FAQ’s and Facts

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions Answered

To comply with Nevada state laws: The state of Nevada has mandatory auto liability insurance coverage requirements, subject to minimum limits of $25,000/$50,000/$20.000.  If a vehicle is driven without insurance, the driver could be fined, and the vehicle could be impounded.

To satisfy lenders’ requirements:  If a vehicle owner has an auto loan or is leasing a vehicle, most lenders require full coverage which includes Comprehensive and Collision insurance to protect their interest in the vehicle. If the Comprehensive and Collision portion of auto insurance is removed or lapses, the lender will likely add auto insurance to the loan and insure the vehicle for a much higher premium and much less coverage than the policy purchased by the vehicle owner.

The lender can require payment of this higher premium until the owner purchases auto insurance again.

To protect your assets:  Auto insurance must provide for bodily injury and property damage liability coverage for accidents that involve others and for which the driver is deemed responsible. Liability insurance coverage could also pay the cost of an attorney to protect the driver if the driver and the insurance carrier are sued. The amount that may be paid under the auto insurance policy is subject to the policy limits purchased for that policy.

Buying the best Auto Insurance in Las Vegas

When buying cheap Las Vegas auto insurance in Las Vegas Nevada, it is always recommended that you seek advice from a qualified insurance professional like us Express Auto Insurance. There are three primary mechanisms for selling insurance: independent insurance agents, exclusive insurance agents, and direct insurance writers. Independent agents, which Express Auto Insurance is, can sell cheap auto insurance from multiple insurers like Key Insurance, Progressive Insurance, Claro Insurance, and more which can help find you affordable auto insurance premiums.

Exclusive or captured agents only sell insurance from the company to which they are affiliated. Direct insurance writers are insurers that do not use agents as intermediaries, rather some of their employees are themselves licensed agents in Nevada and are authorized to sell cheap car insurance.

Bodily injury and property damage coverage (liability coverage) can be purchased as split-limit coverage or as combined single limit coverage. The two liability limits for bodily injury and property damage shown here are for split-limit coverage of 25/50/20 ($25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $20,000 per accident for property damage) and 100/300/50 ($100,000 per person for bodily injury, $300,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $50,000 per accident for property damage).

The current minimum limits of liability required by Nevada law are 25/50/20 for all passengers vehicles registered in Nevada.

Not many people choose to purchase combined single limits here in Nevada but If you choose to purchase the liability limit for bodily injury and property damage is combined which would be $70,000 combined single limit. $70,000 would be the total amount paid in the event of a loss for all bodily injury and/or property damage).

Comprehensive and collision coverages are not required by Nevada law and, in certain cases, because of the age or condition of the automobile, it might not be available. However, if you get an auto loan to purchase or lease your automobile, your lender may require you to carry this coverage until the loan is paid.

You are not required to purchase additional coverage for medical payments or uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, but all auto insurance companies are required by law to offer you medical payments coverage of at least $1,000 and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage in a maximum amount equal to your bodily injury coverage and here at Express Auto Insurance we always discuss this coverage with you before you make a decision.

If you plan to lease a vehicle in Las Vegas or even if you’re bringing your vehicle in from out of state, you should check your lease agreement to make sure what auto insurance coverage is required. Generally, lease agreements require that you carry liability insurance coverage in the amount of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident and may require you to carry property damage coverage over the $20,000 limit required by Nevada law.

In addition, a leasing company generally requires physical damage coverage to be purchased and may even limit the deductible amount to the lowest amount.

Rating and Underwriting

There are normally two factors that will determine what you pay for cheap auto insurance, rating, and underwriting. These factors analyze your characteristics and determine the risk that you present to the insurance carrier.

Rating – Rating is the determination of premium based on several risk characteristics some of which include the driver characteristics, driving record, household composition, automobile characteristics, and selected amount and type of cheap auto insurance coverage. At Express Auto Insurance we use auto Insurance rating software that will calculate all the auto insurance companies we carry to get you the cheapest auto insurance rate in Nevada.

The insurers depend on the information you provide on your auto insurance policy application. When you apply for cheap auto insurance, you will be asked a series of questions that assess the expected cost of insuring you. This cost may be revised if the insurer is unable to verify the information provided or if the insurer identifies new information.

Insurance companies want to know your past driving record and personal characteristics that will help them group you with other drivers that are similar. A risk rate for each group is set based on the historical claims paid by the insurance companies for the people in that group. The higher the losses from a group, the higher the rate for that group. Insurance companies review all the claim history of the group you’re in to make projections if you’ll have future claims.

