Rental car coverage from your own auto policy

Rental car companies offer coverage at the counter, and your existing policy might already cover some of it. Your agent can tell you what yours covers when you drive a rental.

What your own policy may cover

Your policy says whether its coverages extend to a car you rent for personal use. Your agent can tell you what yours does. The declarations page lists the policy term, each coverage's limit and the cars the policy covers, so keep a copy with the trip notes.

What the counter offers

A rental company typically offers four products:

• A collision damage waiver, also called a loss damage waiver. It's for damage to the rental car itself.
• Liability insurance. It covers medical costs and damage to other people's property from an accident the driver causes.
• Personal accident insurance. It covers medical bills for the renter and passengers after a crash.
• Personal effects coverage. It covers theft of personal items from inside the rental car.

Credit cards

The credit card you rent with probably carries some coverage, since many cards include some collision and theft protection. Call the card company and ask what its benefits are. It's usually secondary, so it pays only after your auto policy and any other coverage are used up.

When your own car is in the shop

Rental reimbursement on your own policy pays for a rental while your car is being repaired, but only if you paid for that coverage. Most policies set a dollar limit on the rental payments.

An annotated example

What to do next

Before your next rental, call your agent and ask what your policy covers in a rental car. Check your credit card's rental benefits too.