Personal car insurance policies generally won’t cover you while driving for a rideshare service or transportation network company (TNC). And while companies like Uber and Lyft often provide some level of insurance coverage at certain stages of a trip, having your own auto insurance policy with ridesharing coverage can protect you in more situations.
While some drivers may opt for a commercial auto insurance policy, it’s not the right move for everyone as these policies are generally more expensive. Luckily, many auto insurance companies offer coverage to rideshare drivers through an endorsement (or an addition to an insurance policy adding coverage for specific situations) to personal auto insurance policies.
For rideshare drivers searching for coverage, CNBC Select rounded up the top insurance companies offering coverage tailored to their specific needs through a rideshare endorsement. (See our methodology for more information about how we chose the best rideshare insurance companies.)
Best rideshare insurance companies
Best overall
Progressive Auto Insurance
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Cost
The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote
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App available
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Policy highlights
Progressive offers a number of lines of insurance to allow for bundling, and convenient tools to help you keep your coverage in your budget.
Pros
- Quotes available online
- Available in all 50 states
Cons
- Above average NAIC complaint index score
Who’s this for? Progressive offers a rideshare endorsement for auto insurance policies to cover rideshare drivers along with competitive rates according to the sample data we analyzed. For those interested in commercial coverage, Progressive also offers this product and was one of our top picks for commercial auto insurance in CNBC Select’s roundup of the best small business insurance policies.
Standout benefits: Progressive is rated highly for financial strength by A.M. Best with an A+ rating and is relatively well-rated for customer satisfaction according to J.D. Power’s Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction Survey.
Runner-up
Allstate Auto Insurance
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Cost
The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote
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App available
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Policy highlights
Allstate offers auto insurance customers a total of 14 discounts in addition to a pay-per-mile car insurance program. It offers quotes by phone, through an agent, or online. The company also offers a number of other insurance products to bundle your coverage and save.
Cons
- Slightly above average NAIC complaint index
Who’s this for? Allstate’s “Ride For Hire” is an add-on to personal auto insurance policies that can help rideshare drivers get coverage with a highly-rated company.
Standout benefits: Allstate’s auto insurance offers more than a dozen discounts to drivers to lower their auto insurance costs.
Best for customer satisfaction
State Farm Auto Insurance
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Cost
The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote
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App available
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Policy highlights
State farm is one of the largest auto insurers based on market share and has an excellent reputation for customer satisfaction. It offers 13 discounts, including ones for safe driving and young drivers.
Pros
- High customer satisfaction
- Largest car insurance company in the U.S.
- Accident forgiveness for good drivers
Cons
- High NAIC complaint index score
- Doesn’t offer gap insurance
Who’s this for? State Farm stands out as a top choice for those wanting a policy with an affordable average rate and a strong customer service track record.
Standout benefits: State Farm is highly rated for customer satisfaction, second to USAA overall in the companies we reviewed based on J.D. Power surveys.
Best for military members and veterans
USAA Auto Insurance
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Cost
The best way to estimate your costs is to request a quote
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App available
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Policy highlights
USAA’s auto insurance is available in all 50 states, Washington D.C. and some international locations. In addition to low rates and coverage options for unique circumstances, such as for active-duty members, customers have access to an intuitive mobile app.
Pros
- Lowest average premium for minimum coverage
- Highest customer satisfaction ranking
- Superior discounts for military members
Cons
- Only available to military members, veterans and their immediate family members
Who’s this for? Those who qualify for USAA (generally including those who have served in the military and their families) can find car insurance that’s highly rated for customer satisfaction.
Standout benefits: USAA consistently offers competitive rates for auto insurance and receives top marks for customer service from J.D. Power.
More on our top rideshare insurance companies
Progressive
Progressive’s rideshare coverage is available as an endorsement to a personal auto insurance policy and is a strong option for those wanting to strike a balance between price and customer service. The company specifically requires this endorsement for all customers who drive for a rideshare company.
Nationwide customer satisfaction rating (from J.D. Power’s Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction Survey)
811 out of 1,000
A.M. Best Financial Strength Rating
A+
Allstate
Allstate offers rideshare coverage through its Ride for Hire rider on a personal auto insurance policy. Benefits of the rider include deductible gap coverage, helping you minimize out-of-pocket expenses if you need to file a claim.
Nationwide customer satisfaction rating (from J.D. Power’s Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction Survey)
813 out of 1,000
A.M. Best Financial Strength Rating
A+
State Farm
State Farm’s rideshare driver coverage can help rideshare drivers get coverage for their vehicles beyond what’s offered by their rideshare companies. Additionally, the company offers a number of other insurance products to bundle and save.
Nationwide customer satisfaction rating (from J.D. Power’s Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction Survey)
834 out of 1,000
A.M. Best Financial Strength Rating
A++
USAA
USAA consistently stands out for its competitive auto insurance pricing and customer satisfaction. While it’s only available to military members, veterans and their families, those with a military affiliation can get coverage that would extend to their ridesharing gigs through USAA.
Nationwide customer satisfaction rating (from J.D. Power’s Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction Survey)
877 out of 1,000
A.M. Best Financial Strength Rating
A++
What does rideshare insurance cover?
Rideshare insurance essentially fills coverage gaps between your personal auto insurance policy and any coverage offered by the rideshare company.
For example, a rideshare company’s coverage won’t apply while using your car for personal reasons — that’s when your personal auto insurance coverage is important.
When you have the app open and are waiting for work, the company’s insurance only offers liability coverage. While liability auto insurance can help if you’re sued because of an accident, it won’t repair or replace your car. This is one situation where a rideshare endorsement on your personal policy can step in. Rideshare coverage can help extend the limits and deductibles of your personal auto insurance policy to your coverage while driving for a ridesharing company.
A rideshare endorsement may also offer additional coverages like roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement and reimbursement for the difference between your policy’s deductible and the ridesharing company’s deductible.
What does a rideshare company’s insurance policy cover?
While companies like Uber and Lyft offer some coverage to drivers, your coverage status can change depending on where you’re at in the rideshare process. Here are the coverages that the two popular rideshare platforms offer their drivers during three phases of their work:
Coverage when the app is off
- Lyft: No coverage when the app is off. Your personal auto insurance policy covers your vehicle.
- Uber: No coverage when the app is off. Your personal auto insurance policy covers your vehicle.
Coverage while the app is on and waiting for a request
- Lyft: Third-party liability insurance of $50,000 per person of bodily injury coverage, $100,000 per accident for bodily injury coverage, and $25,000 per accident for property damage. In Arizona and Nebraska, these coverage limits drop to $25,000 per person for bodily injury coverage, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury coverage and $20,000 per accident for property damage coverage.
- Uber: Third-party liability insurance of $50,000 per person of bodily injury coverage, $100,000 per accident for bodily injury coverage, and $25,000 per accident for property damage.
Coverage while the app is on and a driver has accepted a trip and is en route to pick up passengers, or during rides
- Lyft: At least $1 million for third-party auto liability insurance, which is designed to act as primary coverage during rides. Contingent comprehensive and collision coverage is available as long as your insurance policy carries these coverages with a $2,500 deductible.
- Uber: $1 million third-party liability coverage, uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury and/or first-party injury protection coverage, where limits vary by state. Uber also has contingent comprehensive and collision coverage with a $2,500 deductible up to the actual cash value of the car, as long as your personal policy carries these coverages.
It’s worth noting that with both Uber and Lyft, comprehensive and collision coverage only apply if you have those coverages on your underlying auto insurance policies. While these coverages can raise the cost of your policy, they can help repair or replace your car in a variety of situations. Comprehensive coverage can step in after situations like vandalism, theft or weather-related damage like hail. Collision coverage can repair or replace your vehicle after colliding with a car, tree, guardrail, or other objects, regardless of fault. Having comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy (sometimes called full coverage car insurance) for a car that you use for ridesharing could be beneficial. Both Uber and Lyft’s policies come with a $2,500 deductible for this coverage, or the amount that a driver would need to pay out of pocket if a claim is filed. However, rideshare insurance can often help you cover a portion of that cost if you choose a lower deductible on your auto insurance policy with a rideshare endorsement.
FAQs
Do I need rideshare insurance?
In many cases, a personal auto insurance policy won’t cover you while driving for a ridesharing platform. However, coverage could apply if you add a ridesharing endorsement to your auto insurance policy to expand your car insurance coverage.
Having rideshare insurance is equally important whether you drive part-time or full-time. If you’re a seasonal driver, you can add rideshare coverage only for the times of the year that you’re driving.
How much is rideshare insurance?
Rideshare insurance costs can vary. State Farm states that its rideshare driver coverage adds between 15% and 20% to the policy premium. However, getting several quotes and comparing rates can give you a better idea of your price.
Bottom line
Getting rideshare insurance can help you if you’re involved in an accident while driving for a rideshare company. It may even be useful if you drive for an on-demand food or package delivery service. It’s usually available as an endorsement to a personal auto insurance policy and can cover you in situations where the ridesharing company’s insurance wouldn’t apply.
Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every auto insurance review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of auto insurance products. To research the best auto insurance companies, we compiled dozens of data points on several auto insurance companies. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best rideshare insurance companies.
Our methodology
To determine the best rideshare insurance companies, CNBC Select analyzed dozens of auto insurance companies that offered rideshare coverage as an endorsement to personal auto insurance policies and compared them based on the average annual price of personal auto insurance policies, customer satisfaction ratings and state availability.
While narrowing down the best auto insurance companies for rideshare, we focused on an average annual premium for personal auto insurance policies from Bankrate. Policy limits included:
- $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
- $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
- $50,000 property damage liability per accident
- $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
- $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
- $500 collision deductible
- $500 comprehensive deductible
We also considered the number of states where rideshare coverage was available and average ratings from J.D. Power’s Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction Survey from all over the U.S.
Note that the premiums and policy structures advertised for auto insurance companies are subject to fluctuate in accordance with the company’s policies.
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Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.