Some of the characteristics used to determine your group are beyond your control, such as age and gender. Other characteristics relating to lifestyle and income, such as your geographic location (zip code) and how you use your vehicle, also can affect your rate premium. Getting a cheap Las Vegas auto insurance rate isn’t always easy but that’s why we’re here.

A group of characteristics that is easy for you to control, however, is the make and model of the vehicle you wish to own or lease and insure. An older vehicle with few safety devices and a more powerful engine carry a greater risk of high claims than a less sporty but safer vehicle.

As a consumer, you have control over the decision to own a high-risk vehicle or not, and wanting a cheap Las Vegas auto insurance rate you might want to consider another vehicle.  Other things that are under your control are your driving record and claims history. Traffic violations and at-fault accidents will cause an increase in your premium.

Underwriting – Insurance companies underwrite to assess the risk associated with an applicant, group the applicant with other similar risks, and decide whether the company will accept the risk. Auto Insurance companies will also consider your lifestyle characteristics, such as if you are married or not, in the underwriting process. From prior claims data, insurance companies’ statistics show that married persons tend to have a lower claim than unmarried persons. And under Nevada law, domestic partners are treated as “married” for insurance rating purposes with is great news.

Commonly Requested Info By Insurers for Rating

Driving Record – On your cheap Las Vegas auto insurance policy application, you will be asked about your driving record. Insurers will ask about accidents and traffic violations for any driver covered by the policy for the preceding three to five years. Drivers with violations or “at fault” accidents are considered to be a higher risk and are charged a higher rate.

Also, the insurer likely will request a motor vehicle report from the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to compare against your application. It’s very important to always be honest with your insurance agent.

Age and Gender – Historical, males have more accidents than females. For this reason, women tend to pay a less rate for insurance than men. Insurance companies also have recorded statistics that have shown a higher number of claims for some age groups than for others. For example, young men pay more for cheap auto insurance than young women, and a person over 35 will pay a cheaper rate than a 25-year-old.

Marital Status – Historical statistics show fewer auto insurance claims among married Nevada auto insurance policyholders than unmarried policyholders. Married people pay a lower cheaper premium than unmarried policyholders. Domestic partners in Nevada by law are required to be rated as married.

Territory – The historical claims experience in your geographical area whether, in Las Vegas, Reno, Henderson, or even Sparks also will affect your rates. The policy applications include questions that ask for the address where the vehicle will be garaged (parked). From this information, insurers will determine your area or zip code whose risk rate is based on historical experience for that zip code or area.

More claims are made in urban areas like Las Vegas because of tendencies of more traffic, auto thefts, and vandalism than from rural areas like Mesquite and Overton.

Vehicle Use – You will be asked on the application how often, how far, and for what purpose you drive the vehicle that you want to insure. The fewer miles you decide to drive the less chance you have of getting into an auto accident.

Prior Auto Insurance Coverage – Auto Insurance companies may ask if you have had previously auto insurance coverage because they want to know if you have ever been canceled (such as for nonpayment of premiums), or if you have ever had any lapse in your auto liability coverage. Under Nevada law, if an insurance company asks for this type of information, they are required to ask you about the reasons for any previous cancellation, nonrenewal.

Insurers’ will not refuse to insure you or raise your premium based solely on the fact that a previous insurer has canceled or refused to renew your auto insurance coverage.

However, an insurer may seek additional information regarding a previous decision, and this additional information may be a factor in the insurer’s own underwriting or rating decisions.

Make and Model of Vehicle – The type of car you decide to drive will directly affect the cost of your comprehensive and collision coverage. It will also affect the rate you pay for bodily injury and property damage liability coverage as well as uninsured/underinsured and medical payment coverages. The make, model, and year of vehicles that have a high number of claims or higher claim costs will be charged a higher premium.

High claims costs are normally associated with two types of vehicles: higher-valued vehicles like Lexus or Mercedes, which are more expensive to repair, and vehicles that have shown a higher severity of bodily injury losses or physical damage losses in an auto accident.

Usage-Based Insurance (UBI) – UBI is a relatively new methodology in the pricing of auto insurance which is being offered by certain insurers in Nevada. Progressive and SafeCo are two companies that offer this. This new methodology allows for discounts in your auto insurance premiums based upon the number of miles you drive and your driving habits.

