How to get anonymous car insurance quotes

What information do I need to get a car insurance quote?

In most situations, auto insurers require at least a handful of personalized details when providing car insurance quotes for coverage. These variables help the insurance company estimate the financial risk associated with insuring any given customer and vehicle. 

• Demographics: Your age and gender may be a rating factor for your car insurance premium. Age is particularly important because it typically correlates to driving experience and younger drivers are more likely to file claims. However, not all states consider demographics the same way.  Hawaii and Massachusetts ban age as a rating factor while California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania do not allow ratings based on gender.
• Driving record: Driving history is one of the top indicators of how likely it is that an insurance company will have to pay out a costly claim. A driver with several accidents or tickets may be considered to be a higher risk to insure and can therefore expect a higher premium.
• Driver's license: Your driver’s license is used both as proof of identity and proof that you are legally permitted to drive. While this won’t necessarily impact your quote, it is often necessary to obtain a quote.
• Address: Where you live can have a notable impact on the likelihood of vehicle theft and the chances of having an auto accident. These factors can contribute to higher or lower premiums based on the risk that correlates to your ZIP code. If you live in California or Michigan, your ZIP code has less influence over your rate. These states have legislation (Proposition 103 in California and PA 21 in Michigan) that limits how much an insurer can weigh your ZIP code when underwriting a policy. It’s important to note, however, that in the case of Michigan in particular, insurers have found other ways to factor in where you live when rating your policy. Regardless of what state you live in, you are likely to have to provide some locational details when requesting a quote. 
• Vehicle information: The year, make and model of your car are generally required to obtain a quote, and your specific vehicle identification number (VIN) will be required when you are ready to purchase a policy. Vehicles have different safety ratings and repair or replacement costs which factor into how expensive a car is to insure.
• Coverage limits and types: The type of coverage you want on your policy and the limits on those coverage options are needed to calculate any quote, even an initial one. Generally speaking, your premiums will go up when you request higher coverage limits or transition from liability-only to comprehensive policy coverage. 
• Current insurance coverage: Most insurers will ask you about your current coverage, assuming you already own and operate a vehicle. This helps insurers determine if you’ve had any lapses in coverage, a factor that can impact your rate in most states. It can also help a potential carrier match your current coverage with one of their own policies. 

Why do car insurance companies need personal information for a quote?

Car insurance quotes are highly personalized based on multiple factors. For instance, teen drivers with a sports car will almost certainly pay significantly more than a 40-year-old driver in a sensible sedan. Because rates vary so significantly between drivers, auto insurers need personal information to give you a reliable quote.

Without knowing anything about the car you’re insuring, where you live, and whether you have citations in your record, it’s challenging for any insurer to provide you with an accurate quote. It might help to speak with an insurance agent to understand exactly how each piece of information is used in calculating quotes in your state.

Can you get an anonymous car insurance quote?

While you could attempt to submit a quote request with some omitted details, it’s challenging to get a car insurance quote without personal information, let alone receive one that is accurate. 

When premiums are calculated, the formula is based primarily on your personal information and background. Details like your driving record, age (in most states), address, credit-based insurance score (in most states), vehicle make and model and more contribute to these calculations. Car insurance calculators are unable to deliver a precise quote if they don’t have your information. Instead, they will only be able to offer average rates for people in your area.

Anonymous quotes can mislead people into thinking their rates will be higher or lower than they will be once personal data is factored in. 

Here are some examples of why an anonymous quote may under- or overestimate your premium costs:

• Without information about driving infractions like speeding tickets or DUIs, you may be quoted a rate that is too low. And don’t think you’ll be able to slide a less-than-perfect driving record past an insurance company, as it will run a check before binding your policy. 
• If an insurer lacks knowledge about vehicle mileage, it may assume you drive 12,000 to 15,000 per year (the average range for most drivers). Although you may be able to get a quote without this information, your quote will be too low if, say, you actually drive 50,000 miles per year (and you may be required to submit proof when finalizing your policy).
• If you decline to provide information about any recent car insurance claims you’ve made during the quote process, you may be setting yourself up for a nasty surprise. Expensive claims made in the last few years might not just drive up your final rate, they could serve as a reason for the insurer to deny you coverage altogether, putting you back at square one. 

How do you get a car insurance quote without personal information?

Despite knowing that the quote may not be very accurate, there may still be valid reasons why you want to get an anonymous auto insurance quote during your initial search. It may be possible to find a company that will provide a quote based on limited information, and we’ve put together a few tips on how you might be able to get some pricing info without giving up a lot of information. 

Provide generic details

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a car insurance company that doesn’t require at least some personal information if you ask for a quote on their website. However, you may be able to limit how much information you provide.

Some mandatory entry fields could potentially be completed without disclosing fully identifying information. For example, you may use a pseudonym or initials instead of your full name when asked for your name. You may also be able to omit information regarding your current insurer, or create an email address designed for junk mail instead of offering your primary email address. 

Keep in mind that if you decide to move forward with an insurer, you must give them your real personal details. A car insurance policy is a legal contract, and you can’t enter it anonymously or with a pseudonym. 

Use a comparison website

Comparison websites and digital tools may use minimal information to gather quotes quickly from multiple insurance providers. These websites often use the same basic information as individual companies do, meaning that you’ll still have to provide your ZIP code, age and basic driving history. Then, the comparison website will query numerous companies with that information to provide you with a list of competing quotes. 

Use Bankrate’s estimation calculator

Using a tool like Bankrate's estimation calculator may prove helpful to drivers seeking a ballpark figure for how much they can expect to pay for insurance. You can use this car insurance calculator without providing personal information and receive a rough insurance premium estimate. While this is not an exact quote, it might give you a good starting point. Just keep in mind that your final rate will be different once you provide more specific rating information—and even that could vary a lot between providers.

Can you purchase an anonymous car insurance quote?

No. Quotes are free, so there is no need to purchase one. Once you have decided to purchase a policy, you will be required to provide any information you omitted when getting an anonymous quote. Keep in mind that at this stage, your quoted premium could vary drastically, especially if you have omitted information known to impact premiums. Quotes are not binding agreements but are simply estimates of expected costs based on the information available at the time. While quotes can sometimes be gained with some level of anonymity, purchasing your actual policy requires specific details about you and your vehicle (and all other drivers you wish to list on the policy).

Frequently asked questions