The moment the app turns on, your personal auto policy turns off.
Commercial auto protection for rideshare platforms, fleets, and drivers
Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) connect passengers with drivers through a digital platform — the rideshare model used by Uber, Lyft, and similar services. Because drivers carry paying passengers in their own personal vehicles, this coverage sits in a category all its own: personal auto policies exclude it, and the platform's protection changes depending on exactly what the app is doing.
TNC insurance is a defined, statutorily required category in all 50 states. Getting it right means understanding the phases of a trip — and closing the gaps the platform's master policy leaves open.
How Rideshare Coverage Works: The Four Periods
Coverage turns on what the app is doing at the moment of an accident:
Period 0 — App off, personal use only. The driver's personal auto policy governs normally.
Period 1 — App on, waiting for a ride request. This is the most exposed window: the platform provides only limited, contingent liability (commonly 50/100/25) that pays after the personal policy denies, while the personal policy itself typically excludes rideshare use entirely.
Period 2 — Request accepted, en route to pick up the passenger. The platform's primary commercial liability applies, standardly $1,000,000.
Period 3 — Passenger in the vehicle through drop-off. Full primary commercial liability continues, usually alongside uninsured/underinsured motorist protection.
What Transportation Network Company Insurance Covers
TNC and rideshare coverage typically responds with:
Auto Liability — third-party bodily injury and property damage; low and contingent in Period 1, then primary at $1,000,000 or more during Periods 2 and 3.
Contingent Liability — the Period 1 backstop that sits excess of the driver's personal policy while the app is on but no ride has been accepted.
Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist — protection for the driver and passengers when an at-fault driver has no or insufficient insurance, generally provided during the trip.
Contingent Physical Damage — comprehensive and collision for the driver's own vehicle during Periods 2 and 3, available only if the driver carries physical damage on their personal policy and subject to a deductible (commonly $2,500).
Medical Payments — coverage for the driver's and occupants' medical costs, which varies by state and policy.
Who Needs It
Transportation Network Company insurance is essential for:
Rideshare and TNC platform operators required to carry and verify statutory coverage
Fleet owners running multiple vehicles or drivers on rideshare platforms
Livery-adjacent and app-based dispatch operations, including black-car transport
Individual rideshare drivers who need a rideshare endorsement or commercial policy to close the Period 1 and own-vehicle gaps
The Personal-Auto Gap
Standard personal auto policies contain a livery, or "public conveyance," exclusion — carrying passengers for a fee is exactly what they exclude, and that exclusion typically triggers the moment the app is switched on, not just when a passenger is in the car. The result is a gap: during Period 1, the personal policy excludes the loss while the platform provides only low, contingent limits and nothing for the driver's own vehicle. A serious injury claim in that window can exceed the platform's contingent limits with no primary policy behind them, and a driver who never disclosed rideshare use can face cancellation or non-renewal.
Limits also vary by state. Nevada, for example, requires $1,500,000 of liability during Periods 2 and 3 — higher than the $1,000,000 national norm — while New York and New Jersey impose their own elevated minimums.
Our Approach
At Cory Washington & Co., we treat rideshare and TNC coverage as the technical placement it is — not a checkbox. We map how the operation actually runs across every trip phase, confirm where the platform's master policy responds and where it does not, and structure coverage to close the real gaps. Licensed in all 50 states, we place Transportation Network Company coverage through commercial auto and specialty markets that understand the gig-economy model, then explain the trade-offs in plain English so you can decide with confidence.
Related trucking & auto coverage: Delivery Network Company · Commercial Auto · Hired & Non-Owned Auto · Physical Damage.
All insurance descriptions on this website are provided by Cory Washington & Co. LLC strictly for general informational purposes. They are not intended to be, and should not be relied upon as, legal, financial, or insurance advice. The information presented is general in nature and does not guarantee the availability, terms, conditions, or scope of any insurance coverage. Actual coverage is determined solely by the specific policy language issued by the insurer and remains subject to underwriting approval. Nothing on this website creates or implies an agent-client relationship, binds coverage, or alters any existing policy. Cory Washington & Co. LLC expressly disclaims any liability for actions taken, or not taken, based on the content provided here. For advice regarding your particular situation, please consult directly with a licensed insurance professional at Cory Washington & Co. LLC or another qualified insurance professional, and always review your policy documents in full.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get transportation network company insurance through Cory Washington & Co.?
Request a quote or contact our team. We start with a short conversation about your operations, analyze your exposures, then negotiate transportation network company insurance across multiple carriers that compete for your account and present options with the trade-offs explained. Cory Washington & Co. LLC is licensed in all 50 states.
How are transportation network company insurance premiums priced?
It depends on your exposure. Transportation network company insurance is priced on factors like your industry, size, prior claims, and the limits and deductibles you select — so two businesses rarely pay the same. We shop your account across competing carriers and present the trade-offs in plain English.
Is transportation network company insurance mandatory?
Whether transportation network company insurance is strictly required depends on your state, your contracts, and your lenders or clients. Even where it is not mandatory, going without it can leave serious financial gaps. We assess your exposure and any contractual requirements, then structure coverage that meets both.
What if another agency has already declined or non-renewed my coverage?
Difficult, specialty, and previously-declined placements are a core part of our work. We access excess & surplus (E&S) and specialty markets that many generalist agencies cannot, and we explain the trade-offs clearly so you can decide with confidence.
Available in all 50 states. See how requirements differ in California, Texas, Florida, New York, or choose your state.