Consumers index page

Welcome to the Automobile Insurance Resource Center

To own and drive a car in New York, you must register your car and obtain license plates. To do so, you must either purchase an automobile liability insurance policy from an insurer licensed by the New York State Insurance Department, or provide other acceptable proof of financial responsibility in at least the minimum amounts required by law. However, you may purchase higher amounts of these required coverages as well as other insurance coverages in order to meet your particular needs.

This resource center is designed to help drivers understand the various coverage options, contact insurance companies, and engage in intelligent comparison-shopping. Our 2009 Consumer Guide to Automobile Insurance, which is available on our Web site, will familiarize you with basic automobile insurance terms, describe the major coverages that are available, and provide important shopping tips. Additional sections of this resource center will help you to buy insurance on the Internet, request no-fault arbitration, contact insurance companies, answer questions on collision damage waivers and rental vehicle coverage, and see which companies have the fewest complaints lodged against them according to our Annual Auto Complaint Ranking.

New Yorkers have long enjoyed a competitive automobile insurance market. In fact, nearly 270 insurers currently write automobile insurance in New York State and these companies generate over $8 billion in annual premium. This resource center will help you choose among these insurers in order to provide the best protection for you and your family.