Rideshare Insurance: Why You Need It and What It Costs

If you're working as a rideshare driver, most car insurance companies will require you to include rideshare coverage on your car insurance policy, which typically costs under $100 per year to add.

Regular car insurance policies cover you when you're driving for personal reasons, and insurance from Uber or Lyft doesn't cover you all the time. Rideshare coverage protects you during those coverage gaps.

How much is rideshare insurance?

Adding a rideshare endorsement to an existing car insurance policy typically increases your rates by less than $100 per year. Car insurance with rideshare coverage is not much more expensive than a regular car insurance policy.

Cost of adding rideshare coverage

Company		Monthly cost
	Auto-Owners	$66
	Grange	$86
	Progressive	$91
	State Farm	$68
	USAA	$28

However, if you have low levels of coverage on your car insurance, you may need to increase your limits above your state's minimum coverage requirements — which could increase your insurance bill even more.

Rideshare drivers should consider increasing their insurance coverage limits beyond what they would choose as regular drivers anyway. People who drive for Uber or Lyft, or deliver food for companies like DoorDash, are behind the wheel more often and for longer periods of time. This increases the likelihood that you could be involved in a car crash, so extra protection is often worth the investment.

It's also a good idea to add comprehensive and collision coverage, even if your car is paid off. As a rideshare driver, you depend on your vehicle for income, so not being able to get it fixed after a crash means you won't be able to earn money.

Do I need rideshare insurance?

Buying a rideshare-specific insurance policy may not be legally required to work as a rideshare driver where you live. However, we strongly recommend that all rideshare drivers add an endorsement to their policy or, at a minimum, consult with your insurer before signing up.

There are two reasons for this. First, if you get in a crash while ridesharing, your insurer will probably not cover the cost of the claim. Rideshare companies provide some coverage, but depending on when the accident happens, you may have limited coverage from Uber or Lyft.

Second, if your insurer ever finds out you're driving for Uber or Lyft without its knowledge, it may cancel or non-renew your policy, forcing you to find a new insurer — often at higher rates.

If you're working for a delivery app like Grubhub or Doordash, you don't have passengers in your car like a rideshare driver, but it's still a good idea to get extra coverage — rideshare and delivery driver coverage are usually covered under the same endorsement. Your regular car insurance likely won't fully protect you if you're using your car to make money.

Do Uber and Lyft provide insurance?

Yes, Uber and Lyft provide insurance to their drivers while they are driving. However, the coverage provided by Uber and Lyft isn't as straightforward as a regular car insurance policy, and you're protected at different levels depending on what you're doing.

When you are off duty, whatever regular insurance you have will cover you if you get into an accident. During Periods 2 and 3, Uber and Lyft will fully protect you across all types of coverage you may need in an accident: liability, collision, comprehensive and underinsured motorist.

During Periods 2 and 3, both Uber and Lyft cover damage to your vehicle — but with a $2,500 deductible, meaning you'll be responsible for that amount after a crash. Rideshare insurance you purchase can help fill that gap, as long as you carry collision and comprehensive coverage.

Period 1 is a gray area, when you're active on the app, but not yet matched with a passenger. This is sometimes called the "gap". A personal car insurance policy is void during this time.

Uber and Lyft offer "contingent insurance" for that period, but their policies don't provide complete protection: the coverage only includes liability insurance. This means it will only pay out for any medical expenses incurred by someone else injured in an accident, or any damage you cause to other people's property. Any personal medical expenses or damage to your car are not covered under Uber or Lyft’s contingent policy.

Which companies offer rideshare insurance?

Most major car insurance companies offer rideshare insurance. Eight of the top 10 car insurance companies offer insurance that protects you while you're working as a rideshare driver.

Availability varies by state. In states with complex taxi rules or expensive car insurance, like New York and Michigan, insurers that offer a rideshare endorsement may be harder to find.

Delivery driver insurance

Delivery drivers who plan to use their cars to make deliveries for services like Uber Eats, DoorDash, Amazon Flex or Walmart's Spark Driver program will also likely need extra coverage. Damage to your vehicle in an accident is often not covered by your employer's insurance, and personal car insurance often won't cover you while making deliveries.

Your own car insurance likely won't cover you while you're driving for business. Often, this kind of protection is offered as part of rideshare insurance.

Some larger insurance companies, including Nationwide and American Family, will not cover you as a delivery driver at all. This means you might have to switch companies if you want to use your car for deliveries.

To make sure you have the right coverage as a delivery driver, you should speak with an agent and make sure that you don't have any gaps in your coverage.

Methodology

To understand the cost of rideshare insurance, we collected quotes from five top insurers that offer a rideshare endorsement in Ohio. All quotes are for a 30-year-old driver with good credit and no recent incidents on their record.

ValuePenguin's analysis used insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services. These rates were publicly sourced from insurer filings and should be used for comparative purposes only — your own quotes may be different.