Auto Theft Coverage: What to Do After Your Car Is Stolen

Not all car insurance covers auto burglary/theft.

Does Car Insurance Cover Theft?

Does car insurance cover theft? Yes, if you have comprehensive coverage. However, the minimum coverage for every state in the U.S. doesn’t require this type of coverage, which also covers incidents like fires, floods, and falling rocks.

To get these events covered, you’ll need to sign up for comprehensive coverage. Comprehensive coverage also includes:

• Stolen cars. Your insurance provider will cover a stolen car.¹
• Stolen car parts. Your insurance provider will cover the costs if someone steals your vehicle parts, including tire and catalytic converter theft.
• Damage from break-ins.

However, comprehensive coverage does not cover:

• Personal property stolen. If you had a laptop or other personal items stolen from your car, comprehensive coverage won’t reimburse you. Rather, your homeowners or renters personal property coverage, if you have it, will reimburse you under “off-premises coverage,” up to a certain percentage.
• Theft of vehicle upgrades. Comprehensive coverage only applies to permanent, pre-installed car parts. If you added on aftermarket products, custom parts, or modifications, comprehensive coverage won’t reimburse you for the costs.

To get reimbursed for a stolen car or car parts, you’ll need to file a claim with your insurance provider. This is what happens once you file the claim, assuming you have comprehensive coverage:

1. The insurance company will investigate the theft.
2. Once the investigation is complete, if the claim is covered, you’ll be reimbursed for your losses up to the comprehensive limit in your auto insurance policy.
3. If your claim isn’t covered, you’ll have to pay out of pocket for your lost vehicle or vehicle parts.

Like auto theft, car insurance only covers vandalism if you have comprehensive coverage. Learn more about vandalism coverage.

If you have comprehensive coverage and your vehicle is stolen, then you’ll get reimbursed for the current cost of the vehicle, whether it’s a leased vehicle or a vehicle purchased with an auto loan. However, the value of a car depreciates as soon as you drive away from the dealership, so you may receive less than you paid for the car originally. That’s where gap insurance comes in.

Gap insurance will reimburse you for the difference between what you paid for your car originally and your insurance settlement. Your insurance settlement will pay your car’s actual cash value (ACV), meaning its current worth. Gap insurance ensures that you won’t lose money, even if your car is stolen.

What Is Actual Cash Value?

Let’s talk more about ACV, actual cash value. ACV is what your car is worth today, taking depreciation into account. In other words, if you sold your car today, the amount you’d get for it is your ACV.

Now, if you get your stolen car back and the damages are worth more than a certain percentage of the ACV, your insurance company will declare it a “total loss,” so you’ll be reimbursed for the entire ACV (minus your comprehensive insurance deductible). This threshold differs by state and insurer, so ask your insurance agent about the threshold for totaling a car.

How Much Is My Car Worth?

Many people wonder how insurance companies value cars and determine the ACV. How can you know that you’re getting reimbursed fairly for your ACV? Here’s how to determine your car’s worth:

1. Consult the Kelley Blue Book.

Consult the National Automobile Dealers Association’s NADAguides.

Even if you have comprehensive coverage, you’ll still have to pay a deductible before your insurance kicks in up to your coverage limit. To avoid paying a dollar above your premiums, your best bet is to prevent car theft in the first place. Here are our tips for preventing car theft:

1. Always lock your car when you leave it, and make sure all the windows are up and locked.
2. Park in areas with a lot of people around, with good lighting and visibility. Make sure things like dumpsters and trucks aren’t blocking the view of your car.
3. If you are parked at home, park in a locked garage or in a driveway with a locked gate.
4. Install motion-activated lights around your home.
5. If you must park in public, avoid alleys, streets, and driveways, opting for private garages.
6. If you see anyone loitering, avoid parking in that area.
7. If you must park in public outside of a garage, leave as quickly as you can.²
8. Use anti-theft devices such as these:
   • Steering wheel lock
   • Gearshift column lock
   • Vehicle recovery systems with GPS tracking³
   • Horn alarm
   • Computer chip in the ignition key that disables the flow of electricity and fuel to the engine ⁴

Even the most stringent licensed driver could still fall victim to auto theft. Take these steps if your car is stolen:

1. Make sure that it was actually stolen and not towed, repossessed, impounded, or claimed.
2. Once you confirm that you were a victim of vehicle theft, call the police and file a police report.
3. If your car has a tracking device, try to recover it yourself.
4. Contact your insurance provider and file a claim, if you have comprehensive coverage. If not, you’ll have to pay out of pocket for a new car. Here is the claims contact information for each auto insurance provider:
   

