When you buy a UTV/side-by-side, it is a good idea to ensure it. As discussed in another article, not all states require it, but it is still highly recommended. It is an investment that you hope to gain hours of enjoyment from. You can hit the trails in your new toy all the while knowing that it is insured.
The average cost of UTV insurance is $25/month. There can be differences in payment depending on what kind of specific insurance you have. There are factors that could affect your insurance like age, area, make/model and other factors.
Insurance can be confusing and in this article, my goal is to make it simpler and more understandable. It seems like a monster that is difficult to tackle but I want to make it easier. I have provided basic, quick information below about the different common things covered in insurance packages. I have also provided a quick runover of what different insurance companies cover with UTV insurance.
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How Much Does UTV Insurance Cost Generally?
Overall, UTV insurance is not expensive. The general average is $25. It changes depending on a number of factors similar to how car insurance works. Make sure to talk to many people and see what they charge. Ask around. Ask your friends. See what deals you can get.
What Kind of Things Can Affect the Amount of Insurance I Pay?
The biggest thing that can affect the amount of insurance you pay is the insurance company you choose. A no-brainer, I know but it is true. There will be various premiums and deductibles that are factors depending on which insurance company you choose.
Another big factor is your age. Generally, they are higher for young men. That is just how it works. As you get older it can go down. It is a statistics-based approach to protect the company (also to make money). Along with that is your driving record. If you have gotten in multiple accidents or have a bad driving record, this will raise your rates.
Similar to cars, the make, model, and year of the UTV will affect your rates. Something straight out of the factory in the new line up is obviously going to cost the most. There is a bonus to buying a cheaper less known brand because they will potentially have lower rates. This one is pretty self-explanatory. The higher-end and newer the UTV is, the more it will cost. The lower end and older ones will cost less.
The price may depend on how much insurance you buy. This means like paying for extra coverage to be safe and cover more problems that may occur. This could include things like property damage or liability. How much you pay for is how much you get. You can purchase additional insurance coverage options that the insurance company provides that are not included in the package you buy.
There are things that you can do that lower the price you pay. This usually comes in the form of deductibles that you have available to you. Some companies provide or recommend a safety course for UTVs/ATVs that will lower the cost. Taking the course, in theory, shows them that you are a safe driver and they can trust you. After you get it, they will not know how you drive, will they?
The rates of your insurance can even be affected by small, seemingly insignificant things. These are things like where you store your UTV and how safe from potential damage it might be. It could be either that or where you ride your UTV.
If it is an area where frequent crashes happen or terrain that is rough and can ruin your UTV, they will most likely increase your rates. Some states might be higher in rates because of the area the state is in. The amount of time you spend riding your UTV can increase your rates as well. These things seem very nitpicky and one can only hope they do not bother to ask about them.
What Does UTV Insurance Cover Generally?
When you have insurance for any specific object, there are a myriad of things that can happen while owning said thing. That is why when you have insurance, it covers various things. This section is aimed at simplifying what the normal coverage is and what it means. The general cover of UTV insurance is:
- Medical Cost
- Collision
- Liability Coverage
- Comprehensive Coverage
- Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage
I should mention that if you are on your property and something happens to your UTV, it is generally covered by your homeowner’s insurance. That is the way it is with most insurance companies. I will state otherwise if needed.
Medical Cost Coverage
Probably at the forefront of the mind when getting in an accident on a UTV is the medical costs. The question that is asked is, “Will my insurance cover the cost of medical bills?” This varies on the insurance company. Most will cover it if the fault is from a party other than yourself. If you are the one at fault, it depends on what your provider has previously established. It is possible that the company will cover both ways. The cover may be partial or all.
Collision Coverage
The collision insurance is similar to car collision insurance. It covers any damages to your vehicle from a collision with another vehicle or object. Generally, this covers rollover accidents as well. There can be other specifics but this is generally how that works. The coverage should be given by lenders if you financed with them for your UTV. Keep that in consideration.
