When you’re shopping for car insurance, you want to be able to get quotes quickly and easily. Comparing quotes can help you to see how different insurance companies and policies stack up, so you can determine which policy will give you the coverage you need at the best price.. 

But if you start contacting car insurance companies for quotes, you’ll quickly discover that you’ll need to provide quite a bit of personal information, including your name, date of birth, zip code, details about your car, driving record and more. The process can seem invasive, and it can quickly become time-consuming if you’re comparing quotes with each individual company. 

Fortunately, there are a few ways you can still get the quotes you need without providing your private information.

How to Get an Auto Insurance Quote Without Sharing Your Personal Information

When you contact any auto insurance company for a quote, they will ask for certain personal information. Often, this information includes: 

• Your name, date of birth, gender, and driver’s license number
• That same information for any other drivers in your home who will also be on your policy
• The year, make, and model of each car you want to insure
• Where the vehicle will be parked, including the zip code
• Driving history for every driver
• Your current car insurance information
• Your email address and phone number

It may seem like a lot of information to give to a company upfront, and it’s understandable that you might not want to give out all of these details, especially when you’re shopping around for car insurance. Sharing these personal details might seem invasive, but it’s common practice for insurance companies to collect this information, and more. 

Before you start shopping for car insurance, take a few minutes to understand how companies use your personal information when creating quotes. That understanding will help you to explore your options when it comes to sharing information, so you can shop for car insurance in a way that’s comfortable for you. 

Why Do Car Insurance Companies Need Personal Information for a Quote? 

A car insurance company collects all of this information because it’s the best way to provide you with the most accurate quote. All of the information highlighted above, except for your email and phone number, plays into how a company calculates an estimated premium.

Here’s why that personal information matters when calculating your car insurance rates.

Name, date of birth, and driver’s license number

With your full name, birth date, and driver’s license number, an insurer can access your driving records. Insurers will use factors like the previous claims you’ve filed, the number of at-fault accidents you’ve had, and how many traffic violations are on your record to determine whether you’re a high-risk driver. Your birth date also provides the insurer with your age, which can automatically affect your rates. Teen drivers and seniors, for example, can expect to pay higher rates for car insurance. 

Your gender can also affect your rates. Males tend to pay slightly more for car insurance than females. Married drivers also usually pay less for insurance than drivers who are single. 

Information for Other Drivers in Your Home

The company will want to know the ages of the other drivers, and will check their driving records, too. Even if you have a clean driving record and are a low-risk driver, car insurance companies consider the records of everyone who will be insured on your policy. Your rates could increase if you insure someone else who has a poor driving history. 

Year, Make, and Model of Your Cars

The specific details about each car that you want to insure will also affect your rates. Newer models that have a higher value will increase your premium, since those vehicles cost more to repair or replace. However, if you’re planning to insure older vehicles or models that are less expensive, you can expect to see lower rates. 

Where the Vehicle Will Be Parked

Where you live and where you’ll be parking the vehicle affect the risk of the car being in an accident, broken into or stolen. Insurance companies will consider not only the geographic location, but also whether it is parked in a garage or outdoors. Some insurance companies may also ask for information about your driving habits, including whether you use the vehicle to commute to work, and how far your commute is. 

Driving History for Every Driver

While insurance companies may ask you about a history of accidents and claims for each driver, they can also access this information using your driver’s license number. It’s important to be honest about any past claims and accidents, since the company will uncover this information eventually. Some companies may also ask if you’ve ever been denied coverage by an insurance company in the past. 

Your Current Car Insurance Information

Asking about your current car insurance helps an insurance company to ensure that they’re providing you with a quote for the coverage that you need. A company might evaluate your current coverage and your rates and offer higher limits or lower rates to compel you to change insurance companies. 

Credit Score Information

An insurer might also ask your permission to access your credit report. Some insurers consider credit scores as indicators of a driver’s risk. Drivers with higher credit scores are considered to be a lower risk to insure, while drivers with low credit scores are considered higher risk. 

Can You Get an Anonymous Car Insurance Quote? 

Because car insurance quotes depend on specifics like your driving history and vehicle value, you can’t get a truly anonymous car insurance quote. You can get an anonymous estimate, though, using an online car insurance cost calculator. A calculator can give you a general idea of costs, but if you want a truly accurate quote, you’ll need to provide some details. 

Which Car Insurance Companies Need the Least Personal Info? 

Certain car insurance companies require less information than others. Companies like The General and GEICO require minimal information. If you move forward with these companies, though, don’t be surprised if you see a major price change once you provide your actual  information further into the process.

How to Protect Your Information When Getting Car Insurance Quotes

When you shop for car insurance and you want a personalized quote, you will have to provide some personal information. You can protect yourself by refusing to give out sensitive information, like your social security number, until you’ve decided to actually sign up for a policy. 

Create a Separate Email Address

When you’re working on gathering quotes, consider creating a burner email address that you can simply stop using once you’ve found your new car insurance coverage. If you start getting quotes from multiple insurance companies, it’s likely that you’ll start receiving a lot of marketing emails. Alternatively, you can use your real email address but unsubscribe from emails and mark them as promotional or spam. 

Don’t Give Out Your Phone Number

If possible, avoid giving out your phone number, since it’s more difficult to stop marketing texts and telemarketer calls than it is to avoid unwanted emails. If you’re speaking with a car insurance agent on the phone, don’t be afraid to ask questions and request to not provide certain information until later on in the process. An agent can explain to you which information is absolutely necessary. 

Use Compare.com to Get Quotes

An even better option is to use Compare.com to get quotes. Compare.com is a reputable company that respects your privacy, and providing your personal information to a reliable source is the best way to get a quote. 

Keep in mind that when you use Compare.com, rather than providing your information to many different companies individually, you’ll only have to give that information to Compare.com once. We  will provide you with customized car insurance quotes from up to 65 different companies, doing the hard work for you. 

You’ll still get the accurate, personalized quotes that you need, and you’ll save time and money, too. Compare.com users save an average of $720 per year on their car insurance, since they can easily compare quotes and find the coverage that’s right for them and that gives them the best deal. 

FAQs

Can I Get Car Insurance Quotes Without Personal Information? 

Since car insurance quotes are personalized to reflect your risk factors and the corresponding rates that you’ll see, providing some personal information can help to ensure that your quote is accurate. Don’t forget that you can use Compare.com to get multiple quotes without having to provide your personal information to each company. 

Do Insurance Companies Check with Each Other? 

Insurance companies do share information, such as your claims history. They share this information on databases, which means that if you’re been in an at-fault accident, any company that you request a quote from will know about that accident history, whether you disclose it or not.