Commuters with cars in different states....
 

My car insurance just dropped the policy on my airport car because its registered in IL and my driver's license is from FL. I guess it has to do with some new Homeland Security bs. Not only would it cost over $500 just to get the registration/title switched over, FL insurance is 2x as much as I'd pay in IL. Anyone else having this problem?

My car is registered in Florida, I have a Colorado license and I live in Illinois... not sure, but I haven't had any trouble...

Find a new insurance company. That one does not want you around.

You pay insurance based on where the car is located, not where you live, and that needs to be your domicile city. If you lie about that, you can get a lower premium but if you ever REALLY need that insurance (big liability claim) they will investigate the circumstances and deny coverage based on that fact that the car was not located where you claimed on your policy.

If it's really homeland security, the rule will apply to all insurance companies.

From what I have read, most insurance companies will not cover a car that resides in another state.

Can I insure my vehicle in another state to save money?

Wherever you establish your residency, you are supposed to obtain a drivers license within a set time period. Most states require it within 30 to 90 days. I would be getting that Illinois license.

Years ago I had my drivers license, license plates, and insurance in 3 different states. Then my girlfriend at the time (1996) got into an accident and the officer ended up writing her a $600 citation for not changing her license plates within 30 days of her moving back to her home state (Maryland). After that I always matched all 3 to the state that I call home (even if it is only for 8 months). It makes you feel more comfortable after a student driver rear-ends you and the police ask for your drivers license and insurance to include in the police report.
(Also got a letter to show up for jury duty in a state that I moved out of. The letter said I had to show up for court at a certain date or they would issue a bench warrant for my arrest. The only way out of it was to fax them a copy of my new drivers license showing that I no longer live in that state.)

Register for a 1 credit hour class at a local college, get a student ID, and tell your insurance you're a student. I know it sounds stupid, but that's the only way you can legally accomplish this simple task. Apparently, only students and military are allowed to have DLs in one state and a car in another.

i finally got my insurance & license plate switched after I moved, just need to get drivers license now.

quite frankly, my concern wouldnt be the insurance but getting pulled over and getting a ticket. (and hence a record which will help with that next job application ;) )

a buddy got busted in Michigan for registration and drivers license not matching, think it was $300 at the time...

I use USAA, live in California with two cars, and have one in Indiana (work car.) I am not able to get the multi-line discount for the car in Indiana, but I'm still able to insure it. I also have a rental property in Indiana, though. It's also insured through USAA, so that may make a difference.

sounds like an interesting solution.
see how this would work with the insurance,
has someone tried and tested this getting pulled over?

I dropped my insurance because they said they couldn't insure a car in a state other than where I lived. GEICO didn't have a problem with it, so that's where I went.

Get a PO Box

I keep all my cars on my home policy in my home state (where I live and where my DL is issued), and registered in my home state - NC, in this case. My crashpad car is in my domicile in another state. As far as my insurance company is concerned, it is at home with the rest of my vehicles. If anything happens, I was on a road trip - let them try to prove otherwise!

The only hitch to this arrangement is if your home state requires a state inspection. NC does. I was able to solve this by calling NCDMV and telling them my car was "temporarily" (this is true) out of state. NC accepted a faxed inspection report from my domicile state (they have reciprocity with several other states that do safety and emissions inspections) and all was square.

I've talked to people that have handled the situation several different ways, and this seems to be the best method. I'd just tell my insurance company, "I drove my car to work." That's true, and it doesn't matter how long it was there. If I'm not using it, it is parked in the airport employee lot in my domicile - in other words, "at work".

Any attempt to prove insurance fraud here (especially since none is intended) would be exceedingly difficult.

My car is registered in WA I am based in PA. I have state farm and the only thing they require is that you carry more insurance than the state min for the state with the highest coverage.

Do not do this!

But, what you're doing, and advocating, is indeed an Insurance Fraud!

There insurance companies who will work with anyone with these type of circumstances. Geico is one of them.

i cant see how this is the case? just stating it without explaining doesnt really make it a fact ;-)

/edit:
can someone tell me why all of this really needs to be a state thing?
so many people moving around, waste of time...
rant over

I live in Kansas, am based in MSP, and bought a crash pad car from my brother in Indiana. Kansas wanted a title inspection done in Kansas in order to issue plates. I wasn't about to drive the car all the way back just to get a 15 minute VIN and blinker inspection. After several phone calls telling me I had no choice other than bringing it back, I found an online form to get the car inspected by a MSP police officer. The condition was that they would not issue a title until the car came back to get an inspection. The lady at the court house must have been confused, because I got a title in the mail two weeks later.

They won't bother for a fender-bender, they'll pay. But if you get into a serious money claim (assuming you have a liability coverage) they will do a little work to verify the facts. They'll figure it out pretty quickly, and will use that as an excuse to deny coverage. The budget insurance companies are more likely to do this...that's how they offer the same insurance for lower cost...by working hard to get out paying big claims.

Most states will do this, even CA. But they may want an address in the domicile state, I would just a local friend's or crashpad.


If you got a lower premium at the claimed zip code versus the domicile zip code, the company could make a case for fraud and thus to deny coverage.

If you just have bare-bones insurance to satisfy DMV, feel free to play loose-and-free with their rules. If you're broke you can just BK most claims (but don't hurt somebody while DUI...they probably won't let you BK that!)

If you actually want (or need) liability coverage for peace-of-mind or because you have assets, play by the rules. And get an umbrella policy.

Those of you who posted to use Geico were right. I told them my situation: I live in FL, have a car registered in IL that I keep in OH. No problems, and I'm saving over $50 a month. I don't think the lady at State Farm that told me it was a Homeland Security rule knows what she's talking about.

I live in AZ, I have a crashpad in CVG, and I have a house in FL. I have cars at all three locations and I have an Arizona driver's license. All cars are registered and insured in the state that THEY live in, and I have Geico and Progressive insurance. I have never had an issue with this, and I've been doing this for a long time.

A long time ago I had some issues with State Farm. My advice is to stay as far away as possible from State Farm, especially in light of hearing their latest Homeland Security BS.

Ironic that there was a state farm ad at the bottom of the screen.

no coincidence,
i find all this targeted advertising is getting a bit creepy.