)
10+ years writing on personal finance topics
Host of the Mental Health and Wealth podcast
Melanie is a blogger, author, and speaker specializing in personal finance and debt management. She’s also the author of the blog and book “Dear Debt.”
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15+ years in content creation
7+ years in business and financial services content
Chris is a seasoned writer/editor with past experience across myriad industries, including insurance, SAS, finance, Medicare, logistics, marketing/advertising, and many more.
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As of August 2024, Uber and Lyft drivers in Massachusetts will make a minimum of $32.50 per hour following a multi-year litigation case between the rideshare companies and the state.[1] If you’re thinking of picking up some work with a rideshare company to cash in on the new regulation, be aware that you need rideshare insurance in Massachusetts.
The state has minimum limits you must obtain. Learn where to get rideshare coverage, the average costs, and the minimums required to get started.
Rideshare insurance is a type of coverage specifically for rideshare drivers.
Several companies offer rideshare insurance, which can provide more protection during different phases of driving.
Massachusetts has specific insurance and inspection requirements for rideshare drivers.
Cost of rideshare insurance in Massachusetts
The average cost of rideshare insurance in Massachusetts is $111 per month for liability coverage and $221 for full coverage. Your monthly payment amount will vary based on the specific coverage and your driving history, among other factors.
As a benchmark, here are some insurance companies that offer rideshare coverage in Massachusetts and the average monthly quote for liability insurance.
Insurance Company ▲▼ | Average Monthly Quote ▲▼ |
---|---|
Midvale Home & Auto | $66 |
Safeco | $82 |
Liberty Mutual | $123 |
Best rideshare insurance companies in Massachusetts
Here, you can find additional information about some of the top insurance companies in the Massachusetts market.
Midvale Home & Auto: Best for low rates
A.M. Best A.M. Best analyzes an insurer’s financials, operating performance, business profile, and other factors to generate an opinion-based rating of a company’s financial and credit strength. Ratings range from A++ (exceptional) to D (poor). | A |
---|---|
IQ Score The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores. | 3.2 /10 |
Midvale Home & Auto offers incredibly low rates to rideshare drivers in Massachusetts. The insurer also provides gap insurance and emergency roadside assistance. If you make the switch, you may qualify for the Steer Into Savings discount, which is available to new policyholders.
Budget-friendly rates
Offers gap coverage
Discount for switching to Midvale
Low Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating
Negative customer reviews
Complaints about the insurance claims process
Safeco: Best for endorsements
User Reviews | 4.4 |
---|---|
IQ Score The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores. | 8.3 /10 |
Liability Only Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages. | $95/mo |
Full Coverage Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible. | $180/mo |
Drivers appreciate the smooth claims process and periodic safe driving checks but dislike the frequent and significant rate increases without clear explanation.
Drivers appreciate the smooth claims process and periodic safe driving checks but dislike the frequent and significant rate increases without clear explanation.
Phuong
February 15, 2025
Excellent
Laveryl
February 14, 2025
Good and Bad
Bonnie
February 6, 2025
Excellent
Safeco offers competitive rates to rideshare drivers and has numerous add-on options, like roadside assistance, new vehicle replacement, and more. You can get medical payments coverage and uninsured motorist coverage among other standard coverage options. The company also offers a diminishing deductible, which can reduce your deductible at renewal if you haven’t filed any claims.
Competitive rates
Various add-ons
Diminishing deductible available
Low Trustpilot rating
Negative customer reviews
Low J.D Power claims satisfaction rating
Liberty Mutual: Best for discounts
User Reviews | 3.7 |
---|---|
IQ Score The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores. | 7.7 /10 |
Liability Only Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages. | $127/mo |
Full Coverage Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible. | $221/mo |
Drivers appreciate the ease of making payments and the company’s helpful customer service. But they dislike the frequent and unexplained rate increases, and some report difficulties in communication and claim handling.
Drivers appreciate the ease of making payments and the company’s helpful customer service. But they dislike the frequent and unexplained rate increases, and some report difficulties in communication and claim handling.
