Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Vehicles in Your Driveway?

Homeowners insurance provides essential protection for your home and possessions but does not cover vehicles. No matter where your car is, whether parked in your driveway or inside a garage, homeowners insurance does not extend coverage to vehicles. The same holds true whether it’s your vehicle or a friend’s vehicle in your driveway.

You need an auto insurance policy to protect against theft, damage or accidents involving your vehicle. These policies are designed specifically to offer the required financial protection for your car.

• Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Vehicles in Your Driveway?
• What Insurance Covers Vehicles in Your Driveway?
• Can You File a Claim if Your Car and Home Are Damaged in the Same Event?
• FAQ

Homeowners insurance does not extend coverage to vehicles parked in your driveway, regardless of the cause of damage or loss. This policy is designed specifically to protect your home and the personal belongings within it, not the vehicles outside.

As distinct assets with their own set of risks, vehicles require a separate form of protection; this is typically provided by auto insurance policies. This differentiation ensures that each type of policy can be tailored to the specific kinds of protection needed for the asset it covers, ensuring more effective and comprehensive coverage for both your home and your vehicles.

While homeowners insurance does not cover damages or injuries directly caused by your vehicle, it plays a crucial role in offering liability protection for your assets, such as your car, in the event of a costly lawsuit. If an incident on your property leads to a lawsuit where you are found liable, your homeowners liability insurance could cover legal settlements. Without sufficient liability coverage, your assets, including your home, car and even retirement savings, could be at risk to cover these costs. Adequate liability coverage is key to protecting the full value of all your assets.

It's common for both homeowners and auto insurance policies to provide liability coverage up to $500,000, but this may fall short if your total assets surpass this figure. In such cases, umbrella insurance is recommended to extend your liability coverage beyond the limits of your standard home and auto insurance policies, offering additional financial security.

To protect your vehicle, you need to purchase auto insurance, which is specifically designed to safeguard vehicles against a range of incidents, including theft, accidents and natural disasters. In most states, auto insurance is required to protect you against a wide array of potential risks, including:

If a covered peril simultaneously damages both your home and car, navigating the claims process requires understanding that two separate policies are involved. Typically, this means you will need to file two distinct claims: one with your homeowners insurance for the damage to your home and another with your auto insurance for the damage to your vehicle. This process is necessary because each policy is designed to cover specific types of damage under their own terms and conditions.

Here's what you should do:

Navigating the intricacies of insurance coverage can often feel overwhelming, especially when determining what is covered under homeowners versus auto insurance policies. It's crucial to understand the distinctions, particularly as they pertain to vehicles and related damages. We answered common questions about the scope of homeowners insurance in relation to vehicle incidents to provide clear insights to help you make informed decisions about your insurance.