Does My Vehicle Need to Be Insured to Ship It?
Your vehicle does not need active personal auto insurance to be shipped. The carrier's cargo insurance covers your car during transport. Here is what you actually need to know.
Short Answer: No, Not from Us
Note: Web Auto Transport does not require your vehicle to have active personal auto insurance as a condition of shipping. We do not ask for proof of insurance at booking. The carrier we assign does not require it at pickup.
Your vehicle is covered during transport by the carrier's FMCSA-required cargo insurance, which is in place regardless of whether your personal auto policy is active, lapsed, or has never existed.
That said, there are two important nuances that apply to certain situations, both covered below.
What Actually Covers Your Vehicle During Shipping
Every FMCSA-licensed carrier is required by federal law to maintain cargo insurance that covers physical damage to vehicles in their care during transport. This coverage applies from the moment your vehicle is loaded onto the carrier at pickup through the moment it is unloaded at delivery.
This cargo insurance is separate from your personal auto policy. It exists specifically to cover damage that occurs during transport, regardless of the vehicle's own insurance status. A car with a lapsed personal policy, a salvage title, or no registration is still covered by the carrier's cargo insurance during transit.
A Real-Life Example: David's Stored Classic
David inherited a 1978 Porsche 911 from his uncle in Denver. The car had been in storage for three years. Its registration was expired, and there was no active insurance policy on it. David lived in Atlanta and wanted to ship the car home.
He called three companies expecting to be told he needed to insure the car before they would ship it. None of them required it, including Web Auto Transport.
The car was picked up in Denver, loaded onto an enclosed carrier, and delivered to Atlanta 11 days later. The carrier's cargo insurance covered it throughout transit. Once it arrived, David had it inspected, registered it in Georgia, and insured it before driving it for the first time.
The car's insurance status at the time of shipping was irrelevant to the shipping process itself.
The Two Situations Where Insurance Status Does Matter
Situation 1: Your State's Requirements for Registered Vehicles
Most U.S. states require that any vehicle registered with the DMV carry at minimum a liability insurance policy, regardless of whether the vehicle is being driven. This is a state law obligation between you and your state, not a requirement imposed by auto transport companies.
If your vehicle is currently registered in your state and your personal insurance has lapsed, you may technically be out of compliance with your state's requirements. That is a separate issue from shipping the car. The carrier will not check your insurance status at pickup, and we do not verify it at booking. But it is worth being aware of your state's rules.
If you are shipping a vehicle that is unregistered, recently purchased, or in the process of a title transfer, none of this applies. Unregistered vehicles ship routinely and without issue.
Situation 2: Vehicles Being Temporarily Driven at Pickup or Delivery
Door-to-door transport involves the carrier picking up your vehicle at or near your address. In most cases, the driver does not drive your vehicle on public roads. The car is loaded directly from your location onto the carrier.
However, in certain situations, a short repositioning drive may be necessary, such as moving the car from a parking structure to a street-accessible loading point. If your vehicle has no active insurance during this brief movement on a public road, there is a small but real liability gap.
For most shipments this is not a practical concern. But if your vehicle has no active insurance and you are aware a short drive may be involved at pickup or delivery, mention it to your coordinator. We can advise on whether it applies to your specific situation.
What About TransitShield?
TransitShield is Web Auto Transport's optional Shipper's Interest Transit Insurance, available at $99 per vehicle. It provides a named, per-VIN policy covering your vehicle from the moment it is first moved at pickup through final delivery, with up to $200,000 in coverage and a $100 deductible.
TransitShield is not a personal auto insurance policy. It covers physical loss or damage during transit, not liability. Adding TransitShield does not fulfill any state insurance requirement, but it does give you a cleaner, faster claims path if your vehicle is damaged during shipping.
For a vehicle without active personal insurance, TransitShield is worth considering. It closes the coverage gap that exists between the carrier's cargo policy and the additional protection a personal policy would otherwise provide.
Summary: What We Require vs. What Your State May Require
| Requirement | From Web Auto Transport | From Your State |
|---|---|---|
| Active personal auto insurance | Not required | May be required if vehicle is registered |
| Proof of insurance at booking | Not required | Not applicable |
| Carrier cargo insurance | Required by FMCSA on every shipment | Not applicable |
| Registration or title | Not required | Not applicable |
Q&A
Q: My insurance lapsed last month. Can I still ship my car?
Yes. A lapsed personal auto policy does not prevent you from shipping your vehicle. The carrier's cargo insurance covers your car during transit regardless of your policy status.
Q: I just bought a car and haven't insured it yet. Can it be shipped?
Yes. Newly purchased vehicles ship routinely before the buyer has set up a personal policy. The carrier's cargo insurance applies during transit.
Q: The vehicle I'm shipping is not registered. Is that a problem?
Not for shipping purposes. Unregistered vehicles, vehicles in title transfer, and vehicles with salvage or rebuilt titles all ship without issue. Disclose the vehicle's condition accurately at booking so we can match you with the right carrier.
Q: Does the carrier check my insurance status at pickup?
No. The driver performs a vehicle inspection and documents the condition on the Bill of Lading. Insurance status is not checked or recorded at pickup.
Q: If something goes wrong during shipping, will my personal insurer pay out if my policy is lapsed?
No. A lapsed personal policy provides no coverage. If damage occurs during transit, the claim would go through the carrier's cargo insurance, or through TransitShield if you added it at booking. This is another reason TransitShield is worth considering for uninsured vehicles.
Q: My car has a salvage title. Will that affect how it is insured during transit?
The carrier's cargo insurance covers the vehicle during transit regardless of title status. However, valuation in the event of a claim may be affected, since salvage title vehicles have a lower market value than clean title equivalents. Discuss this with your coordinator at booking.
Questions about coverage? Call (760) 932-2886 / (760) WEB-AUTO, or use LiveChat. USDOT# 4574725 | FMCSA Licensed and Bonded. Email: info@webautotransport.com.