Paperwork · 9 min read · Reviewed November 10, 2026
What to gather before you switch car insurers
The fastest switches are the ones where the paperwork is ready before the first phone call. A new company needs a fairly complete picture of your household to give an accurate price, and an inaccurate picture tends to produce a price that changes after you sign, sometimes upward.
Gathering the details takes about half an hour for most households. This guide lists what to collect, where each item is usually found, and why the new company asks for it.
In this guide
Start with your current declarations page
The declarations page is the summary sheet at the front of your policy, and it is the single most useful document for a switch. It lists the policy number, term dates, each car, each listed driver, the limits for each kind of protection, the deductibles, and any optional add-ons such as rental car reimbursement or towing.
Having it in front of you lets a new company match what you already have, so the comparison is fair. Without it, people often guess at their limits and end up comparing a richer policy against a thinner one. Most companies let you download the page from an online account or app, or will email it if you ask.
Every car on the policy
For each vehicle, note the year, make and model, the 17-character vehicle identification number, and the address where it is parked overnight. The identification number appears on the registration card, on the driver-side dashboard where it meets the windshield, and on the old declarations page. Companies use it to confirm the exact trim and safety equipment.
Also estimate how many miles each car is driven in a year and what it is mostly used for, such as commuting, errands or business. Low mileage can lower the price, and a car used for work may need different protection.
Every driver in the household
List each licensed driver who lives with you, including teenagers with permits and adults who rarely drive. For each person, have the full name, date of birth, license number and the state that issued it, and the year they were first licensed. Companies will usually ask about everyone of driving age in the home, even if that person has their own car and policy, because household members can often borrow your car.
If someone in the home should not be covered, for example a relative with a suspended license, ask whether the company allows a named driver exclusion and what it means for that person.
Your recent driving and claim history
New companies check driving records and claims databases, so it helps to know what they will find. Write down any tickets, accidents and claims for each driver over the last three to five years, with approximate dates. If you are unsure, you can request your state driving record and a claims history report; in the United States, the major claims databases provide a personal report at no cost once a year.
Being upfront avoids the most common surprise in a switch: a price that rises after the company pulls the records you forgot to mention.
Current term dates and how you pay
Finally, write down the current term's start and end dates and the exact hour shown, how you pay now, and whether you pay in full or monthly. The end date tells you when the new policy should begin. The payment method tells you which automatic charge to stop after the switch. If you hold home, renters or other policies with the same company, note those too, because moving the car may affect a multi-policy discount on the others.
Worked example
The Ferreira-Nakamura family fills one folder
Paulo Ferreira and Aiko Nakamura insure two cars, a 2019 sedan and a 2015 minivan, and three drivers, including their seventeen-year-old daughter Sakura, who was licensed in January. Their current term runs from February 1 to July 31 and costs $1,236 for six months, paid monthly at $206.
Aiko downloads the declarations page, which shows liability limits of 100/300/100, a $500 collision deductible, and towing at $75 per call. Paulo copies both identification numbers from the registrations and estimates 11,000 miles a year on the sedan and 6,500 on the minivan. They list a parking ticket, which does not affect insurance, and one claim from two years ago when a tree branch cracked the minivan's windshield.
With the folder ready, their first call with a new company takes twenty minutes. The offer they receive, $1,098 for six months with the same limits and deductibles, stays the same after the company checks their records, because nothing was left out.
Names, cars and dollar amounts in this example are made up so the sums are easy to follow.
Checklist
- Download the current declarations page.
- Copy each vehicle identification number from the registration.
- Estimate yearly miles and main use for each car.
- List every licensed driver in the home with license details.
- Write down tickets, accidents and claims from the last five years.
- Note the current term dates, hour and payment method.
- List any other policies held with the same company.
Quick reference
| Item | Where it usually is | Why the new company asks |
|---|---|---|
| Declarations page | Online account, app, or first pages of the policy | To match your current limits and add-ons |
| Vehicle identification numbers | Registration card or driver-side dashboard | To confirm the exact car and equipment |
| Driver license details | Each driver's license card | To check driving records |
| Tickets and claims | Your memory, state record, or claims report | To price risk accurately up front |
| Term dates and payment method | Declarations page and billing statement | To set the new start date and stop old charges |
Six key terms
Declarations page
The front summary of a policy naming cars, drivers, limits, deductibles and term dates.
Vehicle identification number
A 17-character code unique to one car, used to look up its exact build.
Listed driver
A person named on the policy whose record the company considers when pricing.
Named driver exclusion
A written agreement that a specific household member is not covered while driving.
Claims history report
A record of past insurance claims kept in an industry database that companies consult.
Garaging address
The place a car is kept overnight, which strongly shapes its premium.
Questions to ask the companies
- Which documents would make your first price more accurate for my household?
- Do you need details for a relative who lives with us but has their own car and policy?
- Will you check my claims report and driving record before or after I accept the offer?
- Could the price change after you review my records, and by how much in a typical case?
- Do you need the trim level, or is the vehicle identification number enough?
- Can you match the optional add-ons on my current declarations page line by line?
Bistrehaven describes common practice. Your own policy wording, company and state rules decide how your switch is handled.