Some companies might require a device to be attached to the On-Board Diagnostics (OBD-II) port under your car’s dash, others now have a phone app that you download onto your cell phone.

This telematics device transmits mileage and other information to the insurer. If you decide to sign up to participate in a UBI program, the insurance company is required to provide you with full disclosure of the information they’re collecting, including the use of a device with GPS capabilities.

One of the biggest factors in the rating process is claim frequency. Claim frequency measures how often an insured event occurs within a rating group relative to the number of auto insurance policies that are contained in that rating group. It doesn’t necessarily mean how many times you have made an insurance claim, although that will have additional rating effects as well.

If you share some characteristics with a high claims group, you will be charged more for auto insurance coverage. At the same time, people who share some characteristics with low claims groups will be charged cheaper auto insurance rates.

It should be said that your greatest controllable factor in determining your rate is your driving record. A person with a clean driving record will pay a cheaper rate than a driver with similar characteristics who have traffic violations.

Discounts – Insurance companies offer many types of discounts to individuals who have certain characteristics. Discounts are given because the insurance company views you as a better risk. Since not all insurance companies offer the same discounts, you should be aware of the discounts offered by the different companies before buying your cheap auto insurance.

Here at Express Auto Insurance, we work very hard at trying to find you the most discounts for your cheap Las Vegas auto insurance to help your rates.  Here are some discounts you should look for:

Multiple Vehicles – Most insurance companies that we offer, offer discounts to customers who insure more than one vehicle with their company. Insurance companies offer this discount not only because they want all of your business, but because it is simpler for them to underwrite individuals that they already know, therefore reducing their risk and saving them money. Insurance industry statistics have shown that families and individuals that insure more than one vehicle will have fewer claims as a whole.

Good Student – Insurers have found that students who earn a “B” average or better tend to be more responsible drivers as a whole.  Many insurance companies will offer a “good student” discount. So if your kids are still in school have them hit those books.

Safety Devices – Vehicle safety devices can lower insurers’ overall costs by preventing accidents or limiting the severity. These discount types and savings are passed along to you the policyholder through discounts for the safety equipment that came standard when the car was new. Some types of equipment include airbags, automatic seat belts, and road stability controls.

Auto/Home Package or Multiple Policy Discount – Some insurers will offer a bundle discount on one or both policies if an individual buys a homeowners’ policy and an auto policy from the same insurance company. Some insurers also offer a discount for the purchase of homeowners’, auto, and life policies.

Driver Education Courses – Discounts for driver education courses are targeted primarily at older drivers but there are also discounts for the young driver as well. The insured must maintain a clean driving record to keep this discount. In Nevada, all insurance companies must provide a reduction in the auto insurance premium for a three-year period for people age 55 and older if they successfully complete a driving course that is approved by the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles.

Anti-Theft Devices – Devices or systems that deter theft or vandalism also lower claim costs. Many insurance companies we carry offer discounts for anti-theft devices.

Good Driver/Loyalty – Insurance companies offer discounts to drivers who maintain a good driving record and renew their policy with them when the policy is due to expire and you choose to renew.

Miscellaneous Discounts – We here at Express Auto Insurance are always on the lookout for the cheapest rate that we can find for you.  We are always requoting your current auto insurance policy.  Some of our insurers will offer special discounts, some of which are applied in conjunction with new policies only, and others will give you discounts when the policy renews.

Make sure to Avoid a Lapse of Coverage

If you allow your auto insurance coverage to lapse or expire in Nevada, your registration could be suspended. Additionally, you will be subject to fines and fees ranging from $250 to as high as $1000. Call us if you have a lapse, we might be able to help you avoid a fine.

Driving Without Insurance Penalties

Nevada has a tiered system of fines and fees. As you can see the table below shows the penalties. They are based on the length of the lapse of auto insurance coverage and the number of previous insurance lapses. All Penalties are assessed a $1 technology fee.

As of 2015, drivers in Nevada are allowed to show digital proof of insurance to officers as long as it is legible and includes all the information needed.

No need to get a lapse on your Las Vegas car insurance coverage because as your Nevada car insurance agency, Express Auto Insurance can get you covered even if you happen to have a lapse of no longer than 30 days. Visit one of our 6 Las Vegas car insurance locations or give us a call at 702.907.0000 in southern Nevada.

