Uncovering Past Auto Insurance Policies: A Step-By-Step Guide

Locating old auto insurance policies can be challenging, especially if you have changed providers or cannot recall your previous insurer. However, there are several methods to find this information. Firstly, you can search through your own records, including old paperwork and bank statements, for any documents mentioning insurance or policy number. Secondly, you can contact your state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), which may have information on your previous insurance policies, especially if you registered your vehicle and the insurance policy with them. They can also provide a copy of your motor vehicle record (MVR). Thirdly, you can obtain a copy of your auto insurance history, often called a letter of experience, by contacting your previous insurance company or companies. Additionally, you can request your C.L.U.E. (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) report, which contains your auto insurance claim history for up to seven years, through LexisNexis. This report will show any claims you've made and the insurer that covered you at the time.

Check old paperwork

Checking old paperwork is a good first step to finding old auto insurance policies. Here are some tips to help you with the process:

Look for Relevant Documents

Start by gathering any paperwork you have stored over the years. Search for documents that say "insurance" or "policy number". It might not be immediately obvious that a particular piece of paper is related to your car insurance, so look carefully. It could be helpful to spread out the documents and check each one individually.

Review Old Bank and Credit Card Statements

Your bank and credit card statements can provide valuable clues about your past insurance policies. Track your payments to your insurer through these statements. You can usually access these statements online through your bank account. If you need older statements, you can contact your bank to help you find them.

Contact Previous Insurers

If you're unable to find the necessary information through your paperwork or statements, you can try contacting insurance companies that you think may have insured you in the past. Even if you're no longer a customer, customer service agents should still have records of your old policies. They can search for your name and address to locate any relevant policies. This will allow you to access details such as the policy number, vehicle type, coverage, and premiums paid.

Contact Your Independent Agent

If you have an independent agent for other types of insurance, such as life or disability insurance, there's a possibility that you also signed up for car insurance through them. Contact your independent agent, even if you're no longer a customer, as they should still have access to your old car insurance policy information.

Keep Important Documents Safe

To avoid losing your car insurance policies or other essential documents in the future, choose one secure location to store all this information. Make sure you know where these documents are stored for easy retrieval when needed. You can also create digital copies of these documents and save them in a clearly labelled folder in a cloud storage service such as Google Drive. It's recommended to keep these documents for at least seven years for reference.

Review bank statements

Reviewing bank statements is a great way to find old auto insurance policies. Here are some detailed steps to help you through the process:

Locate Your Bank Statements

Gather all your recent bank statements, either in physical or digital form. You can access your bank statements online through your bank's website or mobile app. If you can't find your statements or need older ones, contact your bank and request copies of your statements for the relevant time period. Most banks will be able to provide you with this information.

Review Your Transactions

Once you have your bank statements, start reviewing them carefully. Look for transactions or payments made to insurance companies. These transactions may be listed under the name of the insurance company or as a generic payment to an insurance provider. Check the amount of the transaction as well, as this can help you identify it as an insurance payment.

Identify the Insurance Company

If you find transactions related to insurance payments, note down the name of the insurance company and the dates of the transactions. This information will be crucial in identifying your old auto insurance policy. You can also check your credit card statements if you typically use a credit card for insurance payments.

Contact the Insurance Company

After identifying the insurance company and the approximate dates of your policy, contact the insurance company directly. Explain that you need information about a previous policy and provide them with the details you have found from your bank statements. They may ask for additional information to locate your policy, such as your name, address, vehicle information, or policy number.

Request Policy Details

Once the insurance company has located your old policy, request a copy of the policy documents or ask for the specific information you require. They should be able to provide you with details such as the policy number, vehicle type, coverage type, and insurance premiums. You can also inquire about the start and end dates of the policy to match it with the transactions on your bank statements.

Compare Policy Information

If you have multiple insurance policies or need to confirm the details, compare the information from your bank statements with the policy details provided by the insurance company. This will help ensure that you have identified the correct policy and understand the coverage it provided.

Remember to keep your important documents, including insurance policies and bank statements, safely stored and easily accessible to prevent any issues in the future.

Contact previous insurers

If you're trying to find an old auto insurance policy, one of the best things you can do is contact your previous insurers. Even if you are no longer a customer, a customer service agent should still have records of your old car insurance policies. They can look up your name and address to locate any policies you once had.

When you call, they will be able to provide you with the policy number, the vehicle type, the type of coverage, and the insurance premiums you were paying. If you need a physical copy of your auto insurance history, the company can print out a history of your auto insurance coverages and claims (or lack thereof). This is often called a letter of experience.

If you can't remember which insurance companies you've used in the past, you can try contacting your state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). They may be able to provide information on your previous insurance policies, but you will need the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of your vehicle to look up an old car insurance policy.

If you have an independent agent for other insurances like life or disability insurance, it's possible you also signed up for car insurance through them. All insurance policy information you had with that agent should still be available, even if you are no longer a customer.

Contact the DMV

If you're struggling to remember which insurance company you used in the past, your state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) may be able to help. The DMV can provide information on your previous insurance policies and a copy of your motor vehicle record (MVR), which can clarify any queries about tickets or accidents.

To access this information, you will need to make a service request to the DMV. This may take a few days or weeks to process. When making the request, you will need to provide the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of your vehicle. With this information, the DMV can locate the relevant insurance policy and any associated claims.

It is important to note that the DMV will only have this information if you registered your vehicle and the insurance policy. Therefore, ensuring that you register your vehicle and insurance is crucial, as it can help you access this information in the future if needed.

Additionally, the DMV can provide information about any claims you have made on your insurance policy. These claims can remain on your record for several years. Thus, if you are seeking information about past insurance claims, the DMV can be a valuable resource.

In summary, while the DMV may not be the first place you think to look for old auto insurance policies, it can be a helpful option if you are unable to locate the information through other means. By providing the necessary vehicle information and allowing some time for processing, you can access valuable insights into your previous insurance coverage and claims.

Get a C.L.U.E. report

If you're looking for your auto insurance history, one of the best ways to find it is by obtaining a C.L.U.E. report. C.L.U.E. stands for Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange, and it is a database maintained by LexisNexis Risk Solutions. This database allows auto insurance providers to exchange information about claims for loss of property without notifying the customer.

The C.L.U.E. report contains information about any claims made by policyholders over the last five to seven years. It includes the name of the driver/property owner, their social security number, previous insurance claims that have been paid or denied, and any serious inquiries made to the insurance company.

You can obtain a free copy of your C.L.U.E. report once a year by contacting LexisNexis Risk Solutions. You can request the report online, by phone, by mail, or by email. The phone number for LexisNexis is 1-866-312-8076, and the email address is [email protected].

It's important to review your C.L.U.E. report for any errors and dispute any incorrect information. You can dispute errors by contacting both your insurance company and LexisNexis directly. LexisNexis will investigate the dispute and remove any incorrect information. You can also add a personal statement to your report to clarify claims or details.

By obtaining a C.L.U.E. report, you can access your auto insurance history and ensure that the information contained in it is accurate. This can help you understand your risk profile and the factors that may impact your insurance rates.

Frequently asked questions