Does Car Insurance Cover Theft?

Your car insurance will cover theft as long as you have comprehensive coverage.

Erin Gobler
Written byErin Gobler
Erin Gobler
Erin Gobler
  • 5+ years of finance writing experience 

  • Certificate of financial planning from Boston University

Erin is a personal finance writer and journalist with work featured in major publications. Her writing explores investing, credit cards, mortgages, insurance, and more.

Featured in

media logomedia logomedia logo
Evelyn Pimplaskar
Evelyn PimplaskarEditor-in-Chief, Director of Content
  • 10+ years in insurance and personal finance content

  • 30+ years in media, PR, and content creation

Evelyn leads Insurify’s content team. She’s passionate about creating empowering content to help people transform their financial lives and make sound insurance-buying decisions.

Featured in

media logomedia logomedia logo
Konstantin Halachev
Data reviewed byKonstantin Halachev
Headshot of Konstantin Halachev, VP of Engineering at Insurify
Konstantin HalachevVP of Engineering & Data Science
  • 7+ years experience in data analysis

  • Ph.D. in Computational Biology

Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.

Updated October 30, 2024

Save up to $852 by comparing quotes from the top 100+ insurance companies

Excellent
Secure. Free. Easy-to-use.
ProgressiveLiberty MutualAllstate
Advertiser Disclosure

At Insurify, our goal is to help customers compare insurance products and find the best policy for them. We strive to provide open, honest, and unbiased information about the insurance products and services we review. Our hard-working team of data analysts, insurance experts, insurance agents, editors and writers, has put in thousands of hours of research to create the content found on our site.

We do receive compensation when a sale or referral occurs from many of the insurance providers and marketing partners on our site. That may impact which products we display and where they appear on our site. But it does not influence our meticulously researched editorial content, what we write about, or any reviews or recommendations we may make. We do not guarantee favorable reviews or any coverage at all in exchange for compensation.

Why you can trust Insurify: Comparing accurate insurance quotes should never put you at risk of spam. We earn an agent commission only if you buy a policy based on our quotes. Our editorial team follows a rigorous set of editorial standards and operates independently from our insurance partners. Learn more.

When you purchase your auto insurance policy, you can choose to add optional coverages to your policy. Comprehensive coverage is one option, and as long as you have it, your policy should cover vehicle theft.

But if you have a liability-only policy — such as the minimum required by your state — your insurance won’t compensate you for a stolen car.

Here’s what to know about comprehensive coverage, how it works, when you need it, and how to find full-coverage car insurance at a good price.

Quick Facts
  • Comprehensive coverage, an optional add-on that’s part of a full-coverage auto insurance policy, covers non-collision-related incidents, including vehicle theft.

  • The national average cost of full-coverage car insurance is $211 per month, according to Insurify data.

  • If someone steals your car, it’s important to file a police report, file a claim with your auto insurance policy, and contact your financing or leasing company.

Comprehensive: Coverage for stolen cars

Comprehensive coverage pays for damage to your vehicle caused by something other than an accident, including inclement weather, falling objects, fire, vandalism, and theft. Comprehensive coverage applies not only to your vehicle but also to individual parts.[1]

States don’t require drivers to carry comprehensive, and auto insurance policies don’t automatically include it. You have to opt for it as part of a full-coverage policy.

Full-coverage insurance generally includes comprehensive and collision coverage on top of liability insurance. It may also include uninsured motorist coverage, gap insurance, roadside assistance, and more.

Find Cheap Full-Coverage Car Insurance

Rates start as low as $40/mo.

Secure. Free. Easy-to-use.
Based on 3,806+ reviews
4.8/5
Shopper Approved
ProgressiveLiberty MutualAllstate

Coverage for stolen personal items

Comprehensive insurance will help you replace your stolen vehicle and any stolen parts, such as the tires or the catalytic converter. But it won’t pay to replace any stolen personal items.

If you have a homeowners insurance or renters insurance policy, it may cover stolen personal property, even if taken from your vehicle and not your home.

