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Written by:
Prachi Singh
Contributing Writer
Prachi is an insurance writer with a master’s degree in business administration. Through her writing, she hopes to help readers make smart and informed decisions about their finances. She loves to travel and write poetry.
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Reviewed by:
Laura Longero
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Executive Editor
Laura Longero is an insurance expert and Executive Editor at CarInsurance.com, where she specializes in helping consumers navigate the complexities of the financial and insurance industries. She has 15 years of experience educating people about finance and car insurance. Prior to joining CarInsurance.com, she worked as a reporter and editor at the USA Today Network. Her expertise provides readers with practical guidance, helping them make informed choices about their financial and insurance needs.
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You or your insurance company can decide not to renew the policy when it expires, which may cause an insurance lapse. Depending on the state you live in, your insurance company must give you a certain number of days’ notice and explain the reason for non-renewal before it drops your policy.

Call the insurance company’s consumer affairs division if you think the reason is unfair or want a further explanation. If you don’t get an explanation, call your state insurance department.

The company may have decided to drop that particular line of insurance or to write fewer policies where you live, so you shouldn’t necessarily think the non-renewal is because of something you did. On the other hand, if you did something that raised the insurance company’s risk considerably, like driving drunk, the premium may rise and you may not have your policy renewed.

You can learn more from your insurance company about why they are not renewing your policy. If it did not have to do with your driving record or any serious offense, you should be able to get insurance elsewhere without affecting your rates. If it is due to a serious offense, bad overall driving record, or too many claims, it may make it harder to get insurance or result in you paying more with a company that will insure you.

So, if your insurance company does not renew your policy, it does not necessarily mean you will be charged a higher premium at another insurance company. What you can now do, though is shop around for auto insurance elsewhere.

Michelle Megna contributed to this story.

Laura Longero

Ask the Insurance Expert

Laura Longero

Executive Editor

Laura Longero is an insurance expert and Executive Editor at CarInsurance.com, where she specializes in helping consumers navigate the complexities of the financial and insurance industries. She has 15 years of experience educating people about finance and car insurance. Prior to joining CarInsurance.com, she worked as a reporter and editor at the USA Today Network. Her expertise provides readers with practical guidance, helping them make informed choices about their financial and insurance needs.

John McCormick

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John McCormick

Editorial Director

John is the editorial director for CarInsurance.com, Insurance.com and Insure.com. Before joining QuinStreet, John was a deputy editor at The Wall Street Journal and had been an editor and reporter at a number of other media outlets where he covered insurance, personal finance, and technology.

Leslie Kasperowicz

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Leslie Kasperowicz

Executive Editor

Leslie Kasperowicz is an insurance educator and content creation professional with nearly two decades of experience first directly in the insurance industry at Farmers Insurance and then as a writer, researcher, and educator for insurance shoppers writing for sites like ExpertInsuranceReviews.com and InsuranceHotline.com and managing content, now at CarInsurance.com.

Nupur Gambhir

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Nupur Gambhir

Managing Editor

Nupur Gambhir is a content editor and licensed life, health, and disability insurance expert. She has extensive experience bringing brands to life and has built award-nominated campaigns for travel and tech. Her insurance expertise has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes Advisor, CNET, Fortune, Slate, Real Simple, Lifehacker, The Financial Gym, and the end-of-life planning service.

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Contributing Writer

Prachi is an insurance writer with a master’s degree in business administration. Through her writing, she hopes to help readers make smart and informed decisions about their finances. She loves to travel and write poetry.