (Medpay) or Personal injury protection (PIP): Helps pay for your medical bills or funeral costs for you or your passengers if there is an injury or death due to an accident regardless of who is at fault. PIP is required in some no-fault states.
• Gap insurance: Pays the gap between your auto insurance settlement and the remaining balance of your car loan when your vehicle is totaled or stolen.

Premiums

Your policy's declarations page will also include data about your premiums, which is how much money you pay for coverage. The dec page also indicates payment is due — usually monthly, every six months or annually.

Coverage Limits

Your declarations page will contain certain coverage limits. Auto insurance is usually expressed in a 3-tier limit system. For instance: 15/30/5:

• 15 is the maximum amount ($15,000) your carrier will pay toward injury-related expenses per person.
• 30 is the highest amount ($30,000) an insurer will pay toward injury-related expenses per incident.
• 5 stands for the maximum coverage limit ($5,000) that an insurance company will pay in property damages per incident.

Check with your state government's site to reference the minimum liability coverage limit you must buy.

Deductible

Your car insurance deductible is the amount you agree to pay whenever you file a claim with the insurer before your insurance is applied to a covered event. Deductibles usually apply when your insurer is covered any physical damages. Your deductible can vary with the average being $500.^[1]

Discounts

After the policy information, you'll see any car insurance discounts applied to your premium. Discounts vary from insurer to insurer, with common ones including:

• Good driver
• Claims-free history
• Good student
• Multi-car
• Multi-policy

Endorsements

This section will contain coverage options you purchased, such as roadside assistance or rental car reimbursement. For example, if you bought an endorsement for special equipment (e.g., exotic customs: pricey wheels, wheel accessories, spoilers and the like), you would find that add-on listed here.

When Do I Need My Car Insurance Declarations Page?

You'll need this page as proof of insurance when you've purchased a car. Either you or your provider will need to provide a copy of your dec page to the dealership before they can release the car.

How Do I Get My Car Insurance Declaration Page?

Insurance companies will give you a copy of your declarations page when you purchase or renew your coverage either through email, fax or a hardcopy will be sent by mail. You may also be able to view a digital copy by logging into your insurance customer portal or mobile app depending on your insurance provider.

Get Personalized Car Insurance Quotes Here