Nevada Driving — What You Need to Know

New Nevada residents must obtain their driver’s license and vehicle registration within 30 days. The initial fine for failing to register your vehicle is $1,000. It may be reduced to not less than $200 upon compliance.

Residency Requirements

You must be a Nevada resident and provide a Nevada street address to obtain a driver’s license. You may not hold licenses or ID cards from multiple states.

Active duty military members, their spouses, dependents, and others living temporarily in Nevada are not required to transfer their license and registration.

Licenses are not issued to visitors. Foreign nationals may or may not be eligible for a license or a driver authorization card depending on their specific immigration status. Email or call for details and see Residency and Proof of Identity.

Nevada makes use of a graduated licensing system. In Nevada, Teen applicants may apply for a State of Nevada Instruction Permit when they are 15½ years old., and teens must be at least 16 years old to apply for a license. New drivers under the age of 18 must complete a driver training course, which consists of either online or in-class instruction as well as 50 hours behind the wheel.

Few Restrictions for Teen Drivers

A teen driver in Nevada is prohibited from transporting any passenger under the age of 18, with the only exception being immediate family, for the first 6 months they hold their driver’s license. Additionally, drivers under the age of 18 are not allowed to drive between the hours of 10 PM and 5 AM. Minors must also be aware of local curfews, most notably on Las Vegas Strip and the Reno Downtown Gaming District.

Most all 50 states have some kind of Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL). GDL is a program that gradually phases in driving privileges for new teen drivers, as they gain their experience behind the wheel. Express Auto Insurance offers some of the most comprehensive rates available for teen drivers, with multiple carriers giving great rates.

 Your Insurance Information Needs To Be Updated

Here at Express Auto Insurance, we update your insurance information with the DMV anytime you purchase or make a change to your policy, especially if the policy number has changed or you change cars. You may or may not receive a verification request from the DMV if you don’t.

You will need your Evidence of Insurance or your Insurance policy Declarations Page. If you want to check to see your information updated you can do that here Insurance Policy Update.

At least one of the named people on the vehicle’s registration needs to be a named insured on your insurance policy and the name listed should match the name on the insured’s driver’s license. We also ensure the Vehicle Identification Number matches the one on the registration and the insurance policy.

You must purchase auto insurance before you register the vehicle. You must show your Nevada Evidence of Insurance at registration. You must also carry the card and your State of Nevada Certificate of Registration in your car at all times.  Out-of-state insurance is NOT accepted and you must purchase your car insurance from a licensed insurance agent in the state of Nevada.

DMV Notice

You might receive a notice from the DMV asking you to verify your insurance coverage. Do not ignore this notice! Either call us, bring the card to one of your offices and we will help you with it.  Your timely response will help prevent a possible registration suspension and/or law enforcement citation. You can also respond online or return the postcard even if you have sold the vehicle or moved out of state. If you wish to respond yourself do that here Verification Response

You must respond within 15 days of the notice mailing date. If the DMV can confirm that you have had continuous coverage, the process ends. If not, the DMV will issue a Certified Letter.

Nevada has no grace period. A one-day lapse in coverage will result in a registration suspension. Out-of-state insurance is considered a lapse. Please use the Insurance and Registration Status Inquiry to see what your current status is.

Registration Suspension and Reinstatement

If your coverage did lapse or the DMV cannot confirm your coverage, the DMV will send you a Certified Letter notifying you that your vehicle registration will be suspended. The suspension will take effect 10 days after the date of the mailing.

You may not drive your vehicle on public streets with a suspended registration. You can try and reinstate here Registration Reinstatement

The certified letter will contain an access code and instructions. You may also reinstate at a DMV kiosk or in person at a DMV office. You must reinstate in person if you have an SR-22 requirement as outlined under Penalties.

You must have current car insurance and meet the requirements.

DMV Insurance Lapse Fees and Fines

Why is car insurance so expensive in Las Vegas?
Who has the cheapest insurance in Las Vegas?
Who carries low-income car insurance in Nevada?

These and other questions answered.

Who has the cheapest car insurance in Nevada?
You might find that other web site will tell you that this company or that company has the lowest rates and they’ll list 5 of the so-called cheapest. That’s non-sense.  There are so many variables in the quoting possess that changes from driver to driver and from what vehicle they’re driving or not.

We sold a non-owners policy to a customer for $15.00 a month with one of our companies named Mendota. Now that customer did live in Dayton, but still, that’s only $180. a year. Most big-name Insurance companies don’t even have this kind of policy.  We don’t think you’ll find cheaper car insurance in Nevada.

