Often, yes. If you carry liability, collision and comprehensive on your own car, many personal auto policies apply that same coverage, with the same limits and deductibles, when you rent a car for personal use in the U.S. or Canada. Washington law also says you do not have to buy the rental counter’s coverage to rent the car. Coverage depends on your policy terms, so check your declarations page before you pick up the keys.
Does my car insurance cover a rental car in Washington?
It depends on what you carry. Progressive’s public consumer guide puts it this way: “Your personal auto insurance will cover most rental cars with the same coverage limits and deductibles.” It adds that if you carry comprehensive and collision, you are protected against physical damage to the rental, and your liability coverage applies when you drive it.
The flip side: if your own car is insured for liability only, there may be nothing on your policy to pay for damage to the rental itself. And your deductible usually comes along too.
Washington’s Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) explains the two: collision pays for damage when your car hits another car or object, and comprehensive covers theft and damage from something other than a collision, such as vandalism or contact with a deer.
Do I have to buy the rental counter’s coverage in Washington?
No. Under RCW 48.115.025, a rental company that sells insurance at the counter in Washington has to tell you, in writing, that buying it is not required to rent the car. It also has to tell you the coverage may duplicate what you already have on your own auto or homeowners policy, and that the counter staff are not qualified to evaluate your existing coverage.
So know your answer before you reach the counter. A loss damage waiver is also not the same thing as insurance. Progressive, citing the Insurance Information Institute, describes it as a contract in which the rental company takes on responsibility for damage or theft, and notes that things like speeding or driving on unpaved roads can void it. Whether the waiver is worth it for you depends on your deductible, your own coverage and the rental terms.
If you’re renting at Pangborn Memorial Airport, the airport lists two rental companies: Hertz at the airport, and Enterprise, whose office is on South Wenatchee Avenue and staffs the airport during the afternoon flights. Either way, decide on coverage before you land.
Is rental reimbursement the same as coverage for a rental car?
No. The OIC describes rental reimbursement as coverage that helps you have a vehicle to drive after an accident if yours is in the shop for repairs. It pays toward a temporary car when yours is down; it is not what protects a rental you take on a trip. Check your declarations page for its limits.
Does my Washington policy cover me if I drive to Idaho or into BC?
For a holiday drive to Spokane, Coeur d’Alene or anywhere else in the U.S., Progressive’s guide says your personal auto policy typically covers you in all 50 states and Canada. Your own policy’s territory section is the final word. If you are moving to Idaho rather than visiting, that is a different question; we covered it in Moving From Washington to Idaho? What Happens to Your Auto Insurance.
For British Columbia, the OIC says your auto insurance typically will cover you if you drive into Canada, and to check with your agent before the trip. ICBC, B.C.’s public auto insurer, says a tourist can drive in B.C. on existing insurance for up to six months, as long as the driver’s licence is valid and the vehicle is properly licensed at home. From Wenatchee, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s directions are US-97 north to the border, 137 miles, to the Oroville port of entry, which it lists as open 24 hours a day.
Renting a car to drive into Canada adds the rental contract to the picture. Progressive says most U.S. auto policies don’t cover rentals outside the U.S. and Canada, and that if your policy covers rental cars in the U.S., it may also extend to cars you rent in Canada, but you should confirm first. Ask the rental company too, since the contract may limit where the car can go.
What should I check before a holiday road trip from Wenatchee?
- Your declarations page: do you carry collision and comprehensive, and what are the deductibles?
- Your liability limits, which follow you into the rental.
- Whether you have rental reimbursement, and its limits.
- Proof of insurance in the car or on your phone. Washington law requires liability insurance to drive, and RCW 46.30.020 makes failing to show proof when an officer asks a traffic infraction.
- The rental agreement: who is allowed to drive, and whether the car can leave the state or cross into Canada.
- What to do if something happens: keep our Washington car accident checklist handy.
We can go over your current Washington auto insurance with you before you travel and explain what each coverage on your declarations page does. Coverage depends on your policy terms.
Want help checking your auto coverage before you travel?
We are an independent local agency in downtown Wenatchee, licensed in Washington and Idaho. We shop the companies we represent for you; we are not the insurance company. Start a quote here:
https://www.bhifs.com/insurance-quotes.html
Call 509-293-7500 (Mon–Fri, 9–5)
Text 509-300-3515 (texts, not calls).
