After you buy your car insurance policy from Safe House Insurance, we may ask you to verify your insurance history by providing proof of insurance (POI).

Here's why it's important. You will save on premiums with most insurance companies if you can prove you’ve had insurance throughout the prior six months. For instance, the exact amount that you save at Safe House Insurance depends on how long you’ve been continuously insured. If you have no gaps or cancellations in your insurance history (even if you were insured by someone else), you'll typically get a lower rate.

At Safe House Insurance, we offer a Continuous Insurance Discount. That means we'll honor the amount of time you've been with us or your previous insurance company. The longer you've been with the same company, the better the discount.

About proof of insurance

POI verifies that you had prior car insurance coverage with another company for a specific amount of time before buying your current policy. A lapse (or several lapses) in car insurance coverage can lead to higher premiums, so the longer you've been consecutively insured, the less you can expect to pay for your car insurance policy, in general.

When you get your Safe House Insurance quote, we ask you how long you've been continuously insured. And when you buy the policy, we use your answer to help calculate your final rate.

We'll try to verify your POI with your prior insurer ourselves. If that's not successful, we may ask you to submit POI soon after you buy. If you don't submit it within a given time frame (and don't worry, we'll follow up in case you forget), your rate may be adjusted based on the missing information.

Your rate can go up because of a missing POI if you indicated you had prior insurance coverage when getting your quote or if the declared limits were inaccurate. The good news is that you can still provide the POI anytime before your policy renews to get your original rate.

 Who needs proof of prior insurance?

Insurance companies aren't the only ones who want to see your proof of insurance. After you cancel a policy or leave an insurance company, that company may need to alert the state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This is a precaution that states take to track uninsured drivers and help keep them off the roads. If a state is notified that you're no longer insured, your registration could be suspended until you provide proof of insurance.

Your new insurance carrier might let the state know that you're insured again, but if they don't, you may need to file POI with your state's DMV.

Depending on your state's laws, your prior insurance company might also ask for POI from your new company, since they're the ones who have to report to the state that you've dropped them as your carrier.

How to prove your prior insurance history

If we're unable to confirm your POI, we'll let you know what we need. It might mean a conference call with your previous insurer or faxing some documentation. If we do ask for your POI, try to submit it as soon as possible.

If we do ask for your POI, please submit it as soon as possible.

Missing the deadline

If we don't receive your POI within the required time frame, there's a chance your rate could go up. Don't worry — we'll be calling and emailing before this happens. Depending on your state's insurance laws, your rate could come back down once you submit your POI, as long as the information you've provided is accurate.

Proof of insurance request from Safe House Insurance

Obtaining your proof of insurance from Safe House Insurance is as easy as tying your shoes. Just give us a call at 915-503-1207 and we'll send the info wherever you need us to, pronto. If there are any associated fees, we'll explain them on the phone.

As always, we're here to help