The insurance declarations page

The declarations page — the "dec page" — is the front-of-policy summary that tells you what an insurance policy actually covers. After a crash it is the document that shows how much coverage is available, both on your own policy and, eventually, on the other driver's.

It is general information, not legal advice.

Who and what is covered

• Named insured. The person or people who hold the policy. Coverage for others — resident relatives, permissive drivers — comes from the policy language, not this line.
• Covered vehicles. Each vehicle by year, make, model, and VIN. Coverages can differ from vehicle to vehicle on the same policy.
• Policy period. The start and end dates. A crash outside the period is not covered; check that the date of loss falls inside it.

The coverage lines

• Bodily injury liability. Pays people the insured injures. Shown as per-person and per-accident limits.
• Property damage liability. Pays for damage the insured causes to vehicles and property.
• Uninsured and underinsured motorist. Pays the insured and their passengers when an at-fault driver has no insurance or not enough. Often listed as UM/UMBI and UIM.
• Medical payments (med-pay). A small first-party coverage that pays medical bills regardless of fault — see medical payments coverage.
• Collision. Pays to repair or replace the insured's own vehicle after a crash, minus the deductible.
• Comprehensive. Covers non-collision damage — theft, fire, glass, weather, animal strikes — minus the deductible.
• Rental reimbursement and towing if purchased.

Reading the limits

Liability and UM limits are written as a pair or a triple, in thousands: the first number is the most paid for one person, the second is the most for one accident, and a third, when present, is property damage. A single number instead of a pair is a "combined single limit" that applies to the whole accident. Deductibles apply to collision and comprehensive and are the amount the insured pays before the insurer pays.

Endorsements and rejections

The dec page lists endorsements — amendments that add, limit, or exclude coverage, each with a form number. It also shows where a coverage was rejected: a UM line reading "rejected," or a limit lower than the liability limit, reflects a written election. A business-use, named-driver, or driver-exclusion endorsement can matter a lot to whether a particular driver or use is covered.

Getting the other driver's limits

Your own insurer has to tell you what your own policy holds. The claims regulations put that duty toward a first party claimant — someone claiming under their own policy — and require disclosure of all benefits, coverage, time limits, and other provisions that may apply (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 10, § 2695.4(a)).

That duty does not run to you when you are claiming against someone else's policy. California currently has no statute requiring a liability insurer to give a claimant its insured's limits before a lawsuit is filed. Adjusters sometimes disclose anyway. You cannot compel it.

Filing changes that. A party may obtain discovery of the existence and contents of any agreement under which an insurer may be liable to satisfy a judgment, including the nature and limits of the coverage (Code Civ. Proc., § 2017.210).

What the dec page does not tell you

It is a summary. The conditions, exclusions, definitions, and duties are in the full policy. How a limit caps or shapes a claim, and how UM/UIM claims work, are covered on car accidents and what affects the value of a claim.

Sources: Code Civ. Proc., § 2017.210 (a party may obtain discovery of the existence and contents of any agreement under which an insurance carrier may be liable to satisfy in whole or in part a judgment, including the nature and limits of the coverage); Cal. Code Regs., tit. 10, § 2695.4(a) (an insurer shall disclose to a first party claimant or beneficiary all benefits, coverage, time limits or other provisions of the policy that may apply).

Common questions

What is the declarations page?

The summary page of an insurance policy. It lists who and what is covered, for what period, which coverages were purchased, and the dollar limits and deductibles for each. It is usually one or two pages at the front of the policy.

What does a limit like "100/300" mean?

Two numbers for bodily injury liability: the most the insurer will pay for any one person's injuries, and the most for all injuries in one accident combined. A third number, if shown, is the property damage limit.

Where do I find my uninsured motorist coverage?

On its own line, often abbreviated UM or UMBI, with UIM or underinsured coverage sometimes listed separately. If the line shows "rejected" or a zero limit, that coverage was declined in writing.

Why does the other driver's declarations page matter to me?

It shows the liability limit available to pay your claim. California currently has no statute giving you a general right, before a lawsuit is filed, to make the other driver's insurer tell you the limit. Once a case is on file, the limits are discoverable.