For example: Suppose you left your laptop in your vehicle, and someone stole the car from your driveway in the middle of the night. Because you have comprehensive insurance, your auto policy will pay to replace your vehicle. Your homeowners or renters policy may pay to replace your laptop.

How much comprehensive will pay for a stolen car

Generally speaking, comprehensive coverage pays the depreciated value of a vehicle — also known as its actual cash value. That means you shouldn’t expect your insurance company to pay you for the amount you paid for the car.

Instead, your insurer will determine what the vehicle was worth at the time of the theft after depreciation. The depreciated value of a vehicle depends on its age, mileage, condition, and other factors.[2]

A car that’s just a few years old with low mileage and no previous incidents will be worth more than a car that’s a decade old with lots of miles. But a car that’s been in accidents or has high mileage might end up being worth less than an older vehicle of a similar make and model.

Suppose you bought a vehicle 10 years ago for $20,000. The car is in pretty good condition — it’s never been in an accident and has an average number of miles on it. The car insurance company factors in depreciation and decides the current cash value of the vehicle is $8,000. It will pay you $8,000 minus your deductible amount.

Good to Know

Because comprehensive only pays the actual cash value for your vehicle, and cars lose value every year, your settlement amount may not be enough to pay off a loan or lease balance. It’s a good idea to add gap insurance to your full-coverage auto policy. Gap insurance can pay off any loan or lease balance remaining after your comprehensive payout.

Cost of comprehensive coverage

Comprehensive coverage is usually part of a full-coverage policy that also includes liability and collision. It’s optional, meaning it’s not legally required like liability coverage. But if you finance or lease your vehicle, your contract will require you to have full coverage.

The cost of comprehensive car insurance varies across insurance companies and across states. The table below breaks down the average cost of full-coverage auto insurance and the cheapest option in each state.

State
Average Cost of Full Coverage
Cheapest Insurer for Full Coverage
Insurer’s Average Cost
Alabama$156USAA$71
Arizona$186Auto-Owners$79
Arkansas$280State Farm$61
California$296Mile Auto$112
Colorado$225State Farm$101
Connecticut$368State Farm$96
Delaware$246USAA$77
Florida$257State Farm$83
Georgia$243Auto-Owners$94
Hawaii$121Midvale Home & Auto$131
Idaho$135Progressive$95
Illinois$183Auto-Owners$52
Indiana$148Auto-Owners$53
Iowa$139Auto-Owners$46
Kansas$196Root$112
Kentucky$309Auto-Owners$104
Louisiana$265State Farm$116
Maine$161Progressive$73
Maryland$348USAA$154
Massachusetts$238Safeco$157
Michigan$309Auto-Owners$112
Minnesota$203Safeco$121
Mississippi$230State Farm$72
Missouri$226USAA$56
Montana$182Safeco$111
Nebraska$210Auto-Owners$39
Nevada$321COUNTRY Financial$55
New Hampshire$135GEICO$58
New Jersey$230Plymouth Rock$140
New Mexico$185State Farm$64
New York$266CSAA$183
North Carolina$99Nationwide$63
North Dakota $160Midvale Home & Auto$88
Ohio$145Mile Auto$53
Oklahoma$189State Farm$67
Oregon$173Mile Auto$72
Pennsylvania$174Mile Auto$72
Rhode Island $206USAA$112
South Carolina$281USAA$90
South Dakota$176Midvale Home & Auto$105
Tennessee$167State Farm$44
Texas$245State Farm$67
Utah$193USAA$96
Vermont $152State Farm$38
Virginia$179Auto-Owners$66
Washington$161Direct Auto$77
Washington, D.C.$165GEICO$149
West Virginia$160State Farm$56
Wisconsin$149USAA$42
Wyoming$178Safeco$115

On Insurify's secure site

4.8/5
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

How to file a claim for a stolen vehicle

Filing an insurance claim for a stolen vehicle is similar to filing any other sort of auto insurance claim. A key difference is that, unlike when your vehicle is in an accident, there’s no damage to take pictures of, or for an insurance adjuster to evaluate.

