Car theft is covered only if you have comprehensive coverage. That's the part of your policy that covers non-collision events, including theft and weather damage. The average stolen vehicle claim runs between $15,000 and $25,000, depending on the car's age and value. Without comprehensive, there's no payout and your loan payments don't stop.
What to Do If Your Car Is Stolen
Updated: June 20, 2026
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Key Takeaways
File a police report first. Your insurer requires the case number to open a theft claim.
Insurance pays what your car was worth when stolen, not what you paid or owe. You may still owe your lender money after the payout.
Check your loan paperwork for gap insurance. About 37% of financed buyers have it and don't know.
What to Do When Your Car Is Stolen
Before calling the police, confirm the theft. Contact local parking enforcement to rule out a tow for violations or parking restrictions. Once confirmed, call the police immediately and get the case number. Insurers require it to open a theft claim. After getting the report, call your insurer's claims line and file an auto insurance theft claim.
- 1
Confirm the Car Is Stolen, Then Call Police
First, check with local parking enforcement to rule out a tow. If the car wasn't there, call your local police non-emergency line, file a theft report and get the case number. Your insurer won't open a claim without it.
- 2
Notify Your Insurer Within 24 Hours
Call your insurer's claims line with your policy number, your car's VIN (the 17-digit ID on the driver's side dashboard) and police report number. The insurer will assign an adjuster. This is a person who reviews your claim and decides how much you'll be paid. Most insurers wait 21 to 30 days before declaring the car unrecoverable and paying you out. That window gives police time to find the car before the insurer issues a check.
- 3
Request Rental Coverage if Your Policy Includes It
Rental reimbursement coverage pays for a rental car while the claim is being processed. Ask your adjuster for the daily dollar limit and when the coverage starts. Some policies activate rental coverage right away. Others require the claim to be officially accepted first. That start date matters because the waiting period can last up to 30 days.
- 4
File Your Comprehensive Claim
After the waiting period, if the car isn't found, the insurer pays you the car's actual cash value minus your deductible. Your deductible is the amount you agreed to pay out of pocket when you bought the policy, usually $500 or $1,000. MoneyGeek's comprehensive car insurance guide covers how ACV is calculated and what it excludes.
- 5
Handle the Loan Balance if You Owe More Than ACV
Don't wait for the insurer's offer before calling your lender. Get your exact payoff balance first, then compare it to whatever the insurer calculates as your car's actual cash value. If you own the car outright, your payout is ACV minus your deductible and nothing else applies. If you financed it and owe more than the payout, you're responsible for the difference unless you have gap insurance.
To check whether you already have gap coverage, look at the financing paperwork from the dealership. If you added it through your insurer, it appears on your declarations page, the summary that lists all your active coverages.
What a Theft Claim Covers and What It Doesn't
DeductibleYour deductible is subtracted before the insurer pays you. A $1,000 deductible on a $16,000 payout means you receive $15,000.
Personal Items Inside the CarAuto insurance doesn't cover personal property stolen from the car. A homeowners or renters policy covers those items instead. If you don't have renters insurance, nothing will reimburse you for a stolen laptop or phone.
Gap CoverageIf your loan balance is higher than the payout, gap insurance covers the difference. Some insurers sell a similar product called "loan/lease payoff coverage" that only pays up to 25% of the car's value, which may not be enough. True gap insurance covers the full amount you're short. Check whether your coverage has a cap before you need it.
What Happens if Your Stolen Car Is Recovered?
Your insurer will contact you when police locate the car. A car found undamaged before the claim is paid out can be kept. Cancel the claim and it's yours. Once the insurer has already paid you, ownership of the recovered vehicle transfers to the insurer. You can't keep both the payout and the car.
A damaged recovered vehicle goes through the same process as a collision claim. The insurer compares repair costs to the car's value and pays you the car's value if repairs would cost more. You can try to buy the car back at a salvage auction, where insurers sell recovered or damaged vehicles at low prices. Custom parts added after purchase aren't covered under standard comprehensive. A new sound system or aftermarket wheels require a separate custom parts endorsement on your policy.
What to Do If Your Vehicle Is Stolen: FAQs
What do you do if your car is stolen?
Confirm it wasn't towed, then file a police report and get the case number. Call your insurer within 24 hours with your policy number and VIN. Most insurers wait 21 to 30 days before processing the claim to give police time to find the car.
Does car insurance cover theft?
Comprehensive insurance covers theft. Collision coverage does not apply to theft at all. Without comprehensive on your policy, there's no payout and whatever you still owe on your loan stays your responsibility.
Do you need a police report to file a theft claim?
Yes. Most insurers require a police report to open a theft claim. File it right after confirming the car is stolen and give the case number to your insurer when you call.
How long does it take for insurance to pay a stolen car claim?
Most insurers wait 21 to 30 days before declaring the car unrecoverable and issuing a payment. The full process runs 30 to 60 days if the car isn't found. Timeline varies by insurer and state law. Call your adjuster at the 21-day mark if you haven't received an update.
What happens if your stolen car is found after you've been paid?
The insurer takes ownership of the recovered vehicle. You can't keep both the payout and the car. If the car is found before the claim closes, you can cancel the claim and keep the vehicle.
Does a car theft claim raise your insurance rates?
A theft claim usually results in a smaller rate increase than an accident claim because theft isn't something you caused. Some insurers raise your rate at renewal if you've filed more than one comprehensive claim in a short period. Call your insurer and ask. The insurer can tell you exactly what would trigger a rate increase.
MoneyGeek's content is based on Quadrant Information Services data, state insurance department filings and insurer policy documents. Comprehensive coverage premium figures and theft claim data were verified using current industry sources as of May 2026. Read our full auto insurance methodology.
About Mark Fitzpatrick
Mark Fitzpatrick, a Licensed Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Producer in Connecticut, is MoneyGeek's resident insurance expert. He has spent nearly a decade analyzing the market, first at LendingTree and now at MoneyGeek, where he produces original research on hundreds of carriers and millions of rates across auto, home, renters, health and life insurance.
He covers economics and insurance at MoneyGeek, and his work has been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times and NPR, among other outlets.
Like all MoneyGeek analysts, he draws on independent cost and consumer experience data. No insurance company partnership influences his recommendations.
Fitzpatrick earned his degrees from Johns Hopkins University (M.A. Economics and International Relations) and Boston College (B.A.). His career began in financial risk management at State Street. He's also a five-time “Jeopardy!” champion.