Can I use a P.O. Box for my car insurance?
Some companies allow drivers to use a Post Office Box for a car insurance mailing address, but other insurance companies may consider it suspicious. At the very least, you'll be required to have a physical address for your garaging. Insurers need to know where you live and where your car will be in general. This helps them assess risk of crime and accidents. If you do not, insurers could deny coverage. Read more and enter your ZIP code below if you have a post office box and need to find car insurance coverage.
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Ty Stewart
Licensed Insurance Agent
Ty Stewart is the founder and CEO of SimpleLifeInsure.com. He started researching and studying about insurance when he got his first policy for his own family. He has been featured as an insurance expert speaker at agent conventions and in top publications. As an independent licensed insurance agent, he has helped clients nationwide to secure affordable coverage while making the process simpl...
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UPDATED: Mar 21, 2024
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right car insurance coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident car insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one car insurance company and cannot guarantee quotes from any single company.
Our car insurance industry partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different car insurance companies please enter your ZIP code on this page to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.
UPDATED: Mar 21, 2024
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right car insurance coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident car insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one car insurance company and cannot guarantee quotes from any single company.
Our car insurance industry partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different car insurance companies please enter your ZIP code on this page to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
On This Page
- Your car insurance company may accept a P.O. Box as a mailing address for information about your auto insurance policy, such as for mailing out your statements
- If you use a P.O. Box to make the auto insurance company think that you live in a different zip code than your permanent address, this could be fraud on your application
- Even if you cannot get into any legal trouble for lying on your car insurance application, the auto insurance provider can use it as a reason to deny your coverage
- Some auto insurance companies may not accept a P.O. Box as your home address on your policy because they want to know exactly where you reside and where your car is kept
- Your zip code is one of the factors that determines the rate that you pay for auto insurance based on the safety of your area
Some people may try to use a P.O. Box for their car insurance policy because they live in an area where the rates for car insurance are a bit more expensive. Some people just prefer to get their mail in a more secure location. Both of these are understandable, and either one could red flag you in the eyes of an insurance company.
If you’re trying to get the rates from a cheaper zip code when you don’t live there, the insurance company could deny your application. Worse, they could cancel your coverage based on the fraud in your policy application. Having your policy cancelled or not renewed due to something like misinformation on your residential address could have far reaching effects including on your future insurance rates.
However, the auto insurance company may agree to mail you documents at the P.O. Box address just for your convenience. Some companies block all post office box addresses. The system will automatically notify you to enter another address if this is the case. (For more information, read our “How long should I keep car insurance documents?“).
If you are on the lookout for the best auto insurance rates, start comparison shopping by entering your ZIP code above!
How Much Does Your Zip Code Matter in Getting Better Insurance Rates?
The rate that you pay for auto insurance coverage can be affected by the zip code that you live in along with other factors, such as your:
- Driving record
- Credit score
- Type of car
This is part of why people may use a PO Box to hide their true location. Even if you have a clean driving record, things like property crime and how busy streets are can affect your insurance rates premiums. Insurers use residential address and how far you drive to work to assess this risk. They typically won’t deny you just for living in a certain area unless it’s out of the area they’re licensed in.
It is never a good idea to falsify information on your policy application because if you get caught down the line, this gives the auto insurance company a good reason to cancel your coverage or to try to get out of having to pay your claim. If this happens, many of the protections consumers enjoy don’t apply. Generally speaking, insurance companies have to give you a certain amount of notice if they plan to cancel or not renew your insurance policy. Falsifying your permanent address could put you in a tough spot when they catch on.
If the company decides to cancel your auto insurance policy, you will get an immediate notice telling you that you have to find another form of coverage.
You do not want to be facing a situation where your coverage is canceled early because you still need to have an active auto insurance policy in order to drive legally in your state.
You have a responsibility to find another auto insurance policy as quickly as possible so that you are not cited for driving without the required auto insurance coverage.
You also do not want too much time to lapse between having your coverage canceled and getting a new car insurance policy because this could mean that you have to pay a higher rate.
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How Can You Get The Best Price on Auto Insurance?
Instead of falsifying information about your zip code to appear as if you are in a lower crime area for auto insurance rates, there are much more effective ways to get a better rate for your auto insurance coverage.
Every company has a different way that they offer discounts to drivers for a better rate for auto insurance coverage. In general, discounts are offered to drivers who can show the auto insurance company that they have reduced their risk in driving.
One of the discounts that you may be eligible for is a bundling discount. A bundling discount applies to almost every auto insurance company that offers different lines of coverage.
For example, if you have your auto insurance with a particular company and your home owner’s insurance with a different one, then you should check into combining the policies with the company that will offer you the lowest rate.
When you are looking for auto insurance rates online, you should inquire about the potential discounts offered by the company that shows the lowest rate.
Discounts could be a good way to get even more of the coverage that you want without having to pay any more than necessary for it.
When it comes to getting good discounts on your auto insurance coverage, it never hurts to simply ask.
Wrap Up on Your Address for Your Car Insurance Policy
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When you apply for auto insurance coverage, you will need to provide the insurance company with your actual address.
You might be able to offer a P.O. Box for the purposes of sending your billing statements and other policy documents by mail, but most auto insurance companies will require you to sign up for auto insurance coverage using your actual home address.
If you are caught lying about your actual residence on your auto insurance application, that can give the auto insurance company a reason to justify canceling your coverage or refusing to cover a claim.
The best course of action is to always be honest in your car insurance application so that you do not run into problems with coverage down the line.
Read more:
Start comparison shopping today for the best auto coverage rates! Enter your ZIP code into our FREE online quote tool to get started!
Compare quotes from the top car insurance companies and save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Ty Stewart
Licensed Insurance Agent
Ty Stewart is the founder and CEO of SimpleLifeInsure.com. He started researching and studying about insurance when he got his first policy for his own family. He has been featured as an insurance expert speaker at agent conventions and in top publications. As an independent licensed insurance agent, he has helped clients nationwide to secure affordable coverage while making the process simpl...
Licensed Insurance Agent
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.