Non-owner car insurance in New Jersey

In New Jersey, what companies provide a non‑owner policy?

Prices were collected for 5 companies, listed from cheapest to most expensive.

New Jersey's two policy floors: Standard or Basic

Both choices are described in the Department of Banking and Insurance policy comparison. A Standard Policy starts your injury liability at $35,000 for each person you hurt. The amount for each accident is $70,000, while the amount for property damage is $25,000. That per-person amount was increased by a DOBI bulletin on minimum liability limits.

Personal injury protection, called PIP, is built into both policies at $15,000 or more. PIP covers your medical costs and those of anyone else on the policy, no matter who caused the accident. The limit climbs to $250,000 for a serious injury, like trauma to the brain or spinal cord.

Coverage under the Basic Policy is sharply reduced. It limits property damage to $5,000, offers injury liability only as a $10,000 choice, and omits uninsured motorist cover. With the Standard Policy, that same coverage is available up to the limits you carry for liability.

Why is an SR-22 never required in New Jersey?

You will not find an SR-22 in New Jersey, because every car owner here already has to carry insurance. Another difference is the policy lineup: built‑in personal injury protection comes with either a Standard Policy or a more affordable Basic Policy.

In other places, drivers with a risky record often prove they will stay insured through a certificate filed by their insurer. That system was dropped by New Jersey. L.1979, c.169 carried out the repeal. The law removed the sections that had required proof of future coverage. These were 39:6-40, 39:6-41, and 39:6-43 through 39:6-47, all part of the N.J.S.A.

The reason appears in the legislative statement for bill S-488. Because the Automobile Reparation Reform Act requires every registered owner to carry insurance, the old filing rules were considered no longer needed.

As a result, an insurer has no paperwork to send the state. In New Jersey, a non‑owner policy focuses on protection, not forms: it handles your liability whenever you drive a car you borrowed.

Choosing your right to sue under a New Jersey policy

A lawsuit option must be chosen under a Standard Policy; the selection alters your rate and your claims. The Unlimited Right to Sue preserves your ability to sue the driver who was at fault for pain and suffering from any injury.

You give up that right with a Limited Right to Sue, unless the injury is on a set list. Death, permanent injury, a displaced fracture, significant scarring, and loss of a body part are all on the list. You can still sue for medical bills and lost wages. By law, when you do not select an option, the limited one takes effect.

Ask your agent or insurer about either policy, or contact the Department of Banking and Insurance.

What you pay in New Jersey, by age

A teen driver pays about $1,862 yearly. At age 40, a driver who owns a car pays an average of $1,395 a year for minimum insurance, about $254 more than the non-owner average of $1,141.