3 Steps to Get an Anonymous Car Insurance Quote

An anonymous car insurance quote is difficult to get because rates are heavily personalized. You typically will have to share your name, address, age and driving record, and in some cases, your social security number (SSN). Later in the process, you will have to provide a vehicle identification number (VIN) for your vehicle.

Some online tools allow you to compare quotes anonymously or by sharing little info. However, they only offer rough totals and do not offer a binding quote that can necessarily be purchased at the presented price.

How to get an anonymous car insurance estimate without revealing personal information

One of the quickest ways to get a sense of auto insurance costs without divulging personal info is to use a car insurance calculator. This tool will use the state you live in and your coverage needs to estimate an average cost for a policy. In addition, you can adjust liability, comprehensive and collision coverages as well as your location to see how costs vary.

Online calculators allow you to get a quick quote estimate without sharing personal info. Getting a binding quote — the price for which you can definitively buy a policy — will require sharing info such as an address, vehicle info, driving history, marital status and homeownership.

How to get a binding insurance quote, and what you need to disclose

You have to go through an individual insurance provider or a broker to get a binding quote you can actually buy. To do that, you will have to share info about yourself, including several pieces of personally identifiable info in most cases.

A few insurance providers will give you a quote without a name, for example, The General. However, insurance rates are built on a wide range of factors, most of which are tied to you and your situation. If an insurer is going to offer a definitive quote, it will need to know about the vehicle or vehicles on the policy, drivers and a host of other factors about the financial picture. That info often includes:

Some insurers will also ask for your profession.

Do you need to provide a social security number or VIN to get a quote?

If you're looking for a quote, you often do not have to disclose certain sensitive info, such as your SSN or VIN. Some insurers will allow you to put off providing a social security number until after you get a quote. Most will allow you to get a quote before providing a VIN.

Social security number

Your social security number is used to check your credit score, which can impact your rates. That credit check will not affect your credit score. A few states do not allow insurers to factor credit scores into rates.

It's important to note that providing more info should mean a more accurate and likely lower quote than comparing rates anonymously. If an insurance provider is missing a piece of info, it will usually default to assuming you are more of a risk, which means higher rates.

You should avoid giving out your SSN unless it's necessary. Identity thieves can use it to create accounts in your name and damage your credit.

Other info you can often avoid giving an insurer until after getting a quote includes:

Vehicle identification number

In some cases, insurers will ask for a VIN, sometimes called a vehicle registration number, during the process of getting a free car insurance quote. Insurers often do not require it until you actually buy a policy, though you will be giving up data about yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions