Ryan Brady is a lead writer at NerdWallet and authority on small-business lending and insurance. Ryan enjoys simplifying complex finance topics to help small-business owners make smarter financial decisions. His work has appeared in TechCrunch, MarketWatch, Yahoo, Nasdaq and more.
Before joining NerdWallet, Ryan was a senior writer and principal researcher at Gartner. He is based in Fort Myers, Florida.
Reviewed by Brenda J. Cude Professor Emeritus, University of Georgia Brenda J. Cude
Professor Emeritus, University of Georgia
Brenda J. Cude is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics at the University of Georgia. Dr. Cude has served in various consumer-focused roles for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners since 1994. She has also been a member of the Advisory Council for the Center for Insurance Policy and Research; a Board Member of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud; a member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Insurance; and a Board Member for the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association. Dr. Cude’s primary research interest is consumer decision-making, with an emphasis in personal financial literacy.
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Assigning Editor | Auto insurance, home insurance, other insurance
Lacie Glover spent more than five years covering health care costs and all types of insurance as a NerdWallet writer before becoming an assistant assigning editor in 2019 and later an assigning editor on the insurance team. As a writer, her work was featured in The Associated Press, The Motley Fool and U.S. News & World Report. Lacie is a NerdWallet authority on insurance products and loves data, analytics and solving SEO mysteries.
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Trying to understand a car insurance declaration page is often overwhelming. The insurance jargon and numbers typically found on these documents make it tricky to read, but it's not as complicated as it seems.
This guide will help you understand a declaration page and when to use it.
A car insurance declaration page is a summary of your auto policy in one or two pages. Your declaration page may be a stand-alone document or the beginning of your entire auto insurance policy. It provides important information related to your policy, like:
The policy number. When coverage starts and ends. Who is covered. What cars are covered. The types of coverage you’re paying for and their limits and deductibles, if applicable. A breakdown of how much you pay for coverage and any discounts you qualify for.While every declaration page looks slightly different, you can expect basic policy and personal information.
The rest of the declaration page outlines how you're protected if you need to file a claim. This part can get confusing, as it's scattered with insurance terms and dollar amounts.
Here's a list of common terms you may find on your auto insurance declaration page and what they mean.
Coverage types. You'll likely see an itemized list of several coverage types you’re paying for, like bodily injury liability insurance or collision insurance. To learn how these coverage types work, read our types of car insurance explainer.
Coverage limits. Limits are the maximum amounts your insurer will pay for a covered claim on specific coverage types. Limits are usually listed as a dollar amount next to each coverage type included on your declaration page.
Deductible. A deductible is an amount that’s subtracted from a claim payout your insurance company may give you. For example, if your claim payout is $1,200, but your comprehensive deductible is $500, you'll receive $700 from your insurance company. In most cases, the higher your deductible, the less expensive your premium.
Discounts. Your car insurance declaration page will include any discounts applied to your policy.
Premium. A premium is the price you pay for auto insurance. A car insurance declaration page usually shows a total six-month or yearly premium for your entire policy, as well as individual premiums for each coverage type.
Stacked and non/unstacked. You may see the terms "stacked" or "non/unstacked" on your auto insurance declaration page. You’ll see this if you pay for uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage (UMBI and UIMBI), and have multiple vehicles on your policy or your name is on multiple car insurance policies. Stacked coverage means you can combine UMBI and UIMBI coverage limits for multiple cars under one policy (or across multiple policies your name is on). For example, if you and your spouse have a stacked UMBI limit of $50,000 on both of your cars, and you’re struck by an uninsured driver and need to go to the hospital, your insurance company may pay up to $100,000 for your medical expenses.
An insurance declaration page helps you understand your policy at a high level. However, it's not meant to give you an exhaustive breakdown of your insurance contract. For that, we recommend you call your insurer or agent, if you have one.
You’ll probably need your car insurance declaration page when you:
First, buy your policy (to make sure everything looks correct). Need a reminder of what coverage you have. Shop around for a new policy. Need to file a claim.Take note: Your car insurance declaration page doesn’t serve as proof of insurance for law enforcement or the DMV. For that, we recommend keeping an auto insurance ID card somewhere in your glove compartment or on your phone.
Because declaration pages list all your coverage and costs, we recommend using it when comparing quotes with other insurance companies.
Most insurance companies will mail or email your declaration page upon signing up for a new policy or renewing an existing one. You may also find your declaration page by logging into the insurance company's website or mobile app, if they have one, and navigating to the documents section. You can also directly reach out to your insurer or agent for help.
What if I want more detailed information about my auto policy?Car insurance declaration pages are meant to provide a quick summary of your auto policy. But sometimes, you need to dig deeper. For more details about your policy, refer to your actual auto policy if you have it handy, or contact your insurer or agent directly.
Can I use my declaration page as proof of coverage?No. You’ll have to use your auto insurance ID card to prove you have insurance. This will likely have already been mailed or emailed to you, but you can sometimes access it through the insurer’s website or mobile app.
Where do I find my auto insurance declaration page?Most insurance companies will mail or email your declaration page upon signing up for a new policy or renewing an existing one. You may also find your declaration page by logging into the insurance company's website or mobile app, if they have one, and navigating to the documents section. You can also directly reach out to your insurer or agent for help.
What if I want more detailed information about my auto policy?Car insurance declaration pages are meant to provide a quick summary of your auto policy. But sometimes, you need to dig deeper. For more details about your policy, refer to your actual auto policy if you have it handy, or contact your insurer or agent directly.
Can I use my declaration page as proof of coverage?No. You’ll have to use your auto insurance ID card to prove you have insurance. This will likely have already been mailed or emailed to you, but you can sometimes access it through the insurer’s website or mobile app.
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