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Last updated: February 7, 2024

How to Cancel Car Insurance

Contact information for all of the top auto insurance providers

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Whether you’re moving, need new coverages, or simply want better rates, there are a lot of reasons you might want to cancel your auto insurance policy. However, the insured (you) isn’t the only one who can cancel their policy. Companies can also cancel policies, under certain circumstances like nonpayment, as well as decide not to renew policies. We’ll go over all of the steps you need to take to cancel your policy, plus some legal information on cancellations and nonrenewals by state.

How to Cancel Car Insurance

How to Cancel Car Insurance

First, make sure that canceling your car insurance policy is the right move.

Before You Send a Cancellation Request

Ask yourself these car insurance frequently asked questions:

  • Will I lose any discounts from bundling insurance or being a long-term customer?
  • If I’m changing providers, will my new provider offer all of the coverages I want?
  • Will there be a lapse in coverage in which I’ll be driving without insurance?

If you answer these questions and you still want to cancel your auto insurance policy, you can contact your company by phone, email, or mail, and inform them of your decision to cancel. The contact information for the major car insurance carriers is listed in the dropdown menu below.

Company Phone number Email address Website Mailing address
21st Century 800-241-1188 for new policies only service@21st.com N/A 21st Century Insurance

P.O. Box 15510

Wilmington, DE 19886-9252

AAA 800-836-2582 N/A https://auth.westerncentralnyaaa.com
/membership/member-login
N/A
AARP/The Hartford 800-423-6789 N/A N/A AARP Insurance Program

The Hartford

P.O. Box 14219

Lexington, KY 40512

Fax: 877-293-2072

Allstate Call your local insurance agent N/A N/A N/A
Amica 800-242-6422 N/A N/A N/A
Bristol West 888-888-0080 N/A N/A N/A
Carshield 800-587-4162 N/A https://carshield.com
/help-support/contact-us/
N/A
Clearcover 855-444-1875 N/A https://support.clearcover.com
/hc/en-us/requests/new
N/A
Concord 800-852-3380 N/A https://www.concordgroupinsurance.com
/about/contact-us
4 Bouton St.

Concord, NH 03301

Dairyland 800-334-0090 N/A https://www.dairylandinsurance.com
/contact-dairyland-insurance
N/A
Direct 877-GO-DIRECT N/A https://www.directauto.com
/emailus
N/A
Erie Call your local agent N/A https://www.erieinsurance.com
/contact-erie/customer-care
Erie Insurance Group

100 Erie Insurance Place

Erie, PA 16530-1104

Esurance 800-378-7262 N/A N/A N/A
Farmers 888-327-6335 N/A https://www.farmers.com
/css/login?redirect=sendmessage
Farmers Insurance

6301 Owensmouth Avenue

Woodland Hills, CA 91367

Foremost 800-532-4221 N/A N/A N/A
Gainsco 866-GAINSCO N/A N/A N/A
GEICO 800-841-1587 N/A https://www.geico.com
/information/faq/cancel-insurance/
N/A
Good2Go 800-777-6664 customerservice@good2go.com N/A Good2Go Auto Insurance

P.O. Box 1890

Blue Bell, PA 19422-0479

Infinity 800-782-1020 customer.service@ipacc.com https://www.infinityauto.com
/make-changes-your-policy-anytime-anywhere
N/A
Kemper 800-456-0448 N/A https://www.kemper.com
/about-kemper/contact-us
Kemper Auto

P.O. Box 660420

Dallas, TX 75266-0420

Lemonade N/A N/A https://www.lemonade.com
/download
N/A
Liberty Mutual 800-290-8711 N/A N/A N/A
Mercury Call your local agent N/A N/A N/A
Metlife 800-422-4272 N/A N/A N/A
Metromile N/A N/A https://www.metromile.com
/help/contact
N/A
National General Insurance (formerly GMAC) 888-293-5108 service@NGIC.com https://cschat.nationalgeneral.com
/enterpriseChat
N/A
Nationwide Call your local agent or call 877-669-6877 N/A N/A N/A
Plymouth Rock 800-437-5556 if you purchased your policy through Plymouth Rock, online, or through a Prudential Financial Professional, or 833-511-ROCK (7625) if you purchased your policy through an independent agent rockcare@plymouthrock.com if you purchased your policy through Plymouth Rock, online, or through a Prudential Financial Professional, or policychanges@plymouthrock.com if you purchased your policy through an independent agent N/A Connecticut, if you purchased through an independent agent:

