When I rent a car, am I covered on my current auto insurance?

A quick rule of thumb:

• Liability coverage on your personal policy typically follows you to a rental car and can help pay for damage or injuries you cause to others. [travelers.com], [libertymutual.com]
• If you carry collision and comprehensive coverage on your own vehicle, those coverages often apply to a rental car as well, subject to your deductible. [progressive.com], [libertymutual.com]
• If your policy has liability only, damage to the rental vehicle itself may not be covered. [libertymutual.com], [ace.aaa.com]
• Many rental companies offer a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW/LDW) that can eliminate your responsibility for damage to the rental car, even when your personal insurance would cover it. [progressive.com], [ace.aaa.com]

Situations where you should double-check before declining rental coverage:

• Renting outside the U.S. (coverage rules vary). [libertymutual.com]
• Renting an exotic, luxury, specialty, cargo, or large commercial vehicle. Some policies exclude these. [geico.com], [libertymutual.com]
• Using the vehicle for business purposes. [libertymutual.com]
• Renting through a car-sharing platform such as Turo, where coverage can differ from traditional rentals. [geico.com]

Also, some credit cards provide rental car benefits if you pay for the rental with the card and decline the rental company’s collision coverage. Coverage varies by card. [libertymutual.com]

Best answer for your situation: call your insurer and ask, “Do my liability, collision, and comprehensive coverages apply to a rental car, and are there any exclusions?” It takes a few minutes and removes the guesswork.