Liability Coverage
A big part of insurance is liability coverage. This is for when you are the one that caused the damage. Oops. It happens but that is why insurance exists. This covers damages like property damages. If people are injured, whether a passenger or others, the bills will be compensated for. It is there to protect you from having to deal with the huge amounts of money that damages and medical bills can lead to.
If someone decides to sue, that will cost money. If you are at fault, you will most likely have to pay an amount of money. It does happen and that is another reason why you have liability insurance. Liability insurance can cover court costs and legal fees such as a lawyer and whatever else you may need.
Comprehensive Coverage
Comprehensive coverage is essentially the “other” section of insurance. It covers basically anything that is not an accident while the vehicle is in use. These are things like fire, vandalism, theft, falling objects, and other things that may happen randomly or over time. Sometimes these things are referred to as “acts of God.” Basically meaning it is so random that the universe must have something to do with it.
This kind of coverage is for the random things and sometimes it will cover equipment and mods in your UTV but not always. This is super useful because you never know when those random things will strike and it is better to be safe than sorry.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage
What about those times when someone does not have insurance or insufficient insurance? If they are liable and there is no insurance, who is going to pay for it? These people probably do not have enough money if they cannot even afford insurance. There are various places that do not require insurance. That can also be a factor separate from the rest.
It is circumstances like those that bring to light why you need this kind of insurance. It covers costs that cannot be paid for by the party at fault or just anything that they cannot cover for damages to you.
Is It Required to Carry UTV Insurance?
Required UTV insurance depends mostly on what you state regulations are. That is how it is inside the United States. I am not sure about the rest of the world. There might be regulations and I am sure that some places require it. Other things that may require you to have insurance are where you will riding it and what you use it for. States that do require it have a minimum liability insurance requirement. In the long run, it really is not too bad and it will not cost much to have the bare minimum.
Required UTV insurance depends mostly on what your state regulations are.
Let’s say you use it for a ranch or work of some kind. You have a site that has the vehicle on it and that means you will want commercial vehicle insurance. That is a whole other beast to tackle. That coverage will be higher than personal use insurance.
Some states might require that you have insurance at state parks but on your own property, you have free reign. It really depends on what the legislation has decided in that state. You will have to research in your area. If only I could write about every single place to ride your UTV, then your life would be easier.
In the end, what is the best course of action? Well, you could live your life on the edge and let fate decide. That is a fun way to get the adrenaline going. Or you could just get insurance. It makes your life easier in the long run and it will save you money especially if you plan on being reckless.
The most common accidents are rollovers. Side-by-sides are meant to carry more than one person. It’s in the name, guys. If you get in a rollover accident and the other person gets hurt, you will be liable. That is why you at least need liability insurance. What if you hit someone coming over a hill at the sand dunes? You will be liable for that too.
Without insurance, you might find yourself dying for money and put yourself in a big financial burden. Do yourself a favor and get insurance. But first, finish this post and then do your research. It will help.
Which Insurance Agency is the Best?
Now you have been given a crash course in UTV insurance, why you need it, how it helps, what it means, and what you get from it, it is time to delve into the different insurance companies and what they provide in their UTV insurance.
Geico
What does it cover?
- Collision
- Medical payments
- Bodily injury
- Property damage liability
- Comprehensive
- Uninsured motorist
What could Geico offer you? They pride themselves on having flexible payment plans. They understand that life is hectic so they provided ways to help. You can pay in full, monthly, or even in a time period of 4, 6 or 9 months. They are on call to answer questions you might have. They have licensed agents that can help you out.
Geico has their app where you can do most all of your things from the comfort of your couch. You can report a claim or even pay for your periodic fees.
Geico covers a lot of things with their UTV policies. They have had coverage for recreational vehicles for many years. Motorcycle/UTV/ATV users have been really pleased with Geico’s insurance policies for their UTVs. Liability insurance is not explicitly stated but that covers things like property damage. If you have home insurance with Geico, that insurance will cover your UTV while the vehicle is on your property.
UTV users have been really pleased with Geico’s insurance policies.
