Hi there. I would like to know if my Washington auto insurance company will notify me if they will not be renewing my policy before it policy will expires? I hope they do so I would have more time to find other company.

Michelle

East Seattle, WA

Generally yes, most Washington auto insurance company will notify you in advance whether they will not going to renew your policy.

In Washington State auto insurance companies are required to provide a twenty (20) day written notice with regards to non-renewal of a personal auto car insurance policy and a ten (10) written notice for cancellation due to non-payment of premium.

If you would like to know more information regarding this I suggest that you contact states insurance regulator. They will be able to give you more understanding what the insurance laws in your state regarding cancellation or non renewal notice or Washington auto insurance companies. They will also be able to inform you how much time are given to policyholders once the insurance company decides not to renew them.

I received a speeding ticket followed by an accident 30 days after in Washington State. How long will this affect my auto insurance rate?

Kevin

Bellevue, WA

Insurance providers in Washington may charge you more if you have been involved in an accident or have been convicted of one or more moving violations. This is referred to as surcharge. In addition to that, the more claims you file, the more likely your auto insurance rates will increase.

Since the Washington State insurance regulator does not provide any information that suggests the state has a restriction then it will be up to the individual insurance companies’ rating system to determine how long the citations and accident can affect your auto insurance rates. An insurance company will normally rate you on traffic violations and accidents for a period of 3, 5 or 7 years.

Basically the WA DOL ticket and the accident will both stay on your driving record for five years so it likely will be 3 or 5 years that your insurance company will rate you on these incidents. To find from your current insurance carrier and find out how long the speeding ticket and accident (plus claims if there were ones made) can affect your car insurance rates contact your agent.

A: Adding a teen to your policy will definitely make your prices go up, but you can only have her get her own policy if she is old enough. Usually, the youngest age someone can get an insurance policy for themselves is when they are eighteen. Up until then, they either have to be uninsured or be on an older person’s policy. You will have to put your teen on your policy if they live with you, because if your car insurance company finds out you have a high risk individual in your house they might cancel you for not informing them. Even if your kid doesn’t drive your car, they won’t believe you.

Rather than worrying, contact your car insurance company and see what discounts they have available for teenage drivers. At least three should be available, among them a student discount, which will allow you to have some taken off of your premium if your teen makes a B average or above in school, and a driver’s education iscoun, which will award your teenager for taking a general driver’s education course.