Plymouth Rock Assurance

Payment Processing Center

P.O. Box 55933

Boston, MA 02205-5933

Massachusetts, New Hampshire, or New Jersey, if you purchased your policy online or through a Prudential Financial Professional:

Plymouth Rock HP-PA

P.O. Box 55877

Boston, MA 02205-5877

Massachusetts

Plymouth Rock Assurance

Payment Processing Center

P.O. Box 55933

Boston, MA 02205-5933

New Hampshire

Mt. Washington Assurance Corporation

P.O. Box 55937

Boston, MA 02205-5937

New Jersey

Please use the prepaid envelope or address your envelope according to your invoice.

New York, if you purchased through an independent agent:

Plymouth Rock NY

P.O. BOX 55940

Boston, MA 02205-5940

New York or Pennsylvania, if you purchased your policy online or through a Prudential Financial Professional:

Plymouth Rock HP-NY

P.O. Box 55560

Boston, MA 02205-5560

Pennsylvania

Plymouth Rock HP-PA

P.O. Box 55877

Boston, MA 02205-5877

Progressive 800-776-4737 N/A N/A The Progressive Corporation

6300 Wilson Mills Rd.

Mayfield Village, Ohio 44143

Root 866-980-9431 help@joinroot.com N/A Root Inc.

80 E. Rich Street

Suite 500

Columbus, OH 43215

Safeco Call your local agent N/A N/A N/A
State Farm 800-STATEFARM N/A https://www.statefarm.com/customer-care
/manage-your-accounts/cancel-my-policy
Corporate Headquarters

State Farm Insurance

One State Farm Plaza

Bloomington, IL 61710

The General 888-333-2331 N/A N/A N/A
Travelers Call your local agent N/A N/A Travelers Personal Insurance

PO BOX 660307

Dallas, TX 75266-0307

USAA 210-531-8722 N/A https://www.usaa.com
/my/logon
USAA

9800 Fredericksburg Rd.

San Antonio, TX 78288

Cancellation Fees

Depending on your company and policy, you may have to pay a cancellation fee. Check your policy to see what you’ll have to pay if anything.

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What Happens When You Cancel Car Insurance?

 

What Happens When Your Insurer Cancels Your Policy

Once you cancel your car insurance, your coverage will stop after the notice/grace period is over, which differs by company. The notice period is how long after the company receives notice of cancellation it has to end your coverage.

What Happens If You Stop Paying Car Insurance Premiums?

If you stop paying your premiums, legally, your insurance provider can cancel your insurance, meaning you won’t be covered. As you’ll see below, in most states, insurance providers can notify you of cancellation for nonpayment anywhere from 10 to 59 days before the effective date of cancellation.

What Happens When Your Insurer Cancels Your Policy?

 

When your insurance company cancels your policy, it will no longer cover your vehicle. That means that if you get into an at-fault accident and cause bodily injury or property damage, or if your car is stolen or vandalized, you’ll have to pay out of pocket.

Additionally, every state requires car insurance except New Hampshire and Virginia, so if you’re driving an uninsured car, you may be breaking the law. See your state’s auto insurance requirements in our complete guide to auto insurance.

Cancellation vs. Nonrenewal

While insurance companies can choose to cancel your policy mid-term, they can also choose to not renew your policy once the term is up. What’s the difference between cancellations and nonrenewals?

Cancellation

Auto insurance providers can cancel policies anytime within the first 60 days of the policy. After the first 60 days, the insurance provider can cancel the policy in certain circumstances only:

  • You don’t pay your premium (nonpayment).
  • You have committed fraud or misrepresentation on your insurance application.
  • Your driver’s license has been suspended or revoked.

Nonrenewal

Alternatively, your insurance company can choose not to renew your policy once it expires. Still, the company will have to notify you of a nonrenewal along with the reason. It could be because you got a DUI or because the company wants to write fewer policies in your area; the reasons aren’t mandated by law, unlike cancellations.1

Cancellation and Nonrenewal Notice Laws by State

Every state has laws on the amount of time that insurance companies have to notify you before they cancel or decide not to renew your policy. See below for the laws in your state.

