US Car Hire & Insurance –  Do you know how it works?

If you’re travelling to the US, hiring a car can be quite different from most other places in the world. Being informed about these nuances could mean the difference between being protected or not (and whether you’re paying too much!).

Get quotes for your US car hire insurance – save money and get protected!

In many countries, private car insurance is tied to a specific vehicle, not the driver. In the US, the insurance ties to the driver instead. This means US  citizens can usually get in any car they like, and they’ll be insured under their own private car insurance policy. This difference changes how rental car insurance infrastructure in the USA works.

The Big Risks

When you hire a rental car at a counter in the US or through a US website, you may run the risk of having no insurance included, which means, if you just took the car and crashed, you’d be liable for all the damages to the vehicle, as well as anyone else and their property. US rental firms cater primarily for US customers who do not need additional insurance with a rental vehicle so CDW, a Theft Waiver and Liability Insurance do not necessarily come with a rental package.

US states have a minimum liability insurance required to legally drive a car. If your rental package does not include any liability insurance, you may find yourself on the wrong side of the law.  Even if you have the state minimum liability insurance this can often be tiny compared to the amount you may have to pay in a serious accident.

Unfortunately, not knowing about US car hire insurance is not a legal excuse if you have an accident. Additionally, US law and processes are often far less forgiving to consumers than other areas like Europe.

How can MoneyMaxim help with US car hire insurance?

We have made great partnerships with vetted insurance companies that cover the US, and included them in our comparison system. You can search for excess policies, CDW options and Supplementary Liability Insurance if you are looking to top up your state minimum cover.

We’ve made it easy to put in your details, and get a list of all the US insurance policies which fit your needs, with exactly what’s included. Please read our US car hire insurance information page for more guidance.

If you’re going to the US, you can save money by comparing prices for your rental car insurance

.