Guide to the Best Van Insurance in 2023

A van can be a very helpful vehicle. Whether you need to haul work equipment to a job site, deliver goods to customers, or drive your family around town, a van might fit the bill.

Vans are a versatile vehicle option. But the ways you use your van will affect your insurance requirements. A commercial van for professional use may require a different insurance policy type than a van for personal use.

Here’s what you need to know about van insurance and the best van insurance options.

What are the different kinds of van insurance?

The activities you use your van for will determine what kind of policy you need. The most common kinds of van insurance include insurance for a commercial van and insurance for a minivan for personal use.

Commercial van insurance is available for anyone who uses vans to conduct business. For example, a driver who uses a van for service calls, transporting people, or making deliveries should consider commercial van insurance. Even if you’re an independent contractor, commercial van insurance will provide the coverage you need while conducting business activities.

In contrast, a minivan used to drive your family doesn’t need commercial insurance. Instead, families can protect their minivans with personal use insurance. Personal use includes activities like commuting and leisure trips.

Most states require drivers to carry a minimum amount of car insurance to legally operate on the road.^[1]

The main difference between personal and commercial van insurance is that your personal auto insurance doesn’t offer coverage when using the vehicle for commercial purposes. For example, your personal policy won’t cover an accident while delivering a cake to a customer. Instead, you need a commercial policy to cover those damages.

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What car insurance coverage do you need for a minivan?

How you use your minivan influences your car insurance needs. If you’re using your minivan strictly for personal reasons, you need a standard auto insurance policy. If you plan to use your minivan for business activities, you need a commercial auto insurance policy.^[2]

For many drivers, minivans are for personal use. Personal use can include activities like road trips and your daily commute.^[3]

When driving for personal use, the amount of coverage you need for a minivan varies based on your specific driver profile. Plus, most states set their own car insurance coverage requirements.

Depending on where you live and your financial situation, you might need the following coverage:

• Bodily injury liability: Bodily injury liability insurance pays for injuries you cause to someone else. Most states require a minimum level of this coverage.

• Property damage liability: Property damage liability helps pay to repair or replace other people’s property. For example, if you hit a fence, this coverage may help pay for the repairs to the fence. Most states require a minimum level of this coverage.

• Medical payments and personal injury protection (PIP): These coverages pay for injuries you and your passengers sustain in an accident. In some cases, they may also cover lost wages.

• Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage: If you get in an accident with someone who doesn’t have sufficient insurance, this coverage will help you cover the financial fallout of the incident.

• Collision coverage: If you get in an accident with another car, collision coverage will help repair or replace your vehicle.

• Comprehensive coverage: Comprehensive coverage helps repair or replace your vehicle after an unexpected loss due to events like theft, natural disasters, vandalism, and more.^[4]

When determining how much van insurance you need, the starting point is your state’s minimum coverage requirements. Most states require drivers to carry a minimum amount of liability coverage.^[1]

However, it can be beneficial to carry more than the minimum requirements. Experts suggest carrying at least $100,000 of bodily injury protection per person and $300,000 per accident.^[1]

If you’re leasing or financing your minivan, the lender may require additional collision and comprehensive coverage.^[5] But even if a lender doesn’t require collision and comprehensive coverage, it might be the right fit for your wallet. Full coverage can help you repair or replace your vehicle after an accident.

How much does personal van insurance cost?

On average, personal van insurance costs $201 per month. However, the cost of personal van insurance varies based on your unique situation.

A major factor in determining your car insurance costs is your driving record. In general, drivers with fewer accidents and traffic violations pay less for car insurance than drivers with speeding tickets and other violations in their past.^[6]

A few other factors that affect your car insurance costs include your age, location, vehicle year, gender, and the type of car you drive.^[6]

How much does it cost to insure the most popular minivans?

The average cost to insure different types of minivans varies. Some reasons for different price points include the vehicle age and safety features.^[6]

Best cheap car insurance companies for minivan insurance

With an average monthly cost of $149, Direct Auto offers the cheapest car insurance for minivan drivers. Explore other cheap companies for minivan insurance below.