State Number of days to notify customers after a mid-term cancellation, prior to the effective date Number of days to notify customers after a mid-term cancelation for nonpayment of premium, prior to the effective date Number of days to notify customers about non-renewal prior to the expiration date
Alabama 20 10 120
Alaska 30 20 20
Arizona 30 30 30
Arkansas 20 10 30
California 20 10 20
Colorado 45 10 30
Connecticut 45 15 for nonpayment of the first premium; 10 for nonpayment of any other premium 60
Delaware 30 15 30
District of Columbia 30 15 30
Florida 45 10 45
Georgia 30 30 30
Hawaii 30 30 30
Idaho 20 10 30
Illinois 30 10 30
Indiana 20 10 20
Iowa 30 10 30
Kansas 30 5 30
Kentucky 20 14 75
Louisiana 30 10 30
Maine 20 10 30
Maryland 45 10 45
Massachusetts 20 20 45
Michigan 30 10 20
Minnesota 59 59 60
Mississippi 30 10 30
Missouri 30 30 30
Montana 45 10 45
Nebraska 60 10 60
Nevada 30 10 30
New Hampshire 60 45 Notice not required
New Jersey 15 15 60
New Mexico 30 for cancellation due to a substantial change in risk; 15 for misrepresentation, fraud, or omission 10 30
New York 20 15 45-60
North Carolina 60 15 60
North Dakota 20 10 30
Ohio 30 10 30
Oklahoma 10 10 20
Oregon 30 10 30
Pennsylvania 30 15 30
Rhode Island 30 30 60
South Carolina 15 15 15
South Dakota 20 20 60
Tennessee 20 10 30
Texas 10 10 30
Utah 30 10 30
Vermont 45 15 45
Virginia 45 15 45
Washington 20 10 45
West Virginia 30 30 45
Wisconsin 10 10 60
Wyoming 45 10 45

NOTE

The average number of days companies have to notify you that they’re canceling your policy is 30, or 16 for cancellations due to nonpayment. Non-renewal notices have a wider window, an average of 39 days prior to the policy’s expiration date.

Can You Cancel at Any Time?

Cancelled policy

Technically, you can cancel your auto insurance at any time. However, if you cancel your policy mid-term, remember that your provider might charge a cancellation fee, depending on your company and policy.

Will I Get a Refund?

Also, if you paid in advance, like in a six-month or annual policy, you may not be able to get refunded.

TIP

Before you pay for a policy, ask your agent what happens if you were to cancel mid-term in terms of fees and refunds.

Should You Cancel Your Car Insurance Policy?

There’s also the question of whether or not canceling your insurance policy is a good idea in the first place. We’ve broken down when canceling is ideal and when you should stick with your current provider.

When to Keep Your Car Insurance Policy

  • You can’t find any cheaper rates elsewhere.
  • You are benefiting from being a long-term customer through a discount.
  • You are happy with your current coverage and customer service.

When to Cancel Your Car Insurance Policy

  • Switching your car insurance will save you money, whether that’s because your marital status has changed or you’re eligible for better discounts elsewhere.
  • You want to bundle all of your insurance policies, such as home insurance, life insurance, etc., with one provider.
  • You won’t be driving, because you’re either selling your car or putting it in storage for more than 30 days.
  • You can’t afford your current premium and/or deductible.2
  • You need coverage that your current provider doesn’t offer.
  • You want better customer service.
  • You moved and your current provider doesn’t have service in your new state.

Switching Car Insurance

Ready to switch your auto insurance? Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to swi

tch car insurance:

  • Compare rates: To get lower car insurance rates, compare quotes from different car insurance companies using the same information each time.
  • Apply for policies: Apply for insurance policies to see your actual rates, not just estimates.
  • Pay premium: Once you’ve chosen your provider, pay your premium and coverage will start on your policy’s effective date.
  • Cancel your previous policy: Contact your former insurance agent or company and cancel your old policy once your new policy’s effective date has passed to prevent a lapse in coverage.

Recap

Whether you’re not driving or simply switching policies, canceling your car insurance shouldn’t be too much of a hassle. If you’re looking for a new service, a great place to start is our list of the best auto insurance providers.

Citations

  1. What’s the difference between auto policy cancellation and nonrenewal? Insurance Information Institute. (2022).
    https://www.iii.org/article/whats-the-difference-between-auto-policy-cancellation-and-nonrenewal

  2. How to Cancel Your GEICO Car Insurance Policy. Geico. (2022).
    https://www.geico.com/information/faq/cancel-insurance/