   Insurance provider	Email address	Phone number	Postal address	Where to submit claims online
   21st Century	claimsdocuments@farmersinsurance.com	888-244-6163	P.O. Box 268994 Oklahoma City, OK 73126-8994   Medical/PIP documents involving FL, NJ, NY: P.O. Box 268995   Medical/PIP documents involving all other states: P.O. Box 268993	www.21st.com/contact-21st-century-insurance.htm
   AAA	None	Enter ZIP code to find claims number: www.aaa.com/stop/	The Auto Club Group Claim Department P.O. Box 9001 Royal Oak, MI 48068-9826	www.aaa.com/stop/
   AARP	None	800-243-6860	The Hartford P.O. Box 14219 Lexington, KY 40512	https://www.thehartford.com/aarp/car-insurance/how-to-file-claim
   Allstate	None	800-255-7828	Allstate Insurance Company P.O. Box 660636 Dallas, TX 75266	www.allstate.com/auto-insurance/auto-claims-info.aspx
   Amica	None	800-242-6422	Amica Scan Center P.O. Box 9690 Providence, RI 02940-9690	www.amica.com/en/customer-service/contact-us.html
   Autopom	info@autopom.com	800-654-8455	Autopom Office 22651 Lambert St., Suite 102 Lake Forest, CA 92630	www.extended-vehicle-warranty.com/mercury-insurance-claim/
   Bristol West	None	800-274-7865	Bristol West Claims Service P.O. Box 258806 Oklahoma City, OK 73125-8806	www.bristolwest.com/home/claims
   Carchex	None	877-227-2439	Carchex 118 Shawan Road, Suite 210 Baltimore, MD 21030	www.carchex.com/auto-warranty/how-to-file-a-claim/
   Carshield	ClaimsDocs@americanautoshield.com	800-531-1925	1597 Cole Blvd., Suite 200 Lakewood, CO 80401-3418	americanautoshield.com/report-a-claim/
   Clearcover	None	855-444-1875	None	clearcover.com/claims/
   Concord	None	Maine: 800-482-7443 Massachusetts: 800-422-5246   New Hampshire: 800-888-6050 Vermont: 800-660-3838	Concord Corporate Office 4 Bouton St. Concord, NH 03301	www.concordgroupinsurance.com/claims/report-a-claim
   Dairyland	None	800-334-0090	None	www.dairylandinsurance.com/auto/claims
   Direct	None	800-403-1077	Direct Auto Insurance Claims Department P.O. Box 1623 Winston Salem, NC 27102	www.directauto.com/claims/make-a-claim
   Endurance	None	877-414-0134	Endurance Corporate Headquarters 400 Skokie Blvd., Suite 105 Northbrook, IL 60062	www.endurancewarranty.com/learning-center/company-resources/best-practices-for-filing-a-claim-with-endurance-warranty/
   Erie	None	800-367-3743	Erie Branch Claims Office P.O. Box 13002 Erie, PA 16514-3002	www.erieinsurance.com/support-center/claims/auto
   Esurance	None	800-378-7262	Esurance Customer Service P.O. Box 5250 Sioux Falls, SD 57117-5258	www.esurance.com/file-a-claim-online
   Farmers	None	800-435-7764	Farmers Customer Service 6301 Owensmouth Ave. Woodland Hills, CA 91367	www.farmers.com/cmp/s/filealoss?SO=01
   Foremost	None	800-274-7865	None	claims.bristolwest.com/cmp/s/filealoss?SO=04
   GAINSCO	None	866-424-6726	GAINSCO Inc. P.O. Box 199023 Dallas, Texas 75219-9023	www.gainsco.com/customers/report-a-claim/
   GEICO	None	800-841-3000	None	www.geico.com/claims/
   GMAC	Claims@NGIC.com	800-468-3466	None	claims.nationalgeneral.com/report
   Good2Go	Claims@good2go.com	800-727-6664	Good2Go Auto Insurance P.O. Box 1930 Blue Bell, PA 19422-0479	mypolicy.good2go.com/account/login#</td>
   Infinity	customer.service@ipacc.com	800-334-1661	Infinity Insurance 200 E. Randolph St., Suite 3300 Chicago, IL 60601	www.kemper.com/claims/report-a-claim
   Kemper	None	888-253-7834   For California customers: 800-508-5833 (formerly Alliance United)   800-234-3606 (formerly Kemper Specialty California)	Kemper Claims P.O. Box 2855 Clinton, IA 52733	www.kemper.com/claims/report-a-claim/report-a-claim-auto
   Lemonade	carclaims@lemonade.com	844-733-8666 (for claim emergencies)	None	www.lemonade.com/car
   Liberty Mutual	None	800-225-2467	Liberty Life Assurance Company of Boston 100 Liberty Way Dover, NH 03820	fileaclaim.libertymutual.com/
   Mercury	None	800-503-3724	Mercury Insurance 1700 Greenbriar Lane Brea, CA 02921	www.mercuryinsurance.com/claims/auto-claim.html
   MetLife — Farmers Auto Insurance	None	800-435-7764	Farmers Insurance Customer Service 6301 Owensmouth Ave. Woodland Hills, CA 91367	www.farmers.com/cmp/s/filealoss?SO=01
   Metromile	None	888-595-5485	None	claims.metromile.com/
   Nationwide	None	800-421-3535	None	claimsselfservice.nationwide.com/claims/index.html#/file-claim
   Omega	contactus@omegaautocare.com	877-850-0443	None	www.omegaautocare.com/claims/
   Plymouth Rock	None	844-346-1225	Plymouth Rock Assurance P.O. Box 55165 Boston, MA 02205	efnol.plymouthrock.com/#/login
   Progressive	None	800-776-4737	None	www.progressive.com/claims/auto-process/
   Protect My Car	None	844-256-4762	None	blog.protectmycar.com/claim-protect-my-car
   Root	None	New claims: 866-980-9431 Existing claims: 866-489-1985	Root Insurance Claims Department 80 E. Rich St., Suite 500 Columbus, OH 43215	www.joinroot.com/claims/
   Safeco	None	800-332-3226	None	fileaclaim.safeco.com/
   State Farm	None	800-732-5246	None	www.statefarm.com/claims/file-a-claim
   The General	None	800-280-1466	None	www.thegeneral.com/car-insurance/basics/claims/</td>
   Toco	info@tocowarranty.com	855-298-8626	Toco Warranty 8501 Fallbrook Ave., Suite 225 West Hills, CA 91304	www.tocowarranty.com/file-a-claim
   Travelers	None	800-252-4633	None	www.travelers.com/claims/report-claim
   USAA	None	Shortcut mobile number: #8722/210-531-8722 or/800-531-8722	USAA 9800 Fredericksburg Road San Antonio, TX 78288	www.usaa.com/inet/wc/auto-insurance-claims