Renee
February 18, 2025
Overpriced
Catherine
February 11, 2025
Discount Needed
Patrick
February 10, 2025
Nightmare with Liberty Mutual
Liberty Mutual offers competitively priced rideshare insurance in Massachusetts, alongside plentiful discounts. You can save if you’re a homeowner and for staying claims- and violation-free. The insurance company has high customer satisfaction on auto claims, according to J.D. Power, and an A (Excellent) financial strength rating from AM Best, which is good if you need a claims payout.
Plentiful discounts
A (Excellent) financial strength rating from AM Best
High J.D. Power claims satisfaction rating
High number of complaints on the BBB website
Several customer service complaints
Low Trustpilot rating
Rideshare insurance requirements in Massachusetts
Massachusetts requires drivers of transportation network companies (TNCs) — more commonly referred to as rideshare companies — to obtain rideshare insurance. So Uber drivers and Lyft drivers must get rideshare insurance that meets minimum coverage requirements. The levels of coverage depend on the phase you’re in when an incident occurs.
Phase 1
This is when you’re driving in a personal capacity and the rideshare app is off. In this case, since you’re not technically working for the rideshare service, your regular personal auto policy covers you.
Phase 2
This is when you’re driving with the Uber or Lyft app on and activated but no ride has been requested yet. Rideshare companies provide some level of insurance in Phase 2.
Massachusetts requires drivers in Phase 2 to have a minimum of $50,000 per person for bodily injury, $100,000 total for bodily injury, and $30,000 in property damage coverage, uninsured motorist coverage, and personal injury protection (PIP). The coverage amounts can come from your personal policy, the rideshare company’s, or both.[2]
In Phase 2, when you’re on the app and available for a trip, Uber offers third-party liability insurance, which includes $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident in bodily injury as well as $25,000 in property damage coverage per accident. Lyft offers the same coverage amounts for Phase 2, with exceptions in some states.
Phase 3
Phase 3 occurs when you’re driving with the rideshare app on and heading to pick up passengers or taking them to their destination.
Massachusetts requires drivers in Phase 3 to have a minimum liability coverage of $1 million per occurrence, per vehicle for bodily injury, property damage, death, uninsured motorist coverage, and personal injury protection. The coverage amounts can come from your personal policy, the rideshare company’s, or both.
In Phase 3, when you’re en route or on a trip, Uber’s coverage includes $1 million in bodily injury and property damage coverage. Lyft matches those levels of coverage for Phase 3.
As an independent contractor providing driving services for work, make sure you have the required coverage. When you’re driving for personal use, your personal auto insurance policy provides coverage. Rideshare coverage ensures you fill the gaps so you’re covered during different times.
Uber car requirements
Have a four-door vehicle
Have a vehicle that’s no more than 16 years old
Car in good condition
No cosmetic damage on the vehicle
Vehicle has no commercial branding
Lyft car requirements
Have a four-door vehicle
Have a minimum of five seat belts
Have a maximum of eight seat belts
Boston drivers must have a vehicle that’s from 2008 or newer
All other Massachusetts drivers must have a vehicle from 2009 or newer
Taxis, limousines, and non-Express Drive vehicles aren’t allowed
Must not have a salvage title or similar
Rideshare driver requirements
Here, you can see the driver requirements to drive with each of these rideshare companies.
Uber driver requirements
Have a current U.S. driver’s license
Proof of residency in Massachusetts
Proof of personal auto insurance
Meet minimum age requirements for driving in the state
One year of driving experience with a license (three years if you’re younger than 25)
Background check
Get a Massachusetts TNC vehicle inspection
Lyft driver requirements
Valid Massachusetts driver’s license (temporary out-of-state licenses are okay)
Minimum of one year of driving experience
Be at least 25 years old
Pass a background check with Lyft
Pass a required background check with the state of Massachusetts
Proof of personal auto insurance
Get a Massachusetts TNC vehicle inspection
Types of rideshare insurance coverage
When you’re driving for a rideshare company, having rideshare coverage can offer you additional protection. While you use your personal car for commercial purposes, you want to cover your bases. To do that, you can look into different rideshare insurance policies.
