Grocery delivery • Instacart
Instacart Insurance: What Shoppers Need to Know About Car Coverage
Instacart does not provide auto insurance for full-service shoppers. Shoppers are independent contractors who must carry their own car insurance, and Instacart’s Shopper Injury Protection pays for your own injuries, not for damage you cause to others or to your car.
This guide explains what Instacart coverage does, what it leaves out, and how to fill the gaps. Blake Insurance Group is an independent agency; a licensed agent can compare options available to us.
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What Instacart coverage covers
| Item | Typical answer | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Liability for a crash you cause | Not provided by Instacart | Your personal policy’s business-use rules |
| Your injuries while shopping or delivering | Shopper Injury Protection, up to $1 million of medical expenses | Disability and survivor benefits |
| Damage to your car | Not covered by Instacart | Your collision and comprehensive |
| Proof of insurance | You must provide it on request | Keep your ID card current |
| In-store shoppers | Workers’ compensation as employees | Not relevant to full-service driving |
Sources: Instacart: shopper perks; Insureon summary of the Instacart contractor agreement. Terms change; check Instacart’s current shopper agreement.
Does your personal policy cover delivery?
Many personal auto policies exclude or limit business use, including food delivery. Some insurers allow occasional delivery, some offer a delivery endorsement, and some extend rideshare endorsements to delivery. Because Instacart adds no auto liability coverage, your personal policy is the only protection you have if it allows delivery, and if it excludes delivery you may have no coverage at all.
Ways to cover delivery driving
| Option | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Rideshare endorsement | Extends your personal policy to the app-on waiting period, and sometimes fills deductible gaps | Part-time drivers |
| Hybrid rideshare policy | One policy covering personal and rideshare driving, offered by some insurers in some states | Frequent drivers |
| Commercial or livery policy | Business auto coverage | Full-time, for-hire, or black car drivers |
| Platform coverage only | Relies on the TNC's policy during app periods | Not recommended if your personal policy excludes app use |
Availability, names, and terms vary by insurer and state.
Coverage tips for Instacart shoppers
- Tell your insurer you drive for a rideshare or delivery app. Hiding it can lead to a denied claim or canceled policy.
- Compare endorsements from several insurers; prices and covered periods differ.
- Keep collision and comprehensive if you rely on the car for income, and add rental reimbursement.
- Raise uninsured motorist limits, since you spend more time on the road than most drivers.
- Save app screenshots showing your status if you are in a crash.
- Review coverage when platform terms change, since TNCs update coverage periodically.
What to do after a delivery accident
- Make sure everyone is safe and call 911 if anyone is hurt.
- Note your app status at the time of the crash and take a screenshot if possible.
- Exchange information with other drivers and photograph the scene.
- Report the crash in the Instacart Shopper app, which starts the platform's claims process.
- Notify your personal insurer, especially if you have a rideshare endorsement.
- Keep records of medical visits, repairs, and lost driving income.
When an agent may help
Online tools work well for simple situations. A conversation with a licensed agent may be more useful when:
- You have a teen driver, several vehicles, or drivers with recent accidents or violations.
- You need an SR-22 or other state filing. See our SR-22 insurance page.
- You use a vehicle for rideshare, delivery, or other business purposes.
- You own a home, rental property, or significant savings and want liability limits that work with an umbrella policy.
- You have had a claim denied or a policy nonrenewed and need help understanding your options.
An agent can also explain differences in policy wording that are hard to see on a results page.
Switching insurers without a gap
If a new quote is lower, switch carefully so you are never uninsured:
- Confirm the final price after the insurer verifies your information.
- Set the new policy to start on or before the date the old one ends.
- Give the new insurer your lender or lessor information if the vehicle is financed.
- Save your new ID cards and declarations page.
- Cancel the old policy effective the same day, and ask about any refund of unused premium.
- If you have an SR-22, confirm the new insurer files it before the old filing ends.
Coverage terms to match on every quote
| Coverage | What it pays for | What to match |
|---|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | Injuries you cause to others | Per-person and per-accident limits, such as 100/300 |
| Property damage liability | Damage you cause to others' property | Same limit on both quotes, such as $100,000 |
| Uninsured/underinsured motorist | Your injuries when the at-fault driver lacks enough coverage | Same limits; ideally equal to your liability limits |
| Collision | Damage to your car from a crash | Same deductible |
| Comprehensive | Theft, fire, hail, flood, animal strikes, glass | Same deductible; note any glass option |
| Medical payments or PIP | Medical costs for you and passengers | Same limit; PIP rules depend on your state |
| Rental and roadside | Transportation during repairs; towing | Same daily and total limits |
Limits shown are examples, not recommendations. State minimum requirements differ.
