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Written by
TJ Porter is a contributing writer for Bankrate with eight years of experience writing about finance. TJ writes about a range of subjects, from budgeting tips to bank account reviews.
Edited by
Maggie Kempken
Maggie Kempken is an insurance editor for Bankrate. She helps manage the creation of insurance content that meets the highest quality standards for accuracy and clarity to help Bankrate readers navigate complex information about home, auto and life insurance. She also focuses on ensuring that Bankrate’s insurance content represents and adheres to the Bankrate brand.
Bankrate logoAt Bankrate, we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. To help readers understand how insurance affects their finances, we have licensed insurance professionals on staff who have spent a combined 47 years in the auto, home and life insurance industries. While we adhere to strict editorial integrity , this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation of how we make money . Our content is backed by Coverage.com, LLC, a licensed entity (NPN: 19966249). For more information, please see our Insurance Disclosure .
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Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories, except where prohibited by law for our mortgage, home equity and other home lending products. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range, can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service.
Bankrate logoCoverage.com, LLC is a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249). Coverage.com services are only available in states where it is licensed. Coverage.com may not offer insurance coverage in all states or scenarios. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way.
Most people know they need car insurance (in most states), but do you understand your policy? What if you need to understand what your policy covers but your insurance agent isn’t available? The good news is that information is readily available. Your policy comes with a car insurance declarations page, which details key information about what your policy covers. Knowing what this declaration page is, what info it contains and where to find it could help you find critical policy information when you need it. Bankrate’s insurance editorial team breaks it all down for you so you know what to look for—and what you’re looking at.
An auto insurance declarations page is an insurance document that lists the key details of your insurance policy. It summarizes everything that’s contained in your policy, including your coverage types, coverage limits and the covered drivers and vehicles.
Sometimes, you’ll hear the declarations page abbreviated as the “dec page.” It’s usually easy to find if you have questions about your policy, serving as the front page of your policy documents or in a prominent place on most websites and apps.
Your auto insurance declarations page contains a summary of the most important aspects of your car insurance policy, including:
Everyone who has car insurance should keep a copy of their auto declarations page easily accessible so you can refer to it if you have an accident or other covered incident and your insurance agent isn’t available. The declarations page could help you figure out what damages should be covered and what limits will apply so you can decide whether to file a claim.
It’s also useful to have your declarations page handy when it comes time to renew your policy so you can review and assess your coverage to see if you should make changes. For example, if you’ve paid off your auto loan, you’ll want to make sure that your lender is no longer listed on your policy. Or maybe you want to reduce or increase your coverage limits for your comprehensive coverage based on your vehicle’s current value. You can also use it to compare your current policy details to quotes from other insurers while shopping around for a better deal.
When you purchase an auto insurance policy or make changes to an existing policy, you will receive a copy of your declarations page. Every driver should have a copy of their declaration page either in hard copy or electronic format.
If you misplace your dec page, you may be able to download your policy documents from your insurance company’s online portal or mobile app. You could also contact your agent for a new copy. Having a copy of your declarations page, whether physical or electronic, could help you when you need to attain basic information about your policy quickly.
The best car insurance company will differ for each driver based on what’s important to them. For instance, a driver who has had a DUI conviction may have more limited options and may only get reasonable rates from a handful of companies. A newly licensed teen and their parents may want a company that offers multiple discount opportunities for young or new drivers. To find the best company for you, consider what your top needs are and then select a handful of companies to request quotes from for the same coverage types and levels.
Your declarations page is fairly comprehensive, but it is meant to summarize your coverage at a glance, not to explain it in detail. Information about exclusions or descriptions of the various coverage types will not be included on your declarations page. Your Social Security number is also not listed on your declarations page, as most companies omit this information to help keep your information safe.
A declarations page is meant to reflect what is already listed on your auto policy. If you review your declarations page and find that the information on your declaration page is incorrect, you should contact your insurance company immediately. If you need to make changes to your policy due to something like a name change or a new vehicle, contact your insurance company to update your policy information and a new declarations page should be issued.
Yes, your auto insurance declarations page should serve as proof of insurance in many cases. It provides enough details to show that you and your vehicle are insured and notes things like coverage amounts and the policy’s expiration date. Check with your state’s department of insurance if you want to know exactly what your state requires for proof of insurance.
