120+ more*Quotes generated for Insurify users within the last 10 days. Last updated on April 23, 2026. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer’s unique driver profile.
*Quotes generated for Insurify users within the last 10 days. Last updated on April 23, 2026. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer’s unique driver profile.
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5+ years in auto insurance and personal finance writing
Featured in top personal finance publications
Lindsay is a widely published creator of auto insurance content. She also specializes in real estate, banking, credit cards, and other personal finance topics.
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Lequita Westbrooks is a Senior Editor at Insurify. With extensive experience in writing and editing across industries like insurance, personal finance, higher education, and more, she’s passionate about helping readers understand complex topics so they can make informed financial decisions and save money.
Outside of work, Lequita enjoys reading and spending time with her family (and two pups: Bella and Simba).
She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of South Florida.
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Media relations director for Insurance Information Institute
20+ years in insurance and communications
Impartial, independent expert
As Senior Director, Media Relations, for Insurance Information Institute, Mark serves as the non-profit’s national spokesperson, sharing information and education on a wide array of insurance issues.
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7+ years experience in data analysis
Ph.D. in Computational Biology
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.
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Comprehensive car insurance helps pay to repair or replace your car after something other than a collision damages it. For example, it covers damage from hail, vandalism, fire, and other situations outside your control.
Auto insurance companies typically sell comprehensive coverage alongside collision coverage as part of what many call “full coverage.” But full coverage isn’t an official type of policy. It’s a combination of liability, collision, and comprehensive coverages.
Comprehensive insurance is typically optional, but if you finance or lease your car, your lender or lessor may require it. Many drivers choose comprehensive coverage as part of a full-coverage policy.[1]
We’ll explain what it covers, when you should buy it, and how to add it to your policy.
What it is: Comprehensive car insurance is an optional coverage that insurers typically offer as part of a full-coverage policy along with collision insurance.
What it covers: Comprehensive car insurance covers damage to your vehicle from causes other than car accidents, like falling objects, weather, vandalism, and theft.
What it doesn’t cover: Comprehensive insurance doesn’t cover damage or injuries that occur after a car crash involving another vehicle or a stationary object.
What it costs: Comprehensive coverage costs about $17 per month with a $1,000 deductible, according to Insurify data. Your actual cost will depend on factors such as the vehicle’s value and your driving record.
Who needs it most: If you finance or lease your car, your lender or lessor will likely require you to buy a comprehensive policy.
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Comprehensive insurance, also called “other than collision” coverage, is an optional type of car insurance coverage that drivers usually purchase as part of a full-coverage policy. Along with collision coverage, comprehensive coverage provides financial protection against damage to or a total loss of your vehicle.
The liability portion of a full-coverage policy pays for damages to another vehicle and injuries to a driver and their passengers in an accident you cause.
While collision coverage pays if you hit another vehicle or a stationary object like a light pole, comprehensive coverage pays for non-collision events that damage your car.
Comprehensive coverage pays to repair or replace your vehicle after non-collision damage. Unlike collision coverage, which pays for damage due to car accidents, comprehensive coverage protects you from situations outside of collisions.
For example, if high winds caused a tree to fall on your car in a parking lot or someone broke a window during a theft attempt, a comprehensive policy would help reimburse you for the repairs. Comprehensive insurance also covers:[2]
Vandalism and riots
Fire damage or explosion
Weather events, like windstorm and hail
Theft of the vehicle or parts of the vehicle
Hitting a deer, bird, or other animal
Falling objects, such as rocks, ice, or projectiles
Broken or cracked windshield or other glass
While comprehensive coverage protects you in many situations, it doesn’t cover all types of vehicle damage. Comprehensive car insurance excludes:
Collisions: Comprehensive insurance doesn’t cover damage to your vehicle after you cause a car accident. You’ll need collision coverage for that. It also doesn’t pay for damage to other vehicles, which is part of property damage liability insurance.
Maintenance: Comprehensive coverage won’t pay for routine maintenance services, like oil changes and parts replacement, or repairs due to normal wear and tear.
Mechanical failure: Comprehensive insurance doesn’t cover repairs caused by mechanical failure or normal wear and tear. Instead, a manufacturer’s warranty or a mechanical breakdown policy may help with those repairs.[3]
Personal property: While comprehensive insurance covers theft of your vehicle and its component parts, it won’t cover theft of your personal belongings from inside your car. Your renters or homeowners insurance likely covers theft of personal items, even when it happens outside the home.[4]
Collision coverage pays for damage after a car accident, while comprehensive coverage pays for damage from non-collision events. Insurers typically sell both coverages as a package because they protect against different risks.
While state laws don’t require you to have these coverages, carrying both of them protects the value of your vehicle.
The table below shows how these coverages compare.
Feature  | Comprehensive Coverage | Collision Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Covers theft and vandalism | Yes | No |
| Covers weather damage | Yes | No |
| Covers car accidents | No | Yes |
| Required by law | No | No |
| Often part of full coverage | Yes | Yes |
Any driver could accidentally crash, hit an animal in the road, or become a victim of theft. Full-coverage insurance ensures you have protection in any of these situations. That’s why about 80% of drivers purchase comprehensive coverage and 77% buy collision coverage, according to the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I).
Comprehensive coverage is much cheaper than collision coverage. The average cost of comprehensive car insurance with a $1,000 deductible is $17 per month, or $202 per year, according to Insurify data. For a comprehensive policy with a $2,000 deductible, the average premium drops to $7 per month, or $79 per year.
Actual costs vary depending on many factors. Your vehicle’s value, theft and vandalism rates in your area, where you park your car, and your vehicle’s security features all affect your costs.
