In New York, every driver is required to purchase car insurance. In fact, if caught driving without auto insurance, you could face drivers license suspension as well as car registration suspension. Although New York drivers pay the second highest car insurance rates in the country, it is possible to get a discount by enrolling in driver safety courses.

Learn more below about how to reduce costs on car insurance and the NY DMV insurance requirements for motorists.


Information Related to Auto Insurance

Car Liability Insurance Coverage Minimums

Whether you’re driving through New York City or upstate Albany, you must have car insurance. The limited liability requirement minimums for the state of New York are:

  • $10,000 for property damage for a single accident.
  • $25,000/$50,000 for bodily injury/death of a person involved in an accident.
  • $50,000/$100,000 for bodily injury/ death of two or more people in an accident.

Other requirements the NY DMV expects drivers to abide by are:

  • Maintaining insurance for cars that are registered under his or her name as long as the vehicle registration is valid (even if the vehicle is not driven often).
  • To apply for car insurance in New York state, and not use out-of-state car insurance.
  • Getting car insurance under the car owner’s name.

Register Your Car After Getting Car Insurance

If you want to get new car registration, you will already need to have car insurance. Among the required documents drivers must bring with them to receive new car registration, official proof of auto insurance is one of them. For that reason especially, make sure to apply for car insurance before going in to the DMV for vehicle registration. Once approved, your insurance company will:

  • Mail your two original New York State Insurance ID cards.
  • Notify the NY DMV electronically of your insurance coverage.

Keep in mind that even though the NY DMV has your insurance information on file, your new car registration application cannot be processed without the insurance ID card as well. The barcode on the insurance ID card will be scanned by the DMV attendant. Search for car insurance quotes today.

Once you have New York state vehicle insurance, you have 45 days to register your vehicle.

How to Get Car Insurance in New York

Follow these steps to meet NY requirements and get great auto coverage:

  1. Enroll in and pass a driver safety course to receive a car insurance discount.
  2. Have all the information available about your vehicle: make, model and year.
  3. Use a reliable car insurance website to find affordable car insurance quotes.
  4. Browse rates.
  5. For the best auto coverage deal, get car insurance that meets liability requirements and includes:
  6. Roadside assistance
  7. Rental cars after an accident
  8. 24/7 customer service
  9. Excellent customer reviews
  10. Review the auto insurance policy’s accident coverage.

CDL Insurance in New York

There are many diverse businesses in New York, and most require a commercial vehicle at some point in time. The type of commercial vehicle in question will dictate which individual is responsible for getting CDL insurance, either a:

  • Business owner
  • For-hire vehicle owner

The types of vehicles that need commercial car insurance in New York are:

  • Taxis
  • Delivery cars, vans and trucks
  • Limousines
  • School buses and vans
  • Garbage/recycling trucks
  • Tractor trailers
  • Service vehicles (cherry pickers)
  • Constructions vehicles:
    • Cranes
    • Dump trucks
    • Flatbed trucks
    • Cement trucks

Get CDL Insurance for Business Owners

If you are a business owner who needs to get commercial insurance for one or more business vehicles, you are responsible for getting cdl insurance. Since there are special goods or passengers being transported, the insurance policy will be higher than regular auto insurance.

Rates for commercial auto insurance will depend on several factors, such as:

  • The type of vehicle it is.
  • What is being transported.
  • The weight of the vehicle.
  • The purpose of the vehicle.
  • Who drives the commercial vehicle.
  • How often the commercial vehicle used.

As a business owner, search for cdl insurance quotes online and browse the available rates. You are looking for a policy that will offer maximum coverage to not just the vehicle and the driver, but also your business. If there is an accident in a commercial vehicle, your company will be responsible. Fortunately, with excellent commercial auto coverage, you can minimize the risk of paying high fees.

Remember, you must maintain commercial vehicle insurance for as long as the vehicle is registered under your name or your business’s name.

Get CDL Insurance for a For-Hire Vehicle

For-hire vehicles are:

  • Used to transport passengers.
  • Leased or rented to others (individual or organization) that are not the title owner.

The vehicle owner(s) – which must be the same name(s) on the vehicle registration) – is responsible for getting for-hire commercial vehicle insurance. For-hire registration and insurance policy terms last one year, and are renewed on a specific month depending the vehicle’s class code.

How to Register a For-Hire Vehicle

You will need to bring the regular documentation to get a for-hire registration as you would a regular car, in addition to one of the following:

  • Insurance Certificate (FH-1)
  • Corporate Surety Bond Certificate (FH-1B)

Look for affordable for-hire commercial car insurance quotes online today.

Last updated on Thursday, October 15 2020.