Follow these steps to file a claim if your car is stolen:

  • illustration card https://a.storyblok.com/f/162273/150x150/5c5de89be1/law-and-justice-96x96-yellow_041-police-car.svg

    File a police report.

    Before contacting your insurance company, file a report with your local police department. You’ll need to provide this report to the insurance company when you file your claim.

  • illustration card https://a.storyblok.com/f/162273/512x512/fc259df32e/042-headphones.svg

    File an insurance claim.

    Depending on your insurance company, you may be able to file your claim either online or over the phone. You’ll provide information about the incident, including the date and location.

  • illustration card https://a.storyblok.com/f/162273/150x150/4ab6e07b79/banking-96x96-orange_038-bank.svg

    Contact your finance or leasing company.

    If you financed or leased your vehicle, you should also report the theft to the lender or leasing company.

  • illustration card https://a.storyblok.com/f/162273/150x150/d2a2cefe8c/insurify-icons-auto-green-96x96_024-home.svg

    Contact your homeowners or renters insurance company.

    While this step isn’t always necessary, if you had valuable personal belongings in your vehicle when it was stolen, your renters or home insurance policy may cover them.

What happens after you file a stolen vehicle car insurance claim?

Once you’ve filed your auto insurance claim, your insurance company will process it. Insurance companies generally must process your claim within 30 days.[3] In the case of theft, they may be more likely to take the entire 30 days to see if your vehicle is returned.

The way your insurance company will settle your claim depends on whether the vehicle is ultimately recovered. Keep in mind that comprehensive coverage generally requires a deductible. Your lender will reduce any payout you receive, either for a total loss or smaller damage, by your deductible amount.

If your car isn’t recovered

If your car isn’t recovered, the insurance company will declare it a total loss, just as it might after a serious accident. You’ll receive the vehicle’s actual cash value, minus your deductible.

If your car is recovered

If the authorities recover the vehicle, the insurance company will assess the damages. If the car is severely damaged, your insurer might still declare it a total loss. If the damage is minor, the insurance company will only pay for that damage.

It’s also possible that the car will be recovered after the insurance company settles your claim. If that’s the case, the insurance company owns the vehicle and can do with it as it pleases.

Cheapest recent rates

Drivers have found policies from Kemper Standard, HiRoad, Anchor, and more, for rates as low as $34/mo. through Insurify

*Quotes generated for Insurify users within the last 10 days. Last updated on October 30, 2024

Rates shown are real-time Insurify user quotes from 100+ insurance companies and Quadrant Information Services data. Insurify’s algorithm excludes anomalous quotes and anonymizes personal details, then displays refined quotes by price, date, and insurer popularity up to 10 days ago from October 30, 2024. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer’s unique driver profile.

*Quotes generated for Insurify users within the last 10 days. Last updated on October 30, 2024

Rates shown are real-time Insurify user quotes from 100+ insurance companies and Quadrant Information Services data. Insurify’s algorithm excludes anomalous quotes and anonymizes personal details, then displays refined quotes by price, date, and insurer popularity up to 10 days ago from October 30, 2024. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer’s unique driver profile.

How to prevent vehicle theft and vandalism

Though the comprehensive coverage on your auto insurance policy will cover vehicle theft, you’re best off avoiding theft altogether. Not only is it inconvenient to be without a vehicle, but you’ll still likely face some financial loss, between your deductible and the cost of buying a new car, which is likely to be more expensive than the one you’re replacing.

Here are a few tips to help you avoid having your vehicle stolen or vandalized:

  • Lock your doors. It may seem obvious, but locking your car doors is one of the most important steps you can take to avoid vehicle theft. Often, criminals will try door handles until they find an unlocked one, making it an easy target.

  • Don’t leave a key in the car. Make sure to remove all keys from the vehicle. That means you shouldn’t leave your key in the vehicle when you’re home or running into a store, nor should you leave a spare key in your car.

  • Remove valuables from the car. Keeping valuables in your car — especially if they’re easily visible — can attract potential thieves. Make sure anything of value left in the vehicle is hidden away where it can’t be seen through the window.

