What Is A Car Insurance Declaration Page?

Chris Kissell has been a journalist for three decades and has written extensively about insurance and other personal finance topics for the past 20 years. For the last 14 years, he has been a full-time freelance writer and editor, contributing to sit.

Chris Kissell has been a journalist for three decades and has written extensively about insurance and other personal finance topics for the past 20 years. For the last 14 years, he has been a full-time freelance writer and editor, contributing to sit.

Chris Kissell has been a journalist for three decades and has written extensively about insurance and other personal finance topics for the past 20 years. For the last 14 years, he has been a full-time freelance writer and editor, contributing to sit.

Chris Kissell has been a journalist for three decades and has written extensively about insurance and other personal finance topics for the past 20 years. For the last 14 years, he has been a full-time freelance writer and editor, contributing to sit.

Michelle is a lead editor at Forbes Advisor. She has been a journalist for over 35 years, writing about insurance for consumers for the last decade. Prior to covering insurance, Michelle was a lifestyle reporter at the New York Daily News, a magazine.

Michelle is a lead editor at Forbes Advisor. She has been a journalist for over 35 years, writing about insurance for consumers for the last decade. Prior to covering insurance, Michelle was a lifestyle reporter at the New York Daily News, a magazine.

Michelle is a lead editor at Forbes Advisor. She has been a journalist for over 35 years, writing about insurance for consumers for the last decade. Prior to covering insurance, Michelle was a lifestyle reporter at the New York Daily News, a magazine.

Michelle is a lead editor at Forbes Advisor. She has been a journalist for over 35 years, writing about insurance for consumers for the last decade. Prior to covering insurance, Michelle was a lifestyle reporter at the New York Daily News, a magazine.

| Lead Editor, Insurance

Updated: Jul 10, 2024, 5:29am

Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.

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After you purchase a car insurance policy, you might forget exactly what type of coverage you have—and how much you paid for them. Your car insurance declaration page includes these details and lets you access them in an instant.

Typically, the declaration page is the first thing you see in your auto policy. Understanding precisely what you’ll find on the page can help you get the most out of this resource.

What Does an Auto Insurance Declaration Page Contain?

The declaration page provides you with a snapshot of your car insurance coverage. You can use the page to remind yourself exactly what types of auto insurance your policy provides, the amount of coverage you have and the price you paid for each coverage as well as your grand total.

When you read the declaration page, you can expect to find:

• Agent’s name. If you purchased your policy through an insurance agent, you likely will see that person’s name and contact info here.
• Cars the policy covers. Basic details about any car the policy covers will be listed here, including the year, make, model and vehicle identification number.
• Coverage types and limits. The heart of the declaration page is a complete listing of the types of car insurance coverage you have—such as liability, comprehensive, collision and more— and the dollar amount of coverage you have. It will also detail any limits to coverage, such as a $100 limit for towing coverage. If you’re insuring multiple cars, the page will list the coverage amount for each vehicle.
• Deductibles. Collision and comprehensive coverage come with a deductible. A car insurance deductible is the amount deducted from a claim check and should be clearly detailed. Common deductible amounts include $250, $500 or $1,000. One way to save is by raising your deductible.
• Discounts. Many insurers offer an array of car insurance discounts that can bring down the cost of your car insurance premium. For example, you might get a discount for insuring multiple cars on the policy, or a teen driver might earn a price break for being a good student. These discounts should be detailed on the declaration page.
• Loss payees. The names, addresses and contact information of any individuals or companies—such as a lender or lessor—who have what is known as an insurable interest in the car will be listed.
• Names of insured drivers. It is important to give your insurer the names of all people who regularly drive the covered vehicle. Those names will be found here. This portion of the page also might list the names of anyone specifically excluded from coverage.
• Premium amount. This is the total amount that you must pay to keep your policy active. In most cases, you’ll also see a breakdown of costs for each type of coverage so you can see exactly how much you are paying for each part of your policy.
• Policy number. This identifies your policy to the company and can be good to know if calling your agent to ask questions about your policy.
• Policy period. The dates when the coverage is active will be defined, including the start and end dates of the policy. Most policy periods last six months or a year, although this can vary from company to company.

Some declaration pages might include any history of violations or accidents on your record and your estimated average annual mileage. If the mileage estimate is incorrect you should alert your insurer since it can affect how much you pay.

In addition, your declaration page might note whether your coverage is stacked or unstacked. This refers to uninsured motorist coverage and underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage. With stacked coverage, you can combine the limits across multiple cars on your policy.

What Does a Car Insurance Declaration Page Look Like?

Not all car insurance declaration pages are identical, but here is an example of what one looks like.

In this example the declaration page is grouped into these sections:

1. Policy information.
2. Driver information.
3. Vehicle information.
4. Coverage, limits, deductibles and premium information.
5. Discounts applied.

What Does an Auto Insurance Declaration Page Not Contain?

Your declaration page won’t contain every detail of your policy. It’s better to consider this page a summary rather than a comprehensive explanation.

For example, you’ll have to look elsewhere in your policy paperwork for detailed explanations of your policy terms and car insurance coverage definitions. A declaration page also won’t typically list policy exclusions. A good resource for in-depth information is your insurance agent or an insurance company representative.

If you don’t see a type of coverage on your declaration page, do not assume you have the coverage. Make sure to confirm the coverage is in place.

How Do I Get My Insurance Declaration Page?

When a car insurance company issues you a policy, it will normally mail a copy of your policy with the declaration page. The declaration page is typically attached to the first page of your insurance packet. It’s also possible that you’ll receive the policy via email or even fax.

Some insurers allow you to print a declaration page directly from the company website if you register for an account or bought your policy online.

You should receive a new declaration page every time you renew or change your policy. If you lose your declaration page, you can request a replacement.

How Do I Use My Car Insurance Declaration Page?

You can use your declaration page to get a quick overview of your coverage types, how much you purchased, how long they will remain in place and how much they cost.

Your declaration page gives you the essential information about your car insurance policy, so it’s important to look it over and ensure it looks correct. Do this by reviewing the following:

• The drivers. Make certain all the drivers you need to be insured are listed.
• Your vehicles. Make sure all insured cars are listed and double-check the VINs are correct.
• Coverage limits and deductibles. Look closely that all the coverage types you need are listed with the limits and deductibles (if applicable) you chose. If coverage you don’t want is listed with a premium amount attached, contact your insurer to remove it. If any coverage you want is missing, contact the insurer to add it.
• Premium. Look over the cost of each portion of your policy. This can help you see what portions of your policy cost the most and least. Verify the total premium matches the amount due on your billing notice.
• Discounts. Review your car insurance discounts to assess if you’re getting all the price breaks you qualify for. If you think some are missing, ask your agent.

Although a car insurance declaration page should not normally be used as proof of insurance, the page might be used in this manner when buying a car.

A dealer will want proof of auto insurance before letting you drive away with a car you just purchased. So, at the same time that you’re buying the car, you’ll need to contact your insurer to make sure your new car is covered. At that point, the insurer will likely fax a copy of the declaration page to the dealer, who will accept the page as proof of insurance.

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