Geico has a discount if you register multiple UTVs/ATVs/motorcycles. It is a way to keep you coming back but if you have a whole family of UTVs, you have hit the jackpot. If you are a seasoned veteran when it comes to side-by-sides you can also get a discount for that. Being experienced can lead to fewer accidents and Geico is willing to let you capitalize on that.
Geico has yet more discounts so I would not walk away so soon. They also have a discount if you have multiple policies with them. You might be wondering if that is the same thing has before with the multiple UTVs and it is not. This applies to policies for cars and/or RVs.
Believe it or not, ATVs and UTVs get stolen fairly often and they are a huge target for thieves. Because of this, insurance could be expensive for that kind of coverage. Geico has offered a discount for those who decide to get anti-theft devices. Yeah, you are paying more money to get a discount which does not make sense but in the long run, it is an investment for potential problems.
Progressive UTV Insurance
What does it cover?
- Collision
- Medical payments
- Bodily injury
- Property damage liability
- Comprehensive
- Uninsured/Underinsured motorist
- Accessories and custom parts/equipment
Progressive does offer coverage of your UTV while on your property under your home insurance. Off your property, you will need UTV insurance obviously. They cover almost all popular makes and models but they do not say which brands they do not cover. If you have a low end, less popular brand, you might find yourself looking somewhere else from what I can tell.
They do offer plenty of coverage though as you can see from the list I made. It pretty much has all the basics you could want. Collision, medical, bodily injury, comprehensive, etc. It does have a nice little added bonus to the standard coverages. That is the accessories and custom parts coverage. If you are big into modifying your UTV, then this may be the place to look for insurance. It covers $3,000 worth of upgrades you have put in your vehicle. If you want more coverage you can upgrade it to $30,000 at an additional cost.
There are some extras you can buy for more technical things like the equipment you carry in your UTV, OEM parts, or roadside assistance. There are some other perks as well. They have some nice extras that you can purchase.
Progressive has some insurance discounts that can be applied to make your bill a little easier on your pocketbook. In reality, it is like a reward system to keep you coming back. They have a safety course you can take to receive a discount on your insurance. Similar to that is their responsible driver discount. This discount is available if you have been accident and vehicle violation-free for a minimum of 3 years.
If you already have a policy with them already for another item like a boat or a car, you can bundle them in a way to receive a discount. If you pay your fee upfront in full, then you can also receive a discount. Another discount you can get is through getting a quote in advance before starting a policy.
Nationwide UTV Insurance
What does it cover?
- Collision
- Medical payments
- Bodily injury
- Property damage liability
- Comprehensive
- Uninsured/Underinsured motorist
- OEM endorsement
Nationwide has all the basic coverage that you might expect. Something unique included with the basic package is the OEM endorsement. In essence, that means that when your side-by-side gets damaged the parts used to replace the old ruined ones will be from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). What if that part is not available or if the vehicle is old and parts are no longer made? They then issue a payment based on the proper market value for the new part and get it fixed.
All other coverages are what already covered in the above section “What Does UTV Insurance Cover Generally?” The only thing that really sticks out is a section of the collision coverage. Besides the normal damage repairs and medical, you can have your safety apparel covered for up to $2,000. So helmets and things of the like.
There are plenty of ways to save on your UTV insurance. Typical ones like multi-policy and registering multiple UTVs with Nationwide are here. You can take a safety course with them too to receive some form of discount. Nationwide also has the pay in full discount.
You can have your safety apparel covered for up to $2,000 with Nationwide.
If you have a professionally installed GPS theft recovery device, you can receive a discount from them. It may have to be through Nationwide or someone they are partnered with. Either way, this is super useful regardless of the discount. ATVs and UTVs are frequent targets for thieves.
A couple of other discounts you can get are the riding association and homeowner discount. The riding association is a discount for people that are a part of an American associate that is eligible, there are 25 nationally. The homeowner discount is simple. If you own a home, condo, townhome or mobile home, you are able to get some possible discounts.
Allstate UTV Insurance
What does it cover?