  • Park in well-lit areas. A potential car thief will most likely look for cars in dark areas so no one can see them. You can deter thieves by parking in a well-lit area where someone could be easily seen.

  • Have an anti-theft device. Consider installing an anti-theft device on your car, which would put off a loud noise if someone tries to steal your car. This type of device will quickly deter a thief, and many vehicles come with them already installed.

  • Use an immobilizer. A car immobilizer is an electronic security feature that prevents someone from hot-wiring and stealing your car. It would prevent someone from stealing your car without the key.

  • Have a vehicle tracking system. In the worst-case scenario that someone steals your car, you can increase your chances of getting it back if you have a vehicle tracking system installed. This is something that newer cars may come with already.

Car theft insurance FAQs

It’s important to understand how your insurance policy can protect you if your car is stolen. Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about this topic.

  • What happens if you finance a car and it gets stolen?

    If your car is financed and gets stolen, you’ll still be on the hook for any remaining loan balance, even if you have comprehensive coverage.

    If the insurance payout is more than your loan balance, you can use that to pay off your loan. Otherwise, gap insurance can help cover the difference between your car’s actual cash value and your loan balance.

  • Can you get discounts for anti-theft devices?

  • Will car insurance pay if your car is stolen with the keys in it?

    Yes. It shouldn’t matter whether you left your keys in the car. As long as your insurance policy has comprehensive coverage, it should cover the theft.

  • Does comprehensive pay for a rental car when your vehicle is stolen?

    No. Comprehensive coverage doesn’t pay for a rental car after your vehicle has been stolen.

    Rental car reimbursement is a separate coverage you can add to your policy, and it should pay for some of or all your rental costs when you can’t drive your vehicle due to a covered incident such as theft.

Methodology

Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 90 million quotes served to car insurance applicants in Insurify’s proprietary database to calculate the premium averages displayed on this page. These premiums are real quotes that come directly from Insurify’s 50+ partner insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quote averages represent the median price for a quote across the given coverage level, driver subset, and geographic area.

Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for drivers between 20 and 70 years old with a clean driving record and average or better credit (a credit score of 600 or higher).

Liability-only premium averages correspond to policies with the following coverage limits:

  • Bodily injury limits between state-minimum rates and $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
  • Property damage limits between $10,000 and $50,000
  • No additional coverage
Full-coverage premium averages correspond to the same bodily injury and property damage limits in addition to:
  • Comprehensive coverage with a $1,000 deductible
  • Collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible

Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Services’ database of auto insurance rates.

Sources

  1. Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I). "What is covered by collision and comprehensive auto insurance?."
  2. Kelley Blue Book. "Actual Cash Value: How It Works for Car Insurance."
  3. Progressive. "How long does it take to get a settlement check after a car accident?."
Erin Gobler
Erin Gobler

Erin Gobler is a personal finance writer and journalist based in Madison, Wisconsin. With more than five years of experience, Erin has covered topics such as investing, credit cards, mortgages, insurance, and more. Her work has been featured in major publications like Business Insider, Fox Business, and Time. Erin received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 2013, studying journalism and political science. She also received a certificate of financial planning from Boston University in 2022.

Evelyn Pimplaskar
Edited byEvelyn PimplaskarEditor-in-Chief, Director of Content
Evelyn Pimplaskar
Evelyn PimplaskarEditor-in-Chief, Director of Content
  • 10+ years in insurance and personal finance content

  • 30+ years in media, PR, and content creation

Evelyn leads Insurify’s content team. She’s passionate about creating empowering content to help people transform their financial lives and make sound insurance-buying decisions.

Featured in

media logomedia logomedia logo
Konstantin Halachev
Data reviewed byKonstantin HalachevVP of Engineering & Data Science
Headshot of Konstantin Halachev, VP of Engineering at Insurify
Konstantin HalachevVP of Engineering & Data Science
  • 7+ years experience in data analysis

  • Ph.D. in Computational Biology

Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.

Compare Car Insurance Quotes Instantly

Secure. Free. Easy-to-use.
Based on 3,806+ reviews
4.8/5
Shopper Approved
ProgressiveLiberty MutualAllstate

Latest Articles

View all