Help! Do You Really Need Insurance If Your Car Just Sits In A Garage?

You've taken your car off the road and it now sits in the garage all the time. Do you really need to get insurance when it's not going to be on the road? Who could it potentially hurt? There's no simple answer to this. Here's a look at the basics, without taking your specific state into account.

Your Insurance Is for Your Car, Not You

Car insurance doesn't follow the driver, but follows the car. If there is even the slightest chance that your car could be used on the road, it will need to be insured. It doesn't matter if you'll drive it or a friend with their own insurance will. If that car is registered, even if not used, it will be illegal not to cover it with some basic insurance.

If it's remaining in the garage, you will have no need to worry about getting collision coverage. That means that the basic liability insurance may be enough.

When you know your car isn't going to be used, you can arrange to cancel your registration. This will mean you don't need to insure it while it is in storage, although this will depend on your specific state.

Get Discounted Insurance

Let your insurer know your car will be stored for the time being. Some insurers will offer a discount because there is little chance that they will need to pay out. Some discounts will depend on your job. Your car will need to be parked in a locked unit to count as being stored.

Protection Against Theft and Fire

Your home insurance won't necessarily cover damage to or theft of your car while it is in storage. This is because you should have had your own car insurance on it. If either of these happen and you didn't have the right type of cover, you would need to pay out a lot more for the loss.

This is something you can arrange with your insurance company. They will offer a level of insurance to protect you against the likely problems associated with storing vehicles. This can also include weather damage. It is called comprehensive only insurance, and will not cover you if you take your car out on the road at any point.

Having the right level of cover will protect your finances in the future. Even when you store your car in the garage, you will need to have some type of auto insurance in case your car succumbs to the risks of fire or theft.