5. Wait for the reimbursement check to come in, which could take anywhere from 14 to 30 days.

What to Do if Your Car Is Recovered

Congratulations, your car is yours again! Here’s what to do if you find your stolen car:

1. Tell your insurance agent immediately.
2. If it has any damages, file claims for them so your provider can cover the repair costs. ⁵

Many auto insurance providers offer auto insurance discounts for anti-theft devices. To lower the cost of your car insurance with anti-theft devices, look at the following providers:

• AAA
• AARP
• Allstate
• Amica
• Dairyland
• GEICO
• Good2Go
• Nationwide

No one ever wants to deal with auto theft and burglary, but if you have comprehensive coverage, you won’t have to pay out of pocket for repairs or replacements, excluding your deductible. That’s why it’s best to get more than the minimum coverage your state requires, because, shockingly, no state thinks comprehensive coverage is essential.

Learn even more about auto theft coverage below; we’ve answered the questions you asked the most often.

What auto coverage covers theft?

Comprehensive auto insurance coverage covers theft. Theft is not covered by property damage coverage, collision coverage, or bodily injury coverage.

What does auto theft insurance include?

What auto theft insurance includes depends on your state’s minimum coverage requirements and the supplemental coverage you’ve added on, but in general, full-coverage auto insurance includes these coverages:

• Bodily injury liability
• Property damage liability
• Comprehensive coverage
• Collision coverage
• Medical payments coverage / personal injury protection
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage

Does full-coverage auto insurance include theft?

Yes, full-coverage auto insurance includes theft under comprehensive coverage. However, it only includes theft of the original car or car parts, not any add-ons, modifications, customizations, or personal belongings stolen from your car.

Does GEICO cover items stolen from cars?

GEICO only covers items stolen from cars as part of its homeowners/renters insurance policies under its personal property and off-premises cov