How do I figure out who my former car insurance company was?

How do I find my old car insurance policies?

Locating an old insurance policy when you need it can be a challenge. You know you had it but can’t seem to locate it. Here are a few steps to find old car insurance policies.

Look Through Paperwork

First, look through any paperwork you have stored over the last few years. Look for documents that say “insurance” or “policy number.” Sometimes, it isn’t always apparent at a glance that the paper is indeed your old car insurance confirmation.

Review Old Bank Statements

Your bank statements or credit card statements may give you a clue. You can track your payments to your insurer via bank or credit card statements. You can likely find all of these on your account online. You can also ask the bank to look up old statements so you can sift through them and find your payment information.

Call Possible Ex-Insurers

If you still can’t find it, don’t worry. You can start by calling the insurers you think may have insured you in the past. Even if you are no longer a customer, a customer service agent should still have records of your old car insurance policies. They can look up your name and address to locate any policies you once had. They will be able to provide you with the policy number, the vehicle type, the type of coverage, and the insurance premiums you were paying.

Call the DMV

If all else fails, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) can help you with who your former car insurance company was. If you registered your vehicle and the insurance policy (which you are required to do), then the DMV will be able to locate that information for you. You will need the car’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to look up an old car insurance policy. They can also find any claims you had made on your insurance, which can remain on your record for years. You will need to make a service request that may take a few days or weeks to respond to. For more information, consider reading our article on how long car insurance claims stay on your record.

Call Your Independent Agent

If you have an independent agent for other insurances like life or disability insurance, it’s possible you also signed for car insurance through them. All insurance policy information you had with that agent should still be available. You can contact your independent agent, even if you are no longer a customer.

What to Look For When Comparing Insurance Policies

You will need your old policy number to compare the coverage and monthly premiums to see if you are making a financially feasible switch. Here are a few things to consider when comparing old insurance policies with potentially new policies:

• Type of vehicle
• Type of coverage
• Whether or not it is specialty car insurance
• Deductible amount
• Monthly or annual premiums
• Bundle savings you may qualify for

If you are shopping around for car insurance rates, the best thing is to compare your current rates to make sure you are getting a better deal. 

How to Keep Your Car Insurance Policy Information Safe

To make sure you don’t lose your car insurance policies or any other essential documents again in the future, choose one location to store all this information. Note where you store these important documents for easy reference when needed. You can also make digital copies of these documents and file them in a clearly labeled folder in a cloud server such as Google Drive. Try to keep these documents for a minimum of seven years for reference when required.