What happens if I change my address for auto insurance?

What happens if I change my address for car insurance?

Though you may not think of it, it’s important to update your auto insurance company whenever you change your address. This update may not make any difference when it comes to your auto insurance premiums, or it could cause a fairly significant change.

Enter your ZIP code into our free rate comparison tool to see if you could save money legally at your new address.

Using a Different Address For Auto Insurance is Fraud

What happens if I don’t change my address on my car insurance or change it for a better rate? If you change your address for auto insurance, it needs to be your physical residence.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners notes that you cannot provide someone else’s address because this is a form of insurance fraud.

Anytime you are deceptive to gain, it is considered fraud. Using a false address to get cheaper insurance is a prime example.

The table below shows how much automobile fraud ends up costing.

This video from Shouse Law Group goes over the different types of auto insurance fraud, including using a different address to get cheaper rates.

The penalties for committing insurance fraud vary by state but can include incarceration and heavy fines.

What happens if you don’t update your address with your car insurance company?

You need to be careful about providing information to the insurance company. Everything that you provide needs to be truthful and accurate. If you forgot to change your address on auto insurance, insurers may not be generous if you get into a car wreck. You must let them know. Otherwise, you could end up being charged with auto insurance fraud.

Changing your address with the insurance company is a simple process. You can make the changes online or over the phone. Either way, it is going to prompt a premium recalculation.

The cost of your premium might stay the same or go up or down based upon your current address and your new address as well as where you park your car.

Your ZIP Code Helps Determine Your Auto Insurance Rates

Does Change of Address affect car insurance and do you have to tell your car insurance when you move?

If you change the address you have on file with your auto insurance, your premium could potentially change.

Insurance companies need to know what your ZIP code is because it is used to determine the following statistics:

• crime rate within your area
• the number of accidents that occur on a regular basis
• and more

Will my car insurance go up if I move house?

If you change your address within the same ZIP code, it probably isn’t going to have a significant impact on your premium.

However, you still need to update the address with the insurance company so that you can continue to receive any information the company sends to you periodically as it pertains to your policy.

Some insurance companies put more significance on your address than others. It’s important to get quotes from multiple insurance companies, particularly if you live in an area with a higher crime rate or a lot of traffic congestion, which you can see over at Inrix.

Where You Park Influences Your Auto Insurance Rates

Where you park your car is an important factor when calculating auto insurance. Some of the different places you might park include:

• On the road
• In the driveway
• In a secure parking garage
• In your attached home garage

Each location has its pros and cons. Insurance companies are going to look at the risk of your car being stolen or damaged where it is parked. Parking garages and home garages are amongst the safest places for your car to be.

If you park on the road or in a driveway, your car is exposed to the elements and it is also easier for someone to break into the car or steal it.

You might also want to include uninsured motorist coverage on your policy to protect against hit-and-runs. If you come out and find that your car has been rear-ended or the side view mirror has been broken off, you will want this coverage to be able to file a claim.

When you change your address with the insurance company, they are going to ask you where you park. If you are parking in a different spot than where you used to park, it could help or hurt your insurance premiums.

For example, parking on the street and now parking in a garage could end up saving you money on your premiums.

Frequently Asked Questions

We’ve added a few more FAQs below.

How long do I have to change my car insurance after moving?

For most states, you have 30 days to update your change of address for your auto insurance and your driver’s license and registration.

Do I have to change car insurance if I move states?

You can’t have an auto insurance policy in one state while you live in another. You normally have 30 days to change your driver’s license, registration, and car insurance from the date you move in.

Can you live in one state and have car insurance in another?

Can you have auto insurance from a different state than the state you live in?

No, you must change your information over to the state that you live in to avoid having the wrong address on your car insurance policy.  You can’t have your car insurance address different than your home address.

Find the lowest rates possible by comparing auto insurance quotes no matter where you’ve moved to. Enter your ZIP code below to compare today.