Auto Insurance for Mexican Nationals: 10 Things Mexican Nationals Should Know About Purchasing Auto Insurance

Buying insurance in a new country is a particularly daunting task. You are purchasing a legal contract to protect you while operating a vehicle within the United States. Here are a few items to look at when trying to purchase insurance in the United States:

1. Find an agent with whom you can effectively communicate. Since you are purchasing a legally binding insurance contract, you want to make sure that you completely understand what the person selling you the policy is saying. This will allow you to ask the questions necessary to make sure that you understand what you are purchasing.

2. Make sure that the agent who sells you the policy explains it completely. Make sure that the liability limits that are sold to you adequately cover your requirements. This may include collision, comprehensive, medical payments, uninsured motorist and/or uninsured property damage coverage.

3. Find a reputable insurance company. There are 40 plus insurance companies who will issue a policy to vehicle owners without a driver’s license, several are major insurance companies. Therefore, make sure that the company you go with is reputable and in good financial health.

4. Find out if there is a time requirement to obtain a United States drivers license. Some auto insurance companies will issue a temporary policy to people who lack a valid U.S. driver’s license. Find out if this is the case because the policy may cancel if the requirement is not met.

5. Know how your policy is being issued and by who. Are you purchasing the policy directly from the insurance company or through a broker or agent? Make sure that the insurance company is permitted to conduct business in your state. Some insurers are not licensed to conduct business in all states, therefore ensure that the people who are selling you the policy are licensed to issue insurance within your state.

6. Make sure that your vehicle is properly registered and insured. There is nothing illegal about owning a car without being able to obtain a license as long as it has insurance that meets the minimum requirements in your state. As a result, ensure that your policy adequately protects you.

7. Who do I call when I have a claim? Find out if you are supposed to call the insurance company at a certain phone number or the agent who sold the policy.

8. What is the policy period? Most auto insurance policies are 6 or 12 months long. Make sure that you know when the policy expires to avoid a future lapse in your insurance.

9. Is there an added cost for me to pay the premium over time? Most people pay their insurance over the course of the policy period; consequently if there is a fee, find out what it is, the fee can add $12 to $50 per year to your policy premium cost.

10. Does this policy cover anyone who drives my vehicle? A great deal of the time, policies for new drivers are considered high risk since the driver doesn’t have the documented driving experience within the United States. These policies often times do not transfer to any vehicle that you drive except the one listed on the policy or to anyone who drives your vehicle. Find out if the policy does or does not provide this coverage extension.

These are a few items to be sure and ask about, it doesn’t cover everything that may be an issue. If all else fails, ask your friends, and other Mexican nationals in your area. See who they are dealing with and how they like them and ask if they run into any questions or issues.