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There are two ways to end coverage by a current car insurance company: cancellation and nonrenewal. The first takes place when the auto insurance that had been providing coverage decides not to sell insurance to you anymore, and the second usually occurs when the policyholder neglects to pay the auto insurance company a premium. Though neither are looked upon highly by auto insurance providers, cancellation generally makes it more difficult to get car insurance than a nonrenewal does.
Nonrenewal means that the current insurance policy elected not to renew the insurance policy when it came time to being due again. Most often, this happens because the person covered on the policy makes too many claims during the time they were insured, such as driving under the influence, too many at-fault accidents, or too many tickets during the last three to five years. In the event of nonrenewal, the insurance company terminates the contract with the policyholder and, depending on the location, the driver of the car would have to find comparative auto insurance. The insurer is required to send a notice of nonrenewal – usually thirty days – with the reason to drop your policy.
If you don't pay your car insurance premium on time, the auto insurance company has the option to terminate or cancel the policy. Your policy can also be canceled for misrepresenting information insurance companies find necessary about your risk level as a driver or losing your driver's license due to driving while intoxicated or with an expired, revoked or suspended license. Some insurance companies may cancel your policy at any time, given that they provide the amount of notice required by law, just because you are found to be a nondesirable driver.
Most states will mail out a letter telling the policyholder that they neglected to pay last month's bill and give a certain amount of time, like ten days, to send in the proper amount of cash before cancellation takes place. After the insurance company receives the payment, if it is prior to the cancellation date, most will send letters of reinstatement. In most cases, you will be required to pay the premium plus a late fee and an additional amount to cover any gaps between insurance coverage.
Some states will not reinstate policyholders if they are more than one day late with payment, even if payment was mailed. Each state has different laws which apply to drivers that don't pay their premium on their car insurance policy, but it is universal that once your car insurance policy has been canceled, it is really difficult to find car insurance coverage elsewhere.
Most auto insurance companies will raise the price of the monthly premium if the driver it is providing coverage for cannot keep their vehicle insured. Some providers may require high-risk policyholders to pay for an entire year's worth of insurance up front if there is a cancellation on your record. You may also have to pay a higher amount for years because you let your coverage slip a little bit. The one universal car insurance law: the higher risk the driver, the higher cost for the auto insurance.