How much does car insurance cost in Las Vegas?
The average cost of car insurance in Las Vegas with our Insurance Companies is $2,172.00. a year.  Now let us explain. Our typical driver doesn’t have the best driving record or might even have an accident or two.  For that matter, they might not even have a driver’s license, and yes we can insure them too. Their credit might not be the best and they might not have had coverage in the last 6 months.

See the other website that will show you a lower average rate but that’s for the best drivers living in the best zip codes. We help insure the average Joe living in the real world. When they won’t take you, we will.

Is car insurance expensive in Nevada?
The answer is yes and no.  Depending on what state you’re coming from. Insurance is expensive, and in Nevada it sure is.  We have a 24-hour community, people come here from all over the world to gamble, site see and have a good time.  They drive in or fly in and rent cars. They don’t know our roads and are distracted and sometimes they get into accidents, well that raises our rates. If you’re from Kansas our rates are going to more and if you’re from New Jersey our rates are going to lower.

Listen, you can go on all the sites and try and do all the research but the easiest way is just to call us. We’ll ask you a bunch of questions that you’ll think are annoying and if we didn’t have to ask them, believe us we wouldn’t but we have to if you want to get your car insurance quote for the cheapest rate possible.

At Express Auto Insurance we’ll give it to you straight and if it’s the cheapest auto insurance in Nevada then buy it, if it’s not then you shouldn’t, because we wouldn’t either.

Is car insurance cheaper in Nevada than in California?
You should expect to pay more for car insurance once you move to Nevada. The main reason is that our state minimum required coverage is much more, so the more risk for the Insurance Companies the higher the rate. Hey, but housing is cheaper, gas is cheaper, and if you want to party all night you can do that too.

Las Vegas cheap auto insurance can be found you just have to know who to call and by luck you found us. Just give us a call and our agents here at Express Auto Insurance will try and find you the lowest auto insurance rate possible with the least amount of hassle. It’s that simple.

What is the minimum auto insurance coverage in Nevada?
The State of Nevada requires that automobile liability insurance policies carry minimum coverage of $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person in any one accident and $50,000 for bodily injury or death of two or more persons on any one accident with $20,000 for the destruction of property of others in any one accident.

What is full coverage auto insurance in Nevada?
When people say “Full Coverage” it means different things to different people.  Here in Nevada, we think of full coverage as Liability Coverage with Comprehensive and Collision Coverage.  You could also add other coverages like Uninsured/Underinsured coverage, Renters Reimbursement, Roadside Assistance, and Med Pay.  The choice is yours. Our agents here at Express Auto Insurance we’ll explain all these coverage’s so that you make the right decision for yourself. We don’t upsell. If you want it wonderful, if you don’t that’s great too.

How often do you have to register your car in Nevada?
Every year. You must also get your car emissions tested (smogged) and it must pass and you must also have liability insurance which you purchased in Nevada (we can help you with that) before you can register your car.  New residents must register their car within the first 30 days or see a possible fine of $1000.  New residents must also obtain their driver’s license within 30 days.  In most new and used vehicle sales, the deadline to register the vehicle is 30 days from the date of the sale.

Can the DMV tell if you have insurance?
Yes, they can.  Every Insurance company that sells auto insurance in Nevada has to report what policies they have in force to what car and what driver.  Sorry, not getting around this one.  We have posted on this page the possible fines you’ll receive if you don’t get car insurance coverage in Nevada.

How do I update my insurance with the DMV?
If you have your auto insurance with us, we automatically update it for you when you made your purchase.  But if you feel you need to do it again you can do it here. https://dmvapp.nv.gov/dmv/vr/nvlive/nvliveinsurance/nvlive_insu_default.aspx

How long can you go without car insurance?
There is no grace period in Nevada.  So the answer is 0 Days. But….here at Express Auto Insurance, we have insurance companies that will backdate a new auto insurance policy if you need to cover a lapse. Give us a call at 702 907-0000 and let’s see if we can help.

Can you register a car without insurance in Nevada?
The simple answer is no. All vehicles must have at least the state’s minimum liability coverage in place at all times if your vehicle is registered. Call us we can help.

Do I need uninsured motorist coverage in Nevada?
Nevada state law does not require you to purchase Uninsured/underinsured coverage.  But you really should.  It’s great coverage if you have others riding in your car and you have an accident.  And it doesn’t cost all that much. You won’t regret it