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The first page (or pages) of your auto policy is known as the declarations page. It summarizes key information, including the drivers and the vehicles insured, your coverages and their costs, and the discounts you are receiving.
You receive a declarations page when you purchase a new policy and each time you renew or make changes to your policy with the AARP® Auto & Home Insurance Program from The Hartford.1 As soon as you receive your policy, take a few moments to ensure that all the information on the declarations page is correct and reflects the coverage you selected. If changes or corrections are necessary, please contact your agent or visit our Customer Service Center.
The following definitions will help you understand each section of the declarations page and the particulars of your auto coverage.
Insured
This is the name and address of the named insured(s), or policyholders.
Policy Information
Key policy information is summarized, including:
- Policy number and coverage period.
- Whether you have a homeowners policy with The Hartford. If you do, a discount is credited to your auto policy’s Total Policy Premium.
- Your Total Policy Premium for all insured vehicles and coverages.
Depending on your coverage selections, you may also see:
- Coverage by Vehicle Premium
- Coverage by Policy Premium
Drivers on Your Policy
The names of all drivers who are insured under the policy are listed in this section.
Vehicles Covered
All vehicles insured under the policy are identified, as are their total premiums.
Coverages by Vehicle
This section lists each insured vehicle along with its rating criteria and corresponding coverage. The rating criteria, which are used to calculate the coverage premiums, include:
- Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) – Identifies the vehicle’s make, model and value.
- Territory – A numeric rating that identifies where the car is garaged.
- Use – Identifies the driver’s use of the vehicle. Classifications include pleasure, business, to/from work or commute, or farm use.
- Garaging Address – This usually reads “same as mailing address,” unless your vehicle is garaged elsewhere.
- Class – Identifies the vehicle’s type. Classifications include sedan, midsize, or SUV.
The coverages listed for each vehicle may include some or all of the following, depending on your state’s insurance requirements and your coverage needs.
- Bodily Injury Liability Coverage protects you against financial loss if you cause an accident that results in someone else’s injury or death. This coverage helps pay the other party’s medical bills and your legal costs if you are sued for bodily injury.
- Property Damage Liability Coverage helps pay for damage your auto causes to other people’s property – such as a car, fence, or telephone pole. This also provides coverage for legal costs if you are sued for property damage.
- Medical Payments Coverage pays for medical expenses if you or your passengers are injured in an accident, regardless of who is at fault.
- Personal Injury Protection helps cover medical expenses for accident-related injuries, as well as a wider range of costs, such as lost wages, funeral expenses and other accident-related expenses. Personal Injury Protection pays regardless of who is at fault. It is required in some states and unavailable in others.
- Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury Coverage helps pay for bodily injury or death expenses for you and for people in your vehicle if you’re struck by a driver who is uninsured or who has insufficient coverage to pay for your losses.
- Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Property Damage Coverage helps pay for damage to your vehicle if you’re struck by a driver who is uninsured or who has insufficient coverage to pay for your losses.
- Collision Coverage helps pay for damage to your car, minus the deductible amount, for losses caused by a collision with another vehicle or an object, such as a tree or a wall. You need to pay a deductible before your insurance policy pays and coverage limits are based on the actual cash value of the vehicle at the time of loss, unless the vehicle meets the conditions for the New Car Replacement Cost Coverage (see below). Comprehensive coverage must be purchased with collision coverage.
- Comprehensive (also known as Other Than Collision) Coverage helps pay for loss or damage to your vehicle due to an event other than a collision, such as a fire, theft, vandalism, or a natural disaster, such as an earthquake, flood, or windstorm. A deductible – or out-of-pocket expense – usually applies, and payment for a covered loss is based on the vehicle’s actual cash value at the time of loss, unless the vehicle meets the conditions for the New Car Replacement Cost Coverage (see below).
- Rental Reimbursement/Transportation Expense Coverage helps pay the cost of a rental car while your vehicle is being repaired due to a covered loss.
- Towing and Labor Coverage helps pay the cost to tow your car if it’s not drivable, even if this isn’t related to an accident.
For each coverage, the maximum limit The Hartford will pay in the event of a covered loss is identified along with your deductible (or out-of-pocket cost), if applicable.
Drivers on Your Policy
The drivers insured under this policy are relisted here, along with personal information that is used for policy rating purposes.
Credits and Discounts
This section identifies any credits and discounts that have been applied to your policy to reduce the total premium.
Forms and Endorsements
These are common provisions that add to or change the conditions of your original insurance contract. Those that apply to your policy may vary, depending on the coverages you have selected and your state’s requirements. Here’s a sample of the standard forms and endorsements you may see on your policy:
- Replacement Cost Coverage for New Cars:§§ If you total your new car we’ll pay to replace it with a new vehicle of the same make and model and with the same equipment – with no deduction for depreciation.
- RecoverCare Essential Services Coverage:§ We will provide reimbursement for essential home services – such as cleaning, cooking, lawn maintenance, and transportation – if you are injured in an accident. (Availability varies by state.)
- Comprehensive Driving Evaluation Endorsement Supplementary Payments: If you are injured while operating an auto that was in a covered accident, we will reimburse you to take an optional comprehensive driving evaluation performed by a state-licensed occupational therapist of your choice. (Availability varies by state.)§§
Additional Information
In this section, you’ll find additional details related to your policy.
Please Note
This section lists notices about the general policy information that are included with your policy documents, such as The Hartford’s privacy policy. We encourage you to review these notices carefully.
** Average savings amounts based on information reported by customers who switched to The Hartford from other carriers between 1/1/22 and 12/31/22. Your savings may vary. Average auto insurance savings is $507 and average home insurance savings is $120. Rate differences for AARP members and non-members vary by state and AARP membership tenure. Auto/Home discount is available only to policyholders who have both their auto and home (or condo or renters) insurance through the AARP Auto & Home Insurance Program from The Hartford. The Home product is not available in all areas, including the state of Florida.
§ Availability of RecoverCare benefit and benefit levels vary by state. The Hartford RecoverCare Advantage® is a registered mark of The Hartford.
§§ Terms and conditions apply.
‡ Terms and conditions apply. Accident Forgiveness and the Disappearing Deductible are not available to CA policyholders.
‡‡ Terms and conditions apply. Availability varies by state.
Additional disclosures below.
Car Insurance in Plain English
Quick answers and easy-to-understand auto insurance definitions written with you in mind.
To learn more, read through our auto insurance definitions page.