Liability coverage
If you’re ridesharing and cause bodily injury or physical damage to another driver or their vehicle, liability insurance helps cover those costs.
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
If you’re driving for Uber or Lyft and get into a car accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage helps pay for the outstanding costs.
Collision and comprehensive coverage
Getting collision insurance and comprehensive insurance can protect you while driving for a rideshare company by paying for damage to your car from an accident or another source, such as a falling tree branch or hail.
Deductible options
You can choose your deductible, which is the amount you’re responsible for paying when filing an insurance claim before insurance kicks in.
Rideshare insurance FAQs
If you’re thinking of becoming a rideshare driver, you might have more questions before getting started. Here’s some additional information about rideshare insurance in Massachusetts.
Do you need rideshare insurance in Massachusetts?
If you drive for a rideshare company, like Uber or Lyft, in Massachusetts, you must have rideshare insurance. The protection this coverage provides depends on the phase of driving you’re in. The insurance coverage can come from you, the company, or both.
Does DoorDash count as rideshare for insurance?
In most cases, rideshare insurance covers you while working for DoorDash or other food delivery services. But you’ll want to check your specific policy. DoorDash also has its own coverage it offers to drivers.
Do Uber drivers in Massachusetts have to carry commercial auto insurance?
Uber drivers in Massachusetts don’t have to carry commercial auto insurance. They only need to meet the minimum rideshare insurance requirements set by the state. But if you have a commercial vehicle like a black car or limousine, you must get commercial auto insurance to drive with Uber.
Do you really need rideshare insurance if you have personal auto insurance?
Your personal auto coverage and the insurance the transportation network company provides can cover you up to a certain point while driving for the service. But rideshare insurance can make sure you have no gaps that can leave you vulnerable.
What happens if you get into an accident while ridesharing without insurance?
To drive for Uber or Lyft, you must have car insurance. If you drive without insurance and get into an accident, you could be breaking state law and ridesharing regulations and be on the hook for a number of expenses related to the accident.
How does a rideshare insurance claim work?
If you get into an accident or have an incident while driving for Uber or Lyft, you can file a claim with your rideshare insurance company. Once you let your insurance company and Uber or Lyft know about the incident, the applicable insurance can help cover costs.
Methodology
Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 90 million quotes served to car insurance applicants in Insurify’s proprietary database to calculate the premium averages displayed on this page. These premiums are real quotes that come directly from Insurify’s 50+ partner insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quote averages represent the median price for a quote across the given coverage level, driver subset, and geographic area.
Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for drivers between 20 and 70 years old with a clean driving record and average or better credit (a credit score of 600 or higher).
Liability-only premium averages correspond to policies with the following coverage limits:
- Bodily injury limits between state-minimum rates and $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
- Property damage limits between $10,000 and $50,000
- No additional coverage
- Comprehensive coverage with a $1,000 deductible
- Collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible
Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Services’ database of auto insurance rates.
Related articles
More cities in Massachusetts
Sources
- Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General. "AG CAMPBELL REACHES NATION-LEADING SETTLEMENT WITH UBER AND LYFT, SECURES LANDMARK WAGES, BENEFITS AND PROTECTIONS FOR DRIVERS."
- Massachusetts Legislature. "Transportation network drivers; insurance requirements."
- Uber. "Vehicle requirements in your country."
- Lyft. "What you need to drive with Lyft in Massachusetts."
)
Melanie Lockert is the founder of the blog and author of the book, "Dear Debt." Through her blog, she chronicled her journey out of $81,000 in student loan debt. Her work has appeared on Allure, Business Insider, Credit Karma, Fortune, and more. She is also the co-founder of the Lola Retreat and host of the Mental Health and Wealth show podcast. She lives in Los Angeles and enjoys jazz music, traveling, coffee, and spending time with her two cats and partner.
Melanie has been a contributor at Insurify since November 2022.
)
15+ years in content creation
7+ years in business and financial services content
Chris is a seasoned writer/editor with past experience across myriad industries, including insurance, SAS, finance, Medicare, logistics, marketing/advertising, and many more.
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