Switching Your GEICO Auto Insurance to a New Car – A Complete Guide

Getting a new car is always an exciting time. But it also means you’ll need to switch your auto insurance over to the new vehicle. Thankfully, GEICO makes it easy to update your policy when you get a new car.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know about switching your GEICO insurance to a new car.

When to Switch Your Insurance to the New Car

Before driving your new car, you’ll want to contact GEICO to update your policy. Technically, your old policy may still provide some coverage for a short time after getting a new vehicle. But it’s best to officially update the policy right away so you are fully covered.

You’ll want to contact GEICO to add the new car and remove the old car on the same day. That way there is no lapse in coverage.

If you still need to keep the old car insured for any reason, you can simply add the new car without removing the old one. This will give you overlap coverage for both vehicles temporarily.

How to Switch GEICO Insurance to a New Car

Switching your GEICO policy to a new vehicle is quick and easy:

1. Log in to your GEICO account online or through the mobile app.

2. Go to the Add or Replace Vehicle page.

3. Enter details about the new vehicle like the VIN, ownership status, primary use and driver.

4. Select the old car you want to replace when prompted.

5. Review your new quote and coverage details.

6. Accept the changes to officially switch the policy to your new car.

And that’s it! The change will take effect as soon as you accept the new policy quote online.

Below we’ll cover some key steps and considerations in more detail.

Adding the New Car’s Details

When you add a new vehicle to your GEICO policy, you’ll need to provide some important details so they can generate an accurate quote.

Here are some of the key details to have ready:

• VIN: This vehicle identification number uniquely identifies the new car. It’s usually located on the driver’s side dashboard.

• Ownership: Select if the car is owned, leased or financed.

• Primary use: Choose the main use like commuting, pleasure, business, etc.

• Annual mileage: Estimate how many miles you expect to drive annually.

• Primary driver: Select the person who will drive the new car most often.

Providing accurate details will ensure your new quote accurately reflects the proper coverage amount and rates for your new car.

Replacing Your Old Car

A key step when adding a new vehicle is indicating if you want to replace your old car already on the policy.

If you plan to switch insurance fully from the old car to the new car, selecting “yes” will:

• Remove the old car from coverage once the new policy takes effect.

• Transfer coverage terms like limits and deductibles to the new car.

• Potentially transfer premium discounts you had on the old vehicle.

Just make sure the old car is ready to be removed. In most states you’ll need to already have the license plates surrendered before removing a vehicle.

If you need to keep the old car insured too, select “no” when asked if the new car replaces another vehicle. You can always remove the old car later once you’re ready.

Review New Quote and Coverage

Before accepting your changes, carefully review the new policy quote and coverage details. Make sure:

• The premium and rates look accurate. Contact GEICO if they seem off.

• The coverage limits for collision, comprehensive, liability etc. fit your needs. Increase or decrease limits if desired.

• All drivers are properly listed and rated. Add or remove drivers as needed.

• Your deductibles are at a level you’re comfortable with. Raise or lower them to adjust the premium.

• You receive any discounts you’re eligible for like multi-policy, good student, anti-theft and more.

If everything looks good, you can accept the changes and your new policy will take effect!

Tips for a Smooth Insurance Switch

Here are some top tips for seamlessly transitioning your GEICO auto insurance to a new car:

• Add new car first – Initiate adding the new car before removing the old car. This prevents any lapse in coverage.

• Sync removal and addition – Try to accept the new policy on the same day you remove old car. This ensures continuous coverage.

• Review state requirements – Know your state’s rules for surrendering old plates and transferring registration and title to avoid issues removing old car.

• Take photos – Snap some pictures showing the new car in your garage as proof you own it while waiting for official paperwork.

• Communicate details – Contact your agent or GEICO directly with any specific questions about switching your particular policy.

• Print new ID cards – Be sure to print out fresh insurance ID cards showing the new car and effective dates.

Get a Quote on a New Car Before Buying

One nice perk with GEICO is you can get a quote on insurance for a new car before you even purchase it.

Just go through the steps to add a new vehicle, but select:

• You plan to own the car rather than already owning it.

• Provide estimated details like annual mileage and primary driver rather than exact.

This will generate a sample quote on what insuring that new car would potentially cost. Having an insurance estimate in advance helps ensure the new car fits your budget.

If you end up buying that same car, the actual quote later on should match very closely to the sample quote.

Contact GEICO with Any Questions

Don’t hesitate to reach out to the exceptional GEICO customer service team if you have any questions when switching your policy to a new car.

You can call GEICO directly or contact your specific agent. They are happy to walk you through the process and ensure you get set up properly.

And that covers everything you need to know about making a smooth transition to insure your new car through GEICO! Just follow the simple steps online to update your policy, review the new details, and accept the changes.