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Hired auto

Commercial coverage for liability when employees rent or lease vehicles for business.

Educational only. PolicyPlain does not sell insurance and does not provide insurance, legal, or financial advice. Coverage rules and prices vary by state and insurer. Read our full disclaimer.

Plain definition

Hired auto liability extends your commercial auto liability to vehicles you rent, hire, or borrow for business purposes. It does not automatically cover physical damage to the rented vehicle—that may need hired auto physical damage or the rental company’s collision waiver.

Why it matters

Employees renting trucks for deliveries create liability if they injure someone; personal auto and credit card CDW may not cover business use.

Example

Your staff rents a van for a trade show and rear-ends another car. Hired auto liability may pay third-party damages within commercial auto limits.

Common misunderstanding

Hired auto is not personal rental car coverage on a consumer auto policy when the trip is for employer business.

Policy language always controls. This is educational content, not advice. See our disclaimer.