- Collision
- Medical payments
- Bodily injury
- Property damage liability
- Comprehensive
Allstate has a little less range in its coverage. For whatever reason, they do not cover uninsured or underinsured motorist damages and injuries. I find this to be a little unfortunate. At least they have all the other normal coverages. It is not the worst but you just have to hope that you do not end up in a crash with someone who does not have insurance.
Allstate does cover medical payments for those who you hit. If you are liable it will be covered. If you get hurt though, there is no cover for that. You are on your own. That is probably the worst part of this deal. The average price for their coverage is $12. Thank goodness because they are missing some coverage that I think is very important.
They do have some discounts that are similar to others like a multi-policy discount and a full payment discount. If you own a home, you can get a discount for your UTV insurance. They also have a safety course you can take to get some extra money off of your payment.
With Allstate, you can set up an easy payment plan to have automatic withdrawals each period that you must pay. This is an easy way to just let you passively pay for your UTV insurance. For some people, this is a great idea but others may not like this.
State Farm UTV Insurance
What does it cover?
- Collision
- Medical payments
- Bodily injury
- Property damage liability
- Comprehensive
- Uninsured motorist
State Farm does cover UTVs and it has all of the basic coverage you could need. It covers you if you have a collision with someone else and there is bodily damage as well as damage to your vehicle. It covers medical bills for both you and the person you hit. If you ruin someone else’s property and you are held liable, it covers that too.
If there is a random act of nature that damages or ruins your UTV then State Farm will cover the damages. If you are riding someday and someone uninsured hits you, the damages and medical bills that cannot be paid for by the other party will be covered by State Farm.
There are no discounts that I can find or that I have heard of. State Farm really has not hugely defined their coverage for off-road vehicles. I hope that one day they get around to that and see the value in having that. They have all the basic coverage needs but they do not have a lot of info on other areas of insurance for UTVs.
Esurance Side-by-Side Insurance
What does it cover?
- Collision
- Medical payments
- Bodily injury
- Property damage liability
- Comprehensive
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist
- Optional equipment coverage
- Transport trailer physical damage
Esurance is an online insurance company that is owned by Allstate. They have agents that you communicate through the internet and that is how all of your communication with them is because they are strictly online.
“Esurance covers more than its parent company, Allstate?” Yeah, it does. I mean that works but I do not understand it. I will take it though. They cover everything that Allstate covers. They have some added bonuses as well. They have uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage for when someone hits you and they cannot cover the costs.
They have two unique coverages that they provide that I really enjoy and makes me want to have them cover my UTV. They have coverage for equipment that you own that you use for your UTV. Let’s say you have a helmet that gets damaged. They will cover that. That is super useful.
Ensurance covers more than its parent company, Allstate.
The other one is coverage for your transport trailer. If your toy hauler gets damaged, you guessed it, the cost to fix it will be covered. If you already have trailer insurance with your car, then you do not need it with your UTV insurance. The car one will cover your toy hauler. When you add this to your insurance, it will give you $10,000 of physical damage coverage. You can purchase an additional amount of physical damage coverage up to $30,000 if you so desire.
They have bonuses as well. They have a responsible driver discount which basically means if you are a good driver without any hiccups for the past 3 years than you can get some major discounts. If you own a home, you can get a discount. If you pay your insurance fee in full you get a discount. There is a safety course you can take as well to get some discounts.
They do have the classic multi-policy and the multi-vehicle discounts. If you are in super deep with Esurance than you will be rewarded for being so loyal. It is like a rewards card for insurance companies. Speaking of rewards, they will reward you for switching to them. If you switched over and set up the UTV insurance within a month of switching, then you can get a discount.
Markel
What does it cover?
- Collision
- Medical payments
- Bodily injury
- Property damage liability
- Comprehensive
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist
- Accessory coverage
- Funeral expense coverage
Markel has great coverage for UTVs. I really appreciate all the perks they have. They have collision, medical, liability, and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. These are all the needful ones but they have added in a couple of extras that give their customers a security blanket. They also have discounts of up to 35%. You will have to contact them to find out how to get them.