Your comprehensive claims history may also affect your premium, depending on the timing and number of past insurance claims, your insurer, and your state.
Since each auto insurance company calculates insurance rates differently, you can save money by comparing quotes from multiple insurers.
Because it protects against many non-collision risks, comprehensive coverage is usually worth keeping.
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A car insurance deductible is your share of the responsibility for the cost when you file a claim. A higher deductible lowers your car insurance premium but increases your out-of-pocket costs if you need to repair your vehicle after accidental damage.
If your insurer approves a comprehensive claim, it’ll pay to repair your car (or your car’s current market value if it’s totaled), minus your deductible.
For example, if hail damage causes $2,000 in repairs and your deductible is $500, your insurer would pay $1,500 toward repair costs, and you’d pay the rest.
You can typically choose your comprehensive deductible, which is separate from your collision deductible, when you buy your auto policy. Common deductible options are $250, $500, and $1,000.
Some states require $0 deductibles for windshield coverage. In other states, insurers may offer a separate $0 deductible glass coverage option, and some policies waive the deductible for windshield repair.
You need comprehensive car insurance if your lender or lessor requires it. If you don’t buy the required comprehensive coverage, your auto lender can charge you for force-placed insurance to protect its financial interest.[5]
Comprehensive car insurance is optional but highly recommended for drivers who:
Own new cars or high-value vehicles
Live in areas with high theft rates
Live in areas prone to inclement weather
Drive on mountain roads and encounter falling debris or wild animals
Rely on their vehicle and can’t afford to replace it from their savings
Comprehensive car insurance may not be necessary if you drive an older vehicle with a low market value, especially if you plan to replace it soon anyway.
As a rule of thumb, if your full-coverage insurance premium costs more than 10% of your car’s value, it may not be worth paying for the coverage. But you’ll need to decide based on your personal financial situation.
You can add comprehensive coverage when buying a new auto policy or updating an existing policy. Follow these steps:
Review your current coverage. Check your declarations page to see which insurance coverages you have. You may want to add both collision and comprehensive coverage. Decide whether to maintain or increase your liability coverage limits.
Choose a deductible. Choose a deductible that makes sense for your financial situation. A higher deductible will keep your premiums lower, but make sure you have enough cash to cover your costs after a claim.
Compare quotes. Whenever you change your coverage, compare quotes to ensure you’re getting the best price. You can use insurers’ online quoting tools, contact an agent or broker, or use an insurance-comparison site. Input the same information for each quote so you’re comparing premiums apples-to-apples.
Update your policy. Either contact your insurance agent to add comprehensive coverage to your existing policy or buy a new full-coverage auto policy before canceling your old policy.
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Comprehensive car insurance is typically affordable, but you have a few ways to lower your premiums even more:
Many insurers offer discounts on comprehensive coverage for vehicle security equipment that lowers the risk of theft.
Many auto insurance companies offer mobile app programs that track your driving behavior. If you drive safely, you could receive a discount on your entire premium.
Increasing your deductible from $200 to $1,000 could lower your comprehensive premium by 40% or more, according to Triple-I.
Get car insurance quotes from multiple insurers to get a better price.
If you’re still not sure whether to buy comprehensive coverage, you might need more information. Here are the answers to some questions drivers commonly ask about comprehensive car insurance.
States don’t require drivers to buy comprehensive insurance, although you’ll need to purchase at least a minimum amount of liability coverage to legally drive in every state except New Hampshire.
But if you lease or finance your vehicle, your leasing company or lender can require you to buy full coverage — including comprehensive — to protect its financial interest in your vehicle.
Yes. Comprehensive car insurance helps pay for damage to your vehicle if you hit a deer or another animal on the road.
Yes. Comprehensive insurance covers windshield damage from non-collision events. In some states, including Florida, insurers must cover windshield replacement without applying a deductible when a driver has comprehensive coverage.[6]
Yes. Comprehensive insurance covers damage to your vehicle from weather events, such as flooding. Note that auto insurance doesn’t cover damage to any personal belongings in your vehicle due to flooding.
Yes, comprehensive car insurance covers falling objects and hail that damage your car. Your insurer will reimburse for any amount that exceeds your deductible.
No. Comprehensive coverage is one part of what drivers call full coverage, which usually includes liability and collision coverage. Insurance companies typically sell these coverages separately, but many drivers choose to bundle them into a package for broader protection.
Yes, you can drop comprehensive insurance on an older car. Many insurers suggest considering it if the annual cost of your full-coverage premium would cost more than 10% of your car’s actual cash value.
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5+ years in auto insurance and personal finance writing
Featured in top personal finance publications
Lindsay is a widely published creator of auto insurance content. She also specializes in real estate, banking, credit cards, and other personal finance topics.
Featured in
Lindsay is a widely published creator of auto insurance content. She also specializes in real estate, banking, credit cards, and other personal finance topics.
Lequita Westbrooks is a Senior Editor at Insurify. With extensive experience in writing and editing across industries like insurance, personal finance, higher education, and more, she’s passionate about helping readers understand complex topics so they can make informed financial decisions and save money.
Outside of work, Lequita enjoys reading and spending time with her family (and two pups: Bella and Simba).
She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of South Florida.
Media relations director for Insurance Information Institute
20+ years in insurance and communications
Impartial, independent expert
As Senior Director, Media Relations, for Insurance Information Institute, Mark serves as the non-profit’s national spokesperson, sharing information and education on a wide array of insurance issues.
7+ years experience in data analysis
Ph.D. in Computational Biology
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.