Question: What does the effective date mean for a car insurance policy?
Answer: The definition of effective date for a car insurance policy is the day that your insurance coverage becomes active. It may also be called the commencement date, the execution date, or the policy start date.
Your policy’s effective date will usually include the time as well as the day, month, and year that your policy officially goes into effect. Examples of effective dates include July 17 at 12:00 AM or April 16, 2024 at 7:00 PM.
Your first premium payment will also be due on your policy’s effective date.
How to find the effective date for your car insurance
You can find the effective date for your car insurance policy on your declarations page. It will usually be listed on the first or second page. Your effective date is also printed on your insurance ID card:
If you’re having difficulty locating your effective date, you can always contact your insurance agent to ask about the start date for your insurance coverage.
creates the contract for your policy. While your auto insurance effective date will often be the same day as the date of issue, this isn’t the case for every insurance policy.
People may choose to purchase not only car insurance but also homeowners insurance and renters insurance, for example, before they buy a car or move into a new home. In these cases, the date of issue (when the driver, renter, or homeowner signed the contract for their policy) would fall before the effective date (their purchase or move-in day).
Can you get insurance with an effective date in the future?
Yes, you can get an auto insurance contract with a future effective date from most car insurance companies. You’ll typically be able to set the effective date between 30 and 60 days in the future, but you’ll need to discuss your specific needs with your insurance provider to learn more about your options.
By choosing this route, you might also come across some unexpected opportunities for saving money. Some car insurance providers will offer discounts to drivers who purchase new policies before the renewal date, usually called an early bird discount. Ask your provider if there are ways to save on your insurance costs by renewing or shopping early.
Can you change the effective date on your insurance policy?
You can change the effective date for your insurance policy up until the policy starts. Once the policy has started, you won’t be able to change the effective date and, if you really need a different start date for your auto insurance, you’ll instead need to cancel the policy and purchase a new one with a different effective date.
Hillary Kobayashi is an insurance writer and editor specializing in insurance and finance topics. Hillary’s mission is to use her knowledge and love of education to help car owners better understand how they can save time and money on car ownership. The articles Hillary has published for Jerry span topics from state-specific bill of sale requirements to SR-22 insurance information. Prior to joining Jerry, Hillary spent over ten years in education at Pacific University and the University of Oregon.
Kevin Berry is the Senior Director of Content at Jerry and has been working in the digital content space since 2011 across the car insurance/repair, personal finance, travel and sports industries. Prior to Jerry, Kevin was a content team lead at NerdWallet overseeing the Multimedia Production and Travel Rewards teams. Previously, he worked for NBC Sports, Comcast Cable and Nike. He has a Master`s Degree from Arkansas State and a Bachelor`s from Oregon State University.