Commercial van insurance vs. personal van insurance

The difference between personal and commercial van insurance is what the policies cover. A standard van insurance policy won’t provide coverage if your minivan is for business use.^[3] But a commercial van insurance policy is specifically designed to provide coverage while using the vehicle for business purposes.^[2]

“Commercial van insurance is required if a van is used for commercial purposes, such as transporting passengers or delivering goods for hire,” says Anthony Martin, founder of Choice Mutual Insurance Agency. Even if you’re driving a minivan, if you use it for business purposes, you need commercial van insurance.

The minimum insurance requirements for driving a commercial van vary by state. But most states require bodily injury liability and property damage liability coverage.^[2]

“Commercial van insurance policies usually provide higher liability limits than personal auto insurance policies because commercial vehicles are typically used for business purposes and pose a higher risk than personal vehicles,” says Martin. “For example, a personal van insurance policy may have limits of only $100,000 to $300,000, while a commercial van insurance policy might have liability limits of $1 million or more.”

What does commercial van insurance cover?

Commercial van insurance policies cover various potential uses. Here’s when drivers might need commercial vehicle coverage:

• A business owns a fleet of cargo vans.

• A business uses minivans to handle deliveries.

• A business owner picks up supplies to keep operations running smoothly.

• A religious organization uses passenger vans to transport people.

Any kind of business can use vans as a part of its operations. But some businesses that use commercial vans include florists, tradesmen, painters, plumbers, carters, couriers, childcare services, and more.

The type of van you drive at work isn’t the issue, it’s the fact that you’re driving it for work. So whether you’re driving a cargo van or a basic car for business use, you’ll need commercial insurance.

What are the types of commercial van insurance coverage?

Commercial van insurance coverage options vary based on the insurer. But here’s a look at the most common coverages:

• Bodily injury liability: Bodily injury liability coverage will help cover the cost of injuries a driver causes with the work vehicle. Many commercial policies have higher liability limits than personal policies.

• Property damage liability: If a driver causes property damage to someone else’s property during the course of business, this coverage will help pay for repairs.

• Collision coverage: If the work vehicle is in an accident, this coverage will help pay to repair or replace it. This can help keep your business running smoothly.

• Comprehensive coverage: Comprehensive coverage helps repair or replace your vehicle after something other than a collision occurs. For example, damage due to a fire, natural disaster, vandalism, or theft might be covered.^[4]

As you choose a policy, you’ll likely have the option to add on coverage like personal injury protection (PIP), MedPay, and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Business owners must decide what level of coverage they feel comfortable with.^[4]

Are you required to have commercial van insurance?

Auto insurance is a legal requirement to drive a car on public roads in most states. If you’re using a vehicle for business purposes, your personal auto insurance policy won’t cover it. Since most states require a minimum amount of liability coverage for your time on the road, commercial van insurance is unavoidable.

The minimum coverage amount for commercial van insurance varies by state. If you aren’t sure what your state’s requirements are, check with your state’s DMV.^[4]

What are the best companies for commercial van insurance?

Below are the top five largest writers of commercial van insurance, according to the National Association for Insurance Commissioners’ 2021 total commercial auto market share report:

• Progressive: Progressive has an impressive 15.5% market share. It has insurance coverage options for commercial vans, SUVs, sedans, and more. You can get a policy online or through a local agent.

• Travelers: In 2021, Travelers had 5.5% of the total market share for commercial auto insurance. Travelers provides business van insurance, in addition to personal and specialty insurance policies. Commercial policies are available for small or large fleets.

• Liberty Mutual: Liberty Mutual offers commercial and standard auto insurance options. The company had around 3.2% of the market share in 2021.

• Old Republic: Old Republic has a network of specialty companies, some of which offer private van insurance. It represents a 3.7% market share, slightly higher than Liberty Mutual’s.

• Nationwide: Nationwide offers a variety of insurance products, including commercial van insurance.^[7] It had a 3.1% market share in 2021, just behind Liberty Mutual.

While the companies above offer worthwhile options, it never hurts to shop around. When you get quotes from multiple insurance companies, you can confirm you’re getting the best rates.

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