Delivery, rideshare, and livery are different
Not all app-based driving is treated the same way. Rideshare means carrying passengers through a transportation network company such as Uber or Lyft, which is governed by state TNC laws. Delivery means carrying food or packages through apps such as DoorDash, Uber Eats, Instacart, or Amazon Flex, where platform coverage is usually narrower and often only excess liability. Livery or black car service means carrying passengers for hire outside the TNC model and generally requires commercial auto insurance. Tell your insurer exactly which kinds of driving you do, because an endorsement for one may not cover the others.
Choosing liability limits as a delivery driver
Delivery drivers spend far more time on the road than typical drivers, which raises the chance of a serious crash. When the app is off, only your personal policy protects you, so carrying liability limits well above your state minimum is wise; many drivers choose 100/300/100 or higher. Match uninsured and underinsured motorist limits to your liability limits, and consider medical payments or personal injury protection where available. If you have significant savings or a home, an umbrella policy can add protection, but confirm whether it applies to delivery use, since many umbrellas exclude business driving.
Questions to ask any insurer
Whatever company you are considering, a short list of questions can prevent surprises later:
- What is the legal name of the company that will issue my policy, and is it licensed in my state?
- Which coverages and limits does this price include, and what would it cost to raise liability limits?
- How will my price be recalculated at renewal, and which factors can raise it?
- Are there installment, late, or cancellation fees?
- How do I report a claim, and will I work with a staff adjuster or an outside firm?
- If I use a driving-data or app feature, what data is collected and how long is it kept?
- What happens if I move to another state where the company does not sell?
Write down the answers, or ask for them in writing, so you can compare companies on the same terms.
Ways to lower your premium
- Compare at least three quotes with identical coverage every year or two, and whenever your premium jumps at renewal.
- Raise collision and comprehensive deductibles to an amount you could pay tomorrow without strain.
- Drop collision and comprehensive on an older car only when the car's value is low enough that you could replace it yourself.
- Ask about every discount: multi-policy, multi-vehicle, good student, defensive driving, paperless, paid-in-full, and safety equipment.
- Try a driving-data program if you drive carefully and are comfortable sharing driving data. See usage-based insurance.
- Keep continuous coverage. Even a short lapse can raise future rates.
- Report accurate mileage. Lower annual mileage can mean a lower premium.
- Bundle auto with renters or homeowners insurance where the combined price is lower.
How insurers set your price
Most insurers price a policy using your driving record, years licensed, age where allowed, the vehicle, where it is garaged, annual mileage, coverage limits, deductibles, prior insurance history, and, where state law permits, a credit-based insurance score. Each insurer weighs these factors differently, which is why quotes for the same driver can differ by hundreds of dollars. Improving the factors you control, especially your record and continuous coverage, pays off over several renewals.
Payment plans and fees
How you pay can change your total cost. Many insurers charge installment fees for monthly payments, and some offer discounts for paying the full term upfront, enrolling in automatic payments, or going paperless. If paying in full is not possible, ask which payment plan has the lowest fees. Missing a payment can cancel your policy and create a lapse, which raises future rates, so set up reminders or autopay.
What to have ready for a rideshare quote
These details help produce accurate quotes.
- Driver details. License and driving history for each driver.
- Vehicle details. VIN and annual mileage, including rideshare miles.
- Platforms. Every app you drive for and roughly how many hours a week.
- Current declarations page. To match limits and deductibles.
- Garaging address. Where the car is kept overnight.
Instacart insurance FAQs
Does Instacart provide car insurance?
No. Instacart does not provide auto insurance for full-service shoppers, who must carry their own.
What is Instacart Shopper Injury Protection?
Insurance for full-service shoppers that pays up to $1 million of medical expenses for injuries while shopping or delivering, plus disability payments and survivor benefits for eligible dependents.
Does Instacart cover damage to my car?
No. Your own collision and comprehensive coverage, or the at-fault driver’s insurer, would pay.
Does my personal policy cover Instacart deliveries?
Not always. Many personal policies exclude business use. Ask your insurer about a delivery or rideshare endorsement.
Are in-store Instacart shoppers covered differently?
Yes. In-store shoppers are employees covered by workers’ compensation for workplace accidents.
Will Instacart ask for proof of insurance?
Instacart can ask shoppers to provide proof of insurance, so keep your auto ID card current.
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Important information
Independent agency. Blake Insurance Group LLC is an independent insurance agency. Licensed insurance producer NPN 16944666. Licensed states: AZ, AL, TX, CA, NY, OH, FL, NC, VA, GA, OK, NM, IA, KS, MI, NE, SC, SD, WV, IL, NJ, PA, TN, and WA. Which insurance companies we can quote depends on our current appointments, the product, and your state. Mentioning a company on this page does not mean we represent it.
Legal requirements. State requirements summarized here are general information as of October 2026 and can change. This page is not legal advice; confirm current rules with your state's insurance regulator or motor vehicle agency.
Not affiliated. Instacart is a trademark of its owner. Blake Insurance Group is not affiliated with Instacart.
Availability. Coverage, prices, discounts, and eligibility vary by insurer, state, and applicant, and are subject to underwriting. The issued policy controls.
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