When you get in a wreck, lots of things will be damaged. The accessories in your UTV will potentially be damaged as well. Any additional money that you put into your vehicle can be painful to lose after you have put all of this money into it. Fortunately, Markel will cover anywhere from $500 to $30,000 depending on what package you buy.
Markel goes all out and has covered every base. They will pay a predetermined amount for funeral expenses where the death of the insured person was in the insured UTV. The death has to be a result of using the insured UTV. Of course, they are not planning on people dying but it can happen and I think it is really kind of them that they are considerate of that and added that to the things that they cover.
Safeco Side-by-Side Insurance
What does it cover?
- Guest passenger liability
- Bodily injury
- Property damage liability
Safeco Insurance covers only liability in their most base level package. Anything else will be extra costs. I appreciate the focus on the liability because that is super important but I do think that the basic covers should be more than that. They cover liability for a passenger, bodily harm and property damage.
I think their catch is to get their customers to buy a lot of their extras because they have a ton of them. One of their most popular ones is coverage for the custom parts and equipment for the vehicle in event of a collision. They offer one for roadside assistance and repairs from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM).
Other extra coverage options are comprehensive, collision, medical payments, and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. I dislike that these come at an extra cost but I think that this is the way they make their money.
They have some unique discounts though. The longer you ride with a claim, the more you will be discounted. So don’t get in a wreck and you will save money. What a novel idea. They also give a discount for those people that have anti-theft devices and technology installed. One of their most unique ones is if you store your UTV in a garage and you can show proof of that, you can get a discount. Owning a home will give an additional discount.
Should I Get UTV Insurance Even if My State Doesn’t Require it?
While UTV insurance may not be legally required in all areas, it’s still a smart investment for several reasons:
- Protection for Your Investment: A UTV can be a significant financial investment. Insurance helps protect this investment by covering repair or replacement costs in case of an accident, theft, or other damage.
- Liability Coverage: UTV insurance often includes liability coverage, which can protect you if you’re at fault in an accident and someone else is injured or their property is damaged. Without insurance, you could be personally responsible for these costs.
- Medical Coverage: In the event of an accident, UTV insurance can also cover your medical expenses or those of your passengers. This can be crucial, especially if you or your passengers are injured.
- Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage: This type of coverage protects you if you’re in an accident caused by an uninsured or underinsured driver. It ensures that you’re not left with expenses if the at-fault party doesn’t have insurance or enough coverage.
- Protection in Off-Roading Environments: UTVs are often used in off-road and rugged terrains where accidents can happen more frequently. Insurance provides peace of mind when exploring these environments.
- Coverage for Theft and Vandalism: UTVs can be appealing targets for theft and vandalism, especially if they’re stored outdoors. Insurance can help cover losses in such scenarios.
- Guest Passenger Coverage: If you have friends or family riding as passengers, insurance can cover them in case of an accident.
- Legal Requirement in Some Areas: While not required everywhere, some states, parks, or trail systems may require liability insurance for UTV use.
Ultimately, UTV insurance offers financial protection and peace of mind, ensuring that you won’t face significant financial burdens in the event of an accident or other unforeseen incidents. It’s a good idea to assess your individual needs and risks and consider obtaining insurance accordingly.
How Do I Choose Which Insurance Company to Use for My UTV?
Choosing the right insurance company for your UTV depends on various factors, including your location, budget, and specific needs. We covered some well-known insurance providers that offer UTV insurance, but remember to obtain quotes and compare policies to find the best fit for your situation.
When calling around, be sure to…
- Compare quotes from multiple companies to find the best rates.
- Understand the coverage options and limits provided by each insurer.
- Evaluate customer reviews and satisfaction ratings.
- Consider bundling your UTV insurance with other policies, such as auto or home insurance, for potential discounts.
- Discuss your specific needs and usage patterns with insurance agents to ensure you get the right coverage.
Keep in mind that UTV insurance requirements and availability may vary by state and region, so it’s essential to research your local options thoroughly.